E90Post
 


Studio RSR
 
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Tracking, Autocrossing, Dragstrip, Driving Techniques > Official Learn To Drive Manual Cars Thread



Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      04-30-2008, 09:35 AM   #265
!Xoible
Banned
United_States
823
Rep
46,029
Posts

Drives: ....
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: .

iTrader: (4)

Garage List
2008 M3  [4.00]
2007 335i  [9.00]
2008 528i  [8.00]
2006 Infiniti - G35 ...  [8.00]
okay back to stick driving 101.... i get insane wheel spin when i enter 2nd gear. i tried no dsc at all, i tried dynamic mode but both suck ass......
Appreciate 0
      05-01-2008, 08:50 PM   #266
rdsport323
Captain
50
Rep
879
Posts

Drives: 335i
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: OC, CA

iTrader: (0)

ok just got my car today.. and have a few questions...

1) while driving in traffic on the freeway, is it better to just use 1st - 3rd gear? since speeds rarely go higher than 25-30 ? I was driving home and I figured I would stay in 5th or 6th even while driving at 30mph, is that bad?

2) when pulling into a garage at home, whats the proper way of moving the car 1 foot at a time... or just a small distance?
Appreciate 0
      05-01-2008, 10:26 PM   #267
BK
Smiling politely
United_States
165
Rep
7,931
Posts

Drives: 330i
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington DC

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2006 330i  [9.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdsport323 View Post
ok just got my car today.. and have a few questions...

1) while driving in traffic on the freeway, is it better to just use 1st - 3rd gear? since speeds rarely go higher than 25-30 ? I was driving home and I figured I would stay in 5th or 6th even while driving at 30mph, is that bad?

2) when pulling into a garage at home, whats the proper way of moving the car 1 foot at a time... or just a small distance?
1 - 2nd and 3rd
2 - let out the clutch just enough to get moving then push it back in
__________________
E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT | 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
Appreciate 0
      05-03-2008, 12:26 AM   #268
rdsport323
Captain
50
Rep
879
Posts

Drives: 335i
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: OC, CA

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by BK View Post
1 - 2nd and 3rd
2 - let out the clutch just enough to get moving then push it back in
thanks..

i think i am picking up a bad habit... for some reason, anytime I am braking, I find myself pushing the clutch down as well... whether it be from 40mph to 25mph, or 85mph to 40mph, I always push the clutch down, shift to neutral and wait til I am at the appropriate speed then deciding what gear to put it in after I am done braking...

that's wrong I'm guessing?
Appreciate 0
      05-03-2008, 08:37 AM   #269
STE92VE
STEVIL Empire
STE92VE's Avatar
United_States
213
Rep
6,297
Posts

Drives: Fast
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Long Island, NY

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by rdsport323 View Post
thanks..

i think i am picking up a bad habit... for some reason, anytime I am braking, I find myself pushing the clutch down as well... whether it be from 40mph to 25mph, or 85mph to 40mph, I always push the clutch down, shift to neutral and wait til I am at the appropriate speed then deciding what gear to put it in after I am done braking...

that's wrong I'm guessing?
Yup, bad habit and you need to focus on what you're doing. Eventually you won't have to think about it. According to most, you shouldn't be in neutral unless you are stopped. When braking, I usually downshift when the RPMs drop below 1000.
__________________
2007 E92 328i 6MT-Space Gray/Black Dakota/Gray Poplar w/heated seats-PCD 4/27/07 (SOLD)
2009 E90 328i xDrive 6AT-Space Gray/Oyster Dakota/Dark Burl Walnut w/ZPP,ZCW,Xenons-ED 4/17/09 - Redelivery 5/30/09 (SOLD)
2014 E84 xDrive28i 8AT-Alpine White/Black Nevada/Silver Matte w/ZMV,ZLP,494 - DD 3/14/14 (SOLD)
Appreciate 0
      05-03-2008, 10:24 PM   #270
BK
Smiling politely
United_States
165
Rep
7,931
Posts

Drives: 330i
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington DC

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2006 330i  [9.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdsport323 View Post
for some reason, anytime I am braking, I find myself pushing the clutch down as well...
STE92VE is right. This is a bad habit you'll have to break, no pun intended. But don't worry, what you're doing is a common mistake for MT newbies. You'll get the hang of it.
__________________
E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT | 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
Appreciate 0
      05-07-2008, 10:05 PM   #271
magillagorilla
Private
3
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: S4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: seattle

iTrader: (0)

Picked up my new MT 335i today. Still new to MT and hadn't driven one in a couple of months.

Had two stalls on fairly steep hills around my house downtown Seattle. Still having problems getting the feel right on hills between giving it enough gas not to stall but not too much at the time I'm letting out the clutch.

