Learning stick on a 1le

[Xp0gam3r]

This was my first stick car too. Easiest way to learn it for me was; throw it in first gear while engaging clutch fully. Then very slowly release the clutch until the car starts moving, but not enough to stall it. Do this a couple of times then you'll remember the sweet spot, and smooth sailing from there

[Thor142]

My first MT was about 20 years ago. It was about a year between my last stick shift and my 1LE. I still find it to be the most temperamental manual transmission I've ever driven even after 4000 miles. It's so unrefined IMO, noisy, clunky. It was almost like learning a MT all over again.

[xinfamousxi]

Originally Posted by Mark T

Learning to drive a stick in a 1LE,...

Is like learning to fly a plane in a fighter jet.

LMFAO

[xinfamousxi]

As someone who is also learning in a 1LE (started about two weeks ago). It does get easier. I even had a thread started here. I took lots of tips from the people here.

I no longer stall at stops and the burning clutch smell I would get on the first day during take off is gone. I found that "sweet spot" that my brother seems to call it where it grabs and I push the gas.

I was also having lots of issues shifting and it jerking. Everyone here said it would go away. For the most part it has as I start to shift better. I still can get it though when going from 1st to second. I basically eliminated the jerk going from 3-4 4-5 5-6. I still get it sometimes 2-3 and all the time still going 1-2.

I also learned here I was shiffting to late to go into second (2500RPM) so I have been hitting it around 1500


I have a really love hate relationship with my car. Sometimes I get nervous driving it because of the jerking. However, the more practice i get in it the more the anxiety has gone away.

[lbls1]

It will become second nature once you have had enough practice. The UTube videos help some if you are a complete novice (like I was). Its all in learning the catch point of the clutch and modulating it during stop starts and inclines.

At first when I got my ZL I thought that the clutch was really hard, but even then I had to learn to modulate the clutch pedal. Now I can shift smoothly almost without thinking about it.

[dshakhba]

The hardest part of learning stick on a 1LE is getting used to the clutch. The release point is very high compared to German cars, therefore harder. What you should do is put it into first, and very slowly release the car until the rpm's begin to slightly drop....that is your clutch's contact point. once you do that several times, you'll get a good feel for when the car grabs the clutch. then, start on a flat parking lot and begin to slowly release the clutch until the car begins to move....dont let go of the clutch once its moving a little, keep it pressed until your rolling and then slowly let off it. The biggest mistake rookies make is letting off the clutch too quickly when the car barely starts moving, don't be afraid to ride the clutch a little its ok. eventually start by giving more gas and you'll get the hang of it. once the rpm drops when releasing the clutch, hold the clutch position, give it some gas (1200-1500 rpm should be ok) and then slowly release the rest of the clutch. same goes for reverse, but since its a short gear like 1st, you can give it a little more gas if you would like. hope that helps...one last thing, once you start hearing noises you shouldn't or the car starts jumping, press that clutch and brake lol

[xinfamousxi]

Thats what I'm doing wrong!

I was watching the video and he says shift while your pressing the clutch

I'm currently going all the way down and then shifting

[Matty Ice]

These cars can be temperamental especially at the worst time; when everyone is looking at you. They like to either go slow or fast, driving in between can be difficult. Definitely agree with Dreams76, when backing up and pulling forward during parking or going over speed bumps, I blip the throttle to get the car moving. Blip to 1500-2000rpm, let the clutch out a tad, car moves a little, rpms fall to idle, push clutch in, repeat as necessary. With the NPP, it sounds cool; race car like.

For delicate starting off, when letting the clutch out keep your heel on the floor and let the clutch pedal slip on the sole of your foot; motion kind of like the gas pedal.

It also helps to skip gears in normal driving; 1-3, 2-4 or 3-5.

[Matty Ice]

When shifting in normal traffic I only push the clutch in 1"-2", just enough for the shifter to move. If you hit the right rpms sometimes it shifts with just a 1/2". Even when shifting at WOT I don't push the pedal all the way down, 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down.
You will really love this car in the turns when you can rev-match downshift into the turn.

