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Stupid manual question: How do I learn how to drive stick when no one in my family nor any of my friends drive it? I'm one of those people who know how to drive standars 'in theory' but have only spent maybe 1/2 mile actually behind the wheel of one. When I do buy my first car (as in purchase my own, I've been driving the family Sentra for a long time), I want it to be manual but don't want to destroy the thing out of the lot. Is looking up a driving school the only way to go? Just in case you're interested in a painful anecdote of me driving stick, the one time I had to do it was because the person I was with was still too drunk to drive, so I had to drive her car out of the train station garage and the ~1/2 mile to her apartment. The car was pointed nose down, so I had to start by going reverse uphill out of the spot. That took more than a few starts  Of course we get to the first light outside the garage, and now I'm facing uphill at a red light < > After that the rest was fine, but that had to be the two worst positions to be in for my first (and only) time driving standard.
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Jul 7, 2007 20:30
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Fhqwhgads posted:Stupid manual question: I learned by buying a brand new car and driving it home. My theory on driving stick was also pretty out of whack with reality, also. It took me a while to figure out how to pull away from lights properly. It sounds like you know more than I did at the time. You should be fine just teaching yourself.
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Jul 7, 2007 22:11
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I've got a miata related question. I've sort of settled on a miata as my next car based on the price, insurance quote, reliability, easy to work on, and that after market is massive. The only thing I'm worried about is fitting in one! I'm 6'2", would I fit in one?
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Jul 8, 2007 00:34
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Fhqwhgads posted:Stupid manual question: Just drive it, you'll get the hang of it. If you're unfamiliar with how a clutch works, check this out- http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm It's much like a brake, the farther out you let the pedal the harder it grabs. The rest is simply practicing until you can engage the clutch in such a way as to start smoothly and not kill the engine. I really don't have to think about clutching anymore, but as near as i can describe you rev the engine up a bit, let out the clutch until it grabs, then hold it there until you're moving. Then let it out the rest of the way. How much clutch and gas to give it depends on your car, so there's nothing for it but to drive, but you shouldn't be slipping the clutch for more than, oh, two or three seconds when starting from a dead stop. You won't hurt anything.
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Jul 8, 2007 01:18
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Fhqwhgads posted:Stupid manual question: If you're really concerned about damaging your car, or anxious to learn asap, you could always rent a car with a manual. If you can't find a sedan for rent, rent a moving truck next time you help move someone. I learned stick on a U-haul. 
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Jul 8, 2007 15:45
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heyou posted:I've got a miata related question. I've sort of settled on a miata as my next car based on the price, insurance quote, reliability, easy to work on, and that after market is massive. The only thing I'm worried about is fitting in one! I'm 6'2", would I fit in one? You really need to sit in one to find out. 6'+ is the point where Miatas start getting hit-or-miss. I'm 6'5" and fit in my wife's '99, but just barely and it's a bit of a masochistic act to do so top-up. I also can't drive it for more than 1-1.5 hours in a single stretch without getting epic cramping in my right leg. The car is still so much fun that I don't really care 
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Jul 8, 2007 17:01
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mr.belowaverage posted:If you're really concerned about damaging your car, or anxious to learn asap, you could always rent a car with a manual. If you can't find a sedan for rent, rent a moving truck next time you help move someone. I learned stick on a U-haul. Hm, I am moving out of state next month, and need to make a few U-Haul trips (hopefully just 1) back and forth to furnish the place. I didn't know I could just rent manuals 
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Jul 8, 2007 17:11
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So I've got this master plan to make it all mighty fine. I'd like to do some work on my parents A6 (C6)! I'd like to change this boring grille:  into this mosquito net (ABT):  The problem is that all I have done about a car is checking the oil level and changed a tire. I found some DIY grille replacement instruction for the A3 and it didn't seem very hard. The dealership would gladly do this but I'd like to it myself and feel really good about it. So the question is: can I do this myself? And what are the chances that I gently caress up real bad?
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Jul 9, 2007 21:02
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Gleisdreieck posted:grill I've never replaced a grill, but I would doubt it'd be more than unbolting the old one and dropping the new one in (assuming it was engineered correctly to drop in). At worst, you'll have to remove the bumper, which should be a could more bolts.
