Hey everybody

I took delivery of my first manual transmission car, a 2009 mustang gt. I have shifting down to the point where things are generally smoothe and I don't stall anymore. However I have one question:

How do you shift into first gear quickly so you can get moving quickly at a light?

I'm regularly beaten off the line at lights by cars, and it just makes me feel pitiful. I generally catch up significantly and pass them once I get going into first and second, but the lag while im going from stop to first gear is pitiful.

Any ideas or techniques you've used?

 

I would say what you're talking about isnt the shifting aspect, just the clutch work involved when you're going from a dead stop, am I correct?

 

I am not sure if you mean the process of actually getting the car into first gear is slow, or the process of accelerating is slow?

If you are having trouble getting the car into first gear quickly, you can have the car in first gear as long as you are holding the clutch in. That way you are prepared to take off when the light turns green.

If you just feel like you are having trouble with take offs and you are not accelerating very quickly, this will come with practice. The more you drive you will learn the ideal amount of throttle to apply, along with how quickly to let out the clutch.

 

I'd say it is most likely the clutch behavior I do. I've tried going quicker and there is a higher probability of stalling the car (and getting honked at).

If I'm able to get a slight rolling start (like if I'm several cars back at a light), I am fine because by the time I need any speed I am perfectly in gear. But that's not always the case (like if you're first at the light).

What techniques would you suggest?

 

When you're at a light and at a dead stop, try this. With your foot on the brake, put the clutch in, shift into first, and VERY slowly ease off the clutch until you see your RPM's start to dip...I mean dip like 50...very minute drop. This is how you can tell that first gear is beginning to engage. From here, you COULD take your foot off the brake, and the car will begin to inch forward depending on how level the pavement is. This is called "feathering" or "slipping" the clutch.

What you should do to get a nice launch from a light is to continue keeping the clutch at this spot so that the car begins to move forward *very slightly* when you feel that the light will turn green soon. Take your foot off the brake and put *slight* pressure on the throttle until you see your RPM's increase. When the light turns green, give it a reasonable amount of gas (Don't MASH it), and smoothly let off the clutch at the same time. This will take practice, and my words alone won't give you the "feel" for it. It's just too inexact. You'll get the hang of it.

 

Buy some SLP loudmouths, as soon as the tone drops, you give it a tad more gas as you let out of the clutch. I found it a lot easier to drive a car that you can "ear" -Jon

 

I've got about 20 years behind a manual vehicle... First beautiful V8 with one though!!!

My clutch is pretty grabby... Even with 20 years experience, I kill mine still every now and then...

When you wanna take off, just rev her up to 1500rpm and gas her while you let out the clutch... Let it out quick enough and she'll reward you with some tire spin!!

 

I hear ya on this one, I just got my GT back in March(had little to no manual driving experience at the time).

The very first time I got in my car(to drive off the lot), the service manager asked if I knew how to drive stick. He said, "try this...just let out the clutch slowly without giving any gas, these cars have enough torque that you don't have too"(and I did....smile on my face was ear to ear)....^^^That helped a lot( I was scared I would stall for sure w/o gas). But other than that, it has really been trial and error, and time...I am still learning how to drive her perfectly...While I am better at driving today then the first day I got her; still doesn't mean my a$$ won't pucker up like no other if I get on a incline with a car behind me

I did the exact same thing you are doing now...researched the boards, etc. etc. In all honesty, I feel it will just take practice, practice, and more practice for both you and I to be good manual drivers. **again, I'm not saying that I am a experienced driver after 3 mo....I'm still learn something new every time I drive here, and I am loving every ****ing sec. of it!!!

**BTW, (this might help out the OP as well)...But if I start out w/o enough gas, or feel as if I'm going to stall, will adding more gas while I'm still letting out the clutch(not like flooring it or anything, just enough to get her going)....Is this bad for the tranny? Also, puttering around slowly(like tight parking lots, etc.) at around 12+/-mph, should I stay in 1st or 2nd?.....I feel like I'm bogging(>1000rpms in 2nd) or over revving(2000+rpms in 1st....What is best for the transmission? Like what is considered bogging, RPM # wise? And what is considered over-revving @ normal cruise speed? Thanks a lot

 

Ive been driving manuals since the age of 12. My first DD was a 4 speed Camaro, so I know how to drive a stick fairly well. I've had my GT for more than a month now, and I still find it a little bit tricky to start out. Every car has a slightly different feel, and it takes a while to get used to it.

I find one problem is the time it takes for the engine to respond to my foot. So I let out the clutch, and give it gas... but nothing happens at first, so I feather the clutch back in a bit, THEN the engine responds. I sorta teeter around between clutch and gas.. but Im starting to figure it out. Then when I switch back to the Camaro, I will have forgotten how stiff the clutch in it is and how much travel it has... and how quick it grabs, so I end up spinning the tires on it..

Another thing I find is that in all my other manuals, I shift into first when coming to a stop, but in the stang I find it easier to wait until Im stopped fully to shift down to first.

So to sum, practice makes perfect... or in my case, average

 

Interesting, I do the exact same thing. I learned early on test driving that if you slip the clutch you can get into first gear smoothly without any gas. However, I think learning it this way is causing the problem I have now. I suppose if I learned the proper way, I wouldn't be having the acceleration issue