So I got my tC this afternoon. It's a manual and I've only drive a stick once before. I've practiced for a few hours today and I can shift into 1st w/o stalling but it's always jerky. What should I try to do to make it shift smoothly? Shifting into 2nd and 3rd is a lot smoother but 1st is a killer. Any help would be great.

 

haha reminds me of myself one week ago. Just dont let off the clutch to fast. Add a little gas gas and let the clutch out slowly and when it starts to move a little let it out a bit quicker. thats just me but my starts are smooth now.

 

well my friend taught me this...

clutch down all the way
gas a lil bit and hold it at around 1.5k rpms
and let go of the clutch slowly, and when u feel the clutch catch the gear, or start to move give it some more gas, and u should be good, and ocne u start moving forward let go of the clutch quickly, but smoothly.

 

Practice. It is all about rev matching.

 

louie...yea thats a good technique for beginners...it's all about foot control. pressing the gas while releasing the clutch....drive around for a few weeks and then it'll be easy!

 

Exactly. Just keep doing it. Eventually your feet will learn what to do, and you won't even think about it anymore.

 

Thats too technical.

Ok first just find a level area and let your car idle. Without giving the car any gas let the clutch out as slowly as possible, once you feel it start to die push the clutch back in. That my friend is the catch point. When ever you shift you only need to push the pedal past that point, no need to push it in ALL the way. So when you launch in 1st make sure you're already giving it gas when you let the clutch out past the catch point, or it will die, or if you aren't giving it enough gas it will lug. Just practice dude and before you know it you'll be driving around fine. Oh and try not to watch the Tach, you'll get a better feel for your car if you do.

 

practice. it'll come to you easier within a month. but you have to realize that the tC has a hydraulic clutch and a drive by wire system, which will almost always make it jerky, especially with such a catchy clutch. i've been driving stick for over a year now. my tC was my firt real stick car. i had been driving this beater car with a worn out clutch for 6 months before then. after driving the tC for 6 months, i still bump on 1st to 2nd sometimes.

 

Thanks for the tips guys.

I seem to have a problem with keeping the RPMs under 2k when first giving it gas. The accelerator is so much more responsive than my old '92 Accord haha.

 

Just keep driving. Over time you won't even look at the RPM's and you will know what your at. And then you will be able to tell your speed by the feel of the pedal vs. what gear your in.

 

This may sound a little cheesy, but try practice shifting barefoot. When I first started learning manual, I would sometimes take quick trips to the store in pj's and sandals. I would take off my sandals when I drove and I had a better feel for when the car was about to stall when getting out of first. If you think the car's about to stall, press the clutch a little bit more, but otherwise, like everyone said, it's practice.

 

That comment is as useless as a chocolate fireguard without even explaining the whole concept behind it. Rev-matching is also most appropriate for downshifting, and sometimes upshifting... not from stop-to-start.


I have to agree with Crimson on the driving barefoot comment. Had my tC for two weeks now and I'm driving barefoot (or with socks). My starting / shifting is a whole lot smoother.

 

What you _don't_ want to do is slip the clutch excessively. Doing so will wear it out and they are expensive to replace!

As many others have said, the secrets are practice, paying attention to rev-matching, etc. My advice is to teach yourself to have the clutch fully engaged at the lowest RPM you can. Do this and you'll have a happy clutch!

 

What exactly do you mean 'slip the clutch excessively'?

 

You shouldn't have to go over 1.5k rpms unless you're on a hill. Just keep practicing. Only time will teach you. Maybe you'll die out once in a while, or it'll jerk a little, you need to get the feel of your new car.

 

Revving the engine and slipping the clutch to start off smoothly. The clutch should be either all the way out or all the way in. In-between is the zone that wears it out.

 

sometimes, i don't even use the gas. i let the clutch go not so slowly, and it usually doesn't need gas to move... is this good for the clutch? the car tends to vibrate a little, but i figured this is best for the clutch. am i right or am i going at this the wrong way?

 

Also remember that noone shifts perfectly every time. You'll go through spells of good and bad. And there's always someone worse than you. just don't get frustrated. I always thought that riding with someone who was profecient helped me. Watch what their feet are doing.

 

i tried and gave up which made me get an auto. bad decision and i regret it big time. i gave up because the only car i can practice with was a pick up truck and the stick is about 1 foot long and when i switched to 2nd gear i was in neutral which felt like 2nd gear cause of the long a$$ stick. well this is how i kinda got off first gear:
1. clutch in all the way
2. shift to 1st gear
3. little gas (make sure ur still on clutch)
4. balance clutch and gas
5. when u start to move, release clucth a little and press more gas
6. when you start to move even more, release clutch a little faster and press on gas a little bit more, just make sure your balancing it. when you fully release the clutch all the way, things get easier.

for the pro's, correct me if im wrong.

 

that means the car wants to stall. I wouldn't do it like that.