Brand New Civic Type R 2018..first time Manual Driver ;_;

goldKing

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Hello everyone! Im new to these forums and have purchased my first car ever!

My whole life I had a shitty car with broken windows and a driver side door I couldnt open so I finally got enough money to get this car and I feel like its the best choice iv made!

I have a son and this seems like a good family car too and later I can give it to him!

So yes..I bought the car and didnt know how to drive manual.

The guys at the dealership showed me how to drive manual for 3 hours and I practiced for 2 more hours and drove it home yesterday.

I can say im doing a decent job of shifting but I know I can do it alot smoother.

Areas of Problem & Questions

1.
Every time I come to a red light I switch to neutral (even if im 2rd, 3rd, 4th gear) and come to a full stop. Then when the light is green I switch to 1st gear and have a really hard time switching correctly..the car always jerks heavily and im not sure why...If I recall when it happened this morning I let go of the clutch alot more then I pressed the gas and thats when it jerked so I pressed the clutch back in more and was able to make it speed it. (I really need help in this area)

2. If im driving for example on 4th gear going 40 mph and I see a light coming up...should I just clutch/break while on the same gear and when I'm fully stopped switch to neutral?

3. When this car is parked and need to reverse... it seems that I dont need the gas and I can just use the clutch to back up (also use to slow or fasten the backup?) Is this the correct way of doing it?

4. How soon should I switch to 2nd from 1st?


The above are all the pain areas im having with this car! If you guys can help me I would really appreciate it and thank you!


Also if anyone lives in Orange County let me know we can meet up!
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kevv_FK8

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1. Every time I come to a red light I switch to neutral (even if im 2rd, 3rd, 4th gear) and come to a full stop. Then when the light is green I switch to 1st gear and have a really hard time switching correctly..the car always jerks heavily and im not sure why...If I recall when it happened this morning I let go of the clutch alot more then I pressed the gas and thats when it jerked so I pressed the clutch back in more and was able to make it speed it. (I really need help in this area)

When you're at a stop you need to make sure you're giving it a good amount of gas while releasing the clutch slowly. You will get the hang of it quick and it will become 2nd nature.



2. If im driving for example on 4th gear going 40 mph and I see a light coming up...should I just clutch/break while on the same gear and when I'm fully stopped switch to neutral?

no, you can either downshift it back down to 1st and then pop it in neutral or just drop it in neutral and brake to a complete stop.


3. When this car is parked and need to reverse... it seems that I dont need the gas and I can just use the clutch to back up (also use to slow or fasten the backup?) Is this the correct way of doing it?

Kinda, there are some instances where you'll need to give it a bit of gas (back up quicker)

4. How soon should I switch to 2nd from 1st?

Between 3rd and 4th
 

Broin

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1. It sounds like you just need more seat time and practice. This is something that will come to you as you drive more. There's really not much to say besides that you will get the hang of it when you get a better feel for the car and how it responds. Every car is different so there's no textbook answer.

2. Answers will differ for this as well and there's no textbook correct answer. Sometimes if I see a light in advance that is already red, I'll kick it into neutral in advance and brake. Most of the time (and what I would personally recommend), even if there is a light in advance, I will stay in gear and downshift accordingly. It's better to stay in gear in case you need to move quickly.

3. Again, no "correct" way of doing it, but I suppose you don't necessarily have to gas it in reverse to move. It really depends on where you are (slight incline, decline, flat ground) and how the car would move. I have a pretty flat driveway so I always gas it a little bit to back up.

4. Shift to second after hitting VTEC yo. Just kidding. Typically shift into second between 10-20 mph or after 3k RPMs? Answers will vary depending on how you want to drive.
 
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.grimace

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Should've waited for the 2019 and got a volume knob.

J/k congrats on the purchase
 

MonkeyConQueso

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It is not a troll. Why would I Type this much to troll?

The above are all serious questions.
Not sure why they think that.

If you search around on these forums, there's a few people who's first time with a manual is the CTR. Here's one with a lot of information: https://www.civicx.com/threads/manual-transmission-newbie-questions.27192/#post-457256

To directly answer your questions though, here's my thoughts:

1: Smooth, consistent application of clutch & gas is your friend here. I would sit in an empty & flat parking lot and commit to muscle memory where the clutch engages. You can do this by leaving the car in first, foot off the brake, pressing the clutch in, and slowly letting it out until the car starts moving forward on its own accord. After doing that a few times, try applying gas during that transition, lightly. Once you get it to a point where it's smooth, do it more :D

2: This is debatable. Some people cruise to a stop in neutral, and some downshift and brake. Personally, I downshift and brake since if the light changes, or an event happens where I need to accelerate, I'm already there and ready to go. New manual drivers should downshift to not panic and hunt for the right gear if traffic accelerates. Try it on a side street with no traffic!

