Save the Manuals!

[Beeblebrox237]

In my 328i stab the throttle for a moment, literally as fast as you can, it'll kick down but the engines not responsive enough to actually speed the car up at all in such a short burst, then it'll normally hold the lower gear until you ease off where the throttle was before. It just feels like a clumsy shift in a manual car.

or, put the gearbox in sport mode and it'll normally sit a ratio lower all the time.

or, manually select 2nd

or, accept that whilst learning to drive, in what I guess must have been a built up area, you don't actually need the car to be more any more responsive than it was. Seriously, what's going to happen in the half second it would take for the car to change gear if you stepped on it?

Thanks, I'll try that (stabbing the throttle). And my reason for wanting more responsiveness, while rather silly, is that I'm used to it. The manual Honda Fit that I drive some is very responsive, with quite abrupt throttle tip-in, so the Fusion feels really soft and annoying. You're right, though, I don't need to be in a lower gear.

 

[KookiBirb]

My current car isn't manual transmission. But I am in the process of still collecting all the parts for my A340 auto to R154 manual transmission swap. The very first car that I ever drove in was indeed a 5-speed civic. 2 years have passed, I finally got my own car, a Lexus SC30 but is auto transmission. Sure its less of a hassle, but god I miss the fun, where most of my body part have a job to do instead of just the right foot and hands doing the work. Also have plans ahead, so this is kind of essential for me.

This was given from my grandpa, as an early graduation gift. So I aint complaining about that though.

 

[Kylehnat]

So, how would you guys convince an automatic transmission to downshift without changing the speed of the car? Is there a way?

If you have a keen foot, you can increase the throttle just enough so that the computer calls for a downshift, and then lift just enough to keep it from accelerating (but don't lift enough to make it up-shift again).

Oh and some (hai more recent Mazdas) have a manual mode that will actually listen to you aside from not letting you overdownshift. Limiter smash? Sure.

The autobox in my CX-5 is the best I've ever driven. In manual-mode, it actually listens to you. Six speeds is overkill, though. They should leave 6th where it is, eliminate one of the 2-5 gears, and evenly-space the others. Of course, if they offered a manual gearbox with AWD, I could pick whatever gear I wanted . Oh well.

 

[eiriksmil]

I don't see the need to shift gears if the car can do it for me.. Autos are awesome

 

[sumbrownkid]

I don't see the need to shift gears if the car can do it for me.. Autos are awesome

Autos are great in midsize/large size sedans. Especially in luxury ones , but there are always exceptions (M5s). But that's really a matter of are you willing to do the clutch work in daily drives.

The manual itself is not gonna go anywhere, I think. Porsche just released a seven speed manual, and Ford is selling Fiestas and Focuses in stick.

It's a cheaper option, and easier to fix if something goes wrong. Two major selling points over paddle shifts.

 

[Katiegan]

I thought this bit of news would make a lot of you, and myself happy.

http://www.egmcartech.com/2012/05/0...re-slowly-gaining-popularity-among-americans/

Despite me being only 14 and not yet at the legal driving age, manual is the only transmission I've driven. I've never liked automatic... it's just lazy. I mean, that poor car does so much for you, the least you could do is change it's gears for it! My parents used to dislike autos too, but now they seem to like them... but I still hate them.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I thought this bit of news would make a lot of you, and myself happy.

http://www.egmcartech.com/2012/05/0...re-slowly-gaining-popularity-among-americans/

Despite me being only 14 and not yet at the legal driving age, manual is the only transmission I've driven. I've never liked automatic... it's just lazy. I mean, that poor car does so much for you, the least you could do is change it's gears for it! My parents used to dislike autos too, but now they seem to like them... but I still hate them.

Yes, USA today ran an article about that today, which just happened to be the only day in my life I've ever read it (I usually use the internet for news, but I was at a hotel). They thought that because manual sales were good 6 years ago, and the Average American buys a new car every 6 years, that it was sort of like a cycle.

 

[SVX]

It seems car buyers may be 'falling back in love' with manuals.

 

[alex98uk]

It seems car buyers may be 'falling back in love' with manuals.

Ha, manual is the only way to make low power cars fun. Even something as powerless as my Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 SXI is made fun by bombing around the country with MT... AT would just be boring.

I've only ever driven one automatic car and that was a 1993 Toyota Corolla. It was so, so, so bad. Put me off AT for life. I guess I count myself lucky that the UK is still a MT country and not been taken over by laziness.

