Driving a Standard Transmission Car?

Question

Hello all, I recently been learning how to drive a standard, and I have a few questions that i can't seem to find on else where and if I want to have a car longer than a year I should know all the do and don't, so I don't destroy the transmission or clutch.

When taking a sharp turn is it a bad habit to push the clutch in and push the breaks? Should I slow down, down shift before entering the turn and then shift back to where I need to go?

When parking on a uphill, put it in 1st and if i'm parked on a down hill put it in reverse?

When is it the best time to down shift a various speeds?

If theirs a stop sign coming up, should you try and down shift and make your way to the lowest gear and stop? Push in the clutch, and break, and leave the it in 2nd gear until fully stopped?

When should you put your car in neutral while driving?

Any other questions similar to these to stop wear on the clutch and transmission for safer, and smoother driving.

Any books or web sites that'll help?

Answer 1

Here goes:

- Unless the car is going to die due to lugging, leave the car in a gear through the turn while braking.  Downshift to the proper gear before the turn if at all possible.  Remember - "slow in, fast out" for turns and it will generally improve your driving whether on the street, in an emergency, or at the racetrack.   If for whatever reason you need to accelerate mid-turn (in an emergency to avoid an accident or at the track etc.,) you need the car to be in gear to do so.

- It doesn't matter if you leave the car in 1st or R when parking on a hill as long as it's in one or the other.  The reason 1st and R are used on hill parking is because their ratios are so high (numerically) that if the parking brake fails the car will still be unable to roll against the transmission in 1st or R from a stop.  You can shift into R parking uphill and it will not roll backward due to the gear ratio if the parking brake fails.

- Shift points vary widely from car to car depending on the car and how fast you're trying to go (or on how much fuel you're trying to save), but as a general rule only downshift when the gear you are shifting down to will be at least 1000 - 1500 rpm below the redline RPM when you downshift.  Practice makes perfect here - and it's fun too!  

- When stopping, you can leave the car in gear until it gets to about 1000-1200 rpm, then push the clutch pedal in.  Modern fuel injected cars will actually cut off fuel to the engine when you are braking AND leave the car in gear.  As soon as you depress the clutch pedal, the motor begins to idle which uses fuel.  Unless you are driving the car near 100% in a race situation, it is not necessary to downshift through the gears to slow down for a turn or a stop - just leave it in the gear you're in and push in the clutch pedal before the engine begins to lug when approaching a stop sign.  More revs and more shifts = more engine and transmission wear.

- The car shouldn't be put into neutral when driving UNLESS you are stopped at a stoplight for a long period of time.  Putting the car in neutral and releasing the clutch will ease wear on the clutch throw-out bearing while sitting at a stop.  Whenever you're in motion, leave the car in a gear unless the motor is about to die from lugging at low RPM - then downshift to the appropriate gear or push the clutch in and prepare to stop.

In general, anything you can do to drive more "smoothly" (like matching RPMs when downshifting or pausing slightly between gears when shifting) will help with clutch life and with synchronizer life in the transmission.  As far as engine life goes, regularly changing oil, air filter etc., and going easy on the RPMs unless it's necessary to rev the motor (like when merging onto a busy highway) will help prolong engine life and save fuel too.

If you're still reading.....sorry I couldn't be more brief and sorry for the spelling - the spell check didn't want to read it all either.......happy motoring!

Answer 2

When taking a sharp turn is it a bad habit to push the clutch in and push the breaks?

Answer: You want to use engine braking whenever possible, clutching defeats that.

Should I slow down, down shift before entering the turn and then shift back to where I need to go?

Answer: Depends on the corner, engine brake in, then power out at the pivot point, this may require a downshift in mid-corner &/or before entering.

When parking on a uphill, put it in 1st and if i'm parked on a down hill put it in reverse?

Answer: Always use reverse, it is the lowest numerical ratio gear.

When is it the best time to down shift a various speeds?

Answer: Generally 5mph slower than the speed you normally upshift at.

If theirs a stop sign coming up, should you try and down shift and make your way to the lowest gear and stop? Push in the clutch, and break, and leave the it in 2nd gear until fully stopped?

Answer: That puts a lot of unnecessary wear on everything. Usually you can just slow, with brakes & engine until the rpm is to the point where you clutch, then stop w/brakes & shift to 1st. Your idea actually applies to large trucks.

When should you put your car in neutral while driving?

Answer: Never; you must be in gear for proper control.

Answer 3

For a sharp turn, I try to approach it slowly by downshifting into 1st or 2nd gear. If that's not possible, then shift to neutral and just use the brakes, then re-engage the clutch appropriate to a safe speed.

Yes, put it in 1st if parked uphill and reverse if parked downhill.

I shift down if the engine speed gets below 1800 RPM and shift up if it gets above 2800 RPM.

If there is a stop sign, then I shift into neutral and coast, using the brakes to slow down. If it's a red light signal, then I downshift as appropriate.

Sometimes I put the car in neutral and coast if I'm going down a hill as opposed to engine-braking (brake repairs are much cheaper than transmission repairs), or driving under the situations outlined above. If I'm stopped in traffic or at a red light, I will put it into neutral so I don't wear out the clutch, I will re-engage in 1st gear when it's time to move (unless I'm stopped going uphill, then I will keep it in 1st gear).

Few things will help you learn to drive than by actually doing it. You'll learn what to do not only for safety, but also for vehicle maintenance and fuel savings.