Error Frequency

[Hatchman]

I'm just wondering, based on my own experiences, how often seasoned standard shifters make errors. By this I mean, essentially, less-than-perfect or unsmooth launches, upshifts, and downshifts.

I live in a busy urban area (Toronto) with a zillion distractions and a zillion bonehead drivers do a zillion crazy moves. I find that this affects my driving occasionally, so that I lose momentary concentration, resulting in imperfect actions (launches: too much or too little gas or too slow -- upshifts: too much, too little or too late gas input -- downshifts: either too much or too little gas, or too short/long pause at the friction point).

I'd say, on a typical 20 to 40 minute city drive, I make 2 or 3 errors out of countless launches and gear changes.

Do any other experienced manual drivers out there have similar results? (Experienced = driving stick for a full, uninterrupted year, at least.)

Thanks for your input.

[Johnf514]

Back when I drove a stick, I might stall once a week, while missing a shift every other day (let's say I drove an hour on day, average). I think your error rate is well within the acceptable means of a proficient manual user.

[IMBoring25]

Bearing in mind that driving a manual is not something I get to do on a tremendously regular basis:

Stalling (Knock wood) hasn't happened for me for over a year and a half except for when driving my brother's truck that has something between a quarter- and half-inch of gas pedal movement before it does anything.

Misshifting (Knock wood) I haven't done for YEARS.

A launch with more revs than I'd like (But I'm picky) will usually happen a time or two in a less-than-familiar vehicle over the course of a day.

Rough shifts I'm usually able to keep a pretty good tab on, even in less-familiar vehicles, but I just had a really crummy day in the Jeep when I was trying to rev-match to the revs the Super Duty would have going into a given gear at a given speed (Which would have been fine, if I'd been a gear lower in the Jeep). Just couldn't get the feel back that day. Might have had to do with the fact that I was towing a trailer the previous time I'd driven it, or it might just be a really crummy day for smooth shifts.

[gabriel05]

Only been at this since last April so I am not yet up to your definition of experienced, but my new car has over 13,000 miles on it so that should count as a year of driving at least. Again it depends on your definition of errors. Real errors i have found are pretty rare events. On the other hand if you are counting unsmooth shifts or spinning the tires when not trying to, they may be pretty frequent.

Stalls, maybe once a week but this is usually in a parking lot or if someone stops in front of me and I hit brake hard. An actual stall on a normal launch is very rare if ever.

Misshifts (grinding) Maybe once a Month or so. Usually not paying attention and let off clutch before gear is fullly engaged. Again. i quickly realize what happened and correct, so this is not like the grinding that happens when learning.

Rough shifts or tire squeaks happen a bit more often. Maybe several times a day. Sometimes more often depending on traffic.

I have actually occasionally slipped it into 3rd instead of 5th when upshifting. Luckily this has not happened when i am accelerating hard (or maybe not luck but just me paying more attention when reving high) so the revs were still within the ok range, but it does wake you up.

[P911C4]

I'll have been driving my 5MT Accord for two years this March. But since most people aren't perfect, I think we've all made mistakes.

About two months ago, I stalled the car while doing the sometimes-diffucult Reverse-to-First shift as I tried to aviod running over a Golden Retriever being walked by someone who was completely oblivious to reality.

After driving for this long (which might not be long for most people), my left foot seems to be on a timer while shifting gears. What I'm trying to say is that if the shifter is not all the way in gear or in the wrong gear, etc., the foot is going to come off the clutch at the same time as it always does. So every once in a great while when I'm distracted by whatever, I'll grind the gears. It seems to be most common from the 1-2 shift (this takes the longest time), but has occured once or twice during the 3-4 shift.

As far as errors go, if you drive the car on a very regular basis (at least 6 days a week), I think you'll probably master the concept and nearly eliminate your errors (stalls/misshifts/grinds) in 2 or 3 months.

[wychwood]

I live in a busy urban area (Toronto) with a zillion distractions and a zillion bonehead drivers do a zillion crazy moves.

I too live in Hogtown, in the busy St. Claire West/Bathurst area. Living in a highly congested area does present problems for driving a manual. Lots of stop 'n go traffic, stop signs, red lights, school crossings and a new phenomenom where pedestrians like to walk in the middle of the road (as opposed to using the sidewalk). I don't really have a chance to open things up til I hit the 401 (which is not that often). I was horrible when I first started driving a stick one year ago. Now, I can drive a stick pretty darn good. Still, I have my days when I feel like a F1 driver and days when I absolutely suck (bumpy launches, jerky downshifts, mis-shifts etc) . The one thing, I rarely if every do anymore is stall. Ironically, I think it was all the aforementioned stuff that helped get me up to snuff. I'm certainly not perfect, but all in all I believe driving a stick has made me a more focused driver.

[KevSC1]

I've been driving a stick as a DD for over 10 years, so I guess I'm "experienced." I'd say I make a mistake (missed shift, stalling, grinding) maybe once every 3-4 months.

However, I've made mistakes on track.

http://brick.net/~kmkeller/temp/

click on the video to see what happens when you try to brake while turning at 95 MPH on race tires and race brake pads.

I'll leave the vid up for a few weeks.

[victim]

my friend has been driving a stick for 6 months now, so i would say he is pretty good.

Anyways, a week ago, he forgot to put the clutch in when stopping and stalled it.

I have been driving a stick for only 1 month, so i make alot of mistakes (like i wasnt paying attention lastnight, i let the clutch out too fast, it started to stall, so i pressed the clutch back in, and i accidently reved it up too much, and let the clutch out, and started peeling out) The only problems i have is mainly starting out.

[Johnf514]

Not a bad recovery, Kev. At least you kept it out of the grass, and furthermore, away from any barriers.

[KevSC1]

Not a bad recovery, Kev. At least you kept it out of the grass, and furthermore, away from any barriers.

Thanks. I'm rather proud of that, but honestly, I tried to recover from the spin to the left, but I was just a passenger once it started spinning to the right.