I'm trying to teach my girlfriend how to drive standard cars... but, no luck so far ... she keeps forgetting that there's a third pedal ... any technique or advice

Thanx,
MaC

 

patience, thats the only way you will succeed, if you get angry, she will just give up

 

Practice, practice, practice...... and a shock collar.

 

Plan on a new clutch. Fortunately my wife already knows how to drive a stick, but I plan on teaching my daughter as soon as MiniMe arrives.

 

my wife gave up. i sold the car (protege5)

 

If she wants to learn and asks you to help her, then teach her, but don't make her if she doesn't want to.

I taught my dear wife how to drive my MINI. She hated it. Much too stressful and her opinion is that if she was meant to use three pedals, then she would have been born with three feet.

So we got her a Cooper CVT and she loves it. (And I secretly love driving the auto once in a while as it is a refreshing break sometimes)

 

Let her go at her own pace when learning. I tried to encourage my wife but once I "encouraged" a little too much and it really frustrated her... which of course now leads her to not want to learn even more.

 

OH!

That's where I'm going wrong.

"Ok hunny, ease out the clutch... good... good... wait... NO NO NO!!" **ZAAAPP**
"BAD WIFE!"

 

Haha...that's something my mom would do.

To someone that has been driving manual cars for most of his driving life, these threads about trying to learn stick are so funny. It's like asking how to teach someone to breath...then I look back, and I remember back when I refused to learn how to drive a stick a few years ago (I was 16) and bought an automatic first car. (MAJOR mistake) Guess I can relate.

 

NO DIET COKE FOR YOU!

 

It takes a while to get used to driving one transmission vs. the other. I learned on a manual and drove that car exclusively for 5-6 years. The first time I got into an auto, I almost had a painc attack when I came to my first traffic light. I kept stomping the floor, looking for the clutch so I wouldn't stall the engine...

 

I do that all the time when i drive an Auto, It was funny one time i was drving my 68 chevelle and did that and hit the break pedal and locked them up i was getting funny looks from everyone.

 

Similar story --- about 10 years ago my sister (who was used to driving manual tranny) insisted on driving my car in downtown Boston, because she thought she knew her way around better than me. Well, 2 or 3 wrong turns later, she starts to get angry, tense, etc. and without thinking, dumps the floor shift automatic tranny into PARK while she's still doing about 15 or 20 mph . We exchanged "pleasantries" and then I drove the rest of the way. Yeah, some people don't do that well when going from manual to auto .

 

I only learned to drive a stick in my late 20's. An Ex-girlfriend of mine taught me! She had 3 sisters, and a motorhead Dad who really wanted a son. Needless to say, she also taught me most everything I know about vehicle maintenance and repair...

He was really pushy with them, as she told it while teaching me to drive standard. Her strategy was a lot more lax. The thing she encouraged me to do at first that really clicked for me was to ride the clutch a bit while shifting - for a lot longer than you may well do now. As a got better at understanding the clutch and getting into gear from a stop, my timing improved. Today, I am almost as smooth as my old Honda Civic auto.

Anyhow, it seemed like a good idea because it encouraged me to use that left foot - and it didn't discourage me to drive her manual - because I wasn't stalling it as often and thus, not getting as frustrated.

Other thing that was really helpful --- she would strand me at the house with the manual - so if I needed to get somewhere, I got practice.

good luck!

 

I went for the clutch in an automatic once...

an automatic with an extra wide brake pedal.

Let's just say I left a really large patch of rubber on one of the off-ramps.

 

The one piece of advice that click for me when I was learnign to drive a manual tranny, was from the salesman at White Imports iin Mobile, AL. I was in the USAF stationed in nearby Keesler AFB (Biloxi, MS), and I was buying a brand new MGB. As we sat in the car, he said to just slowly let out the clutch until I just begin to feel the car wanting to move, and then slowly give it gas while maintaining the speed that I was letting off on the clutch pedal. That made more sense to me then anything else I had heard before then.

 

fascinating...I grew up driving manuals on the farm...so it's rather natural to me. I think all ladies should learn to drive these bad boys.

 

Everyone should learn to drive a manual well enough to get 10-20 miles from point A to point B in them. It doesn't have to be pretty, fast or even comfortable... just safe.

I had to go pick up a college girlfriend (and her 5 friends) when their designated driver got depressed and decided to do half-a-dozen jello shooters and nobody (who was sober) knew how to drive a stick.

 

Just take your time, dont be pushy, or in a rush to learn. Dont get mad or upset if they have trouble. It just takes time. Of course they are nervous because someone is in the car with them (you) and its embarassing to keep messing up over and over. Just act like its normal to mess up. They will get it sooner or later.

 

A good, calm attitude (for teacher and student) is important. And laughing helps. When my SO critiques something I do, I try to find humor in the situation. No need for hurt feelings/embarrassment/frustration/anger/etc. if it can be avoided.

 

During those first lessons, borrow your neighbor's Honda and protect your MINI !

Seriously, though, if you haven't already, go to a large empty parking lot, like those borrowed for Auto-x events, and practice out there where she won't have hills or traffic concerns until she gets the basic concept figured out.

 

Let's include men, too. I've seen my share of guys who haven't touched a clutch pedal.

 

I know what you mean. All three of our vehicles are completely different and it can take me a few minutes to remember which one I am driving.

Best not to try to take turns like a MINI with I am driving my Land Rover Defender on big tires with the sway bars removed for better axle articulation (and seriously increased body roll when turning).

 

Start simple, large parking lot. Point A to point B, 1st and 2nd only.
Work up to 3rd gear, then hit a lonely patch of road that will give you the comfort of a low stress drive. This is not something that's going to happen in 10 minutes. You may want to do the parking lot thing 3 or 4 times before hitting the road.

 

My ex-boss, who is in his 50's was enthralled at my ability to drive a manual when we went out to lunch and I drove him in my MR2. He told me that he had never been in a manual car before, ever since he could remember he had only ever driven, or ridden in a 'stick'.

He asked me how I remember which pedal does what, and where the gears are......