Help, learner driver =/

  • Thread starter Thread starter Meglomaniac
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M

Meglomaniac

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Hi all
yes, i am learning to drive, and, as nuts for cars as i am, i always forget the manual controls on the vehicle, no matter how many times i sit in the car and practice, or just practice, i never remember the sequence, its really scary.
Is it just me?, i have driven only a few times, but i think my memory just sucks =P
Is it something you learn to pick up over time? Was anyone worried about this when they learnt how to drive?

The sequence as i can remember off the top of my head
Seat belt on
Start Car
Check mirrors
Foot on clutch
hand brake off
foot on brake
rev engine (Small Car i learn in) to about 1500 - 2000rpm
find the biting point of the engine
into first gear
easy off clutch, and onto accelarator
am i correct? am i horribly wrong? can anyone please help, i am so well and truly stuck, help would be most appreciated, cheers

Meglo
positive feedback is very very welcome ;]
 
You don't have a licenced driver teaching you how to drive? A competant driver actually in the car with you is going to make a better teacher than people over the internet.

That said, here's slightly a better order.

-Belts
-Mirrors
-Both feet in (right foot on brake, left foot on clutch)
-Start motor
-Decouple ebrake
-Select 1st
-Ease right foot off brake and onto throttle
-Feather throttle to 1000-2000, entirely depending on vehicle (1600 seems to work for most cars)
-Slowly ease left foot up until you begin moving forward. Add throttle as necessary.

That's it in a nutshell. Practice in an empty parking lot, with a good driver in the passenger seat. It will become second nature within a few sessions.


M
 
Welcome to the roads Meglo 👍
Yes it can be frustrating when learning to drive all the boring stuff like 'cockpit procedure' not much to do with real world driving really but stick at it and you will get it in the end. I remember really struggling at the begining which was really frustrating for me because being a car nut I just wanted to get out there. The only tips I could give is keep doing what you are doing and if you struggle with that steering technique you have to learn (feeding the wheel) just practise with a dinner plate at home you look a bit stupid but you can move the plate right round through your hands and you will soon just do it without thinking on the road. Make sure theres no food on it first tho ;)
 
Hmmm I always put car into gear after starting it (Well put it into neutral first, I normally leave it ingear should handbrake fail). Then rev engine/bring up clutch to biting point then release handbrake.

And course the usual boring procedures.

I've had my license since April & I can't say I enjoyed learning to drive (even though I've liked cars for aslong as I can remember). Just keep at it! :)
 
I would say just sit in your driveway and practice getting moving forward gradually without stalling or sqeaking the tires. It might take you an hour, but once you learn it you never forget and it's exteremly satisfying.
 
Does it matter if you leave your car in neutral as opposed to 1st or Reverse?

just wondering....i know leaving it in high gears is a definite no-no though.
 
Omnis
Does it matter if you leave your car in neutral as opposed to 1st or Reverse?

just wondering....i know leaving it in high gears is a definite no-no though.
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Leaving it in gear is prefered. I leave mine in 2nd, generally. The gearbox will hold your car still in certain situations.
 
You can leave in neutral aslong as you handbrake (park brake) is good, It is prefered to leave it in gear for extra safety. I leave it in neutral because of my turbo timer.
 
T5-R
Hmmm I always put car into gear after starting it (Well put it into neutral first, I normally leave it ingear should handbrake fail). Then rev engine/bring up clutch to biting point then release handbrake.

And course the usual boring procedures.

I've had my license since April & I can't say I enjoyed learning to drive (even though I've liked cars for aslong as I can remember). Just keep at it! :)
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Just out of curiosity, what is the biting point? Is that when the engine begins to move the car before it studders and dies? Or am I wrong?
 
skip0110
I would say just sit in your driveway and practice getting moving forward gradually without stalling or sqeaking the tires. It might take you an hour, but once you learn it you never forget and it's exteremly satisfying.
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erm... unless he has a very loooong driveway, I'd be slightly worried about the garage door integrity. :p

That's what I figured out after my first attempt at starting a scooter when I was a kid... :dunce:

Empty parking lot = 👍
 
jpmontoya
erm... unless he has a very loooong driveway, I'd be slightly worried about the garage door integrity. :p
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:dunce: Whoops, that wasn't very bright of me, assuming that everyone has a long-ish drive like me.

