TL CHROMETIDE

when you're at a red light (or basically stopped completely) and you want to go, is your heel rested on the floor with your upper part of your foot holding down the clutch or is your heel off the floor

im 15 years old with a permit and believe it or not, the 6MT TL is the car im practicing with until i get my license, at first i was stalling like crazy. i stopped the stalling phase and i finally take it off the floor. but now im overrevving like crazy! that problem settled down a little but i still do it often whenever im at a stop....my mom thinks that its my heel resting on the floor, but i dont....

can anyone give me any tips? thanks in advance

joseph_99tl

u should do some searches.
lots of people whining about driving that 6 speed.
lol..

JoganJani

While fully disengaged my heel rest the floor. However while releasing clutch (engaging) my heel is not rested. Try to operate the clutch with the front part it will be easier. Also, once fully engage, do not rest your foot on the clutch rather keep it on the dead pedal else you'll "ride the clutch" and wear it unnecessarily.

subinf

Took a little while to get used to the clutch...when I was looking at the TL's even the guys at the dealership were stalling. I came from an integra with a very very very stiff clutch so the TL was a serious upgrade, though it still took some time to adjust to the tension and the balance with the gas.

6mtV6

I rest my heel on the floor. When releasing the clutch my heel is on the floor also. I move my foot away from the clutch once the clutch is fully released. I rest it on the dead pedal.

Is your heel not supposed to be on the floor when your releasing the clutch? Everyone I know rest their heel on the floor when releasing the clutch. Even my uncle, who taught me how to drive a manual, who has been driving a stick shift for more than 30 years does this.

ericajackhannahjamie?

At a stop light, put it to N. and let go your left foot. (relax don't get nervous or anxious) When light turns green or about to turn green. Clutch it and shift to 1st gear, slowly let go your clutch(left foot) as you hit the gas pedal a little to give it some acceleration (you will get used to this as you practice more or drive more frequently). It's the hardest part in learning how to drive a MT Do not worry about stalling or get embarrassed about it. If others honk the horn at you, ignore them.

My heels are usually off the floor when I release the clutch.. my foot is usually on the clutch.. just the way I drive hehe
Remember once you're driving, don't ride the clutch (don't rest your foot on the clutch)

good luck and you will get better if you get stuck in heavy traffic
practice makes perfect!

JLim

if your heel is touching the floor that means you're lifting only your feet and you're using your ankles while your heal is resting on the floor.
if your heel is off the floor when you release the clutch, it means that you're lifting your whole leg.

i started driving stick the first way, where i lifted just my feet. it was easier and i'm was lazy. but i heard somewhere that you get a better feel if you lift the whole leg. so i switched to lifting my whole leg.

now, i drive an automatic. haha.

dAveSPEC

This is exactly how you want to do it. I personally keep my foot off the ground (size12) because I like the consistency better and don't like the drag, but thats just me. Also, people don't honk in TX like they do in the tri-state area. Growing up in NJ and having family up there really shows how much more alert they are on the road in the north. They're too polite here!

6mtV6

I tried both ways: heel on the floor and heel off the floor. I feel more comfortable and drive better with my heel on the floor.

Legend2TL

In terms of where your left foot should rest, whatever you are more comfortable with. I've tried both heel on floor and off floor.

This 6MT takes some getting used to, for a variety of reasons (vague feeling for where the clutch engages, even the DBW thottle has a some effect). It's taken me 2K miles to get used to it. Here are some tips to try in a empty parking lot for practice starts. Also do a search in AcuraZine for some great manual shifting tips from Southernboy that he wrote up

1) Watch the tach as you are releaseing the clutch, keep the rev's at ~1K when releasing the clutch. If you are at idle the chances of stalling at that much greater since the flywheel/crank has less momentum.

2) As soon as you feel the clutch engaging practice releasing the clutch and gently depressing the throttle at the same time. The goal is keep the rev's around 1-1.2K RPM. Try to avoid over-reving (not good for the clutch) and the opposite letting the rev's fall below ~800RPM.

3) As soon as you feel the clutch fully disengaged, proceed to depress the throttle alot more and watch the rev's rise. I tend to shift ~2.5K-3K RPM when just driving around time normally.

Good luck on your driving test.

