Bought a new mustang with manuel transmission!!
08-31-2006, 02:00 PM
#21
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location:
Posts: 371
RE: Bought a new mustang with manuel transmission!!
Okay, to try and give advice about shifting. Some of what I say you probably know, but I don't know your experience or skill level with Manuel, so I'll let you two get to know each other. Might I suggest Taco Bell for a first date?
The hardest part for new people to learn is starting. Not starting the car but going from a dead stop to motion. What you do is keep your foot on the clutch and bring the RPM's up to... about 1500. Depends on each car, need more others less. You can go to about 2300 before tires would want to squeel a little but lets ignore that. Once you get the rpm's up you slowly let your foot off the clutch, but keep the gas flowing. It's going to take you practice to get proper mechanical impulses trained to those nerves/muscles. Just growing pains.
As for when to shift. I personally now shift at about 2000rpm's. The reason for it is for efficiency. I try and keep the mpg as high as possible. But if you shift at 3000 it won't hurt the car, and honestly won't hurt your mpg that much.
Now say you are driving down an open road, country traffic or what have you. Doing about 55, you're in 5th gear, and you want to pass the person ahead of you. Just switching lanes and gassing it won't be as fast. Drop it down to 4th gear, then hit on the gas. Shift back up to 5th by the time you're passing them.
When you are in higher gears and start to slow down speed. Yes you do shift down. You need to shift down. That's why it's shakey, and why if you're in 5th gear doing 40 it will seem like the gas pedal isn't working. But look at the bright side, shifting down slows you down. You'll be amazed at how much you save on your brakes compared to people with automatics
Suckers!
When coming to a complete stop if you want to you can be in 2nd until the stop, and then once stop you then shift into first. But when you are not moving do keep the clutch pushed in. No movement plus no clutch = stall. And as already stated don't go from 2nd gear, learn to drive the proper way and get good at it before you do anything fancy.
If you go up steep hills, say you're in 4th gear. Somebody ahead of you is a little slow, doing the actual speed limit. Damn old people. You'll notice that if the rpm's go down, so say about 1300 that as I mentioned earlier gas pedal seems dead. Shift down. The gear you use on flat land is usually one too high for uphill battles. If you are trying to maintain a certain speed at least.
Where can you practice? Late at night just find a big open parking lot. You can practice there. Or back roads where nobody drives. Do indeed practice it's the only way you'll get better.
The hardest part for new people to learn is starting. Not starting the car but going from a dead stop to motion. What you do is keep your foot on the clutch and bring the RPM's up to... about 1500. Depends on each car, need more others less. You can go to about 2300 before tires would want to squeel a little but lets ignore that. Once you get the rpm's up you slowly let your foot off the clutch, but keep the gas flowing. It's going to take you practice to get proper mechanical impulses trained to those nerves/muscles. Just growing pains.
As for when to shift. I personally now shift at about 2000rpm's. The reason for it is for efficiency. I try and keep the mpg as high as possible. But if you shift at 3000 it won't hurt the car, and honestly won't hurt your mpg that much.
Now say you are driving down an open road, country traffic or what have you. Doing about 55, you're in 5th gear, and you want to pass the person ahead of you. Just switching lanes and gassing it won't be as fast. Drop it down to 4th gear, then hit on the gas. Shift back up to 5th by the time you're passing them.
When you are in higher gears and start to slow down speed. Yes you do shift down. You need to shift down. That's why it's shakey, and why if you're in 5th gear doing 40 it will seem like the gas pedal isn't working. But look at the bright side, shifting down slows you down. You'll be amazed at how much you save on your brakes compared to people with automatics
Suckers!When coming to a complete stop if you want to you can be in 2nd until the stop, and then once stop you then shift into first. But when you are not moving do keep the clutch pushed in. No movement plus no clutch = stall. And as already stated don't go from 2nd gear, learn to drive the proper way and get good at it before you do anything fancy.
If you go up steep hills, say you're in 4th gear. Somebody ahead of you is a little slow, doing the actual speed limit. Damn old people. You'll notice that if the rpm's go down, so say about 1300 that as I mentioned earlier gas pedal seems dead. Shift down. The gear you use on flat land is usually one too high for uphill battles. If you are trying to maintain a certain speed at least.
Where can you practice? Late at night just find a big open parking lot. You can practice there. Or back roads where nobody drives. Do indeed practice it's the only way you'll get better.
08-31-2006, 02:22 PM
#22
I ♥ Acer
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location:
Posts: 675
RE: Bought a new mustang with manuel transmission!!
ORIGINAL: Meph
Now say you are driving down an open road, country traffic or what have you. Doing about 55, you're in 5th gear, and you want to pass the person ahead of you. Just switching lanes and gassing it won't be as fast. Drop it down to 4th gear, then hit on the gas. Shift back up to 5th by the time you're passing them.
Now say you are driving down an open road, country traffic or what have you. Doing about 55, you're in 5th gear, and you want to pass the person ahead of you. Just switching lanes and gassing it won't be as fast. Drop it down to 4th gear, then hit on the gas. Shift back up to 5th by the time you're passing them.
08-31-2006, 02:25 PM
#23
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location:
Posts: 371
RE: Bought a new mustang with manuel transmission!!
Like I said, I drive for efficiency. Even with city driving haunting me my little mpg guy in the dash is saying 24mpg.
I don't wanna be one of the guys making a thread "Why am I only getting 15mpg?"
Sure I have the occasional light to light sprint with people. But I only have 3K miles on this thing. Break in period.
I don't wanna be one of the guys making a thread "Why am I only getting 15mpg?"
Sure I have the occasional light to light sprint with people. But I only have 3K miles on this thing. Break in period.
08-31-2006, 02:29 PM
#24
RE: Bought a new mustang with manuel transmission!!