3: Anti-stall on the CTR is pretty strong, and reverse is geared pretty low, so idle will move the car when you slowly release the clutch. You will need to give gas on an incline, and the mechanics are the same as 1st.

4: Edit: I misread your #4 question to mean shifting from 2nd to 1st, not sure why..., I normally shift from 1st to 2nd at ~3k RPM or less, especially when cold (pre-edit: I shift down to 1st normally around 10-14mph. In stop & go traffic I wind up blipping the throttle with the clutch in to help the transition back into 1st, since it can be a little finicky meshing back in. If you have problems, you can likely stay in 2nd , press in the clutch, and slowly apply the gas to accelerate if needed. Don't accelerate hard and lug the engine (look that up if you're curious).)

Hope that helps!
 

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I had a 2005 STi as my first manual car and any high performance isn't the ideal first manual experience. To be able to get the car down well and to drive on the limit you need to understand how to drive manual pretty well. Honestly these questions are common from newb manual drivers. IE what gear should I be in when coming to a stop, how to downshift to first, etc. You need lessons and a lot of time.

The problem I feel is that anyone can get in a manual and get it going and dont need to understand how a manual actually works. If you got into a un synchronized car or semi you wouldn't be able to get it going let alone go through the gears. Simply pushing in the clutch and moving the lever because you want to doesn't mean you should.

You should look into how a manual works and figure out how engine rpm and transmission rpm are synchronized. If they are the same speed ie the engine speed and transmission speeds are the same a shift doesn't require a clutch. As they are already matched. A lot of driving a un synchronized box is rhythm and continually doing the same things over and over ie acceleration and deceleration at the same speeds and situations.

Without any research or experience with un synchronized systems your just going to have to practice until you can drive it. Modern cars are so easy to drive that they dont teach proper methods of shifting and how manuals actually work In practice.

When the car is running in neutral the transmission is spinning with the engine. Depress the clutch it slows and eventually stops the gears. Ideally you depress the clutch then wait a second maybe more in a semi, then put the vehicle in first. This way the gears arent spinning too fast and knocking the syncros or the gear teeth a lot. If its stopped all the way a heavy duty box won't go into gear because the teeth are so large. Cars teeth are so small that they will. Plus synchromesh. The same goes for when driving down the road. Every car is different due to gear size and weight but if you shift too fast or slow the gears are spinning too fast or slowly for the next gear to perfectly synchronize. With modern cars this isn't an issue on the surface but it probably tears up the syncros more. Syncros take the brunt of the miss alignment.
 

davemarco

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Hello everyone! Im new to these forums and have purchased my first car ever!

My whole life I had a shitty car with broken windows and a driver side door I couldnt open so I finally got enough money to get this car and I feel like its the best choice iv made!

I have a son and this seems like a good family car too and later I can give it to him!

So yes..I bought the car and didnt know how to drive manual.

The guys at the dealership showed me how to drive manual for 3 hours and I practiced for 2 more hours and drove it home yesterday.

I can say im doing a decent job of shifting but I know I can do it alot smoother.

Areas of Problem & Questions

1.
Every time I come to a red light I switch to neutral (even if im 2rd, 3rd, 4th gear) and come to a full stop. Then when the light is green I switch to 1st gear and have a really hard time switching correctly..the car always jerks heavily and im not sure why...If I recall when it happened this morning I let go of the clutch alot more then I pressed the gas and thats when it jerked so I pressed the clutch back in more and was able to make it speed it. (I really need help in this area)

2. If im driving for example on 4th gear going 40 mph and I see a light coming up...should I just clutch/break while on the same gear and when I'm fully stopped switch to neutral?

3. When this car is parked and need to reverse... it seems that I dont need the gas and I can just use the clutch to back up (also use to slow or fasten the backup?) Is this the correct way of doing it?

4. How soon should I switch to 2nd from 1st?


The above are all the pain areas im having with this car! If you guys can help me I would really appreciate it and thank you!


Also if anyone lives in Orange County let me know we can meet up!

In a manual, everything revolves around the clutch. Take your car to a vacant, flat lot, and just practice finding the point at which the clutch starts to engage and the car starts to shake (known as the "biting point"). Don't touch the gas or the brake. If you gradually (slowly) release the clutch through the biting point, you'll feel the car begin move forward on it's own as if you were driving an automatic. Once you're through the biting point and moving, you can release the clutch and give gas as normal. You need to practice getting to the biting point and moving the car without using any gas over and over again until it's second nature. Then you do the same thing on a small incline. Holding the clutch at the biting point will allow you to hold a static position on a hill and not roll back. This is something that you need to experience to trust it, so practice practice practice.

If you can get used to manipulating the clutch to and through the biting point smoothly without gas in a variety of situations, everything else is easy.
 

tylermmorton

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Hey man,

When I bought the CTR I had about 30 minutes of manual experience thanks to my boss, who taught me the basics in the parking lot before I went to pick up the car. I drove from FL to ATL in my automatic Scion tC to pick up the car, and had to brave the drive back by myself with a brand new stick shift Type R. That was an interesting experience...

