YIKES - My First Standard Shift!

[Z4newbie]

Hi everyone - I just got a BMW Z4 3.0i convertible for Christmas, and it is my first standard shift. That might not be meaningful except that I am over 60 yrs old and have been driving automatics since my first car, a 1967 GTO. After reading the FAQs and lots of posts, I still have what may be a really dumb question. When shifting, do I need to push the clutch all the way to the floor every time? I am doing so now, but it sure seems that doing so will wear the clutch out...maybe not. Would appreciate your feedback.

BTW the posts about white Mustangs are hilarious. I just sold my 07 Mustang convertible - - white with the California trim package - - had to laugh when I read them. It was a sissy car tho with an auto transmission.

[94Corolla5Speed]

Welcome to SS!

And yes, I would recommend pushing the clutch to the floor every time. Your foot will memorize how far exactly you have to push it in some time. Pushing it in all the way will not wear the clutch at all, it might wear some other components, but the degree that it wears them is infinitely small. Don't worry about it. Good luck, and welcome to the awesome world of driving manual!

[IMBoring25]

Welcome. I would absolutely recommend pushing the clutch all the way every shift. While there's theoretically a point in the clutch travel where everything is disconnected that would be functionally the same thing as putting the clutch all the way in, you don't want any load in the transmission when you're moving the shifter, and the easiest way to accomplish that is to fully disengage the clutch by putting the pedal to the floor.

[theholycow]

Another vote for always flooring the clutch pedal. No excess wear will occur as long as you do remember to floor the clutch pedal for every shift. If you don't, excess wear WILL occur.

[4onthefloor]

I find it interesting that you are 60+ years old but have never driven a manual car. Most people that grew up in your generation grew up with all the muscle cars with four speeds when automatics weren't popular. Good job though on finally switching to manual. It's never too late to learn.

And you must have some awesome family to get you a Z4 for Christmas. (Unless, of course, you bought it for yourself as a gift.)

[RITmusic2k]

Welcome to the forums! That's gonna be a hell of a fun car to learn to drive stick with!

As the others said above, flooring the clutch is the proper thing to do in all situations with a passenger car. Depressing the clutch pedal partway reduces pressure between the clutch disk and the flywheel, but it maintains contact between them, which is a recipe for clutch slip... which is a recipe for clutch wear.

You want things fully disengaged when you're changing gears, and the best way to ensure that is to floor the pedal on every shift.

I'll conclude this thread with a demand for pictures of your car!

[eggwich delfiero]

Welcome! You've only posted once and you have already established your awesomeness. Ask any question you want, no matter how simplistic, you'll learn (and I will too) from the descriptive answers people will provide.

Your first post is full of win. How? You've hit a few of the main points needed to win friends and influence people on an automotive internet forum.
1. Humility: this is my first manual, an admission that is not macho=win.
2. Respect: already read through a bunch of FAQs, then asked your question=win.
3. Humor: read through the post where people mock convertible/automatic Mustangs and able to laugh at it despite owning one (you're a better man than I am for being able to do that ). I don't care for the hood scoop on the California Specials, but I like them besides that. Still faster than most cars on the road and on this forum (I said MOST not all you weirdos , no need to point out your car is faster.)
4. You owned a 67 GTO, so you're already cooler than all of us, automatic or not.

Post pics of the Z4 in the Members' Cars section when you have a chance. Another Z4 joined recently, beautiful car.
Welcome again!

[Z4newbie]

Hello again, everyone - Thanks for all your responses. MAJOR DRAMA since my first post earlier today. Here's the evidence! While taking a short drive to enjoy my car, a large deer came up from a ravine and apparently thought he could jump over my car. No injuries to me - his blood is everywhere but he didn't stop - but my brand new BMW is ruined and I am very distraught!

