My driving lessons thread

gam3r

gam3r

gam3r

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Wahay i turned 17 on March 2nd and i booked with the AA, with some guy my sister passed with first time(thats bloody amazing). The AA cost a mint though, £24 a lesson here in London, but luckily i got a few vouchers - 3 lessons for the price of two :D

So i had my first lesson on Tuesday the 14th. - My first outing with a manual car(only driven auto before)

In this lesson the guy told me about the car and its controls etc, then he let me get in and start of down the hill. I went around a few round abouts in residential areas and right turns and give ways. I managed to stall the car like 3 times during 30mins of driving at giveways(damn that clutch - im always lifting it too early). The instructor let me go into second gear a few times as well. All in all, not a bad lesson, i thought i did pretty good for a first time manual driver.

And today - March 16th, Thursday, another lesson - considerably more difficult than the first.

This time i set of on a flat road, not a hill and went around a few more roundabouts in residential areas, right turns, give ways, curved hills and something new - left turns. This time the clutch gave me more problems than the first lesson, but i got it sorted by the end of the lesson because i found out i wasn't pushing the clutch down quick enough after i had braked. I still had trouble finding the biting point, so i stalled about 6 times ( oh no). Also, this time i went on some busy roads with a decent amount of traffic ( it was coming up to 5:30pm) and i did ok. Not a bad lesson, the instructor says im doing really good after two lessons. In this lesson also, i switched between gear 1 and 2 more frequently.


My problem is i let go of the clutch way to early sometimes. It kinda hurts my clutch operating foot but i don't know why. Maybe i should put my seat back more?


Anyway, next lessons are next tuesday and thursday, 21st and 23rd respectively.

I'll try to keep this thread updated with each lesson, but i can't promise anything :)


The thing that is worrying me most is, the fact that i have my theory booked on the 1st of april and i have done no studying what so ever! :(
 
The majority of the theory test is pretty easy, and the answers are obvious the majority of the time, although there may be the odd one or two that you'll need to read carefully. Just get a practice test and a highway code book to read.

As for clutch control, it takes time, but once you get used to the movement and action, it will become natural, and you'll snap into it naturally pretty quickly. What car is it you're driving? Focus?

What's hurting your left foot on the clutch? Discuss it with your instructor if you're uncomfortable with the position.
 
Hey there :)

Yep the new Focus (05'?) Nice car..


All the online theory tests ive done so far ive failed lol!

I think the problem is that my seat is too close to the wheel, moving it back may help maybe.
 
if you've nearly got the biting point sorted by your 2nd lesson you're doing very well :D

i find just bringing it up very slowly with no throttle is the best way of getting used to a cars clutch, on my mates diesel its about 1cm off the floor, that took some getting used to

took me long enough to get the hang of it when i was learning :eek:
 
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After driving a few fords, I've found the clutches on them to be very, very light, with little feel in them, not sure if it's the same with the Focus, but has been with a Mk1, and Mondeos. After being used to the feel of the clutch on a saxo, it's a bit lifeless, and a bit tricky to get used to straight away.
 
I failed the online theory test 3 weeks before my theory and I did a test from a cd I got and failed that on the day but I went in the exam and got 35/35 and 54/75 :) - What does this show? That a bit of revision goes a long way! Oh and ignore the mock tests lol

I used to revise like 30-70 pages a night for about 4 weeks and corrected myself on the tests where I went wrong. I finished the test in 4 minutes but just kept checking it over again and again!

As for your clutch problem I wouldnt worry too much, I had something like 25 lessons and on the day of the test I stalled it and went over a curb lol, this was before the test btw and I passed :) I drive auto now but thats because the amount of starting and stopping I have to do would be too much with a manual. I mastered the clutch when the instructor had to go to the shop, just going up and down with the gas pedal and eventually got it!
 
Right know, im using this book to revise, although i haven't even read it properly yet - Its so boring!

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try and do lots od driving with your mum/dad/brother/sister/cat/dog etc if you can, saves a lot of money on lessons, i had 12 hours worth and passed 2nd time with 6 minors :)
 
My sister has just had her first lesson. She was allowed into 4th gear down a dual carrageway and never stalled once! She was going 60mph down the dual carrageway before the instructor told her to slow down! She was afraid of driving at first, but shes a good driver now and still doing her lessons!
 
Theory and hazard are easy, I always practised the theory more then practised the hazards last until I got good grades on my theory.

Buy some theory CD-roms, they really helped me. better than books.

Good luck!
 
I have had 10 and booking my practical as soon as my instructor gets back off his holidays (assuming I pass the theory while he is away)

My first lesson was quite simple, he took me out of my estate and up to a main road and asked if I want to use the dual controls or get straight in the seat. I took the plunge and got straight in :)

He took me down a busy "A" road to a busy island and we went down an unlit NSL road :eek: I was quite nervous and didnt go over 50 mph (This is the same road i crashed my CBR125 on by the way) we then went down a quiet little area in the town and we did a 3 point turn and I drove back home. I think I stalled it once and that was on the 3 point turn and not in major traffic. :)

I was at an advantage anyway as I have already been a road user for 2 years now on 2 wheels.