1. Every time I come to a red light I switch to neutral (even if im 2rd, 3rd, 4th gear) and come to a full stop. Then when the light is green I switch to 1st gear and have a really hard time switching correctly..the car always jerks heavily and im not sure why...If I recall when it happened this morning I let go of the clutch alot more then I pressed the gas and thats when it jerked so I pressed the clutch back in more and was able to make it speed it. (I really need help in this area)

Shifting from 1st to 2nd is always going to be jerky because of the size difference (?) in gears. 2nd gear is one of the larger gears, so it takes more revs to smoothly shift into it, whether you're coming from 1st _or_ 3rd. It takes finesse and really paying attention to how the car reacts.

2. If im driving for example on 4th gear going 40 mph and I see a light coming up...should I just clutch/break while on the same gear and when I'm fully stopped switch to neutral?

I recommend looking up YouTube videos on downshifting and engine breaking. The R has automatic rev matching, so it will rev for you when you shift down gears. As you're coming to a stop, don't put it in neutral, but instead let the RPM's go down to about ~2500, then shift to the next gear down. Wait until you hear the car rev up, and you can let off the clutch. It takes some finesse to get it smooth, but after a while you'll get better. Utilizing engine breaking will save your break pads a lot of wear. I just had to replace mine and they cost ~$400 for both the front and back sets, so just keep that in mind.

3. When this car is parked and need to reverse... it seems that I dont need the gas and I can just use the clutch to back up (also use to slow or fasten the backup?) Is this the correct way of doing it?

Unless I'm going up hill I never rev the R when going in reverse. I like to take it slow when going backwards anyways, so there's no need to give it more gas. Just control your speed with the clutch.

4. How soon should I switch to 2nd from 1st?

Again, 1st is just to get you going. All the fun is in 2nd gear ;)


PS. It's funny, I live in Orange County, FL. Not quite the same haha
 


EnjoyDriving

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Congrat on the new car and welcome to FK8 and Manual world - it's fun and exciting!!

With this car, it should be easier to learn manual.

First, find a empty parking lot and get a good feel of the clutch point in your car. Just try to get the car start rolling by releasing clutch only, maybe a little bit gas if you feel the car going to stall (but i found this car is so powerful that it won't stall without giving a gas on right timing). Get a good feel of the clutch point, very important.

After getting good with it, do it again, but in an uphill road. :thumbsup:
 
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87elco

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Start saving up for a clutch #1
 

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I was in the same boat - the Type R was by first ever time driving a stick shift too. The first month was a bit rough, but it slowly came together... and now I feel a lot more confident at it.

I have a tendency to downshift through all the gears because of the auto rev match, just watch out because if you get used to it like me and it doesn’t do it you most likely will pop out the clutch and get a nasty jerk. Those are pretty unfun.

I second working on finding the biting point - this is all you need to get moving without gas so long as there are no inclines. Once you get the hang of it you’ll then be able to add gas into it and take off a bit faster. If you’re jerking it off the line in 1st gear it usually means you’re letting off the clutch too quickly. There’s a way to release the clutch quickly, but it has to be done in a smooth motion - that takes some practice to get acclimated to.

Shifting into 2nd I usually try to do around 3.5k RPM. I find this is generally a smoother shift (but that is not a statement that always holds true).

All in all don’t worry about this being your first manual vehicle and struggling - I had the same problem (and I had a nightmare drive home from the dealership!). It will come to you with time. It also helps to make mistakes, and you can always ask everyone here for advice (just look at all my manual related threads around here...:)).

Good luck! You can do it :thumbsup:
 

Vanct

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Noob here as well. Let's say I'm coming up to a red light but still a good distance away. I'm cruising along in 6th gear at 45 mph and I think the light will probably turn green by the time I get there and I will probably slow down enough to be in 3rd gear. How do I downshift properly?

This is what I have been doing: Clutch to the floor, smoothly row through the gears from 6>5>4>3 (all while holding clutch to floor) as I slowly coast, let it auto rev match at 3, let off the clutch smoothly and then gas pedal as the light turns green.

Am I supposed to clutch down, shift from 6 to 5, clutch up so it auto rev matches, and then clutch down again for 5 to 4, clutch up, and then down again for 4 to 3? Or would that be something worse for the clutch and unnecessary?

Of course, there are times where I think I have to stop so I just coast in neutral but light turns green and I'll shift it directly into 3rd for example, is that also proper?
 

sean465

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This is an epic thread.....

do you lot learn in automatics then but can drive both? Over here if you learn in an automatic u can't drive a manual

we all learnt manuals in 1.0 litre 60 bhp fiestas.... Learing in a 300 bhp is crazy in a good way! Just don't take on any dsg golf R's for a bit (rolling start of course)
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