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Jul 9, 2007 21:08
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I have a 2000 Honda Civic. I just got my emissions checked and the report came back saying that there is an O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction. Is this something that I need to go to a repair shop for, or could my dad possibly fix it with some ineffective help from me? If I need to go to a shop, how do I find a good one that won't screw me over because I'm a girl? I'm in Atlanta if it helps.
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Jul 9, 2007 22:27
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Hutla posted:I have a 2000 Honda Civic. I just got my emissions checked and the report came back saying that there is an O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction. Is this something that I need to go to a repair shop for, or could my dad possibly fix it with some ineffective help from me? 02 Sensors are fairly straightforward to replace. Did they say what sensor it was? Bank 1 sensor 1 or bank 1 sensor 2?
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Jul 10, 2007 12:15
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It says bank 1 sensor 1.
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Jul 10, 2007 13:47
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'99 Grand Prix 3.1 again.... Have a feeling this is going to end up expensive, but hopefully not. 1) Whenever I come to a quick stop or make a u-turn, the car sort of stalls then suddenly kicks in awkwardly. 2) If I accelerate quickly, in drive or reverse, I get a knock that feels like it's under my feet. How hosed am I?
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Jul 10, 2007 15:45
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Quick question, didn't think it really deserved its own thread. My A/C works, but when I turn it on, every 10 seconds or so it sounds like the compressor is turning off and on. It also saps a retarded amount of power from the engine. (not much there to begin with) There is cold air coming through the vents, but when I'm idling I can clearly hear the click...whir sound with the engine audibly powering the compressor on and off. I'm wondering if it's a thermostat issue, or the compressor itself is busted, I have no idea. It's sort of an "oh god how did I get here I'm not good with HVAC" thing. The car is an NA 1990 Volvo 240.
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Jul 10, 2007 20:23
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quick autox question. I recently got into the sport and I have decided that I would like 2 sets of tires, since I don't have the means to get rubber off a wheel I am also going to get another set of wheels. My question is: what wheels are better for autox as in size? 15" 16" 17" For those curious the wheels I'm thinking of are Flik FTD's (cheap and lightweight) and the tires: Falken Azenis
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Jul 11, 2007 06:03
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I noticed today that when I press down on my clutch, it makes a squeeky noise outside of the cabin (thus under the car). Does this really mean anything, or am I being a giant paranoid pussy?
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Jul 11, 2007 08:49
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munchies posted:quick autox question. I recently got into the sport and I have decided that I would like 2 sets of tires, since I don't have the means to get rubber off a wheel I am also going to get another set of wheels. My question is: what wheels are better for autox as in size? 15" 16" 17" The best thing to do would be to talk to someone experienced who drives the same car as you.
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Jul 11, 2007 17:37
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struan87 posted:Smaller is usually better because you will save weight. Smaller wheels also keep the rotating mass closer to the hub, which decreases angular momentum and allows the wheel speed to change faster. Whatever you can clear your calipers with, and do 55-60mph in 2nd gear with is probably going to be best. If it's a grey area and you aren't spending a lot of time bouncing off the rev limiter, the slight increase in acceleration over most of the course is probably worth giving up the few tenths of a second where you're limited by gearing.
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Jul 11, 2007 20:03
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Ineptus Mechanicus posted:Quick question, didn't think it really deserved its own thread. My A/C works, but when I turn it on, every 10 seconds or so it sounds like the compressor is turning off and on. It also saps a retarded amount of power from the engine. (not much there to begin with) There is cold air coming through the vents, but when I'm idling I can clearly hear the click...whir sound with the engine audibly powering the compressor on and off. Is it really hot where you are? The compressor should be coming on every time your refrigerant needs to be re-compressed to lower the temperature in the system. If it's coming on frequently, it could just be to meet demands. Unfortunately, the lack of power is a fact of slave devices. A lower-powered engine will feel it more than a more powerful, or more efficient engine. Make sure you're optimizing everything else; engine oil, air filter, etc. That's really all you can do. If the compressor is sticking or the belt is slipping, it could cause problems as well. It might be good to rule out those problems.