[xinfamousxi]

Originally Posted by Matty Ice

When shifting in normal traffic I only push the clutch in 1"-2", just enough for the shifter to move. If you hit the right rpms sometimes it shifts with just a 1/2". Even when shifting at WOT I don't push the pedal all the way down, 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down.
You will really love this car in the turns when you can rev-match downshift into the turn.

I'm pushing it all the way down - may be part of my problem

[Billy10mm]

Originally Posted by xinfamousxi

I'm pushing it all the way down - may be part of my problem

It's not. Pushing down to the floor is how many people shift. Jerking comes from not matching engine RPM to road speed as you're letting off the clutch. While most talk about doing this on downshifts ("blipping"), doing it on upshifts makes shifting smoother. If you're fast and accurate enough on an upshift, you shouldn't need to blip, as you'll let the clutch out at the right point, but you need to be smooth with the entire system.

I drive with my wife in the car every day, so I'm ultra smooth with all of my actions. I wind out to 3K to 4K RPM when leaving from a light and I don't just interrupt acceleration by depressing the clutch, that would cause her to jerk forward. Instead, I slow my rate of acceleration by backing off the throttle, now shift into the next gear, and use a tiny amount of throttle to make sure that I'm holding engine RPM as I engage the clutch. I don't want the car to start slowing down as I grab the next gear because I'm out of the throttle.

It's not just about your clutch work .. it's the entire system and your right foot plays into a large part of that system.

[xinfamousxi]

Originally Posted by Billy10mm

It's not. Pushing down to the floor is how many people shift. Jerking comes from not matching engine RPM to road speed as you're letting off the clutch. While most talk about doing this on downshifts ("blipping"), doing it on upshifts makes shifting smoother. If you're fast and accurate enough on an upshift, you shouldn't need to blip, as you'll let the clutch out at the right point, but you need to be smooth with the entire system.

I drive with my wife in the car every day, so I'm ultra smooth with all of my actions. I wind out to 3K to 4K RPM when leaving from a light and I don't just interrupt acceleration by depressing the clutch, that would cause her to jerk forward. Instead, I slow my rate of acceleration by backing off the throttle, now shift into the next gear, and use a tiny amount of throttle to make sure that I'm holding engine RPM as I engage the clutch. I don't want the car to start slowing down as I grab the next gear because I'm out of the throttle.

It's not just about your clutch work .. it's the entire system and your right foot plays into a large part of that system.

This makes sense because I noticed as I shift upwards I tend to slow down before I shift or at least take my foot off the throttle especially from 1-2.

Right now I'm shifting 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 everytime I hit 2500 RPM usually I'm in 4th when going 40-45MPH

[Matty Ice]

What Billy said, your two feet kind of have to be mirror opposites. As one is coming back the other is going forward. You do have to keep the rpms up a little on a up shift at mid range rpms. Cars with heavy flywheels will hold rpms, cars with light ones will fall quicker. In slower type traffic I usually shift really low/quick, around 1500rpms. If I take it up past 2000rpms I skip shift in normal slow type traffic(city, stop and go). Watch the rpms when you shift, they usually only change by 1000rpms or so once the shift is complete. That's why Billy said you kind of have to blip/hold/revmatch the up shift. Because if you take to long on the up shift, you drop down past the minimum rpm for the next gear and you get clutch slip the opposite way and the car clunks and nose dives a little.

I can drive a manual really well. It took a lot of concentration/effort to get the hang of this set up. I still make mistakes, usually if I take to long to shift. There is sweet spot on this thing, you just have to find it. It is challenging which makes it more fun to drive.

[_Onyx_Wolf_]

Originally Posted by jonathan13

I have driven stick for 11 years, including anything from stock Honda Civics to Nitrous fed rear wheel drive V8's. That being said, my 1LE is probably the hardest stick shift I have ever driven. It's not that the pedal is too hard or soft, but rather that the release point goes for a good 4 inches. I am used to having a very small release point window.

Maybe it's just me, but I have had a hard time getting adjusted to the clutch in our 1LE's. It makes me wonder if people are getting a "bad experience" when driving the 1LE as their first manual transmission. I have caught myself thinking while driving it, "Man if it was this hard to drive a manual when I learned, I probably would have just stuck to an automatic."

That's how I feel but I'm not gonna give up haha