Greetings!

[Big Boss]

I don't know where to post this, but I'll just tell you guys about it here. So my dad took me out to a parking lot so I can practice driving a manual, it's my first time ever. So we practice launching, and I guess I never truly realized how sensitive the clutch was, because I must've stalled like a zillion times. From either not feeding it the throttle or releasing the clutch too fast (what I thought was slow, but I guess the car thought otherwise). When I DO get the car launching, it's usually really horrible, the car would shake like crazy then stall, or it would squeek the tires (you could smell it!). Boy it was rough.

It didn't help that my dad was getting frustrated and began saying discouraging things. And the thought of driving in the streets just scares me because I live in a fairly hilly place...

I'm gonna practice everyday!

[Leedeth]

Try releasing your clutch slower, try some no-gas starts, and don't worry too much about burning up your clutch. That only happens if you slip for like 30 seconds at 6000 rpm, for example.

[Big Boss]

Haha, I feel horrible for my Celica, being at the receiving end of the abuse I dish out from learning how to drive the damn thing.

There's a lot of little squeaks and chirps that the inside of my car makes when we hit bumps, sounds like some loose things, I'll try to get to the source of it tomorrow after school.

[watkins]

Most of it is probably just normal body noise. At least thats my excuse

[Johnf514]

Welcome to the forum! You're learning - read up on here and you'll figure it out.

[jomotopia]

+1 to practicing some no gas starts to get a feel for the clutch. put it in 1st, don't touch the throttle, and let the clutch out reeaaaalllly slow until the car gets moving.

[Big Boss]

I walked home from school, and ran inside and threw my bag in my room and grabbed my keys and had a little neighborhood solo session, awesome. For some reason, it's like I got awesome over night (not) but I was launching much, MUCH smoother (with gas) and didn't stall even once...even though I only went one lap around the neighborhood. I've had no experience out in the streets yet, unless you count these residential streets that are empty all the time.

My problem is not really knowing when to shift, when I drive, I don't pay attention to the tach and I kinda half pay attention to the exaust sound, but I mostly shift randomly, stupid but you know...

[Nychold]

I walked home from school, and ran inside and threw my bag in my room and grabbed my keys and had a little neighborhood solo session, awesome. For some reason, it's like I got awesome over night (not) but I was launching much, MUCH smoother (with gas) and didn't stall even once...even though I only went one lap around the neighborhood. I've had no experience out in the streets yet, unless you count these residential streets that are empty all the time.

My problem is not really knowing when to shift, when I drive, I don't pay attention to the tach and I kinda half pay attention to the exaust sound, but I mostly shift randomly, stupid but you know...

I'm going to get off on a tangent here, because I'm just nuts like that. But chess is a very complex game. You have pieces that move differently, special rules, tactics, strategies, sacrifices, gambits, etc. The list goes on for days, and it's so overwhelming that most people refuse to play it. But when you teach someone to play chess, you only teach them the basic rules, and they play randomly. Yes, they suck, but after a while, when the motions become second nature to them, you can start teaching them how to do and think, not just do. And that's about where you are. Trust me, a few days of random shifting, and you'll be able to shift without thinking. Then it'll start making more sense for the complex stuff.

[AHTOXA]

I love chess but have not played in ages. No one i know plays that well. I've played online before but...

[wannabe]

I love chess but have not played in ages. No one i know plays that well. I've played online before but...

take a board to the meet...aaron'll play ya...i guess is good...i wouldn't know

[Big Boss]

I have a question, after I drive, I sometimes smell something burning when I get out of the car, would this happen to be the clutch? It's coming out of the exaust I'm guessing, but I really don't know.

[jomotopia]

I have a question, after I drive, I sometimes smell something burning when I get out of the car, would this happen to be the clutch? It's coming out of the exaust I'm guessing, but I really don't know.

could be clutch, could be brake pads, could be the engine running rich or burning oil or something wrong with the catalytic converter.

if the car has brand new brake pads, that would be the most likely culprit IMO. if the brake pads are not brand new then that can probably be ruled out.

if it's the clutch, you would most likely smell it after doing something bad, like holding the clutch halfway while reversing up a hill at 3 or 4k rpm. i suppose you could intentionally burn up the clutch to see if the smell is the same, but i doubt you'd want to do that.

[Johnf514]

Welcome to Standardshift!

[comingbackdown]

Welcome to Standardshift!

[Big Boss]

Last night, I took the car out at round 12:30-1:00 in the morning (got home at 4AM) when the streets are pretty much dead, and I think I'm confidant enough to start driving to school. I haven't stalled in the last few days of driving around, and I took it out into the streets just a few minutes ago, I'm feeling pretty awesome.