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I just purchased an SI and I go to pick it up tomorrow, but I worry about my ability to drive a stick shift. When I test drove it, we were on flat ground with no traffic, and a little stop and go. But when I go to pick it up it will be rush hour in stop and go traffic. Any of you guys have tips/tricks for someone who has very limited experience with a manual transmission? Anything would be greatly appreciated.

 
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just wait in someplace for the traffic to improve.
mcdonalds?

 
Rep Power: 518

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.



Why on Earth would you spend $25K on a car you don't know how to drive?

The best time to learn about a clutch and stick shift WAS A LONG TIME AGO, on an OLD car that didn't matter and would have been cheap to repair if you broke it. On a $100 car, not a $25K car.

Warranty does not cover abuse, and not knowing how to drive a stick can be considered abuse.....

Normally you only get one clutch job under warranty. The next one is on you.
The life of a clutch depends ENTIRELY on the driver.
All it takes is one missed/wrong shift to trash the transmission.



Can you practice on a manual car all day between now and Monday?

 
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Here's what I've learned from owning one for a couple of months. I shift from first to second at about 10 mph, 2-3 at about 15, 3-4 at about 25, 4-5 at about 40, 5-6 at 55. I downshift at those same limits (6-5 at 55, 5-4 at 40, etc. Make sure you get rpm's up though, otherwise the car WILL jerk when the engine shifts) Around town (like stoplights and city traffic), skip gears: Go from 1 ->2 ->4 ->6. I personally go into neutral at stops (although I have stalled a few times from forgetting and lifting off the clutch). If you change gears and instead get a grinding sound or the car starts to jerk, CLUTCH IN IMMEDIATELY, LET OFF THE GAS. If you're going uphill, put it in gear, press the button on the parking break and hold the break on while you use your feet to add rpm then lift the clutch at about 3-4000. Let off the break when you engage the gears: rolling back into the guy behind you wouldn't be fun. Once you get moving, it's a breeze. I've only ever stalled at stops and whenever I don't put it in gear and it grinds, I just fix it and keep going. Seriously: no one's going to care in the long run if you screw up.

 
Rep Power: 204

this

this too ...

'cept I would have said Dairy Queen

 
Rep Power: 193

The best way to do it is to go on flat ground, let off the brake, dont touch the gas and slowly let out the clutch, once you feel the clutch grabbing and the rpms start to go down push the clutch back in and remember how far you had to let the clutch out in order for it to grab. Thats called the engagement point, whenever you start or change gears you can let the pedal out quickly until you reach the engagement point and let out the pedal slowly and smoothly through there. Thats the best way for beginners to learn imo