ORIGINAL: Meph
Okay, to try and give advice about shifting. Some of what I say you probably know, but I don't know your experience or skill level with Manuel, so I'll let you two get to know each other. Might I suggest Taco Bell for a first date?
The hardest part for new people to learn is starting. Not starting the car but going from a dead stop to motion. What you do is keep your foot on the clutch and bring the RPM's up to... about 1500. Depends on each car, need more others less. You can go to about 2300 before tires would want to squeel a little but lets ignore that. Once you get the rpm's up you slowly let your foot off the clutch, but keep the gas flowing. It's going to take you practice to get proper mechanical impulses trained to those nerves/muscles. Just growing pains.
As for when to shift. I personally now shift at about 2000rpm's. The reason for it is for efficiency. I try and keep the mpg as high as possible. But if you shift at 3000 it won't hurt the car, and honestly won't hurt your mpg that much.
Now say you are driving down an open road, country traffic or what have you. Doing about 55, you're in 5th gear, and you want to pass the person ahead of you. Just switching lanes and gassing it won't be as fast. Drop it down to 4th gear, then hit on the gas. Shift back up to 5th by the time you're passing them.
When you are in higher gears and start to slow down speed. Yes you do shift down. You need to shift down. That's why it's shakey, and why if you're in 5th gear doing 40 it will seem like the gas pedal isn't working. But look at the bright side, shifting down slows you down. You'll be amazed at how much you save on your brakes compared to people with automatics Suckers!
When coming to a complete stop if you want to you can be in 2nd until the stop, and then once stop you then shift into first. But when you are not moving do keep the clutch pushed in. No movement plus no clutch = stall. And as already stated don't go from 2nd gear, learn to drive the proper way and get good at it before you do anything fancy.
If you go up steep hills, say you're in 4th gear. Somebody ahead of you is a little slow, doing the actual speed limit. Damn old people. You'll notice that if the rpm's go down, so say about 1300 that as I mentioned earlier gas pedal seems dead. Shift down. The gear you use on flat land is usually one too high for uphill battles. If you are trying to maintain a certain speed at least.
Where can you practice? Late at night just find a big open parking lot. You can practice there. Or back roads where nobody drives. Do indeed practice it's the only way you'll get better.
Okay, to try and give advice about shifting. Some of what I say you probably know, but I don't know your experience or skill level with Manuel, so I'll let you two get to know each other. Might I suggest Taco Bell for a first date?
The hardest part for new people to learn is starting. Not starting the car but going from a dead stop to motion. What you do is keep your foot on the clutch and bring the RPM's up to... about 1500. Depends on each car, need more others less. You can go to about 2300 before tires would want to squeel a little but lets ignore that. Once you get the rpm's up you slowly let your foot off the clutch, but keep the gas flowing. It's going to take you practice to get proper mechanical impulses trained to those nerves/muscles. Just growing pains.
As for when to shift. I personally now shift at about 2000rpm's. The reason for it is for efficiency. I try and keep the mpg as high as possible. But if you shift at 3000 it won't hurt the car, and honestly won't hurt your mpg that much.
Now say you are driving down an open road, country traffic or what have you. Doing about 55, you're in 5th gear, and you want to pass the person ahead of you. Just switching lanes and gassing it won't be as fast. Drop it down to 4th gear, then hit on the gas. Shift back up to 5th by the time you're passing them.
When you are in higher gears and start to slow down speed. Yes you do shift down. You need to shift down. That's why it's shakey, and why if you're in 5th gear doing 40 it will seem like the gas pedal isn't working. But look at the bright side, shifting down slows you down. You'll be amazed at how much you save on your brakes compared to people with automatics
Suckers!When coming to a complete stop if you want to you can be in 2nd until the stop, and then once stop you then shift into first. But when you are not moving do keep the clutch pushed in. No movement plus no clutch = stall. And as already stated don't go from 2nd gear, learn to drive the proper way and get good at it before you do anything fancy.
If you go up steep hills, say you're in 4th gear. Somebody ahead of you is a little slow, doing the actual speed limit. Damn old people. You'll notice that if the rpm's go down, so say about 1300 that as I mentioned earlier gas pedal seems dead. Shift down. The gear you use on flat land is usually one too high for uphill battles. If you are trying to maintain a certain speed at least.
Where can you practice? Late at night just find a big open parking lot. You can practice there. Or back roads where nobody drives. Do indeed practice it's the only way you'll get better.
Thanks all of that helped a lot!!!
But i have question
when im in 5th and wanna over take someone
i have to downshift to 4th and hit the clutch right???
08-31-2006, 04:10 PM
#26
RE: Bought a new mustang with manuel transmission!!
ORIGINAL: GTlust
You press the clutch before you downshift and if you need to pass in a hurry don't do it in 4th.
You press the clutch before you downshift and if you need to pass in a hurry don't do it in 4th.
Then do it in third!!
and how many miles does the car have to have before it breaks in!!
I have like 150...LOL
08-31-2006, 05:23 PM
#27
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location:
Posts: 56
RE: Bought a new mustang with manuel transmission!!
As stated earlier, take those tips to a big open parking lot and mess around in their for a couple of hours before you hit the streets. This will help you with your confidence before you get stuck on a hill in a intersection waiting to make a left on a yellow light. Trust me that is the last place you want to be practicing
Cheers,
Cheers,
09-02-2006, 02:59 AM
#30
RE: Bought a new mustang with manuel transmission!!
ORIGINAL: Sherwood06GT
So, what's up with the lack of Manual trans? I walked on the lot a bought a Black GT 5 speed manual with no problem!
So, what's up with the lack of Manual trans? I walked on the lot a bought a Black GT 5 speed manual with no problem!