SouthernBoy

You should never keep the clutch disengaged while waiting for a light to change. I should be fully engaged with your foot completely removed from the pedal. When getting ready to go on the green, do not rest your heel on the floor and rotate your foot up from the clutch pedal. You should have your foot completely free and on the pedal, unencumbered by the floor as you engage the clutch.

Here's a link you might find helpful.. about half way down.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...t=downshifting

TL CHROMETIDE

wow, thanks everyone, i'll practice on lifting my whole leg instead of just my foot

1995hoo

I couldn't begin to tell you how I do it, other than that I put it in neutral and take my foot off the brake when stopped. (I also watch the light for the other road so that when it turns yellow I can shift into first and be ready to go. I REALLY wish our traffic lights were like the ones in London--there, when the light is going to change, the red light stays on but the yellow comes on as well so people know to shift and go. Of course, they don't run red lights nearly the way people here do either.) Anyway, I digress. I think the important thing is that you'll develop a rhythm that works for you when shifting and it will become second-nature and you won't think about it. That's when you're on the right track. I find that if I start thinking about what I'm doing, like say if I'm trying to explain it to someone who doesn't know how to drive a manual, it's when I screw something up and stall or overrev or something.

ndx2

i got a question for the experience mt drivers:

how long did it take you before driving a stick became a "second nature"? i only ask because although i can drive it, it's far from becoming a second nature - i almost constantly look at the tach, especially when going from a stop.

1995hoo

Hard to say, it's been 16 years since I learned, but I think probably within a month for me. I learned on my father's 5-speed 1982 Accord (which he later sold to me) and it was a really easy car to use to learn to drive a manual. I was driving it on the Beltway and I-395 within a week of the first time I drove it, although the first few times I tried the fifth-to-fourth downshift I had some trouble.

Trying to learn to drive that 1977 Granada posed a real challenge for the first few days after learning on that Accord. The Granada's clutch travelled probably twice as far as the Accord's did. Since then the only time I really had any trouble with one was the first three days with the TL, but you get used to it pretty quickly.

You young'uns who are learning to drive a manual on a TL will find that you should be able to handle just about any clutch once you're used to the TL.

PoochaKannInc

Well I've been driving it for over a year now. The TL was my first stick shift. It became "second nature" when all of a sudden a car in front of me braked hard and I had to change lanes, downshift and go without thinking about it. I was decent within the first month, but I spent SO much time reading about the best techniques, and I find that I'm still getting better. Someone once said, "driving a stick takes a few days to learn, and a lifetime to master". You will definitely become better, but as long as you are willing to take constructive criticism, you will consistently improve. I'm currently trying to work on my "heel & toe or ball & edge" technique.

acugirl

FYI, I, too, lift up the whole leg, heel off the floor and I do not keep the clutch depressed on the red light.

Now, this is not an issue for you, I suppose , but things change quite a bit when wearing high heels, which is another reason for me to lift up the whole leg. Fortunately for me, the clutch picks up at the end rather than low, so driving in 4" heels is no problem.

ndx2

off topic, but how do you like the cleared headlights on your anthracite? i personally hate the amber color on any car, and would like either clear them or paint the reflectors. did you do it yourself, and if so, how difficult was it?

6mtV6

Everytime I drive my uncle's Altima, i'm always reaching for the clutch when I start the engine, shift, brake, and getting ready to drive off after a stop.

It took me a day to learn how to drive a stick. Second day, I drove to work and got stuck in NYC traffic. After that time, it was "second nature". Been driving a stick for over 3 years now.

Someone once said, "driving a stick takes a few days to learn, and a lifetime to master". That person is right.

nortynorty

TheMainEvEnt gave you good advice. One thing I used to teach my son how to drive a manual transmission was this. Start out in an uncrowded area, like a large parking lot or a school after hours. The best way to get a feel of the clutch friction point and the coordination of your feet on the clutch and accelerator is to start the car from a complete stop just by releasing the clutch pedal. You will stall a few times, but you'll get used to the feel and once the car is moving you can use the accelerator. Practice this a bit and the coordination with both feet may be a bit easier. Good luck...I'm sure you'll do great!

TheTriads

TheMainEvEnT gave you an excellent advice. She's one of the best MT drivers out there that I know. The best way to do it is like NortyNorty said, let go your clutch a few times till you see at which point does the engines actually catches or stalls, then go from there and hit the gas pedal. Practice more and you'll be driving MT like 2nd nature.

Took me about 2 weeks before becoming 2nd nature.