Had one incident where I probably rev'd a bit too high at the time I was letting the clutch out. Resulted in a stall. A little worried due to a bit of a burning clutch smell when I parked it on the garage. Crossing my fingers that I made the right choice to go MT and that I'm not going to be on the hook for a new clutch a few months from now.
Appreciate 0
      05-07-2008, 10:13 PM   #272
BK
Smiling politely
United_States
165
Rep
7,931
Posts

Drives: 330i
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington DC

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2006 330i  [9.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by magillagorilla View Post
A little worried due to a bit of a burning clutch smell when I parked it on the garage. Crossing my fingers that I made the right choice to go MT and that I'm not going to be on the hook for a new clutch a few months from now.
You'll be all right. You may have worn your clutch a bit, but it isn't a big deal. Just don't do it all the time.
__________________
E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT | 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
Appreciate 0
      05-07-2008, 10:27 PM   #273
magillagorilla
Private
3
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: S4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: seattle

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by BK View Post
You'll be all right. You may have worn your clutch a bit, but it isn't a big deal. Just don't do it all the time.
Thanks. A bit of reassurance was exactly what I needed.
Appreciate 0
      05-07-2008, 10:29 PM   #274
TSM330i
2006 330i, TSM, Black, manual, sport
TSM330i's Avatar
United_States
874
Rep
3,699
Posts

Drives: '17 C2, GTI, Z4 3.0si Racecar
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chester Springs, PA

iTrader: (2)

Just a tip for longevity. Do not rest your foot on the clutch when you are driving around, use the dead pedal. Any pressure on the pedal could cause a slight bit of disengagement and you won't even know it, until the clutch wears out a little quicker than it should have.
I have a 2000 VW Golf since new and it has over 152K miles with the original clutch. I don't baby this car at all either.
I also use the brakes to stop the car without downshifting when coming to a complete stop. This will help save the clutch in the long run. Oh, I got 99K miles out of my front brakes (the pads are REALLY thick on this car).
__________________
2017 Porsche C2 - manual of course
2015 GTI S
2008 BMW Z4 3.0si Coupe - because racecar
Appreciate 0
      05-07-2008, 10:37 PM   #275
Calgary Agent
Captain
Canada
21
Rep
703
Posts

Drives: '11 550i
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Calgary, Canada

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2011 F10 550i  [0.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by magillagorilla View Post
Had one incident where I probably rev'd a bit too high at the time I was letting the clutch out. Resulted in a stall. A little worried due to a bit of a burning clutch smell when I parked it on the garage. Crossing my fingers that I made the right choice to go MT and that I'm not going to be on the hook for a new clutch a few months from now.
Believe it or not it takes a couple of days to become accustomed to the clutch (engagement) of a new car *even for experienced MT drivers*. Obviously if you've not driven a MT for a while (or never), the learning curve is even steeper.

A couple of suggestions:
  • Turn music off and listen to the engine
  • Adjust your seat *distance forward / backward* so you naturally can push the clutch pedal far enough towards the floor for complete dis-engagement (note - this isn't always quite to the floor ... every car is different)
  • Try taking your shoe off your left foot when driving. You'll get a far better feel for when the clutch begins to bite when releasing the pedal
  • Practice makes perfect
__________________
'11 550i | AT | Dark Graphite on Black
Appreciate 0
      05-07-2008, 10:43 PM   #276
rdsport323
Captain
50
Rep
879
Posts

Drives: 335i
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: OC, CA

iTrader: (0)

hmm, the shoe idea is something I should try...

sometimes while driving I get this feeling that my clutch is stuck on something, like when I press down on the clutch, when letting go slowly, my foot or shoe or something prevents it from letting go smoothly.. it like skips. It's hard to explain with words... but.. yeah.
Appreciate 0
      05-07-2008, 11:01 PM   #277
magillagorilla
Private
3
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: S4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: seattle

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary Agent View Post
[*]Try taking your shoe off your left foot when driving. You'll get a far better feel for when the clutch begins to bite when releasing the pedal[*]Practice makes perfect[/LIST]
Funny you should mention the shoe thing. Actually did this tonight and it helped a ton. Just got discouraged by the burning clutch smell. The flats are easy. Just can't seem to get it down yet on the hills.
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 06:44 AM   #278
STE92VE
STEVIL Empire
STE92VE's Avatar
United_States
213
Rep
6,297
Posts

Drives: Fast
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Long Island, NY