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Jul 11, 2007 23:50
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Hey I'm thinking of getting some fade tinting done on my ride but I heard it's more prone to bubbling because the silver part of the tint is heavier than the black part. Also the place where I checked out offered only a 2-month warranty with fade tinting as opposed to lifetime warranty for normal tinting. So what y'all know about fade tinting? Thanks in advance hombres.
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Jul 12, 2007 03:05
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My civic's at 102,000 miles has been running on regular oil all its life. Is it safe to switch to synthetic right off the bat during a normal oil change?
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Jul 12, 2007 03:26
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mr.belowaverage posted:Is it really hot where you are? The compressor should be coming on every time your refrigerant needs to be re-compressed to lower the temperature in the system. If it's coming on frequently, it could just be to meet demands. It's fairly hot when I use the A/C as opposed to the sunroof/windows, but it cycles on and off every 7-10 seconds or so. It blows cold air without fail, but I'm just concerned the constant on/off could damage the compressor. I'll look into the belt issue as well, I'm going to give the car a good once over this weekend. I'm not too concerned over the loss of power, as you said, it's just how the system runs. The only engine maintenance item I haven't taken care of so far is a good seafoaming. Here's to hoping the insides aren't held together with sludge.
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Jul 12, 2007 04:03
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A few days ago I came in here to ask a question about buying/driving a car with a manual transmission only to find that someone else already had! I'm just dropping back to thank you guys who answered that question; I picked up the car and I'm having a ton of fun driving it. It really isn't as scary as it seemed. 
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Jul 13, 2007 06:39
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Stick Shift Question I'm having a difficult time starting on hills, even not so steep ones; I either stall or do launch control at 15mph. I've only had the 328is for less than a week so I've been driving around early in the morning (3-5am) practicing my stick driving skills. Sure, a solution could be that I avoid known hills in my daily commute or park in flat areas at school, but that's just going around the problem rather than solving it. In general going from 0mph -> First is somewhat of a pain for me. I'm probably going to need a new clutch soon if I keep this up. (I've gotten much better than when I first got the car) Here's what I'm doing: 0. Car in first gear. 1. Feet on Clutch and Brakes. 1b. Right hand on Parking Brake engaged enough to keep me from rolling back. 2. Quickly put foot on accelerator and slowly raise the clutch pedal. 3. Give it more gas as the RPMs drop. 3b. Slowly release parking brake. 4. Hope I don't stall, lug, or redline. How can I tell if I'm taking too long to get my foot of the clutch when going into gear? (2nd -> 5th is no problem, only first) Takes me about 1-3 seconds depending on the angle of elevation of the road. Any tips would be appreciated.
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Jul 15, 2007 08:21
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AXE EFFECT posted:Any tips would be appreciated. Remember that clutches ARE wear items. From your description, you're not giving it an abnormal amount of wear, and I wouldn't anticipate terribly premature failure due to this. Also, starting in first is pretty widely agreed to be "the hard part" of manual transmissions. Keep doing it and you will get better. Phone posted:I noticed today that when I press down on my clutch, it makes a squeeky noise outside of the cabin (thus under the car). Does this really mean anything, or am I being a giant paranoid pussy? It does mean it's wearing out, but you probably don't need to stress too much. My last (manual) car did that for about 15k miles before I got rid of the car for unrelated reasons, and my current car has been doing it for about 6k miles. Neither one seems to be on a short road to failure. heyou posted:I've got a miata related question. I've sort of settled on a miata as my next car based on the price, insurance quote, reliability, easy to work on, and that after market is massive. The only thing I'm worried about is fitting in one! I'm 6'2", would I fit in one? In my NA, the only issues I have are that clearances are a bit tight between the wheel and my lap (nothing that affects driving, just makes it hard to change pants in the seat ), and my right leg could use a BIT more room around the knee - it rests against the center console a bit oddly.
Krakkles fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Jul 15, 2007 |
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Jul 15, 2007 09:12
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How long does it take you to go from 0 to moving? When I had the automatic I could be ready for the light to turn green, now I take a few seconds extra to even get moving. I'm sure with time I'll eliminate the lag but for now it makes me feel self conscious about being slow and lugging around.
