[fusionnv]

I think i did it this time. I ordered a Manual Tranny 325i and I only drove a manual car two times before 3 yrs ago. I didn't get a full lesson, I had no trouble getting it in first after the 3 times I stalled in the car I was learning. It was a 89 Ford Mustang 5.0. My car probably won't reach port until Jun/Jul so I think it is time to prepare myself mentally and for you guys to let me know any quriks about the car, since a good number of you guys got one already.

This is what I know, correct me if I am wrong or won't apply to the 325i.
1) One i gotta find the "catch point" after starting the car in netural, I am down on the clutch (after the push start), shift into 1st and then slowly lift up the clutch till the car moves very slowly. Then slowly press gas on the car to get the car moving and then let go clutch / gas the car more to match.
2) To shift after first, I step on Clutch ALL THE WAY and then shift to 2nd and gas to match.
3) To come to complete stop, clutch, shift to N and then brake.

Things I am not sure about
1) If i though I was coming to a stop but changed my mind in N. What do I do? Shift back into a gear?
2) How to slow down in traffic?

I am not really looking anything fancy (downshifting etc) to do until I do some practice.

[Armen52]

Hehe, I'm sorta like you. I drove a stick car twice about four years ago. I didn't risk it. I got auto on my E90

I don't like the idea that even in the case when I really don't want to shift the car I have to. Then again I might have loved it if the car I drove the last four years was stick. Or not. Whatever I have no regrets

[lumberman]

Originally Posted by fusionnv

I1) One i gotta find the "catch point" after starting the car in netural, I am down on the clutch (after the push start), shift into 1st and then slowly lift up the clutch till the car moves very slowly. Then slowly press gas on the car to get the car moving and then let go clutch / gas the car more to match.

normally, I would do it simultaneously, when you release the clutch, at the same time press the accelerator, just to give enough drive when the gears are engage, so you won't stoll the engine, the process should be left foot up, right foot down

2) To shift after first, I step on Clutch ALL THE WAY and then shift to 2nd and gas to match.

once you can handle the first gear shift, the rest is all about matching the engine speed with your gear selection


Things I am not sure about
1) If i though I was coming to a stop but changed my mind in N. What do I do? Shift back into a gear?



2) How to slow down in traffic?

use the brake

I am not really looking anything fancy (downshifting etc) to do until I do some practice.

>3) To come to complete stop, clutch, shift to N and then brake.

i'm no expert, but I would advise to use the brake to cut down your momentum (leave the gear in current selection), just when you are about to come to complete stop, clutch in full, shift to N (at the same time use the brake simultaneously to bring the vehicle to complete stop) reason is, when it comes to 'panic brake' situation, driver tends to lock their wheels and lose control of the car. There's a high probability that would happens if you used to clutch in full and shift to N before apply the brake to bring to car to stop, because there aint time to think when it comes to critical situation


also I would suggest more lesson before your new baby arrive, bmw clutch pad are expensive to replace

[wannabe]

1) If i though I was coming to a stop but changed my mind in N. What do I do? Shift back into a gear?

I've had my car for a while so I know what gear I should shift into and what RPM when I find myself in neutral and need to shift back into gear. What ever speed you are in, try to shift into a grear that would land you in 3000-4000 RPM range. So sequence is...off the brake, gas to certain RPM, clutch in, shift into a gear, clutch out.

2) How to slow down in traffic?
Brake. You might need to shift into a lower gear to accelerate properly after slowing down.

Fusionnv, don't be afraid to spend some time at the BMW dealership when you receive your car...they should be totally cool with you practicing in their parking lot. You might even want to ask if someone from the dealership could go with you around the neighborhood and practice. If all else, don't panic.

Armen52, what did you drive before the e90?

[JamesClay]

I think you should always have it in a gear. Leave it in neutral as you coast in is asking for someone to hit you. Defensive driving 101 - youhave to be able to react!

[marcus330i]

Fusion: once you get the hang of driving the stick you will learn to match the speed of the car with the right gear and the appropriate RPMs. The only way to learn this is to do it. If the car is rolling in neutral and you want to go back into gear you have to give it a little gas to raise the RPMs so when you release the clutch the car doesn't lurch backwards (or better said...the car won't feel like you just slammed on the brakes). Practice practice practice. Go on a drive with someone who has experience with a stick....you'll enjoy it when you get the hang of it.

[YYdoodle]

fusionnv, much respect to you for ordering manaul even tho you don't have much experience with it. in the end you'll be awarded with a more fulfilling driving experience for it!

[fusionnv]

Thanks for the tips everybody. But I have having a bit of trouble finding a manual car to practice on. It seems in NYC there quite isn't many around for practice. I probably start calling some auto schools next week to check this out. I figured, fuk it, if i order an auto i will never learn stick, and the longer I take the worst off I be down the line.

[RichReg]

Originally Posted by fusionnv

Thanks for the tips everybody. But I have having a bit of trouble finding a manual car to practice on. It seems in NYC there quite isn't many around for practice. I probably start calling some auto schools next week to check this out. I figured, fuk it, if i order an auto i will never learn stick, and the longer I take the worst off I be down the line.

Learning to drive a manual E90 330i in New York City. Man, I gotta hand it to you...that really takes some balls.

But you'll do O.K. ...and no matter how you might feel while you're still learning, you will look back sometime in the future and know that you'd NEVER regret it.

