Right. (Advanced technique, to be learned later: Double clutch rev matching will make it ok to shift into 1st at speeds of 10-20mph. File that away for now.)novasorc wrote:So, I should never even move my knob into first gear unless I'm already going super slow, right? That is what you implied right?
Some people like to downshift consecutively through each gear, always staying in a good gear to accelerate and (depending on the ECU's behavior) potentially leveraging DFCO (Deceleration Fuel Cut Off, but don't worry about it for now, it's nowhere near as dependable as people think).What would be the proper protocol from going from about 40 MPH to a red light then. Should I just put it into neutral and brake?
Some people like to leave it in whatever gear it was already in until they get down to idle RPM, then shift to neutral and continue slowing, then just before the light turns green put it in 1st.
I like to just kick it in neutral immediately, then just before the light turns green put it in 1st.
Now that right there is a car with some damn good synchros!Also, were you saying I shouldn't have been able to move my knob into first gear even with the clutch depressed? I really did not move my knob very hard at all to get it into first gear. I guess I was probably going slower than 30 MPH.
I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but practice is what you need. With practice you'll be able to launch gently without any wasted time.I feel like I am starting at a crawl right now and having trouble keeping up with traffic. I read somewhere that I could just rev the engine a bit and let go of the clutch. However, it seems that I am mistaken and this is not an advisable move. Is there any advice on how to get a faster start? I feel like I spend a while just getting it into first gear and then just shortly after I have to shift into second before I can even break 10 MPH.
You'll also be able to better predict when your turn to go will be; part of driving manual is foresight, always know your next move ahead of time and know when it will be. Do you watch the cross traffic's light to see when it turns yellow? You can't always see it, but when you can you know it's time to shift into 1st and start taking up some of the dead space on your clutch.
Once you're good at it, you have these options for more aggressive launches:
- Keep RPM low but simultaneously be more aggressive with both feet.
- Higher RPM. If I'm jumping aggressively into a small opening I'll often give it 2000RPM. This is only abusive if you do it every time. You're expected to do it occasionally.
- Racing launch...very high RPM. This is abusive to do occasionally, and if you do it every time it's a fast track to repairsville.
For your concern about keeping up with traffic: Once your foot is completely off of the clutch pedal, how much of your accelerator pedal are you using? Don't be afraid to use the whole thing! With a manual transmission, heavy throttle doesn't have to mean high RPM hyper driving, especially in low gears...you're in charge of when you shift. (By comparison, an automatic will downshift and hold the lower gear all the way to redline if you go WOT.)
I like to shift to 2nd before I do any real accelerating, just using 1st to get rolling enough that I enter 2nd at idle RPM. It allows a very fast shift so my acceleration isn't interrupted for as long and is more dignified in my opinion. If that's not working for you then you can take 1st up higher and get a blast of acceleration to pull ahead before you shift into 2nd. No gear accelerates harder than 1st. Your shift will take a little longer and may be more jerky until you get sufficient practice, but there's nothing wrong with any of that except that it may bother you.