Busting the Myths of Driving a Manual Transmission

ajs318

Every Briton knows all this already .....

We all learn in a car with a clutch and gears; because if you pass your test in an automatic, that's all you're allowed to drive.

You know when you have reached the biting point, because the bonnet rises slightly.

glueguy1

On my 7th (Manual Transmission) Corvette, a 2013 427 ! The automatic is great in the pick up but doesn't belong in the car of anyone that loves to drive!

veteran55

These are all MISTAKES of driving a manual transmission, not MYTHS!

There is a GOOD reason to PROPERLY and GENTLY downshift while slowing: in the event you need to accelerate quickly - to avoid an accident like a rear ender - you are in the best gear to do so; unlike an automatic that will, after a pause, select the correct gear for you. Downshifting as you deccelerate is an absolute must when riding a motorcycle.

My LIFE is more valuable than a clutch repair. And for midsouthmitch, I mean shifting AS my speed drops via braking, not down-shifting to CAUSE my speed to drop.

I am surprised that this article didn't cover a REAL myth: manufacturers are claiming that automatics get better fuel economy than manuals - perhaps so if the driver doesn't know how to drive a manual - I always BEAT the EPA figures for both auto and manual when driving a manual, and the automatics don't come close to the claims.

It is a shame that for some classes of cars and truck, only a foreign make still comes with a manual. What a lazy society when people can't/won't learn to drive a manual.

waianaedon

So much misinformation in this article. I drove standards all my life until I moved to Hawaii. After sitting in stop and go traffic all the time my knee finally started having a fit and I got an automatic. But my heart is still with standards.

Looking at this the biggest thing missed is shifting without the clutch. The only time the clutch is used is for stopping and starting.

If you are burning out a clutch a lot, there is a problem with your clutch (unless you ride the clutch a lot). I had a 1975 Toyota Corrola that went through clutches like water. It had a silly 5 bladed fan type clutch. I changed it with a pickup truck clutch and never a problem after that. For 25 years it took everything I could throw at it. Then the body rotted out. Lucky I live Hawaii.

RPM matching is for shifting without the clutch. If you are jerking when you shift then your rpm wasn't matched, with or without the clutch.

This article proves that your job title does not make you an expert.

gnathos

Re: Downshifting. Ever listen to the exhaust sound from trucks? Semi drivers use engine braking all the time. Engine speed must be matched to the input shaft speed. Learn to drive a manual shift on a vehicle without syncros (double clutching) is a quick way to get the idea.

mpun

An addenda to your point about using your clutch to save your brakes and downshifting. It is good to know how to downshift properly. However it is much better to use your brakes. Engine braking causes more engine wear. If you can safely slow down with a shift to neutral and a normal application of braking that will extend the life of your engine. Brake pads and rotors are cheap in comparison. My previous car had 350K on it and was still getting up to 35mpg. Planning ahead as you drive, maybe shifting to neutral a bit earlier and using your brakes to slow or come to a stop will save you money in the long run.

wagoneer5

It's even harder to find station wagons with manual transmission.

(Actually, it's getting harder to find any compact station wagons any more that are truly station wagons and not those accursed 'crossover' things. There was the Ford Focus wagon; and the HHR, which I wanted to buy but it was discontinued. Compact station wagons are the perfect combination of small on the outside and big on the inside, for carrying moderately large cargo.)

wagoneer5

One other thing that should be added here is that people who DON'T drive manual transmissions should at least be AWARE of them, so that they don't pull up to within six inches of the car ahead of them, when they're on an upward incline. _

_ That's the real problem with why so many drivers of manual transmissions wear out the clutch trying not to roll backwards on an incline while they engage the clutch. It would not be such a big problem except for the ignorant drivers who pull up way too close to a car that is both ahead of them and ABOVE them. It's almost like they're unaware of how gravity works.

molesnicki

Ditto to truthsmiles. Holding the clutch down while the car is moving puts wear on the throwout bearing, which is a pain to replace and immobilizes the car (needs to be towed) when it goes. This is particularly true at higher speeds. So in a situation where you don't want to keep the clutch engaged to get some engine braking, you should shift to neutral and release the clutch, rather then just depressing the clutch to coast.
I got 198,000 out of a Toyota and clutch and trans were still good. Scrapped because needed total brake system @ $1500+.

mark352

A vehicle does not have an "emergency brake". It is a "parking brake". Was never designed or intended for emergency use.

mark352

A vehicle does not have an "emergency brake". It is a "parking brake". Was never designed or intended for emergency use.

imjerry

I can tell none of you every really drove a manual shift transmission. Say for instants, & 18 wheeler with a set of boxes. That is a transmission with two gear shift leavers, it might be a 4 X 3, or a 4 X 4, or a 5 X 3, or a 5 X 4, or a 6 X 4, or even some other combination. They also come in air shift models, yet I never cared for them, I like to move my own [non-permissible content removed] leaver so that I never had clashing gears. When you've learned how to do this properly & have driven for say 500,000 to 1,000,000 miles them you'll be able to truly verse someone in driving manual transmissions & truly taking care of their manual shift vehicle.

mrsonnyboy

I drive a 2001 ZR2 S10 with a 4.3 V6 and 5 speed manual. I never use my clutch unless at a stop and taking off. I coast in nuetral all the time to save fuel. All syncromesh transmissions can be shifted without a clutch. Shift by RPM and feel of your vehicle! I'm 56 yrs old and have never heard of any of these myths. I learned to drive with a "Three on a Tree". Practice it and you'll save your clutch and your left leg/knee!

genie555m

You guys don't drive in San Francisco, do you? Its standard practice to use your clutch to hold the vehicle in place for a sec to manage the intersection.

rexford_l_

#3 doesn't apply to every vehicle out there.. my pickup comes from the factory with an exhaust brake, where you HAVE to use the clutch and engine to slow you down. When your coming down a steep grade with 15,000 lbs on a behind your 7500 lb vehicle, you DO NOT want your service brakes to fail on you because you've over used them to keep your speed down. That's where the exhaust brake comes in SO handy, to keep those speeds down, and keep your service (regular) brakes cool so they work when you really need them.

rexford_l_

ok, for those that say "rev-matching" is pointless, you definitely don't drive your cars at the limit. Sure in normal driving, you can let your engine speed up using the clutch, but when your entering a corner HARD (this is more to do with a rear wheel drive vehicle) and your brakes are on the verge of locking up you DO NOT want to put that extra braking on the back brakes since THEY WILL now lock up and your vehicle is going to spin out. That's why, you'll see professional race car drivers "heel and toe" the brake and accelerator to speed up the engine prior to engaging that lower gear.

Here's probably the best race car driver ever, showing how to heel and toe in a NSX.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96ekbvjyr0g

jharris4104

Suppose I'm going at 45 mph and see a red light 800 feet ahead. Is it OK to shift into 2nd gear, release the clutch, and let the engine brake slow the car down before actually braking at about 25 mph?
How does this relate to myth #3?

bruce87036

I bought an old Volvo 122S from a friend. It had 150K on it and he was proud that it had the original brakes. He downshifted all the time instead of braking. Second and third gears were HORRIBLE. Other than that it was a good car.

tincanny

You wanna really save your clutch? If you're good at rev-matching, you can upshift and downshift without using the clutch. 'Course you still need the clutch when starting from a full stop.

Rev-matching isn't rocket science - it was the only way to downshift properly into first gear before transmissions were full synchromesh.

sarahmm

At the age of 16 I unknowly purchased a manual transmission car(without my father knowledge or permission), I didn't know how to drive, so I did not grasp the significance of the clutch pedal. And so I had to learn to drive on a MT. It took me a month to reliably get it moving in 1st gear, but now after 40 years, I do not like automatics, I hate the idea of having to press on the brake to keep the car from moving.
I understand they may stop making them soon, so I need to buy a quality car with MT soon and hope I can keep getting it rebuilt until I am too old to drive. However I expect BMW and others will be making them for a long time, so I may end up a elderly lady driving a high performance car!!

thercattrainer

It is obvious that the writer and some of the people that commented have never driven or lived in the mountains. It is absolutely necessary to downshift a manual or an automatic transmission to a lower gear in order to protect the brakes on your car or truck especially on downgrades. That only makes sense. I learned how to drive in the mountains and never damaged a transmission, clutch or engine by downshifting. I've seen many people burn up their brakes up in the mountains by not downshifting and that's a lot more dangerous than burning up a clutch, transmission or putting a little bit of stress on the engine. Also, one shouldn't ride the clutch either unless one is shifting gears because that will burn up the linings of the pressure plates in the clutch. Would you rather do without a clutch or your brakes?

