I'm new to driving a stick and liked to know how to do the following the safe way.

1. At a complete stop, I want to make some engine rev noise. Should I just put the car in nuetral and step on the gas? or put it in Gear 1, have clutch complete pressed it, and step on the gas?


2. stopping the car engine the correct way. Should I put the car in neutral, shut off engine, then press clutch and move to gear 1?
or have the clutch completely pressed, move to gear 1, while clutch still fully pressed, shut off the engine?

Thanks in advance.

 

As long as the clutch is in, you can do whatever you'd like with the throttle or key. Note that if not in neutral, and your foot slips off the clutch, you could experience an expensive mistake.

FWIW, I generally put the car in gear (clutch in), then shut it off.

 

Is this a joke?

1) Doesn't matter - people are laughing at you either way.

2) Doesn't matter. Is there a reason you think the car should be in gear when parked?

 

1) If you foot comes off the clutch even a bit (and being new, this isn't out of the question), you risk smashing into the old lady crossing the street.


2) I think that I shut if off in gear.

 

1) No reason to rev engine unnecessarily (creates more wear and tear, and is generally obnoxious)

2) I am out of gear, but have no worries about rolling down any hills. Parking brake, always!

 

parking brakes tend to get loose over time..
Don't trust it!

1) don't rev during a stop light. it attracts unwanted attention. Clutch in or neutral doesn't matter.
2) I just shut the engine off in gear. My friend puts in neutral, shut off engine then put in gear. too much hassle IMO

 

I've found that it is completely automatic for me to push the clutch in whenever pushing on the brake (well duh) so when turning a car off I always push the clutch in, hold on the brake and put it into first just like at a stop light. I also highly suggest leaving it in first AND putting on the parking brake. If parking on a hill, turn your wheel towards the curb a good bit also. That way if (god forbid) the car were to have the parking brake fail... and the car to jump out of gear... the car would simply roll into the curb and stop rather than rolling into traffic.

 

New to driving a manual shift car and in a Mini too Lots of luck my friend. Hope you know the shift points and the fine art of listening to the engine sing so you hit the shift points at the optimum RPMs.......especially when running the Mini hard.

Driving a stick takes practice, practice, practice. Soon it becomes second nature. Learn from experience. I learned to drive a stick on an old Triumph TR3 when I was 16 years old. I remember the stalling, gear grinding, bucking shifts that throw the passengers Now when I drive an automatic car I sometimes have a brain fart and my foot goes for the invisible clutch . Never try to do a shift on an automatic, it can hurt the wrist too

 

Not a nice answer

1. As others have said, don't make any noise. What's the point?
2. You can do it anyway you want. It don't matter. At stops or lights, I tend to leave the clutch out and be in neutral (less wear and tear).

 

My wife asked the other day if it were a hassle driving in busy D.C. traffic with a manual. I told her that after all of these years, I don't even think about it - shifting gears just becomes second nature (it SHOULD after driving for forty freakin' years!).


I had to think what I did at a stop light - simply sit there in first and the clutch in, and wait.

I'm another that doesn't totally trust the parking brake. "Sam" is always left in first gear with the hand brake engaged.

 

Leaving it in 1st gear while parked is a good idea of you're parked on anything but a level surface.

Of course use your parking brake all the time when you're parked, leaving it in gear is extra insurance. Either way you described it would work btw.

 

Being new to a stick you’ll learn what to do and it more than likely won’t take long.

Don’t rev the engine when stopped other than to bring the RPM’s up enough to take off from the light. It may seem fun, but life is not some cheesy car movie and people won’t be impressed or worse will think you a jerk.

As far as stopping, I turn my MINI off with it out of gear and then put in to gear after the engine is off. There is no wrong way to do this. I always leave it in 1st gear when off, but depends on where I’m parking whether I set the brake.

I will never set the brake if I’ve been driving hard at a track event or the Dragon. I’ll just leave it in gear so they can cool down.

 

nice, a@#hole.

 

Only when parking facing downhill, when facing uphill, turn the wheels away from the curb.

Steve

 

You people parking in gear are crazy. This isn't your dad's old pickup. The parking brake is there for a reason. If someone hit me while I was parked I'd rather have the brake messed up than the transmission.

 

1) the more the clutch pedal is depressed, the more you'll wear your throwout bearing. If you're going to be stopped awhile (traffic lights, etc.), put it in neutral. Also, revving an engine without a load isn't all that good for it.

2) I don't think it matters. Although if I'm in a situation that calls for being parked in gear, I usually use second. It's a habit I picked up driving older cars, which often didn't have synchromeshed first gears, which made it much easier to 'find' first after engaging second, and made getting into first without a bit of a nuisance if neither the wheels nor the engine were spinning.

 

and toward it when downhill. (and if you're really worried, put it in reverse)

 

How about when downshifting, do all of you blip the throttle, or rev the engine just prior to releasing the clutch pedal, to bring up engine RPM to match road speed in the lower gear?

 

I can totally relate to your predicament. When i first picked up my then brand new '03 MCS 2 years ago i had no experience in driving a stick.


And the dealership was an hour away in the middle of the City in Sydney. So there were lots of stop & go driving which is a nightmare for newbies of manual.

I usually roll to a stop in neutral and then turn off the engine via ignition and shift into 1st gear (or reverse in up-hill parking) and apply handbrake.

Anyways, with practice you'll be fine.

Here's a tip; if you can drive 10-20km/h in a tight driving area without stalling the engine, then the rest is easy.

 

I'll blip in between gears slowing down only if I'm driving hard. In normal practice (under 3k rpm), I let the synchros and clutch take the heat.

I'm a big believer in leaving the car in neutral unless I am driving it. I shut it down in N, I put it in N at stop lights, I only use 1st parked on slopes; although, I do keep it in gear when slowing--as to a stop. I got into the N habit because my BMW doesn't need the clutch pressed to start it, so to avoid trouble I always keep it in N when parked.

Habits...

dan

 

I learned to drive stick on a VW Bug and Rabbit. Taught my wife on a used '84 Toyota Corolla HB (replaced the clutch twice in 4 years ). Turned in my 10 year old Saturn (replaced clutch after 9 years) for my MCc.

1. Unless you want to incite a drag race.. don't rev.
2. Unless you like replacing an expensive clutch, don't ride it. I'm in N at stops and when I shut down.

Out of habit, I always use the parking brake and put it in gear when parked. Good luck and enjoy the ride

 

Maybe someone has their manual in front of them, but I am pretty sure the manual says DON'T leave the car in gear when parked. I can see an argument for it after time on the track, but I never leave it in gear. Parking brake is there for a reason. This is my third stick shift and I have always done it the same way (habit).

Really, it is up to you. Who listens to instructions anyway? Just another example of the man trying to keep you down...

 

I put the car in neutral at red lights I know will be long, stay in gear if the stop will be brief.

I always put the car in neutral, then shut it down. Habit from the old days when you did not have to push down the clutch pedal to start a car, which could lurch around if in gear.

I always use the parking brake, and leave it in gear if on an incline, not many where I live though.

 

On my Harley as on most bikes, if you're not in neutral when you press the starter, you WILL lurch...very uncool once when I was trying to impress some chick.

Re: parking in gear, I didn't in my Jetta once on my sloped driveway. Later on I heard a crash. You guess it. Probably ran out of the car too fast and didn't pull up on the brake to the final click. If I'd parked in gear it would have saved me over $1000 damage to car and house.

Duh!

 

The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.