First driving lesson next week!! Yayyy

:lol: finally...

Next Sunday at 8:30 AM the instructor will pick me up, and I'll be having my first driving lesson :)


Now, is driving a manual car actually difficult? How easy is it to get the hang of the clutch etc.?
What are the odds of me crashing on my first lesson :lol:



Raf

Well in my first lesson all i did was drove the car along the road and did a left turn at a junction, its fairly easy to get used to the clutch if you ask me but it all depends on whether the car is a diesel or petrol, diesels are so much easier to get the hang of.

im sure you will be fine though, the instructors really make things easy. :)

What makes a diesel easier to handle than a petrol car..? :huh:


And I really hope the instructor is good.. some of my mates said he was brilliant :)

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Originally Posted by tralalala

:lol: finally...

Next Sunday at 8:30 AM the instructor will pick me up, and I'll be having my first driving lesson :)


Now, is driving a manual car actually difficult? How easy is it to get the hang of the clutch etc.?
What are the odds of me crashing on my first lesson :lol:



Raf

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A few things about a manual transmission, Rafi:

When driving away from a dead stop, you bring in (engage) the clutch by bringing it up against slightly increased throttle.

Once the car begins to move, fully release the clutch before applying more throttle; as you get used to this procedure, you can quicken your actions, all the while working on driving away (and shifting) smoothly.

Aaron is right about diesel vs petrol; diesels have much more abundant torque, and are thus less clutch-sensitive, technique-wise; driving a gas-powered vehicle is a better learning experience.

Also, you will be driving on public thoroughfares, and not a racetrack; there are many shared techniques, but one which does not belong on the street at all is braking (slowing) by shifting down.

Use the foot brakes instead.

Driving away on an uphill can be tricky, occasionally requiring a heel-toe brake-throttle technique, but we'll save that for later.

Good luck. :)

When starting from stationary, remember to get the biting point on the clutch before releasing the handbrake (secondary brake). failure to do this if facing up an incline will result in the car rolling back, and then make sure you release the handbrake before increasing the throttle enough to move the car forward. Failure to do this will result in a kangaroo effect and probably a stall.
Also when stationary, the correct thing to do is put the handbrake on and the gears in neutral until you are ready to move, not one foot on the clutch while in gear and the other on the footbrake. (the same principle applies with automatic transmission but is seldom applied)

of course after you pass your test you can operate with all the bad habits you desire:naughty:

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Originally Posted by vidcc

When starting from stationary, remember to get the biting point on the clutch before releasing the handbrake (secondary brake). failure to do this if facing up an incline will result in the car rolling back, and then make sure you release the handbrake before increasing the throttle enough to move the car forward. Failure to do this will result in a kangaroo effect and probably a stall.

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Using the e-brake as a crutch will only slow down the process of learning to "balance" on the clutch, IMO.
Might be necessary right at the beginning of the learning curve (only on a hill) but should be abandoned ASAP.

Tralala- my niece learned to drive my Z (probably one of the crankiest, most "mechanical" tranny/clutch combos ever) in under an hour.
Once you get it right, it's second nature.

I hate automatics.

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Originally Posted by clocker

Using the e-brake as a crutch will only slow down the process of learning to "balance" on the clutch, IMO.
Might be necessary right at the beginning of the learning curve (only on a hill) but should be abandoned ASAP.

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If certain that you are on a level road (appearances can be deceptive) then a learner could get away with it assuming they have mastered the clutch control.
I'm sure many insurance claims will prove otherwise.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by vidcc

of course after you pass your test you can operate with all the bad habits you desire

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until then the correct method (according to the standard of the country, some countries have very low standards) should be employed.

Of course the only one tralalala should listen to is his driving instructor.

Manuals are more difficult to learn on than automatics, simply because you have to pay attention to the clutch and shifting. Sometimes it's better to learn the basics of driving on an automatic if you're especially nervous.

It will make absolutely horrible grinding sounds.

:shuriken:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by vidcc

When starting from stationary, remember to get the biting point on the clutch before releasing the handbrake (secondary brake). failure to do this if facing up an incline will result in the car rolling back, and then make sure you release the handbrake before increasing the throttle enough to move the car forward. Failure to do this will result in a kangaroo effect and probably a stall.
Also when stationary, the correct thing to do is put the handbrake on and the gears in neutral until you are ready to move, not one foot on the clutch while in gear and the other on the footbrake. (the same principle applies with automatic transmission but is seldom applied)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by vidcc

If certain that you are on a level road (appearances can be deceptive) then a learner could get away with it assuming they have mastered the clutch control.

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Are you an Asian-Indian employed as an actuarial for an insurance company or do you write instructions on how to assemble the cheap furniture sold at Ikea stores at all (at all).

BTW-

What do kangaroos have to do with learning to drive. :dabs:

OMG went today to do the eye test, and failed the left eye..!! :angry:

I never needed glasses in my life!! Now i failed because i got 1 number wrong?! WTF... I'm so pissed off.. :(