Proper way of driving stick shift during low speed.

[Fobulous]

Hi all,
I just had a discussion with couple of my buddies about driving in low speed with stick shift. Both of them expressed annoyance as they need to constantly engaging and disengage the clutch. I told them that i just let the clutch AND acceslerator go at low speed and my vehicle will automatically maintain an idle speed of 900-1000 rpm. He said he can't do it with his Mustang.. i am not sure why.
So my question is how do you drive during slow speed e.g. in parking lots and in traffic jams.. is letting EVERYTHING GO (both the clutch and accelerator) the proper way?
Thanks all!
Still loving my '10 TDI

 

[scurvy]

I let the car idle in 1st gear with no throttle input to crawl along in traffic frequently. Sometimes even in 2nd or 3rd if the road is level.

He can't do it with his 'stang because it doesn't make enough torque down low!

 

[Henrick]

Interesting thread. I face traffic jams several times a day.
But..
You can't just let the clutch and accelerator - the car will go too fast and you'll hit the car which is in front of you! You neeed to play much with the clutch and brake pedals here...

 

[TDI_Dan]

Yup. What scurvy said. Not enough torque. We also get around double the mpg a mustang does. Depending how it's driven.

 

[scurvy]

You can't just let the clutch and accelerator - the car will go too fast and you'll hit the car which is in front of you! You neeed to play much with the clutch and brake pedals here...

You can do exactly that if you leave enough of a space cushion between you and the cars ahead of you.

I've driven for miles before with only having to give the accelerator a slight tickle once in a while to close the gap slightly.

Traffic in Chicago also drives very differently than what I'm used to... it usually never actually stops, just slows down to 5 - 10 kph and everybody crawls along. In Atlanta you would be at a dead stop for 5 minutes, then 30 seconds at WOT, hard on the brakes, dead stop for 5 minutes. In Baltimore, if you left more than a millimeter extra space between you and the car ahead of you somebody would squeeze their way in, no signal, then proceed to give you the finger for the next half hour and glare at you in the rearview mirror while traffic would continue to oscillate between stopped and 15 kph.

Leave yourself enough distance (if the locals will allow it!) and you'll easily chug along at idle in gear.

 

[fruitcakesa]

You can do exactly that if you leave enough of a space cushion between you and the cars ahead of you.
I've driven for miles before with only having to give the accelerator a slight tickle once in a while to close the gap slightly.
Traffic in Chicago also drives very differently than what I'm used to... it usually never actually stops, just slows down to 5 - 10 kph and everybody crawls along. In Atlanta you would be at a dead stop for 5 minutes, then 30 seconds at WOT, hard on the brakes, dead stop for 5 minutes. In Baltimore, if you left more than a millimeter extra space between you and the car ahead of you somebody would squeeze their way in, no signal, then proceed to give you the finger for the next half hour and glare at you in the rearview mirror while traffic would continue to oscillate between stopped and 15 kph.
Leave yourself enough distance (if the locals will allow it!) and you'll easily chug along at idle in gear.

This is the key technique and a good mpg booster when you don't use the brakes.

 

[Henrick]

You can do exactly that if you leave enough of a space cushion between you and the cars ahead of you.
I've driven for miles before with only having to give the accelerator a slight tickle once in a while to close the gap slightly.
Traffic in Chicago also drives very differently than what I'm used to... it usually never actually stops, just slows down to 5 - 10 kph and everybody crawls along. In Atlanta you would be at a dead stop for 5 minutes, then 30 seconds at WOT, hard on the brakes, dead stop for 5 minutes. In Baltimore, if you left more than a millimeter extra space between you and the car ahead of you somebody would squeeze their way in, no signal, then proceed to give you the finger for the next half hour and glare at you in the rearview mirror while traffic would continue to oscillate between stopped and 15 kph.
Leave yourself enough distance (if the locals will allow it!) and you'll easily chug along at idle in gear.

No go. My case is more similar to Atlanta and Baltimore scenario you describe.

