I am just getting familar with the S. This is my first MT car and when driving around, I've stalled a few time and grind 1st a couple times since it wasn't fully in 1st. Am I doing a lot of damage to the car? I am getting better though

 

If you're rolling (slowing down) to a stop, I wouldn't bother with shifting into 1st until you've almost completely stopped or have stopped. 1st gear is such a high ratio that trying to get it to go into gear when everything is turning is not a smooth or easy thing to do. The tranny will resist. If you are slowing down but not planning to stop and feel that you need 1st gear to continue on your journey, then practice double clutching to get it into 1st. Until you get better at DC'ing, just motor out gently in 2nd. On the street, not many people actually go into 1st on a downshift sequence. You are practicing rev matching on downshift, right? Anytime you are free (and so am I) let's go out for a blast. We'll ride each other's passenger seat and we'll talk a bit about technique and style.

 

You're not doing TOO much damage by stalling, but you want to stay away from shifting into first until the car is fully stopped (it'll stop the grinding). Also, make sure you shift with the clutch to the floor. Good Luck

 

You are the man xviper. I was rolling to a stop and trying to put it in 1st. I guess that isn't how to do it, now I know. Sure thing, I need a MT driving instructor, especially for the S

I am getting more confident though, rarely stall anymore and getting the feel of the clutch, just need schooling in situational driving, when to be in what gear and so forth...

 

Well, I went driving for a couple hours today and was feeling way more comfortable. I stalled once on an uphill, the guy probably laughed but thank god he kept his distance. Can anyone give me some tip on how to start from an incline?

I am really starting to like this car, I still have a smile on my face It didn't matter who was driving near me, they would gland over and give the S a good look. There were these girls in a Cavalier that were totally giddy. I didn't know the S was that popular.

I have about 200kms on the car now and I am shifting most of the time at 3000-4000rpms. Sometimes I am up in the 4500-5000 range. Is this okay since it is under 5500??? or should I just shift down lower?

 

When I was learning to drive stick for the first time, there were two tricks that I learned for starting from a hill. 1: You can keep your right foot on the brake and let your left, clutch foot out until you feel the tranny engage. At this point, the clutch is slipping and holding you in place on the hill. This is usually good for figuring out exactly where your clutch engages and will also keep you from rolling into the car behing you. One thing to keep in mind is that you are slipping the clutch, so this should be only a temporary fix until you get better. It should definitely not become a habit. Also, since you the clutch is slipping at this point, be gentle with the gas. Too much gas and you'll learn the nasty smell that is a toasting clutch. 2: This second method seems to work well. By holding up on the emergency brake and keeping the button pressed in, you can hold yourself in place on the hill as you work your feet to get the car moving. As you feel the transmission engage, you simply let the brake down and start moving... no rolling back. Although I haven't actually tried this method myself in the S, I used it more frequently than the previous method when I was learning to drive stick. The only problem here may be that the S is a RWD car. In a front wheel drive car, you can feel the car try to creep forward with the e-brake engaged, whereas in the S, you may not get the same feeling, but you should be able to tell feel the transmission begin to engage.

As far as shifting, it sounds like the rpm range that you shift around is fine. I find that in "normal" driving conditions, I shift b/w 4k and 5k rpm, and like to keep the rpms around 3k once I achieve the desired speed. This is really a personal preference issue, because the S give you have a lot of room to play here. My only advice would be to stay away from shifting too soon, like under 3k, because you really don't want to bog down this motor. Also, remember to try (as tempting as it may be) to stay below 6k rpm for the first 600 miles. That's where VTEC kicks in, and you want to try not to engage it until it's past the break-in period of 600 miles. Once you reach the 600 mile mark, and more importantly, you feel comfortable with your driving/shifting capabilities, it won't be long before you find yourself in VTECland. This is the range b/w 6k and 9k rpms. This is where the S really shines. If you think your car is fun below 6k, wait till you try this. VTEC changes the entire temperment, sound, power, etc. of the car. However, as I cautioned before, make sure that you're comfortable in your abilities and don't excede them. All in all, The S is really a special case when it comes to rpms and shifting. The cruising revs remind me more of my motorcycle than any car I have ever driven, as does the power delivery.

At any rate, I hope this helps to some degree.

 

thanks, that does help. I will practice those two techniques. I tried the e-brake method but guess didn't feel the friction point and had a rough start.

I have another question of normal flat starts. I anticipate the light and rev up to 1500-2000 and slowly let the clutch out. Am I roasting the cluth or is that okay. I didn't smell anything after my drive but that technique is making it slow and smooth.

Should I practice finding the friction point first then apply the gas on normal starts. I don't want to kill the clutch prematurely or as much as i can help it.

I find 3rd a bit notchy. Anyone else find this?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FormerH22a4
[B]thanks, that does help. I will practice those two techniques. I tried the e-brake method but guess didn't feel the friction point and had a rough start.

 

just 2 things. I've put my new ride into first a bunch of times with a slight tap of gas while doing the downshift. This is an easy maneuver to learn and there has been no grind at all. Second, the s2k has the neatest, nicest, handyest, emergency brake lever to use for uphill/downhill starts that i can remember in a car. So, learn to make it a friend and it will help you.

good luck and happy miles!!

the Rossmon

 

It sounds like the e-brake it is. You are right about letting it go back to the normal position first. I sort of realized that and started to travel through neutral before going to the gear and that made it better. I think I will need further testing. Wow, there is so much to learn. Dang I wish I would have driven a MT before the S, since I can hit the ground running so to say.

Xviper, I need to sit and watch how you drive one of these days. My dream is to be silky smooth with the MT. It is definately more fun to drive when I am not so scared out of my pants anymore. Now I actually look forward to driving the S