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by magillagorilla View Post
Crossing my fingers that I made the right choice to go MT and that I'm not going to be on the hook for a new clutch a few months from now.
You'll adjust to the clutch feel and don't worry about replacement.....if needed, it's covered under warranty.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary Agent View Post
A couple of suggestions:
  • Turn music off and listen to the engine
FWIW, from the first days that I took delivery, I rarely listen to the radio unless I have a long highway trip. Because it's easy to drive above the posted speed limit with this car, I'm so focused on my driving that I don't want any distractions.
__________________
2007 E92 328i 6MT-Space Gray/Black Dakota/Gray Poplar w/heated seats-PCD 4/27/07 (SOLD)
2009 E90 328i xDrive 6AT-Space Gray/Oyster Dakota/Dark Burl Walnut w/ZPP,ZCW,Xenons-ED 4/17/09 - Redelivery 5/30/09 (SOLD)
2014 E84 xDrive28i 8AT-Alpine White/Black Nevada/Silver Matte w/ZMV,ZLP,494 - DD 3/14/14 (SOLD)
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 10:02 AM   #279
magillagorilla
Private
3
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: S4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: seattle

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by STE92VE View Post
You'll adjust to the clutch feel and don't worry about replacement.....if needed, it's covered under warranty.
Really? I had always assumed that it was a wear item not covered by the warranty. Would certainly ease my mind a bit if I'm wrong about this.
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 10:38 AM   #280
BK
Smiling politely
United_States
165
Rep
7,931
Posts

Drives: 330i
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington DC

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2006 330i  [9.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdsport323 View Post
sometimes while driving I get this feeling that my clutch is stuck on something, like when I press down on the clutch, when letting go slowly, my foot or shoe or something prevents it from letting go smoothly.. it like skips. It's hard to explain with words... but.. yeah.
Check your floor mat.
__________________
E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT | 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 12:26 PM   #281
!Xoible
Banned
United_States
823
Rep
46,029
Posts

Drives: ....
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: .

iTrader: (4)

Garage List
2008 M3  [4.00]
2007 335i  [9.00]
2008 528i  [8.00]
2006 Infiniti - G35 ...  [8.00]
Have U Tried Driving With No Shoes At All? It's Simple, 6mt Driving Is All About Feeling What The Car Is Doing, If You Cant Feel Them Coz Of Shoes You Cannot Be Smooth. Simple As That.
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 12:48 PM   #282
rdsport323
Captain
50
Rep
879
Posts

Drives: 335i
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: OC, CA

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by BK View Post
Check your floor mat.
No joke but, seriously when I tried driving without a shoe... that's when I realized it was the damn floor mat getting in the way!! couldn't figure out what the hell it was for the longest time.... you wouldn't believe how annoying it was.

thanks for the heads up though.. was funny when I read this.
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 02:34 PM   #283
adrock
Major
adrock's Avatar
United_States
73
Rep
1,217
Posts

Drives: 2014 435i
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SLC

iTrader: (3)

Garage List
2011 E92 335i  [9.58]
2007 E92 335i  [0.00]
Dont know if these have been posted yet but they helped me out a lot when I was learning:

Seating Position:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...62568273244117

Moderate Launch:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...76455853988259

Aggressive Launch:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...36127155256351

Upshifting Part 1:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...31034612978316

Upshifting Part 2:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...06501945006362

Single Clutch Down Shift:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...54456325722769

Double Clutching:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...88575741675515

Heel Toe 1:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...73124257173554

Heel Toe 2:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...08576780656591

Also there are forums just devoted to shifting (Nerd alert):
http://www.standardshift.com/forum/
__________________
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 03:07 PM   #284
BK
Smiling politely
United_States
165
Rep
7,931
Posts

Drives: 330i
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington DC

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2006 330i  [9.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by adrock View Post
Also there are forums just devoted to shifting (Nerd alert):
http://www.standardshift.com/forum/
Too cool! And excellent post all around, adrock!
__________________
E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT | 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 03:07 PM   #285
rdsport323
Captain
50
Rep
879
Posts

Drives: 335i
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: OC, CA

iTrader: (0)

great info...

one thing I hate the most is when pulling up to my driveway or driving around a crowded shopping parking lot, I tend to stay in 1st and cruise along with the clutch halfway down... I guess "feathering" my clutch. And when I can't find a parking space for a long period of time, it starts to get real annoying. is it bad to feather your clutch for so long?
Appreciate 0
      05-08-2008, 03:21 PM   #286
BK
Smiling politely
United_States
165
Rep
7,931
Posts

Drives: 330i
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington DC

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2006 330i  [9.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdsport323 View Post
is it bad to feather your clutch for so long?
Yes. You can move very sloooowly in 1st gear with no gas, as you're probably aware. If you have to inch along even slower, it is far better for your clutch to pull up the clutch enough to move forward, then push it back in all the way, rather than half-clutching the whole way.
__________________
E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT | 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
Appreciate 0
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:04 PM.




e90post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST