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Just got a BRZ, I'm new to manual, and 1st gear is proving to be a challenge.

12K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  viper803 
#1 ·
I got a 2013 BRZ manual transmission yesterday.

I've got about 2 hours of practice (half solo) and I constantly screw up getting into first gear. Once I'm in first I have no problem going to 2nd or 3rd and back down. I've watched a lot of youtube videos and had a friend ride with me for about an hour.

My biggest problem seems to be that the gas pedal is very touchy, I can't seem to apply 1000-1500 rpm while operating clutch at the same time. I always go over (2.5k+) or end up not giving it gas at all.

I know I'll eventually figure it out, I'm just wondering if I'm doing serious damage and wear. The car has 1 previous owner and 22k miles. What can I do to minimize clutch wear and are a few days of jerky 1st gear starts and stalls going to f*** my BRZ up?

I'm very happy with it so far though, and enjoyed the hell out of the higher gears.
 
#2 ·
you can watch all the vids you want, but until you put miles on, only then will you get it down. It's called OJT. on the job training.
Drive it and have fun, don't worry too much about doing damage. The more you drive, the better you'll get at it.
I've been driving clutch since my first mini cycle at 10. Still stall it once in a while. DOH. :)
so, nobody's perfect!
 
#4 ·
It,s the weekend, perfect time to go out, early morning, no traffic. As long as your not holding the clutch
halfway& reving, slipping the clutch, all should be good. As Bee-Jay, mentions, we all screw up.
I've ben driving over 30 yrs, motorcycles, manual cars & still make mistakes every once in a while.
Don't sweat it, put some good music on & enjoy.
Try this, go to a parking lot, don't use the gas, just lift the clutch slow, till it grabs, the car will inch forwards, press
on the clutch, just a bit, lift again, if your car is still moving you should be able to just keep lifting & move forwards
releasing the clutch all the way. Try it 3 times, cuz your slipping the clutch ... drive for 10 min & try again.
What I also like to do is blip the gas 2 times as I'm releasing the clutch, 1,500 rpm about for the blip.
Just practice, practice, practice... & music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMbATaj7Il8

I'm more of a biker....
 
#5 ·
Just my two cents: the car has been (hopefully properly) broken in, so as previously mentioned, stalling it is not going to hurt anything. I do it myself now and then. So don't worry 'bout that!

The trick of accelerating from 0 to, say, 25 is just adding gas gradually while gradually letting out the clutch at the same time. It's an exercise in balance, and yes, you will stall it now and then until you achieve that balance, but just keep practicing. Eventually you will know how much gas to give it while slowly letting out the clutch.

It just takes practice, and soon you'll be doing it smoothly and will wonder why you ever had a problem.

So just relax, go to a large, empty parking lot to practice, and have fun. You'll get it.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the help guys, It was nerves messing me up, once the car started to stall or jerk I would panic at let off clutch and gas.

I'm driving it around now, I still stall occasionally, but I'm able to get around at least.
I can't wait to get good enough to actually drive it like it's meant to! I'm loving it
 
#8 ·
Agree with the no gas lift the clutch pedal slowly approach while learning until it bites and you feel it then gently feather in more gas by depressing the gas pedal slowly - this way you learn the "biting point" of the clutch and stalling point of the engine. Have been driving manual vehicles for over 40 years and I too still occasionally stall so the learning curve never ends.
 
#9 ·
The clutch pedal is a bit soft on these cars and the engagement point is fairly high up off the floor.

Everyone who drove my car before I had the clutch pedal lowered stalled it at least once.

It takes a bit longer to adjust to this clutch pedal than on most manual cars. The Impreza is much the same.
 
#12 ·
I doubt it. Echoing everyone else, all you can do is practice. I think you do get a little clutch wear for a new driver but nothing to be concerned about. Cost of learning. Tell the car you're sorry, it'll forgive you. :) Take your time. If you get rushed and flustered trying to keep up with traffic you'll dump the clutch and bounce around. Find a neighborhood with stop signs and flat roads and do a few laps with no cars behind you. Make sure you're letting the clutch out smoothly. Everyone has their own method and style. If something doesn't work try something different. Each person and car are different. Just remember to take your time. I think it took me a week or two to pin down starts in my 3000GT. Good luck!
 
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