STICK SHIFT!!!!!
 

Somebody explain to me how to use a stick shift transmission. I gotta know.

I know that but I don't have anyone to teach me. All I need is an explaination. I can figure out the rest on my own.

The power of Google! :)

http://www.10w40.com/individual/100186.asp

Once you get the feel for the clutch it's all pretty simple.

Yeah, it's not that hard to do, and it's by far the best way to drive!

The easiest way I found to get a feel for the clutch is to get yourself started just by letting out the clutch, and applying no gas - release the clutch very very slowly, and eventually you'll feel (and see) the engine grab the gears, as the car slowly inches forward, keep on releasing the clutch (SLOWLY!) until you're going at a walking pace, and then smoothly release it completly and apply gas.

To change gears (going up), push in the clutch, move the gearshift to the desired gear, release clutch. Easy peasy! :) To go down, it's the same steps, although you should release the clutch alot slower then when you go up gears, to give the engine a chance to grab and rev rup smoothly (or you can rpm-match, but that's a tad more difficult).

Oh - and whenever you're stopped and in gear (ie. not in neutral), always have the clutch in, otherwise you'll stall.

Practice makes perfect, and then practice some more!

Is this the kind of person you want operating a motor vehicle in your neighborhood?

It's like a waltz! clutch shift gas clutch shift gas~

You will probably not be able to learn stick shift smoothly unless someone personally teaches you. If you insist on learning yourself, be prepared for many hours of stalls and bucking. Most important rule: NEVER idle the car without the clutch fully depressed or the stick in neutral.

Another must is learning the handbrake maneuver for hills, which is very hard to understand without it being shown to you.

It's a tricky balance of clutch and shift. Let the clutch out too quickly and you'll choke out. Also, stopping on an incline and then starting again from a dead stop is probably the hardest thing you'll have to learn.

It really just takes a lot of practice before you get smooth at it.

Hence why learning the parking brake maneuver is essential. I've been driving a stick fine for years, but the numerous close calls with rolling back into cars finally compelled me to learn. :)

I learned how to drive stick in under twenty minutes. I dunno why people have so many issues. There was no bucking or stalling with me. o.o

Also, and this is IMPORTANT, keep the clutch pushed in when you go to start the car. If you start it "in gear", you're probably going to hit something...

It takes time and paractice to really get good at driving a manual, but once you get the hang of it, you'll never want to drive an automatic again...

I honestly don't even know why they invented the automatic transmission...

I dunno, probably something to do with not having to deal with the bullshit of manual transmission, but what do I know.

Ever deal with a manual transmission without syncros?

Back in the days when cars still looked like rolling top hats, an automatic transmission was considered an awe-inspiring wonder.

Me? Only dealt with automatics, although that might change with my next car.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission

It's not really that tough. Once you find the friction point it's dead simple.

Autos = for lazy bastards

manuals= = for those who want something to do while driving

Because people are so lazy.

Automatic transmission takes some of the fun out of driving.

Stick shift transmission is so much more fun to drive. I was determined to only drive automatic, then my grandpa basically forced me to start learning to drive stick shift, since that was what his truck was (i work for him). It's a lot more fun, and now thats ALL I want to drive.

Once you know the friction point and your "turning" gear (the gear you use to turn onto another road w/o making a stop, for me its 2nd gear), its extremely easy.

Last I knew you could still drive fast with an automatic.

So uh, what else is fun about driving that I'm missing here.

With the manual transmission, you choose what gear you want to be in when you want it. In other words, I can accelerate much faster in a manual than an automatic. Driving a manual also gives you a sense of greater connectivity with the car.

You guys are all wrong. They invented automatic transmissions for women so that we could more easily and efficiently beat our children sitting in the backseat without having to pull the car over.

It's rather difficult to explain without experiencing it. The key point is that when driving a manual you don't NEED to drive fast to have fun.

Oh, and when someone's riding your ass you can use compression braking to slow down real fast without ever hitting your brakes and scare them. And you'll be in the right gear so that when they slam on their breaks you can floor it and go like a bat out of hell. THAT'S fun.

True. I actually don't feel as comfortable running my manual at high speeds on the interstate as I do with an automatic. I just enjoy the interfacing!

However, manuals are HELL in bad stop-and-go traffic.

Wait what's compression breaking?

Downshifting and letting the Engine slow the car down for you. Same principle as leaving the car in a lower gear as you go down a mountain to control speed without overheating your brakes.

As a general thing, I don't do it because it wears the clutch down instead of the brakes, and a clutch job is about $1000 but brakes are much cheaper.