 

[homeforsummer]

and easier to fix if something goes wrong.

Though also easier to abuse by awful drivers. There's theoretically little reason that most manuals can't outlast the life of the car, and even the clutch could, provided it isn't being driven by someone who slams into gears, slips the clutch all the time, changes gear in stupid places, treats the clutch like an on-off switch...

Same can of course be said for many components on most cars. There's always the risk when buying used that even if the car you're buying has been well-serviced, the previous owner has done long-term damage to the car by driving it atrociously for fifty thousand miles...

 

[ITCC_Andrew]

I'm 18 and proud to drive manual, at an autocross. THAT takes talent, friends.

 

[Azuremen]

I'm 18 and proud to drive manual, at an autocross. THAT takes talent, friends.

I've seen plenty of talent less people driving manuals at auto-cross before...

 

[Danoff]

Some of the worst drivers I know drive manuals. Some of them at autocross.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Alright, any advice for starting on a hill in a manual? I'm having real trouble getting the hang of it. And in Pittsburgh, you have to know how.

 

[Crisp]

Alright, any advice for starting on a hill in a manual? I'm having real trouble getting the hang of it. And in Pittsburgh, you have to know how.

Since I live near you, try grabbing your E-brake and depressing the release button and pulling it up to keep the car from rolling back then let off the clutch and press the gas as you would normally. Thats how I learned. Also I'd like to join this group since I'm a 6 speed daily driver.

 

[daft biker]

Since I live near you, try grabbing your E-brake and depressing the release button and pulling it up to keep the car from rolling back then let off the clutch and press the gas as you would normally. Thats how I learned. Also I'd like to join this group since I'm a 6 speed daily driver.

That's how my instructor taught me too....except we call it a hand brake since it's used routinely and not just in emergencies

 

[homeforsummer]

Since I live near you, try grabbing your E-brake and depressing the release button and pulling it up to keep the car from rolling back then let off the clutch and press the gas as you would normally. Thats how I learned. Also I'd like to join this group since I'm a 6 speed daily driver.

This. Holding the e-brake/handbrake allows you as long as you like to find the right biting point on the clutch.

 

[Crisp]

That's how my instructor taught me too....except we call it a hand brake since it's used routinely and not just in emergencies

Haha. Yeah it's just choice of words because I use it everyday for parking and stuff. Since my car isn't RWD there would be no point in ripping it to get sideways because that would just destroy my center diff.

 

[poolhaas]

Instructors teach to use the handbrake but I always use the brake pedal and slip over to the throttle, unless it's a very steep hill then I still use the handbrake.

 

[Greycap]

One foot on the clutch, one on the brake pedal, the car idling with the hand brake engaged. Depress both pedals and disengage the hand brake. Now begin letting off the clutch until you feel it biting a bit, let it off slightly more and release the brakes. The car is now standing still, still idling, the slightly engaged clutch holding it from rolling. Give it some throttle and you're on the way.

I was also taught to use the hand brake but it's a pain to work three controls at once when you can get off with one at a time.

 

[Crisp]

One foot on the clutch, one on the brake pedal, the car idling with the hand brake engaged. Depress both pedals and disengage the hand brake. Now begin letting off the clutch until you feel it biting a bit, let it off slightly more and release the brakes. The car is now standing still, still idling, the slightly engaged clutch holding it from rolling. Give it some throttle and you're on the way.

I was also taught to use the hand brake but it's a pain to work three controls at once when you can get off with one at a time.

Not a bad suggestion for learning but thats really hard on clutches though and if you constantly do that your clutch will get smoked real fast. It also doesn't work on older cars like a porsche 944 or something that car doesn't sit on a hill by just one foot on the clutch and it sitting there at a low idle. It'll just roll back or stall. I never found it hard to use my arm and both legs at one time to do something. Just physical coordination.

 

[daft biker]

Haha. Yeah it's just choice of words because I use it everyday for parking and stuff. Since my car isn't RWD there would be no point in ripping it to get sideways because that would just destroy my center diff.

Any idea how it came to be called an e-brake over there? Hood/bonnet, trunk/boot etc I can sort of understand as the mean roughly the same but who thinks it's a good idea to lock the rear wheels in an emegency

Instructors teach to use the handbrake but I always use the brake pedal and slip over to the throttle, unless it's a very steep hill then I still use the handbrake.

