just drove for the first time :D

iBot · 8 Jun 2007 at 20:25

.:MBK:. said:
indeed and most engines dont sound to happy freespinning at the red line

and i imagine the ops method of starting is due a lack of knowledge of what the clutch and gears do

yup probably, i was just left with a car for half an hour and told to have fun, so please educate me. All this isnt second nature to me and ive in life its best to pick up the proper habits early than spending ages doing something wrong or unsafe.

I assume that the higher gear the less revs the less petrol you use? But you have less control in higher gear? Or less torque or something?

as for the clutch i have no idea, I assume it separates the gears from the transmission or something ~cluess.

iBot · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:32

google says it the clutch takes the engine off the wheels

poosemon · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:35

Gaygle said:
Yeah and the brakes! I let me ex-gf drive my car a couple of times slowly (she can't drive yet) and boy she liked stamping on the brakes!

lol, i let my girlfriend drive my car up the lane, and she has been learning in a new punto or (something like that), got to were i park the car in front of a wall, she went to press the break (albeit as gently as she would in the punto) and just drove into the wall!! luckily low speed so no damage, but.......

Rojin · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:40

Berger said:
Depends on the car and what you have to compare to.

Which part of "just drove for the first time" were you unclear about?

TomTomTom · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:46

regardless of whether you've chosen a gear, it's better to start the engine with the clutch down. Apparently there is a bit less resistance (again regardless of gears).

enjoy

Rojin · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:47

iBot said:
yup probably, i was just left with a car for half an hour and told to have fun, so please educate me. All this isnt second nature to me and ive in life its best to pick up the proper habits early than spending ages doing something wrong or unsafe.

I assume that the higher gear the less revs the less petrol you use? But you have less control in higher gear? Or less torque or something?

as for the clutch i have no idea, I assume it separates the gears from the transmission or something ~cluess.

The clutch lets you engage the gears to the engine. When I was a lad messing about with cars, I used to let the clutch up very slowly whilst only just increasing the revs, you soon get the balance for pulling off smoothly and to be honest changing gear whilst on the move just fell into it after that... Your selected gear should match the speed that you are travelling at, you get a feel for this as you drive (and it does differ car to car, engine size to engine size). Treat 1st gear as a "get moving" gear only, 2nd gear for

Soz, I've actually I've given up now as I'm sure there are better places on the net to explain this than I can. If you need any specific pointers just ask.

Rojin · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:48

TomTomTom said:
regardless of whether you've chosen a gear, it's better to start the engine with the clutch down. Apparently there is a bit less resistance (again regardless of gears).

enjoy

Saves strain on the starter motor.

West · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:50

Takes a little while to get used to the whole clutch thing, eventually it becomes second nature.

Starting the car.. Neutral, Clutch down, turn key. Even if its in gear as long as your foot is down on the clutch pedal you wont jolt forward.

Let ya car idle a few secs, clutch down, select first gear, clutch up a few revvs and off you go (Remembering all of your MSM bits of course

)

When it comes to gear selection, you use the gear reletive to your speed, so if your doing 40+ you should be using 5th, around 30 use 4th and so on.

Stopping I find it easier to look ahead, decide if you think your going to stop, brake using the engine, so drop your gears from 5>4>3>2 and if neccacary back down to first if you have to stop..

Vibez · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:52

West said:
Takes a little while to get used to the whole clutch thing, eventually it becomes second nature.

Starting the car.. Neutral, Clutch down, turn key. Even if its in gear as long as your foot is down on the clutch pedal you wont jolt forward.

Let ya car idle a few secs, clutch down, select first gear, clutch up a few revvs and off you go (Remembering all of your MSM bits of course )

When it comes to gear selection, you use the gear reletive to your speed, so if your doing 40+ you should be using 5th, around 30 use 4th and so on.

Stopping I find it easier to look ahead, decide if you think your going to stop, brake using the engine, so drop your gears from 5>4>3>2 and if neccacary back down to first if you have to stop..

I'd actually suggest using 3rd at 30mph, it's very very easy to break the speed limit in 4th gear and for cars with longer gearing, could consume more petrol than higher revs in 3rd.

Also you shouldn't use your engine to brake. Brakes are for slow, gears are for go

You might want to read some advanced driving literature I'll find a link

Vibez · 8 Jun 2007 at 21:55

Use of gears and advanced driving:

http://www.iam.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/397E5739-15A1-4BC6-965F-5BFFEF427FAD/0/fac16001.pdf

.:MBK:. · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:07

30 in 3rd dropping into 4th if im sustaining 30 for any length of time without the need for reacting, 5th is for cruising at any speed above 40+

3-4 for accel from 30 - 70

all this does depend on the car and its gearing though, but is fairly true of the average learner car or other avg small engined thing....and your driving style, though the average instructor isnt always to happy to go to 40 in 2nd and drop it into 5th

West · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:10

.:MBK:. said:
30 in 3rd dropping into 4th if im sustaining 30 for any length of time without the need for reacting, 5th is for cruising at any speed above 40+

3-4 for accel from 30 - 70

all this does depend on the car and its gearing though, but is fairly true of the average learner car or other avg small engined thing....and your driving style, though the average instructor isnt always to happy to go to 40 in 2nd and drop it into 5th

Instructor always had a go at me if I didnt go into fith after 40...

Accelling upto 50, I normally stay in 4th I will admit.. better accelleration.

iBot · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:21

okay, well the main thing i had a problem was with easing my foot off the clutch while easing on the accelerator, It just seemed so flimsy.

Rojin · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:21

Vibez said:
Also you shouldn't use your engine to brake. Brakes are for slow, gears are for go

I always use my engine to brake, as you're coming up to a stop point go down through the gears, I never use the brake unless absolutely necessary.

Rich1988 · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:22

It will become stupidly easy after some practice just takes a bit of time

West · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:25

iBot said:
okay, well the main thing i had a problem was with easing my foot off the clutch while easing on the accelerator, It just seemed so flimsy.

Think of it as a padal or a see saw - As Clutch comes up, accelerator goes down.

dbmzk1 · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:27

Vibez said:
Also you shouldn't use your engine to brake. Brakes are for slow, gears are for go

My instructor and my friends instructor both have told us engine breaking is good and encourage us to do it.

iBot · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:29

ill have another play soon, i have some instructors to ring up too.

So say I had a straight road to drive along

1. check natural, start engine, clutch in, select 1, remove hand break, ease on to the accelerator go forwards, at 15-20mph release accelerator, clutch in, select 2, release clutch, press down on the accelerator, contuine

.:MBK:. · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:39

engine braking is fine and encouraged but in compliment to normal braking, and without overdoing it

dbmzk1 · 8 Jun 2007 at 22:42

iBot said:
ill have another play soon, i have some instructors to ring up too.

So say I had a straight road to drive along

1. check natural, start engine, clutch in, select 1, remove hand break, ease on to the accelerator go forwards, at 15-20mph release accelerator, clutch in, select 2, release clutch, press down on the accelerator, contuine

Check out http://www.2pass.co.uk it has some good guides and video lessons that might help.

I've not used the site myself, but there was a link to it in some of the crap my driving school gave me, so it might be some use.