Honda Car Forum

Rabid G wrote:
>
> Thanks to all of you that put in your two cents (Caroline,
> Artfulcodger, Brian, CaptainKrunch, Tony, noway, and Jason). It was
> greatly appreciated. A friend from work is slated to show me how to
> drive a manual soon and hopefully, after combining all the info you guys
> put up with my own experience, I'll be able to come up with a decision
> that I won't regret later.
>

Good luck. Keep in mind that learning to drive a manual transmission isn't
terribly difficult, it just requires a bit of patience. It's my belief that
many people's difficulty in learning to drive a clutch could be partly
alleviated if they had a general understanding of the mechanics of the
process. In general terms, there's a large heavy spinning disk known as the
flywheel which always spins with the engine. Attached to that disk is the
pressure plate. This plate, along with the flywheel, have smooth friction
surfaces on them. There's a disk known as the clutch disk which is
sandwiched between the two. The pressure plate also has springs in it which
push the two friction surfaces together and keep the clutch disk from
spinning during normal driving. The clutch disk has a splined hub which is
connected to the transmission input shaft. When you need to shift, pressing
down on clutch pedal releases the pressure plate's springs such that the
clutch disk is no longer locked and the transmission is now disengaged from
the engine. This first half of the process usually isn't a problem as long
as you press the pedal all the way down. Most beginners experience problems
when they attempt to engage the clutch as they let the pedal up. Keep in
mind that you're releasing the springs of the pressure plate such that it
can now push the clutch disk back into the heavy and rapidly spinning
flywheel and thus re-engage the engine with the transmission. The smoother
this is done the better the shift will be for you. This diagram may be
helpful for visualizing the process that I've described above
http://tinyurl.com/4x4hf. Items 3, 4, and 5 are the flywheel, clutch disk,
and pressure plate respectively. For another view, also see
http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/CivicManual/pdf/12-3.pdf.

I originally learned to drive in a car with a manual transmission. All of
the cars that I've owned since have had manual transmissions and I wouldn't
want it any other way. However, automatics are good for large vehicles such
as trucks and moving vans (I once got stuck with a 20 foot rental moving van
which had a manual transmission making it very annoying to drive). They're
also good in vehicles used for towing which can put a lot of extra wear and
tear on a clutch.

Either way, whether you buy a car with an automatic or manual, it's still a
good idea to know how to drive a clutch. There may come a day when the only
vehicle available in an emergency situation is one with a manual
transmission. I've also heard of cases in which not too bright thieves
attempt to steal a car for their getaway only to discover that it has a
manual transmission and they can't drive it.

Eric

"Tony Hwang" <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:qNtRc.51396$M95.5859@pd7tw1no...
>
> Hi,
> Real drivers drive with stick. More control.
> Today's manual tranny is so GOOD.

What a load of crap! ;^)

Real drivers use turn signals and stop at traffic lights, drive no faster
than the posted maximum speed limit. and operate their vehicles with safety
(both theirs and yours) as their first consideration.

How many of those are in this group, besides myself?

Brian

Professional driver with over a million miles, with no accidents or moving
violations.

Thanks Eric!
-RG



"Eric" <say.no@spam.now> wrote in message news:4117432D.97EBB2F@spam.now...
> Rabid G wrote:
> >
> > Thanks to all of you that put in your two cents (Caroline,
> > Artfulcodger, Brian, CaptainKrunch, Tony, noway, and Jason). It was
> > greatly appreciated. A friend from work is slated to show me how to
> > drive a manual soon and hopefully, after combining all the info you guys
> > put up with my own experience, I'll be able to come up with a decision
> > that I won't regret later.
> >
>
> Good luck. Keep in mind that learning to drive a manual transmission
isn't
> terribly difficult, it just requires a bit of patience. It's my belief
that
> many people's difficulty in learning to drive a clutch could be partly
> alleviated if they had a general understanding of the mechanics of the
> process. In general terms, there's a large heavy spinning disk known as
the
> flywheel which always spins with the engine. Attached to that disk is the
> pressure plate. This plate, along with the flywheel, have smooth friction
> surfaces on them. There's a disk known as the clutch disk which is
> sandwiched between the two. The pressure plate also has springs in it
which
> push the two friction surfaces together and keep the clutch disk from
> spinning during normal driving. The clutch disk has a splined hub which
is
> connected to the transmission input shaft. When you need to shift,
pressing
> down on clutch pedal releases the pressure plate's springs such that the
> clutch disk is no longer locked and the transmission is now disengaged
from
> the engine. This first half of the process usually isn't a problem as
long
> as you press the pedal all the way down. Most beginners experience
problems
> when they attempt to engage the clutch as they let the pedal up. Keep in
> mind that you're releasing the springs of the pressure plate such that it
> can now push the clutch disk back into the heavy and rapidly spinning
> flywheel and thus re-engage the engine with the transmission. The
smoother
> this is done the better the shift will be for you. This diagram may be
> helpful for visualizing the process that I've described above
> http://tinyurl.com/4x4hf. Items 3, 4, and 5 are the flywheel, clutch
disk,
> and pressure plate respectively. For another view, also see
> http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/CivicManual/pdf/12-3.pdf.
>
> I originally learned to drive in a car with a manual transmission. All of
> the cars that I've owned since have had manual transmissions and I
wouldn't
> want it any other way. However, automatics are good for large vehicles
such
> as trucks and moving vans (I once got stuck with a 20 foot rental moving
van
> which had a manual transmission making it very annoying to drive).
They're
> also good in vehicles used for towing which can put a lot of extra wear
and
> tear on a clutch.
>
> Either way, whether you buy a car with an automatic or manual, it's still
a
> good idea to know how to drive a clutch. There may come a day when the
only
> vehicle available in an emergency situation is one with a manual
> transmission. I've also heard of cases in which not too bright thieves
> attempt to steal a car for their getaway only to discover that it has a
> manual transmission and they can't drive it.
>
> Eric