[94Corolla5Speed]

Damn deer

[ColJessip]

Oh hai! t

[ColJessip]

Picture yourself in a boat on a river,
entering the Gnome Valley Kingdom
with tangerine trees, and marmalade porkchops.
Someone calls you, you answer with haste,
a man with a clutch in his hand.
Celefane shift boots of yellow and green, towering over your head.
Look for the man with the clutch in his hand and hes gone.
Noob in the land of Gnomes.
Noob in the land of Gnomes.
Noob in the land of Gnomes.
Follow him down to the thread by a fountain.
Where a bunch of men talk about marshmellow pie.
Everyone smiles a you drift around the corner.
Then they all get high.
Clutch holding men appear on the shore, waiting to take you away.
Noob in the land of Gnomes. Noob in the land of Gnomes. Noob in the land of Gnomes.
Picture yourself in a forum of transmissions.
With plastercine cars, and lookingglass Gnomes.
Look to the left and who do you see?
The man with a clutch in his hand.
Noob in the land of Gnomes.
Noob in the land of Gnomes.
Noob in the land of Gnomes


Pics of the goat? My dream classic car is a black 1965 GTO, prefrably stick.

[Z4newbie]

In response to some of your comments....

4onthefloor: You're right about my generation and the 4 speeds, particularly for the guys. As the third child, I don't think my parents were up to teaching another daughter to drive a stick shift. All my guy friends thought I really wimped out with the auto transmission in the GTO, but that didn't matter to me. It was fire-truck red and I thought I was hot stuff! As for the Z4 gift, my husband is a wonderful Santa...and has been for 42 years...always full of neat surprises.

RITmusic2k: Yes, I am absolutely having great fun learning to drive this car and I'm quite proud of how I'm doing - I haven't rolled back into anyone on a hill yet! Of course, the first couple of days I drove it to work, I went in about two hours early so no one would be behind me in the parking garage (and so I could park on the ground level), and then I stayed after and practiced stopping and moving forward on the up-ramps three nights in a row. Really helped! As for photos, other than this one from post-deer encounter earlier today, I'll have to wait until the insurance company is finished with it. Ugh!

eggwich delfiero: Thanks for the compliments, and now you see why I'm not macho. My Mustang had the California trim package (name decal on lower doors and a rear deck spoiler) so I didn't have a hood scoop. Here's a photo of it....now proudly owned by a preacher who is already driving it with the top down and a big grin!

[theholycow]

Don't be distraught about the damage. Everybody's ok, the deer didn't learn its lesson, and insurance will take care of the car. No big deal, it's just a car.

Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:10 pm {...} Pics of the goat? My dream classic car is a black 1965 GTO, prefrably stick.

Picture yourself in a boat on a river, {...} Pics of the goat? My dream classic car is a black 1965 GTO, prefrably stick.

What the dilly, yo?

[4onthefloor]

I imagine the biggest issue is trying to clean up all that blood

That's usually the case. I know with aircraft and bird strikes it usually just blows a hole in the windscreen or the skin, which is repaird by a replacement windscreen or a sheet metal patch.

But the worst part comes when you have to clean all the blood, guts and feathers out of the hole, or out of the compressor blades of a turbine. It's primarily an apprentices job and if you don't do it right away it stinks something fierce.

Sorry to derail the thread. I hope everything works out in your favour with the insurance company.

[eggwich delfiero]

eggwich delfiero: Thanks for the compliments, and now you see why I'm not macho. My Mustang had the California trim package (name decal on lower doors and a rear deck spoiler) so I didn't have a hood scoop. Here's a photo of it....now proudly owned by a preacher who is already driving it with the top down and a big grin!

My mistake, I assumed the California Special had the hood scoop. The GT Appearance package (54C) has the hood scoop, not the GT/CS package (54G). (and yes I had to look this up: http://gtcsregistry.com/2009Mustang.pdf )
And I assumed your car was a GT. And I assumed you were a guy. So much fail for me!

Glad to hear you are okay after the accident. Always a bummer to smash up a beloved car, but to avoid any injuries really is a blessing.