You have to find that sweet spot when balancing the clutch. You want to give your car just enough gas and just enough release of the clutch at the same time to balance. Use the the ebrake method for now and practice on small hill in the area with no cars behind you.

 

practice on a slanted driveway.....the best way to practice hill techniques.

 

I have an idea....

don't park on hills?

Seriously though it just takes practice

 

yes, i agree. you can easily tell which people on the road are aware of what cars are manual and which ones are not. They tend to be courteous and give at least 3-4 ft of space of hilled areas whereas the soccermoms in their suv's don't even know that cars are made in anything but automatic.

 

x,

no need to use the ebrake. . . let out the clutch slowly, when you feel it start to grap (drop in rpm), let your foot off the brake pedal and quickly move to the gas .. . higher revving might be necessary to avoid stalling. . . .if on hill w/ wet surface . .. try starting in second gear (help to prevent slipping on wet surface) and proceed as normal. .

. .. as for the rolling back on hill to annoy the buy behind you, don't do it .. . .wouldn't it be better to dust them off the line and let them know your skill level . . .. rolling back suggest inexperience. . . .

. .for downshifting and mechanical (engine braking), only do this if your a corner carver or have more experience with MT .. . i have been driving for 10yrs, and i just started to engine brake. . . . i would recommend that you use a combination of engine and wheel brakes . .don't worry about the repair costs, brakes are cheaper than a clutch, but the only way the clutch goes is over a long period time and grind gears.. .

for more on this topic, i suggest watch races on espn. . . .you probably want to watch a GT series . . .or something with a lot of road courses. . . .as a driver enters a turn, you here a series of downshifts . . .the driver is using the deceleration from the engine and brakes. . . .this allows you to get into and out of turns quickly by providing the most efficiently deceleration and immediate (you don't have to shift because you're already in gear) acceleration out of a turn .. . .

.. again, if you are a MT novice. . just practice and get the feel for MT . .. . w/ experience you'll begin to recognize the situation you are in and react accordingly.. . don't listen to people that aren't trying to help and are just trying to be cool .. . .. .DONT BIT OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW . . . everyone develops at their own pace . .. .

z

 

very true. It says it in the book you read for your driving course when your getting your license.

Althought about 1 out of 25 people give you that much room. And most people nowadays go for the automatic so people prolly think their almost obsolite.

Its like owning a DVD player VS. owning a VHS!! You think there not out there but they are.

Just give a few days and youll get less nervous bout it. My TC is my first 5 sp car. I think I got the hang of it pretty decent

 

I learned MT on my tC and was VERY nervous and haha its funny to say, but almost fearful of hitting a red light on a steep hill. I live in north San Diego county and live in a VERY hilly area so I learned fast. I used the e-brake method 2 times on the 50 mile drive home from the dealer just to test it out. I havent used it once since then and can go from a dead stop with minimal rollback on the steepest hill I could find around me (REALLY steep and without using the ebrake) So just like everyone is saying, practice practice practice, in around a week you'll have it down and not even think about it.

And about downshifting I do it as well, but in combination with regular braking and I only do downshifts where it will be around 3.5k rpms when I let the clutch out so im not out there redlining it on every downshift.

 

If the hill is REAL steep..I'll do the ebrake move.

If not..I'll just throw it into 1st and go (I'm already used to the friction point)

 

so, no one really downshifts when they come to a stop for a light then, right? like, if your in forth, no one really puts it in 3rd, 2nd, so on till they come to a stop...
i don't think i would, too much complication and unneeded shifting, thanks for the input

 

Yeah, I agree with what most of the people on here are saying. It's really just a confort issue. After you practice for a while, you don't even think about it. If it were me, I wouldn't roll back into someone just because then my car might get screwed up, which isn't really worth it. Just find a parking lot or driveway and practice. The extra gas is worth the confidence.
Also, about the downshifting. Don't most new car have synchros in them that will automatically match the speed of the driveshaft to that of the gear, so you don't grind gears? My friends are downshift when they stop, but they also use their normal brakes. It's really a personal choice. YOu won't burn out your clutch by using your transmission as a secondary brake.

 

hey, one more stupid question, does the e-brake on the tC have the ability to lock the tires? when your in motion?

 

If I'm in 5th going towards a red light, I'll drop it into 4th to help slow down, but then I just put it in neutral and use the brakes.

It locks the tires when the vehicle is stopped or going slow, doesn't it. Just go 40 and pull the brake REALLY HARD.

 

Ah yes, but what about the killer potholes right outside the Chickenbox on Claiborne? Nasty little buggers...and I won't clarify exactly what I'm talking about, the chicken or the potholes.

 

Yes, the E-Brake will lock the rear tires. Anti-lock doesn't kick in with the E-brake, that's why people use it for doing doughnuts, drifting, screwing around etc.

Personally I have have never really used the E-brake on hills. Just move my feet fast. Like most have said it's all about comfort.

The only time I really use downshifting to slow for stops is when it's snowy or icy. In those situations it's a very nice thing to have. One of the reasons I love manuals is they are so much nicer in the snow. If you want to use the brakes as well as downshifting you'll probably want to learn how to heel toe brake. Personally I only do it every once in awhile when I'm playing on curvy roads. More often I prefer to double clutch if I am coming to a corner that I'm not stopping to go around. Basically put the car in neutral when you start to brake for the corner. Then when you get to your desired corner entry speed pick your gear, match revs and put it in.

The whole brakes vs downshifting was discussed at length in a previous thread, if you are really curious. No one on either side was particularily convincing on proving they were right. Basically, both ways are acceptable and neither is going to hurt the car. Do what you like.

 

hills are no diffrent than driving down the street, just have to give a little more throttle.