 

[Fobulous]

Thanks guys, so in other words I'm driving my car correctly because it has good torque at low gear but my friend's stang will need to be in 2nd gear or 1st gear with gentle gas ? Will my method work on most of the stock stick shift vehicles? I have only driven two stick shift vehicles, my current VW and a Mazada 626

 

[KLXD]

Dunno about the torque idea. I'd bet the Mustang has more.

I think it's that the ECu wants to maintain idle speed and will control the QA to do it.

Same reason you can start a Diesel on a hill without touching the pedal. Either the ECU, or the governor on an old mechanical pump, wants to maintain idle speed and adds fuel when the load increases.

Now if the Mustang has a DBW throttle I would've thought it'd do the same thing but maybe not.

 

[belome]

I've spent thousands of miles on backroads with my Jetta. 3rd gear in my Jetta will idle at around 25 mph (or is it 15?).. I could go through mud, snow, hills, basically anything the road threw at me and it would never stall... just keep chugging along. Good times.

 

[cruiser guy]

I let the car idle in 1st gear with no throttle input to crawl along in traffic frequently. Sometimes even in 2nd or 3rd if the road is level.

He can't do it with his 'stang because it doesn't make enough torque down low!

That's about it!! I've seen diesels spin the tires at idle in icy or snowy conditions. The gasser will likely slow down enough and stall if you try idling in gear.

 

[993cc]

Will my method work on most of the stock stick shift vehicles? I have only driven two stick shift vehicles, my current VW and a Mazada 626

This is my preferred method also. Of the cars I've driven extensively, the following could do it:

1977 Chevy Van- even in second! (292 single barrel six, three in the tree, and a very low rear axle ratio), 1980 Honda Civic, 1981 Rabbit diesel- uphill, 1992 Geo Metro, 1995 Toyota Corolla Diesel, 2001 Ford Focus (barely) and my current Tdi.

The ones that couldn't:

1974 Chevy Vega, 1979 Rabbit (fuel injected, 1451cc), 1986 Toyota Tercel, 1987 Civic wagon, 1998 Toyota Townace Noah turbo diesel.

There's no clear rule that I can see to determining which ones will work. You just have to try them.

 

[Fobulous]

Hi guys, a little update. i just noticed that on a flat surface (virtually everywhere here in Houston is flat.. ) if i let go of the clutch slowly and smoothly the car actually goes without the accelerator at all. I found this out in a crowded parking lot

The things i learn everyday..

 

[ymz]

if i let go of the clutch slowly and smoothly the car actually goes without the accelerator at all.

That's actually the best way to teach people how to drive a manual transmission car... don't touch the accelerator until you've mastered the clutch...


Yuri


PS: my wife is still upset at me (decades after the fact) for having taught her to drive stickshift by parking the car facing up on a hill...

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

This is a great thing about driving TDIs in traffic, especially older ones. One time when I had my car on the dyno the operator noted that my car made 110 lb/ft. at idle. That's more than a Honda Civic makes, period, and I bet it's more than the Mustang at idle. The Mustang is also heavier and has more driveline losses.

 

[Ski in NC]

I've never driven a manual car that was incapable of iding in first, just creeping along, flat road. My only problem is when traffic is going 4mph and my car idles at 5!! And yep, some traffic has the "personality" that insists on alternating between dead stop and floored. That makes the stick annoying. That makes the traffic REAL annoying.

I read a paper once where a mathematician modeled and analyzed traffic. There were some really interesting bits that came out of the models. Wish I still could find it.

 

[Abacus]

Hi guys, a little update. i just noticed that on a flat surface (virtually everywhere here in Houston is flat.. ) if i let go of the clutch slowly and smoothly the car actually goes without the accelerator at all. I found this out in a crowded parking lot

The things i learn everyday..

It will do this shifting through all 5 gears, without ever touching the fuel pedal, and even on a slight incline.

 

[catskinner]

I probably have more miles in a manual trans than I do in a auto. That being said, in heavy traffic I try to find a gear where I can idle along with the flow. If 1st is still to fast I try and slip it out of gear and coast with my foot completely off the clutch.

When I was a teenager I used to go with my neighbor in his semi to haul watermelons. I learned the "hard way"...... That clutch is either in or out!!! In all the miles I spent trucking, this seemed to be the best method...... For me anyhow. To each their own though