[ogrady]

Yup, there are a few things all men should learn to do in life.. one of them is learning how to drive manual (even if you don't actually use it regularly)

[equ]

No worries, you've made a great choice. I taught my gf here in NYC to drive a stick, it's not all that hard and it is more than rewarding... In fact, I don't plan on an e90, I was passing through the forum and I registered so I could give you some support. We're an endangered species in America and especially in NYC (though not so much among bmw drivers)...

[CnoteMD]

Originally Posted by fusionnv

This is what I know, correct me if I am wrong or won't apply to the 325i.
1) One i gotta find the "catch point" after starting the car in netural, I am down on the clutch (after the push start), shift into 1st and then slowly lift up the clutch till the car moves very slowly. Then slowly press gas on the car to get the car moving and then let go clutch / gas the car more to match.
2) To shift after first, I step on Clutch ALL THE WAY and then shift to 2nd and gas to match.
3) To come to complete stop, clutch, shift to N and then brake.

Things I am not sure about
1) If i though I was coming to a stop but changed my mind in N. What do I do? Shift back into a gear?
2) How to slow down in traffic?

I am not really looking anything fancy (downshifting etc) to do until I do some practice.

Typically if I am slowing down in traffic, I just press the brake. I may take it out of gear and go to N when it slows to under 20mph.

However, if I am slowing down to make a right hand turn I usually press in the clutch and shift to 2nd gear. I continue to hold the clutch in until I have made the turn, ease out the clutch while accelerating and you've done.

As for slowing down then changing your mind, a good rule of thumb is that each gear is good for 10mph. So if you slowed down to 20mph, pick 2nd year, 30mph pick 3rd gear, etc.

These are all just estimates and as you get used to the car, you will be able to choose the appropriate gear depending on what level of performance you want (i.e. you may shift to 2nd even though you're going 45mph if you want quicker acceleration).

All of my prior cars were manuals, but I have been driving an automatic for the past year or so. My wife can drive a manual, in fact she picked it up faster than I did. But, she prefers automatics and never pursued doing it on a routine basis.

Michael

[frothboy]

Its like riding a bicycle. Once you learn you will never forget, and the only way to learn is to hop on and do it. You will love it.

[mwie]

Hi,

it's funny to read you guys talking about how hard it is to drive a manual car ;-)

Here in Germany it's the other way round - I ordered my 320d with auto and most of my friends commented something like "are you nuts?"...

So relax - it sounds harder than it is!
(Trust me, I drove manual cars for years....)

Greetz from Germany,
mwie

[skimo]

This is great!! I really want to share this....I learned how to drive in Cairo, Egypt....let me introduce you to some parts of the test you need to pass to receive your driver's liscence...

- All this must be done in a manual, if you stall once...peace.
- parallel park on a steep incline
- go through an S shaped cone-track forward and reverse (hardest one)
- they place you on the peak of a "hill" and you have to balance the car right there without brakes (clutch exercise...)
- ofcourse then there is the general stuff...driving, traffic etc..

you have to be a stunt driver to survive in Egyptian traffic !!

Excellent choice on the manual !

skimo

[Flash]

In South Africa 90% of the cars are manual. To have a automatic is a novelty. I personely will never buy an auto. But our culture are differant everybody learn with a manual and all the young people prefer manual. Manual is faster, more performance and you have more control over your car and it is lighter on fuel.

[wannabe]

It's great to hear from people living and driving in other countries. People in the U.S. can get so lazy at driving that most people just follow the car in front of them without thinking. I think most people would drive off a cliff if the car in front of them does it.

[ogrady]

Originally Posted by skimo

This is great!! I really want to share this....I learned how to drive in Cairo, Egypt....let me introduce you to some parts of the test you need to pass to receive your driver's liscence...

- All this must be done in a manual, if you stall once...peace.
- parallel park on a steep incline
- go through an S shaped cone-track forward and reverse (hardest one)
- they place you on the peak of a "hill" and you have to balance the car right there without brakes (clutch exercise...)
- ofcourse then there is the general stuff...driving, traffic etc..

you have to be a stunt driver to survive in Egyptian traffic !!

Excellent choice on the manual !

skimo

That's insane. 90% of auto drivers here couldn't even pass that test driving their autos

[Armen52]

Wow. Much respect to Egyptian drivers.

Like ogrady said, the drivers in the U.S. don't have 10% of that kind of skill. You wouldn't believe how much curb hopping and bumper smashing I see around here with people trying to parallel park, even in wide open spaces!

[NuovoTech]

2) To shift after first, I step on Clutch ALL THE WAY...

Not really, works better to just depress the clutch part way for gears 2 thru 6. All you need to do is push it in far enough to break the torque & shift.

[romeo26]

hay dont worri about it. it didnt even take me five minutes to learn to drive stick(i ride a dirt bike). my tip take your time, try not to impress anyone your first time driving it, then soon enough youll be pro at driving stick.

i remember one night when i got my licence my friends and i decided to go out and watch a movie. so after the movie were coming back and my clutch leg gets a cramp in it. well the e30 clutches are stiff as hell. but i still made it home safely.


remember take your time!!!!

[wannabe]

I've heard that you really don't need the clutch to change gears...except when getting into first. When there's no load on the transmission...meaning your foot isn't on the gas...you can shift out of a gear into neutral without depressing the clutch.

Then, when you need to shift into gear...you (supposedly) just need to rev the engine to match RPMs with your speed and shift into gear without pressing the clutch. Never tried it though...so I can't recommend it. But in a jam, when you're clutch legs are cramped...you might be able to pull this off.