Aye, I quickly got lazy with using the handbrake too but still need it to help get moving on steeper hills even if I can't be bothered using it every time I stop in traffic. But then I've not even been driving a year and my big Saab estate is a pig to get going at the best of times....much easier in my GF's wee Fiesta for example.

 

[Crisp]

I can explain the trunk, in the 10's and 20's when cars were still very undeveloped they strapped trunks (wooden or metal) to the back of their model T or whatever they were driving and used as a storage place. The name stuck and they just used it as the name of the rear storage compartment I guess.

 

[Tahli462]

I love manuals my first car that i'll get will be a manual

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

"Emergency Brake" makes sense to me. In an old car with an unreliable braking system, the E-Brake could be used to slow the car to a stop if the regular brakes failed.

That said, I was always taught to think of it as a "parking brake", since that's all you should really be using it for in a modern car. Holding the car still on a hill is OK, of course, but it's not something that should really be used at all once the car's in motion. That's not to say I haven't done my share of violating that rule, of course, but that was in motorsports use where you can be expected to keep the brake in proper adjustment after abusing it. I also still say e-brake, even though I know I really shouldn't, haha.

I generally do a heel-toe type thing to get the revs up when starting on a hill, and don't bother with the e-brake. The only real exception is when in heavy traffic on super steep hills, so I basically only use it when I'm in San Francisco and there's some moron in an Audi 6" behind my bumper when stopped on a hill.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

I learned to drive last Friday, first on an automatic and then later on in a manual. I definitely won't be buying anything with an automatic transmission as a first car.

 

[LancerEvo7]

Got rid of our old Mercury. Trying to talk my parents into getting a manual.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

One foot on the clutch, one on the brake pedal, the car idling with the hand brake engaged. Depress both pedals and disengage the hand brake. Now begin letting off the clutch until you feel it biting a bit, let it off slightly more and release the brakes. The car is now standing still, still idling, the slightly engaged clutch holding it from rolling. Give it some throttle and you're on the way.

I was also taught to use the hand brake but it's a pain to work three controls at once when you can get off with one at a time.

This is good advice, thanks. The only problem is that the clutch in our Honda Jazz/Fit is very sensitive, so I find it a bit difficult to balance it on the engagement point. I think I probably just need more practice.

 

[homeforsummer]

I was also taught to use the hand brake but it's a pain to work three controls at once when you can get off with one at a time.

Err... with your method you have to work four controls at once - all three pedals and the handbrake, at least until you release it. With the handbrake method, you only need gas and clutch, and a hand at all times on the handbrake (until the car is on the biting point). The brakes don't need so much as a whisper of pressure because you're handling it with your free hand.

The pedal dancing method makes no sense unless you're on a flat surface where there's no chance of rolling back.

That said, I've often wondered how people get on with manual transmission vehicles with a foot-operated parking brake. I quite like foot parking brakes in automatics, but I imagine it's a real pain in the hole with a manual, particularly on hill starts. You'd need three feet!

I think I probably just need more practice.

This is why the handbrake method is better than pedal-hopping. It doesn't matter what you do with the clutch and gas because you'll still be holding the car on the handbrake, with the button depressed, ready to release it when you need it. Even if you stall it or dip the clutch too much, you've still got the handbrake holding the car. You're not going anywhere until you release it fully. Makes for ridiculously smooth starts whatever incline you're on.

 

[Greycap]

Err... with your method you have to work four controls at once - all three pedals and the handbrake, at least until you release it. With the handbrake method, you only need gas and clutch, and a hand at all times on the handbrake (until the car is on the biting point).

With the handbrake method you have to modulate throttle, clutch and handbrake at the moment you'll get moving. With the braking method you'll only modulate one at a time, the rest are either fully on or fully off - first clutch and brake fully depressed and the handbrake fully engaged, then clutch and brake fully depressed and the handbrake fully disengaged (the throttle hasn't been touched yet), then you modulate the clutch until it bites with the brake pedal still fully depressed, then you hold the clutch there and put the right foot on the throttle for the first time. Increase throttle a bit and you're away. One foot or hand moving at a time. Experienced drivers can do whatever imaginable and still get the job done but beginners can't, that's why I wouldn't recommend the handbrake system for them because it indeed takes a good deal of coordination.

The main downside is that it doesn't work on cars with non-existant low end torque but on the other hand it works on those that have pathetically weak handbrakes, such as my own. About it killing the clutch, I've used the said method with four and a half years now with the same car and it has yet to complain so if the clutch goes as a result of doing it, something is done wrong or the clutch was on its last legs anyway.