New to driving manual and some questions

[sessllh]

Hello,

I'm new to this site although I've been reading this forum for few weeks without registering

So I bought my first manual car about two weeks ago, but was confused about a few things.

First, I've heard and read about "no gas launch" which I also practiced and tried to use it on the road. However, it seems like it takes way too long to get moving. Since I assume that this technique is commonly recommended, do you guys all wait until the clutch reaches the friction point and start adding gas? I found that adding a gas a little bit earlier before the clutch engages works pretty well but just wanted to learn the proper way.

Second, as far as downshifting to accelerate, once I hit my desired gear and rev-match, do I let off my foot from the gas pedal as I engage the clutch and re-apply gas to accelerate? Maybe because I'm slow at this but seems like it takes a lot of time just to get the car accelerate when there's only a limited amount of time allowed.

Any advice would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

Please excuse my English (2nd language) if you're having a hard time understading

[potownrob]

First, I've heard and read about "no gas launch" which I also practiced and tried to use it on the road. However, it seems like it takes way too long to get moving.

i don't think the no-gas launch is meant to be used in normal driving, at least for most regular passenger cars; it is meant to help you learn where and how the clutch grabs and causes the car to move.

Since I assume that this technique is commonly recommended, do you guys all wait until the clutch reaches the friction point and start adding gas? I found that adding a gas a little bit earlier before the clutch engages works pretty well but just wanted to learn the proper way.

i don't know that there is an official or even proper way to launch a car; whatever works for you without burning up the clutch or breaking CV joints should be good. what you say you're doing sounds good and similar to what a lot of people (myself included) do.

Second, as far as downshifting to accelerate, once I hit my desired gear and rev-match, do I let off my foot from the gas pedal as I engage the clutch and re-apply gas to accelerate? Maybe because I'm slow at this but seems like it takes a lot of time just to get the car accelerate when there's only a limited amount of time allowed.

yes, you described it right; it will take time to get down smoothly since you have to do it all fairly quickly.

Please excuse my English (2nd language) if you're having a hard time understading

your english is very good for a non-native speaker/writer (actually, it's outstanding even for a native speaker); i didn't realize you weren't a native speaker until you said this

[Shadow]

Hello,

I'm new to this site although I've been reading this forum for few weeks without registering

So I bought my first manual car about two weeks ago, but was confused about a few things.

First, I've heard and read about "no gas launch" which I also practiced and tried to use it on the road. However, it seems like it takes way too long to get moving. Since I assume that this technique is commonly recommended, do you guys all wait until the clutch reaches the friction point and start adding gas? I found that adding a gas a little bit earlier before the clutch engages works pretty well but just wanted to learn the proper way.

Second, as far as downshifting to accelerate, once I hit my desired gear and rev-match, do I let off my foot from the gas pedal as I engage the clutch and re-apply gas to accelerate? Maybe because I'm slow at this but seems like it takes a lot of time just to get the car accelerate when there's only a limited amount of time allowed.

Any advice would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

Please excuse my English (2nd language) if you're having a hard time understading

The "no gas launch" technique is just to help you learn how & where your clutch grabs. You shouldn't really do it out on the road. As far as when to start giving the car gas, that depends on a lot of factors and can vary quite a bit. In general, I usually start pressing the accelerator around the same time that my clutch starts to engage.

When downshifting, I usually blip the throttle (to rev match) at the very moment that my clutch is disengaged. So as my left foot is going down, I blip the throttle, shift into the chosen gear, and then quickly release the clutch pedal. It all happens in a fraction of a second and almost at the same time. This is one of those things that you get faster and more coordinated over time.

[theholycow]

No-gas launching can be useful on the road, but only in certain conditions, and maybe only with certain cars. With my 2008 VW before, and my 1980 Buick now (both decently torquey at idle), I often no-gas launch when a red light turns green and I'm behind someone since I need to launch slowly either way. I also no-gas launch just before it turns green if nobody's in front of me and I want to accelerate hard immediately (like an automatic) without having to slip the clutch.

[RITmusic2k]

The no-gas launch gets used all the time in rush hour traffic, too. If you're unfortunate enough to live in an area with bad rush hour...

As far as the rev-match and blip during a gear change, you don't necessarily have to take your foot all the way back off the gas pedal when you clutch in. In fact, this might be worse than backing off to what I guess I'd call "neutral throttle position". Neutral throttle position doesn't have anything to do with being in neutral; I just mean to say "however much throttle needs to be applied so that your revs (while clutched in) aren't rising, nor are they dropping back down to idle". Essentially, you know that the engine is going to be turning a certain speed in your destination gear at your current vehicle speed. So you blip to get near that engine speed, and relax on the throttle just enough that you're holding at that engine speed while you release the clutch. Then you can apply throttle as desired to accelerate after the gear change is done.