Anyways, yes, an empty parking lot or deserted dead-end street would serve you just fine. Getting the car moving is the hardest part of driving stick (especially on varying slopes). Once you have momentum, you can be a ham-fisted fool and still shift (well, upshift at least).
 
Super_Saru
Just out of curiosity, what is the biting point? Is that when the engine begins to move the car before it studders and dies? Or am I wrong?
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The biting point is where the clutch starts to engauge. (the cars may start to creep).
 
Everything just turns into habit after a while... though I typically have my car running a bit before I go, and then do my belts up. Its cold here, I need the engien to warm up and stuff. But yeah, it all turns into second nature after a bit, and you'll get the feel for the clutch and throttle as well with time.

I remember when I first drove stick... it was a joke.. my dad gave me a 5 minute crash course and then told me to drive to school (which was 30 miles away)... I must've stalled like... 100 times the first week I was driving... >_<
 
Nobody ever told me to leave the car in gear, my instructor told me to leave it in neutural and i've been doing that for like 3 years. Is there any advantage of doing this? Because i'll start doing this if there is. But I can see myself forgetting in the morning starting the car and smashing into the idiot who decides to park too close to me because I forgot the car was in gear.
 
Leaving the car in gear is another way of making sure your car doesn't roll into the idiot that parked too close. If your handbrake fails, slips, or decides to be stupid, the stopped engine will stop the car if it's in gear. If you're in neutral, the idiot parked too close to you will be a very angry idiot when your handbrake decides to die. But, you then need to remember to take it out of gear or put in the clutch when you start the car, or the idiot parked next to you will be even angrier.
 
I've just recently purchased a car with a manual transmission. I'd like to give some advice for pulling out in first and reverse, something a little bit more advanced. If you have the clutch all the way down and in 1st gear, left the clutch bite just a little without giving any throttle. The car will move like an automatic does when you lift your foot off the brake, without using the gas at all!. Most cars should do it, although my 4 cylinder doesn't do it quite as well as my friends VR6. It's a good method when on hills and you won't roll back too much if you're new at manual.
 
Race Idiot
Nobody ever told me to leave the car in gear, my instructor told me to leave it in neutural and i've been doing that for like 3 years. Is there any advantage of doing this? Because i'll start doing this if there is. But I can see myself forgetting in the morning starting the car and smashing into the idiot who decides to park too close to me because I forgot the car was in gear.
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I think it is actually wiser , leaving the car in neutral, because it can actually be quite dangerous if you've forgotten that you've left the car in gear as you said.
 
Yeah, my dad leaves cars in gear, I use to not do that... so I almost hit cars in the driveway a few times. However, when you get a car wtih a handbrake that is less than perfect... or barely works as is my cause now, leaving it in gear is a very very important. You've just got to remember to not take your foot of the clutch, or to keep the brke down till you are in neutral
 
Thats understandable, seeing as my cousins Renault Clio 1.2(1997) has a handbrake that requires her to use two hands to yank up. :lol:

So when i was teaching her how to drive, i had to do the handbrake for her, because she'd be there for like 4-5mins working on it. She claimed leaving the car in gear would solve her problems, i said go for it, although i was a bit skeptical.
 
The way I learned to find the "biting point" is to find an empty parking lot and slowly disengage the clutch until you can hear a change in the engine sound. Another thing, I learned to drive a manual transmission in a Corvette Z06; not a good learner car!
 
PSG
The way I learned to find the "biting point" is to find an empty parking lot and slowly disengage the clutch until you can hear a change in the engine sound. Another thing, I learned to drive a manual transmission in a Corvette Z06; not a good learner car!
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Lucky bugger, my first driving experience was in a 1992 Vauxhall Cavalier, 3-4 years ago. The clutch was rock solid and made squeaking sounds. Lifting the handbrake was like benchpressing 500pounds, and at first it was hard to determine the biting point because the engine sounded the same at all levels of clutch release. Dunno how my Dad did it. I guess it becomes involutarily after a while.
 
Been driving for 18 years and I never leave a car in gear anymore (use to back in the day before handbrakes actually started working) the chances of the handbrakes failing on newer cars is very low, I've never had one fail on any of my countless cars.
 