On lesson No.6 we had a senior examiner in the back with us, every 2 or 3 years all instructors have to be assessed to check they are doing their job properly. On this lesson we did ever manouvre possible and a good 10 miles of normal driving. The senior instructor didnt believe my instructor that I was only on my 6th lesson which was a great morale boost :D

I should be getting my car on monday too ready for when i pass :)

When revising for you theory dont leave anything to chance, i went in last week thinking oh ive done this before for my bike test i will walk it (this was afters ome revision), needless to say that was the totally wrong attitude and i didnt pass it, the hazard perception part let me down
 
Keep on practicing gam3r, it'll soon come natural to you.

What I found helpful when I was learning, was to write down any errors or imperfections on a sheet of paper after every lesson, and to go over them a couple of minutes before my next lesson. If I manage to overcome the errors, I'll cross it off the sheet - it's basically knowing what your weak points are and working on them.
 
Had another today: 21/03/06

This time i did what i did in the second lesson, but this time i moved up into 3rd whic really feels awkward because of the direction you have to shift. This time instead of driving around residential areas i went on to the main roads, about 4 different ones. The most noticable was the busy streatham high road(goes straight through brixton and into central london). I was pretty good on the main roads, but i did stall at a zebra crossing :( still some problems with the ol' clutch but i was getting better towards the end of the lesson. Also i shifted from 3 straight to 1, which felt weird as well. The max speed i drove at was around 35mph on main roads, but i went at 30mph in a 20mph zone lol! My instructor didn't say anything though.

And now a question. The clutch is getting me here, i want to know how many lessons till you don't have to worry about it so much, as in it becomes "natural"?

Next lesson is thursday, and i have to bring a bumper cheque of £264 for 12 lessons. Ouch. :(
 
took me a few lessons to fully get clutch control. i can remember thinking 'im never going to get this'

but you do, trust me :). comes very easy in the end, don't even notice it
 
gam3r said:
Had another today: 21/03/06

This time i did what i did in the second lesson, but this time i moved up into 3rd whic really feels awkward because of the direction you have to shift. This time instead of driving around residential areas i went on to the main roads, about 4 different ones. The most noticable was the busy streatham high road(goes straight through brixton and into central london). I was pretty good on the main roads, but i did stall at a zebra crossing :( still some problems with the ol' clutch but i was getting better towards the end of the lesson. Also i shifted from 3 straight to 1, which felt weird as well. The max speed i drove at was around 35mph on main roads, but i went at 30mph in a 20mph zone lol! My instructor didn't say anything though.

And now a question. The clutch is getting me here, i want to know how many lessons till you don't have to worry about it so much, as in it becomes "natural"?

Next lesson is thursday, and i have to bring a bumper cheque of £264 for 12 lessons. Ouch. :(
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I got the hang of clutch control in my first couple of lessons (IIRC, anyway - I'm sure I was still a bit clunky, but I'd got the hang of it) but I did go on the BSM simulator before I started driving for real.

I don't envy your learning to drive in London though :eek:

Edit: Shifting into third from second should be pretty easy; push forward, let it pop naturally back into the middle (neutral) then just push forward again. It ends up being one fluid motion but it's easier to explain like that. Just remember that the gear stick always pops back into neutral when you take it out of the notch it's in, so you just have to apply forward pressure to go from second to third, but have to keep left pressure applied to go from second to first or first to second.

I'm sure I'm overcomplicating this but it makes sense :o If you can, just sit in a car with the engine off and practice changing to and from various gears - it'll become natural in no time :)
 
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MrMatteh said:
took me a few lessons to fully get clutch control. i can remember thinking 'im never going to get this'

but you do, trust me :). comes very easy in the end, don't even notice it
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Thats exactly what im thinking at the moment. Fussy clutch...Pffffffft :eek: It only took you a few lessons? :(. Prior to these 3 lessons i've never touched a manual car.
 
gam3r said:
Had another today: 21/03/06

This time i did what i did in the second lesson, but this time i moved up into 3rd whic really feels awkward because of the direction you have to shift. This time instead of driving around residential areas i went on to the main roads, about 4 different ones. The most noticable was the busy streatham high road(goes straight through brixton and into central london). I was pretty good on the main roads, but i did stall at a zebra crossing :( still some problems with the ol' clutch but i was getting better towards the end of the lesson. Also i shifted from 3 straight to 1, which felt weird as well. The max speed i drove at was around 35mph on main roads, but i went at 30mph in a 20mph zone lol! My instructor didn't say anything though.

And now a question. The clutch is getting me here, i want to know how many lessons till you don't have to worry about it so much, as in it becomes "natural"?

Next lesson is thursday, and i have to bring a bumper cheque of £264 for 12 lessons. Ouch. :(
Click to expand...

You have to block book! OUCH! i would have never had that much to slap down at once for my lessons. My first lesson i did mostly dualcarriageways and stuff with my instructor to get my confidence up, did quite a lot of driving with my dad to learn clutch control and everything (he was stricter than my instructor). Did my theory after 2 weeks of learning, found it dead easy and straightforward, borrowed a CD from someone at work for the hazard perception part and watched that the night before.
Passed my theory first time with 34/35 and 62/75 and my practical first time with 4 minors. Did approximatly 14 lessons with my instructor and plenty of hours with my dad because if i have the opportunity to why not, made me a lot more confident when driving about.
 
Block booking hurts the wallet, but i get discount when i block book. I dont really have the opportunity to go practice with my dad because they think i cant control the car after 3 lessons only and my sister wouldn't let me touch our only manual vehicle...this coupled with being in london = :(. Got me theory on the 1st April, almost finished reading the highway code book but i've done nothing at all to do with hazard and blah blah..
 
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