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Jul 15, 2007 09:25
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I never used to use the park brake on hills, i would just keep my feet on the brake and clutch, release the clutch slightly, then quickly give the car some gas as i lift the clutch a little more. I could only do this because i was VERY comfortable with the car and how much it took for the clutch to be in or out. I never stalled it on a hill, and very rarely rolled back. I was never taught how to use the parking brake method. This was almost 3 years ago when i was learning how to drive in a car owned by my parents, i've been driving auto now. I just got a new car though which is manual, and i want to take exceptional care of it. Was the above method i used incorrect, causing unnecessary clutch wear? Should i teach myself how to use the parking brake?
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Jul 15, 2007 09:26
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God I fucking love Diablo 3 gold, it even paid for this shitty title
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From what I understand it's prefectly normal to slip/ride the clutch for a second or two while staring on a hill, but there are some idiots that ride the clutch the entire time they are stopped on a hill causing it to go out prematurely (Kinda like being on the gas in an automatic to keep it still in a hill). So in other words, I wouldn't use the clutch to keep from rolling back, rather I'd use the brakes, that's what they are for. If you see the light red, but you can see the green one going amber, you can probably slow down and just crawl up (foot off the clutch!) rather than having to stop completely and risk stalling/sliding back. But if you know the light is going to be red for a while, just do what you described. Might even be wiser to put the car in neutral rather than have your foot on the clutch for a while, save your throwout bearing. Curious about that, how long is OK to have the clutch IN, a short stop light? or Always put it in neutral to brake to a stop? If I see the light red ahead, I just slide it out of gear(clutch in) and brake then clutch in again and engage first. Should I just leave it in gear and wait for the light? TAG BODY SPRAY fucked around with this message at 09:33 on Jul 15, 2007 |
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Jul 15, 2007 09:31
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AXE EFFECT posted:
Good question, id also like to know that. If i know the light is going to be red for at least 10 seconds (i dont know, just an arbitrary figure i chose) does it matter if i have my feet on the brake and clutch, or is it better to go neutral and just have my foot on the brake until the light is ready to change?
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Jul 15, 2007 09:35
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I was told by both the mechanic and the dealership salesman (who just happened to own an e30 in pristine condition [where I bought my e36]) that if I know the light is going to be +5 seconds to just pop it in neutral and remove foot off the clutch. That it prevents undue wear on the throwout bearing. Can anyone confirm this? Bullshit / True
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Jul 15, 2007 09:40
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AXE EFFECT posted:I was told by both the mechanic and the dealership salesman (who just happened to own an e30 in pristine condition [where I bought my e36]) that if I know the light is going to be +5 seconds to just pop it in neutral and remove foot off the clutch. That it prevents undue wear on the throwout bearing. Very true. That's the reason my TB is making the noise it is  AXE EFFECT posted:How long does it take you to go from 0 to moving? When I had the automatic I could be ready for the light to turn green, now I take a few seconds extra to even get moving. I'm sure with time I'll eliminate the lag but for now it makes me feel self conscious about being slow and lugging around. Normal driving, my clutch is out in <1 second. Basically, I bump the engine (this is in a 1.6L Miata, for reference) to about 1500RPM, then let the clutch out smoothly but quickly. AXE EFFECT posted:But if you know the light is going to be red for a while, just do what you described. Might even be wiser to put the car in neutral rather than have your foot on the clutch for a while, save your throwout bearing. Curious about that, how long is OK to have the clutch IN, a short stop light? or Always put it in neutral to brake to a stop? One thing that helped me develop that habit was a chronically misadjusted clutch in my old car. If you were all the way on the pedal and in gear, the car would creep forward. I knew it was wearing the clutch, and I spent days at end trying to adjust it to no avail, so I got used to not doing that. Krakkles fucked around with this message at 09:57 on Jul 15, 2007 |
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Jul 15, 2007 09:49
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Krakkles posted:If it's making the noise when the clutch is IN (ie, clutch pedal depressed, clutch disengaging engine from transmission), it's likely your throwout bearing. The car does have 73k on it, and clutches are usually good for 60-110k depending how much you drive like a grandma. Will a new clutch get rid of the noises?
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Jul 15, 2007 15:36
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Sometimes while accelerating, I've noticed my headlights dim and then if I floor it and go 80-90mph my radio goes louder :???: I noticed this in my 1996 328is and my friend's 3.2TL Acura. I'm guessing it's either the alternator or battery. The car still has the original BMW battery. Isn't it about time it gets replaced?