Azuremen
Yeah, my dad leaves cars in gear, I use to not do that... so I almost hit cars in the driveway a few times. However, when you get a car wtih a handbrake that is less than perfect... or barely works as is my cause now, leaving it in gear is a very very important. You've just got to remember to not take your foot of the clutch, or to keep the brke down till you are in neutral
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Well you better hope I remember to release it tommorow morning then. I don't think i'll bother with it seeing as my handbrake works. Speaking of your car, i'm a big fan of the MK-1 MR-2 and i'm saving to get one for my next car, although I see you have an engine swap from one of the newer FF corrolas?

BMW X5 SPORTS
Lucky bugger, my first driving experience was in a 1992 Vauxhall Cavalier, 3-4 years ago. The clutch was rock solid and made squeaking sounds. Lifting the handbrake was like benchpressing 500pounds, and at first it was hard to determine the biting point because the engine sounded the same at all levels of clutch release. Dunno how my Dad did it. I guess it becomes involutarily after a while.
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Bah heavy clutch I used to own a 1982 Ford Escort, now that had a heavy clutch.
 
Race Idiot
Bah heavy clutch I used to own a 1982 Ford Escort, now that had a heavy clutch.
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:lol:

I guess you must have some very well developed leg-muscles.
 
Wow race-car drivers truly are talented, along with drifters. If so many people have clutch problems how tf do drifters engage a clutch-induced-drift 50% without missing something or making their arm tired as hell ( ala handbrake for FWDers lol). I guess it does just become habbit, like biting oyur nails, throwing paper at girls or flipping the channel when ur mom walks in during a porn episode. Did i just say that?

[Edit] Does anyone here watch Growing Up Gotti? Victoria gets a F360 Spider. Lucky *****. she should have gotten the one with the F1 style paddle shifters for a mere 10G less (lol)...she probably wouldnt have squealed the tires, burnt the clutch and missed shift points if she did! Gawd that was funny. [Edit]
 
PublicSecrecy
throwing paper at girls.
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Your joking right. :lol:

Racers and Drifters are VERY talented. i once saw on a site, a guy drift round a U bend on a hill at around 5mph:crazy:, Vid is somewhere in the Videos and Exports forum.
 
PublicSecrecy
Wow race-car drivers truly are talented, along with drifters. If so many people have clutch problems how tf do drifters engage a clutch-induced-drift 50% without missing something or making their arm tired as hell ( ala handbrake for FWDers lol).
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The use of the clutch and handbrake like that becomes second nature, just requires some practice. When you play GT3 and you have to shift gears (in manual) do you think about it? No you automatically do it. Its like when your playing GT3 and you go into a day dream or a trance and you pull off record laps and your like what the hell?
 
When I am at the track.. I don't even notice what my hands and feet are doing. Its all instinct. I shift according to the "feel" of the car, the engine noise, and where I need to put the weight on it when cornering. Everything becomes becomes subconsious... toe and heel even... I find myself doing it around down now for smoother driving :dunce:

Race Idiot, the Mk1 MR2 is very nice, though mine is a bit extreme... and I can't even what a stock one feels like anymore :crazy: I actually own two.. both 87s... but one is broken down and was gonna be a fixer upper.. but then I got into a car wreck, and used the insurance money to buy what I have now.. which I got as it is, and it is super clean. I am a huge fan off all the MR2s, except maybe the US NA SW21 Mk2... as it has a Camry engine in it... You guys got the G-Limited over there, didn't ya?

But back to the topic... everything becomes habit.. I drove a Tercel with no tach, sounded like crap... and well, was pretty much crap.. but got to the point where I could go blasting down gravel roads at 80 MPH, and take corners drifting sideways at 40+ MPH. And all my braking and steering, plus extensive modulation of the clutch to prevent braking the front wheels lose all became subconcious.

BTW, I am a huge fan of rally racing... its pretty much why I got into racing, and probably why I think drifting is awesome.
 
Azuremen
When I am at the track.. I don't even notice what my hands and feet are doing. Its all instinct. I shift according to the "feel" of the car, the engine noise, and where I need to put the weight on it when cornering. Everything becomes becomes subconsious... toe and heel even... I find myself doing it around down now for smoother driving :dunce:
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Exactly, This is the point I was trying to make. Its all instinct. I often heel toe while driving around aswell (expecially through the hills).
 

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