Author Topic: Warning label: "Learning to use a stick shift" (Read 6492 times)

21Rouge · « **on:** July 10, 2009, 02:48:41 pm »

My son has his G2 and lately I have been taking him out, teaching him to use a manual transmission (5 speed Vibe). He is an athletic kid who plays video games

so I am surprised that he isn't taking to it like a duck to water...surely it can't be the instructor

. We have probably done 4 sessions, 30 minutes each. I have taken him to a very low traffic area, a residential street which is about a half mile circle; long enough straight aways to get into third. He has yet to go out onto the real streets. I am just wondering at what point he gets off this circuit and plays nice with other cars $:-\$ ? I recall a couple of years back seeing a car with a make shift sign on the back, something to the effect, driver learning to use a manual transmission. What do you think...embarrassing or a good next step?
It for sure can be nerve wracking having cars *right* behind, while on an incline, stopped

.

The Mighty Duck · « **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2009, 03:09:17 pm »

It is nerve wracking all right!

I've heard of people having "Student Standard Driver" signs or something to that effect, but I've never seen one. It's not a bad idea, though I wonder if other drivers would actually take note.

tortoise · « **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2009, 03:34:34 pm »

Certainly more useful option than those ridiculous "Baby on Board" signs.

Learning to drive standard take some time and practice. I wouldn't bother putting a sign up, people will get pissed off if he stalls regardless. Just give him some more time to get comfortable and then send him out there.

wing · « **Reply #3 on:** July 10, 2009, 03:43:56 pm »

Once he can get going everytime in a parking lot (on separate occasions) then it's time to hit the streets. Once you master starting you are good to go (for the most part). I remember I was always nervous about parking lots, creeping slowly since I only knew how to get moving and stop not go slowly.

tenpenny · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2009, 03:45:08 pm »

I always remembered that one of the keys to driving a manual is to listen to the car. The engine will tell you if it's happy or not.

21Rouge · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2009, 03:52:26 pm »

Quote from: wing on July 10, 2009, 03:43:56 pm

Once he can get going everytime in a parking lot (on separate occasions) then it's time to hit the streets.

Today he did some starting on an incline. I have to bite my tongue as the clutch wears a bit more each time

. But it has the potential to be good father son bonding

. It is the confidence that is lacking. He worries that he will be too slow off the line if other cars are behind him, and stalling out when turning left and...

I think he would be okay if there were no other cars on the road

.

tortoise · « **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2009, 04:03:36 pm »

Maybe start practicing on the road at off-peak hours. Seeing as he's a teenager that probably means in the evenings vs early mornings.

21Rouge · « **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2009, 04:21:26 pm »

Quote from: tortoise on July 10, 2009, 04:03:36 pm

Maybe start practicing on the road at off-peak hours.

I agree.

But to get him out of bed early Sunday morning isnt easy

.

RunsinLight · « **Reply #8 on:** July 10, 2009, 05:04:46 pm »

This is one situation where it might take someone longer to learn, assuming they're around 16-ish.

When I learned at 30 I was totally comfortable in a car and really did care if I stalled at green light at an intersection. Which is why I didn't even bother with the parking lot.

Maybe all clutches do this, I dunno. But my clutch (or peddle) makes a small clicking sound when it grabs (claims technical ignorance). Once I felt this click that was the answer to all my problems.

articsteve · « **Reply #9 on:** July 10, 2009, 05:09:21 pm »

But to get him out of bed early Sunday morning isnt easy .

This is a case of desire v. need. If he wants to drive some place badly enough he will learn quickly. It's easy other than the steep hills.

Don't give him your new GM unit whatever you do. PPL are like water; they take the course of less resistance.

Iso Octane · « **Reply #10 on:** July 10, 2009, 05:24:04 pm »

Quote from: 21Rouge on July 10, 2009, 02:48:41 pm

... I am surprised that he isn't taking to it like a duck to water...surely it can't be the instructor . We have probably done 4 sessions, 30 minutes each.

It took me way longer than that to feel comfortable... and way way longer than that to tame the bucking.