Of course, each of these steps overlap and blur together and only take a fraction of a second to perform, and in practice they're usually only approximations of the ideal discrete steps I outlined... but it gives you an idea of how the shift can be performed quickly and smoothly. Actually, as you gain experience, this is the sort of thing that you'll start figuring out subconsciously. Most of us really get into the groove as soon as we can stop thinking about the steps to driving... You just 'do stuff' and it'll be herky-jerky and you'll probably stall or buck a bunch, but eventually you'll find yourself being slightly smoother, and slightly smoother yet again later, until you're actually smooth in most circumstances.

It's just a matter of time, and we've all started where you are now. Just go with the flow, and try not to undo your learning by thinking too much about it

[Shadow]

The no-gas launch gets used all the time in rush hour traffic, too. If you're unfortunate enough to live in an area with bad rush hour...

Yeah, that's true for me too. Once in a blue moon I'll do a no-gas launch if I'm in heavy traffic (stop 'n go) and the car in front of me only moves up a few car lengths before stopping again. I don't do it often at all though because I feel that a no-gas launch makes me slip the clutch far more than necessary. I'd rather just get 1st gear engaged quickly and then allow the car to creep forward while fully engaged in 1st gear.

In regular traffic, I never use no-gas launches because I can't think of a good reason to do it.

[fr4n]

the friction point is a very mythical thing in the space time continuum. do not be fooled by its existence

for me a friction point is the point during the clutch pedal travel where the flywheel and clutch begin to exert ANY kind of friction, even if you cant hear/see the rpm dip or feel the car hunching down and moving forward.

when interpreting it this way, yes most people bring the clutch up somewhat to this mythical friction point, begin to add gas, all the while continuing to gradually lift the clutch pedal higher in order to fully engage.

[rml605]

The no-gas launch gets used all the time in rush hour traffic, too. If you're unfortunate enough to live in an area with bad rush hour...

Yeah, that's true for me too. Once in a blue moon I'll do a no-gas launch if I'm in heavy traffic (stop 'n go) and the car in front of me only moves up a few car lengths before stopping again. I don't do it often at all though because I feel that a no-gas launch makes me slip the clutch far more than necessary. I'd rather just get 1st gear engaged quickly and then allow the car to creep forward while fully engaged in 1st gear.

In regular traffic, I never use no-gas launches because I can't think of a good reason to do it.

Same here.

In traffic, if there's not enough distance for me to fully engage 1st, I usually slip a tiny and then quickly disengage the clutch with it down and hold it there for a little if it's stop and go.

Is this the right way?

[fr4n]

The no-gas launch gets used all the time in rush hour traffic, too. If you're unfortunate enough to live in an area with bad rush hour...

Yeah, that's true for me too. Once in a blue moon I'll do a no-gas launch if I'm in heavy traffic (stop 'n go) and the car in front of me only moves up a few car lengths before stopping again. I don't do it often at all though because I feel that a no-gas launch makes me slip the clutch far more than necessary. I'd rather just get 1st gear engaged quickly and then allow the car to creep forward while fully engaged in 1st gear.

In regular traffic, I never use no-gas launches because I can't think of a good reason to do it.

Same here.

In traffic, if there's not enough distance for me to fully engage 1st, I usually slip a tiny and then quickly disengage the clutch with it down and hold it there for a little if it's stop and go.

Is this the right way?

yes, this is one of the ways you can do it.

[Shadow]

Same here.

In traffic, if there's not enough distance for me to fully engage 1st, I usually slip a tiny and then quickly disengage the clutch with it down and hold it there for a little if it's stop and go.

Is this the right way?

Nothing wrong with doing it that way....but for me, most of the time I won't even move up if the car in front of me only moves up a car length or so. I'll just sit still until a bigger gap opens up in front of me.

[comawhite]

Same here.

In traffic, if there's not enough distance for me to fully engage 1st, I usually slip a tiny and then quickly disengage the clutch with it down and hold it there for a little if it's stop and go.

Is this the right way?

Nothing wrong with doing it that way....but for me, most of the time I won't even move up if the car in front of me only moves up a car length or so. I'll just sit still until a bigger gap opens up in front of me.

That's what I normally doing. Especially in a parking lot, because automatic drivers love to constantly stop, go, stop, go, etc. every 2-3 seconds and I can't get my car going and stopping like an automatic can in that situation. So, I just end up just waiting until they move a better distance to where I can actually move quite a bit. I don't like driving a manual in a parking lot for that reason. When I do, I'm always close to idle speed and I just start bogging. >.<

[Reverence]

in car parks or stop and go traffic, automatics drivers use their brake pedals to drive: in car stops, out car moves.

you could do the same with the clutch pedal, modulating it just enough for the car to move a tad, back in when the car is moving just fast enough for the distance it needs to go without having to brake.
1st or 2nd gear would do it, depending on your gear ratios.