In article <x_qRc.7507$nx2.1755@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink. net>,
"Rabid G" <a_rabid_g@nopam.hotmail.com> wrote:

> Hi, I just found this newsgroup and I was hoping someone here could
> help me on an age old question. Stickshift or Automatic?
>
> I'm going to buy a Honda Civic 04 soon and I would very much
> appreciate any insight into this. One thing that keeps me from better
> being able to decide my self is the plain fact that I don't know how
> to drive stickshift (yet). So I wouldn't know if it would annoy me by
> having to constantly shift gears from block to block. Some other
> factors are that I live in Washington DC where there is virtually no
> open road, I'm a 20 year old college student, and in about a week I'm
> going to be moving out on my own (To Silver Spring, Still commuting
> to DC and back.). Also, for those who don't know, DC can have pretty
> bad traffic during certain parts of the day (Rush Hour).
>
> I don't know if I'm actually going to want to do engine
> modifications. And if I ever do make egine mods it'll probably happen
> about 2 years down the road (So I guess by then I could sell the
> automatic anyway?). I guess my main question is, is the immediate fun
> really worth the trouble?
>
> Thanks in advance for your patience and help. -RG

Stick. Learn how to drive it. Then you'll be able to drive either
manual or auto. Son was given his dad's stick shift and had a crash
course (so to speak) just before driving it from MN to AZ. He had a
lot of time to perfect his timing on the trip. :-) My 50 cents worth.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 7/22/04.

Damn straight !
How hard is it to observe some basic rules of the road ?

I always signal, lane changes and turns.
Otherwise, those lights on the corners of my car are just an ugly
decoration.

Posted speed limit ? Oh, Please. Those are just suggested speed limits
anyway.
Mind you, 40km/h is a different story. I always observe that one.





"Brian Smith" <Halifax@NovaScotia.Canada> wrote in message
news:E4KRc.47329$vO1.231861@nnrp1.uunet.ca...
>
> "Tony Hwang" <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:qNtRc.51396$M95.5859@pd7tw1no...
> >
> > Hi,
> > Real drivers drive with stick. More control.
> > Today's manual tranny is so GOOD.
>
> What a load of crap! ;^)
>
> Real drivers use turn signals and stop at traffic lights, drive no faster
> than the posted maximum speed limit. and operate their vehicles with
safety
> (both theirs and yours) as their first consideration.
>
> How many of those are in this group, besides myself?
>
> Brian
>
> Professional driver with over a million miles, with no accidents or moving
> violations.
>
>

"Mike" <idont@think.so> wrote in message
news:JVaSc.13978$a65.541267@news20.bellglobal.com. ..
> Damn straight !
> How hard is it to observe some basic rules of the road ?
>
> I always signal, lane changes and turns.
> Otherwise, those lights on the corners of my car are just an ugly
> decoration.
>
> Posted speed limit ? Oh, Please. Those are just suggested speed limits
> anyway.
> Mind you, 40km/h is a different story. I always observe that one.

I don't understand, why so many people say the same thing about the posted
Maximum speed limit. They are not suggested, they are the law.

--
Brian

Junk is something you've kept for years and
throw away three weeks before you need it.