21Rouge · « **Reply #11 on:** July 10, 2009, 05:41:26 pm »

Quote from: articsteve on July 10, 2009, 05:09:21 pm

Don't give him your new GM unit whatever you do. PPL are like water; they take the course of less resistance.

You are quick Steve

! I had given him a deadline by which he cannot use the new easy to drive automatic GM anymore hoping that this will speed the learning.

dr_spock · « **Reply #12 on:** July 11, 2009, 11:20:33 am »

If you're worried about wearing down your clutch, you can send him to a driving school. I took lessons from Young Drivers when I bought my new 5-speed manual car that I couldn't drive. 3 lessons in the school's 5-speed Nissan and I was good to go. 11 years and ~190 Km later and I'm still on the original clutch. I think it costed $150 for just the on-road lessons.

21Rouge · « **Reply #13 on:** July 11, 2009, 11:34:05 am »

Quote from: dr_spock on July 11, 2009, 11:20:33 am

If you're worried about wearing down your clutch, you can send him to a driving school. I took lessons from Young Drivers when I bought my new 5-speed manual car that I couldn't drive.

I had looked into this...specifically with YD. YD have 64 car instructors in Toronto and 10 in Durham with only two standard instructors in the west end of Toronto....too far away from our home.

Honda Owner · « **Reply #14 on:** July 11, 2009, 01:29:55 pm »

My dad taught me to drive on a standard when I was, get this, ten years old. Since then I have never looked back and I have only had one automatic car. Didn't keep it long, either.

initial_D · « **Reply #15 on:** July 12, 2009, 10:01:35 am »

Quote from: 21Rouge on July 10, 2009, 05:41:26 pm

Quote from: articsteve on July 10, 2009, 05:09:21 pm
Don't give him your new GM unit whatever you do. PPL are like water; they take the course of less resistance.

You are quick Steve ! I had given him a deadline by which he cannot use the new easy to drive automatic GM anymore hoping that this will speed the learning.

No Kno drive stick, no drive.

Spheric · « **Reply #16 on:** July 12, 2009, 02:44:02 pm »

Good topic.

My son turns 16 next year and I would like him to learn stick-shift, so the auto tranny Passat will have to go next year (along with the turbo engine - which will be dearly missed but not the insurance premiums).

Am already starting to look around at vehicles (smaller hatchbacks with manual transmissions) that may be suitable for teaching as well as a long distance commuting car for myself.

In the meantime, I suggest you look at the following site for a manual transmission driving school in the GTA:

http://www.shifters.ca/

21Rouge · « **Reply #17 on:** July 12, 2009, 03:27:08 pm »

Quote from: Spheric on July 12, 2009, 02:44:02 pm

In the meantime, I suggest you look at the following site for a manual transmission driving school in the GTA:

http://www.shifters.ca/

I had my son driving today with me and he is progressing well. But I want to be more sure that he is up to driving on his own so I had called around yesterday and found a very close driving "school" that has an instructor with a 5 speed. The instructor is now aware that my son has his G2 and that we just want a couple of in car lessons. That way my wife and I and of course my son can be more sure that he is ready to be on his own.

(Thanks for the suggestion Spock and Spheric)

jamie1 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 12, 2009, 11:33:28 pm »

While my son was a porter for the UCD at my dealership last summer he had to learn how to drive a stick. I grabbed a manual trans Neon off the lot that was going to the auction. I took him out with that. In about 5 minutes he had a really good master for it. We drove around for about 1/2 an hour. The kid was/is a natural. Took him to the parkade next door to the dealership and made him stop and start on the very steep on ramp. He stalled it once and never again.
The next day we took out a Ram diesel. I wanted to show him the differance. Just how much more careful you have to be because the diesel has enough torque that it will not stall. You always have to have your left foot ready on the clutch pedal. Unlike a gas engine that can stall in parking lot maneuvers if the brake is pressed hard enough and the clutch pedal is not. A diesel can power right through.

TopGun · « **Reply #19 on:** July 13, 2009, 12:00:28 pm »

I tried to teach my wife (

) then told her to call Shifters as she told me to bugger-off whenever I suggested she was ready for the road.

What did the Shifters guy do? Took her on the road. Did she tell him to bugger-off? Oh goodness no...you only do that to people you know.