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Jul 15, 2007 19:45
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So I'm in the market for an E36 (92-95ish) for around $3-4k (private party). From what I've seen, that will net me one on the higher-mileage side, which I'm fine with. I've been working on cars since I was a preteen so I know my way around them and don't mind doing routine maintenance. My dad told me that the automatics in these years/models were crap, and that if I buy one that hasn't been rebuilt, I'd probably be doing one myself. Is this true? I'm dead set on an automatic because I live in Los Angeles and traffic is a loving nightmare here. So, should I be on the lookout for this, or is my dad full of poo poo? I tend to think he knows what he's talking about because he just got out of the used car business (owned his own dealership) after 30 years, but sometimes he surprises me.
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Jul 17, 2007 22:25
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Chris Walken posted:So I'm in the market for an E36 (92-95ish) for around $3-4k (private party). From what I've seen, that will net me one on the higher-mileage side, which I'm fine with. I've been working on cars since I was a preteen so I know my way around them and don't mind doing routine maintenance. My dad told me that the automatics in these years/models were crap, and that if I buy one that hasn't been rebuilt, I'd probably be doing one myself. Is this true? I'm dead set on an automatic because I live in Los Angeles and traffic is a loving nightmare here. So, should I be on the lookout for this, or is my dad full of poo poo? I tend to think he knows what he's talking about because he just got out of the used car business (owned his own dealership) after 30 years, but sometimes he surprises me. BMW is not known for reliable automatic transmissions. If it has over 100k miles on it and is still on the factory transmission, it could be a time bomb. There's always a chance nothing will go wrong with it, but there's a good history of the auto trannies grenading. If whatever cars you look at show even the slightest signs of transmission problems, walk away. The manual trannies BMW sources (Getrag mostly) are usually very solid and will last forever, but their auto trannies are pretty much junk.
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Jul 17, 2007 22:59
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Guinness posted:BMW is not known for reliable automatic transmissions. If it has over 100k miles on it and is still on the factory transmission, it could be a time bomb. There's always a chance nothing will go wrong with it, but there's a good history of the auto trannies grenading. If whatever cars you look at show even the slightest signs of transmission problems, walk away.  .I did manage to find a 94 with a new tranny in it for a decent price. Only downside is the terrible dark green color, but I can live with that for an otherwise awesome car. Wish me luck in getting it!
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Jul 18, 2007 00:03
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Phone posted:The car does have 73k on it, and clutches are usually good for 60-110k depending how much you drive like a grandma. Will a new clutch get rid of the noises? A new throwout bearing, which is replaced with the clutch, will get rid of the noise.
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Jul 18, 2007 00:33
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Clutch kits from Pelican Parts/BAV autosport are about $400. So it's not terribly expensive to replace (which I'll probably need to soon).
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Jul 18, 2007 02:15
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This whole ordeal with my 06 Civic is turning out to be a loving nightmare. Almost a month ago I was in an accident (not my fault!), the front was screwed up (replaced hood, all external parts on the front and compressor). Anyway, I just got my car back and it looked absolutely awesome. On the way home I ran over some bumpy roads/railroad tracks and heard what sounded a bit like a high-speed skidding/grinding noise. Didn't sound like metal on metal to me but it was an odd noise- a bit like someone skidding their feet across carpet. Anyway, I only get it when I hit the bigger bumps. Any ideas as to what might be wrong? I got out with a mirror and looked under the car and didn't see where anything was hanging down from underneath. I called Progressive and of course they want me to bring it back in but they said the first available date was the 26th. I *have* to keep the car at least until this thursday because I cannot miss any time from work but if it's something that sounds bad, I might take it in at the end of this week and tell them they have to deal with it now. The mechanic I talked to on the phone said it could be some kind of under-lining or whatever it's called being loose, he said as long as the car was handling fine, it didn't sound too serious. Knowing my luck, the entire thing will just blow apart on the road and I'll get to die a horrible death.
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Jul 18, 2007 05:19
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Could someone please explain what an 'exhaust cutout' is/does (in the context of modifying a v8 vehicle) and how it improves performance/what benefits it has?
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Jul 18, 2007 10:35
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