beckonsattore

Manual transmission is the only thing I feel comfortable with driving. I like the control and I like the "limits" ofmanual transmission from Calgary. I guess I may be too conscious and in control, but regardless, I only like driving manual transmission. Manual's just so dangerous. Ha ha!

gsx455s

Ive not ever heard of using the clutch as a break, now using the engine to help slow the vehicle is what is done by downshifting. This also only causes any excess ware if your a fool and rev the nuts of your engine when you do it, it works at 2 or 3k rpm just fine. And if you do mostly city driving as I do it most certainly dose have a notable affect on break life, as well as not having that ever aggravating constant forward creep in an auto. Sure you have to work a clutch some more, but in an auto I'm standing on the break peddle much harder instead, and modern manuals are so easy and light-clutched it's insane. Even a caddy CTS-V is pretty easy on the leg and its a 560hp beast of a car.

Yes it's very easy once you learn your car the shift pretty much undetectably. I've had passengers in the back that didn't even realize my car was a manual until they finally noticed my arm moving or got on it with a few quick shifts getting onto the highway. Even then a few didn't notice, quick doesn't have to be jerky either. Once you learn your car you don't even really have to put any thought into being smooth, it just kind of happens with muscle memory.

niko94

First off, to see that a reputable automotive website is recommending the use of neutral or holding the clutch in while braking is incredibly disheartening. In fact, braking and/or coasting in neutral is actually illegal in many places across the globe. The article mentions that the clutch can be used as a braking device? That statement in itself is entirely flawed. Selecting a lower gear and making use of the compression in the engine will reduce your speed, but it is the skill level of the driver that determines just how bad it is for the clutch. Every manual driver should learn how to properly rev-match downshift, not just use neutral as a band-aid for their inability to drive.

One flawed criticism of downshifting is that it is detrimental to your drivetrain. This is entirely false (when executed properly). Downshifting to use your engine's retarding forces is actually LESS strenuous on your vehicle than simply accelerating from a dead stop. You see, when accelerating, your engine is overcoming the forces of gravity, rolling resistance, etc. entirely on its own. When downshifting, your engine is working WITH those forces. Note that I don't mean to shift to 6,000 RPM every time you select a lower gear; I like to stay between 2,500 and 3,300 RPM. Another benefit of keeping your car in gear is quite simple: it keeps your engine spinning fast enough to more comfortably perform all of the tasks it needs to perform (running a/c condensers, maintaining pressure in all hydraulic systems, running the alternator to charge the battery and keep your electrical systems electrified), and on top of that it keeps the oil moving freely about your engine.

In fact, most automatic transmissions of our current lineups are programmed to downshift during deceleration or hill descent. One of my cars is an Accord Crosstour with a V6 and the 5 spd AT will downshift to third gear at 65 mph on a steep hill if I apply the brakes (that's around 4k on the tach).

endders

Myth number 6# - Replacing a clutch is expensive.

Wrong, a clutch by far is cheaper to replace than a automatic transmissions torque converter ( for most cars anyway. )
It cost estimated 100-200 dollars for a OEM clutch ( not aftermarket. ) And another 20 dollars or more for a axle nut so the axles can be removed from the transmission, this is EVEN easier if you own a rear wheel drive, since most worries is just the trans-axle from the front to rear. Learn to do it yourself, dealerships / mechanics will stick it to you if you allow them to do it, most cars at max, a 18 hour job. Even at 20 dollars an hour of labor ( which is way up there. ) It cost 360 in labor, and maybe at max 300 in parts. Stop getting [non-permissible content removed], do it yourself, you went as far as buying a manual rather than a automatic, learn your vehicle.

hallows17

Driving a manual really isn't that fun. It kind of ruins the fun, actually, as you have to be 200% aware of everything that's going on, 200% of the time, as opposed to the 100% required of a safe automatic driver. It's a high-stress situation that doesn't let up until you finally get out of the car. I don't necessarily regret learning it, as I plan to do some travelling, but I can't deny that I was relieved to acquire an automatic for my last car, and am not looking forward to forcing myself into another manual to keep my skill with it up. And the whole "it saves on gas" only applies as well as the driver of it handles it, much like with an automatic. If you don't particularly enjoy it, or feel inclined to learn it, I wouldn't. There's a reason why it isn't particularly common.

mike1964272

Lol stupid article