stylez09

I just picked up my new G37 6MT with nav/premium yesterday and prior that only drove manual twice in my friends RSX in a parking lot. I actually drove it home from the dealership and made it home but stalled twice on hills. I practiced a bit more yesterday and stalled a lot in parking lots but started getting the hang of it but its still tough. It is definitely frustrating right now since im still scared to drive it around when i really really want to since it is brand new. I hope I can master it soon, but I know I won't regret getting 6MT a month from now. If you guys have any tips with the 6MT in this car please let me know.

Thanks!

31337

Best tip: Practice.

Next Best Tip: When my girlfriend was learning to drive a stick I would use the E-Brake to hold the car in place on hills, once I felt the car lurching forward I would release it. It worked well for her and saved me the hassle of explaining to my insurance company why I just rolled backwards into an $80,000 Mercedes.

stylez09

Thanks for the tip, I think I will use the parking brake for a while until im more comfortable with the car. My main problem right now is releasing the clutch way too quick causing me to stall the car. I just need to train my leg to control the clutch all the way to the top.

JLai

Go to a parking lot and practice every night. A good exercise would be to slowly release the clutch pedal till you feel the engagement point. Do this without giving it gas and you'll feel it vibrate just before it stalls. Do this enough times and you'll start to figure out how much to let the clutch out each time.

When you're good with starting from a stop on a level road, go to a parking deck and practice starting without rolling back.

After that, practice rev matching on downshifts.

After you're familiar with all of the above...move on to heel toe techniques during spirited driving sessions when no one is on the road at night.

aliiin

iTrader: (5)

yup, the g37 clutch isn't as forgiving as it is on other cars, but just keep practicing like the above posts have said

stylez09

Were you guys frustrated with manual when you started learning? I feel so defeated!! haha

aliiin

iTrader: (5)

not really, because i knew it'd be bad a** when i finally knew how to drive it

i started learning on a truck, then i got to move onto a 911 and nsx once i got the hang of it, boy was it fun.

willizm

I started in the same predicament. I bought a g37 and learned at the infiniti dealer. I wanted to drive stick that bad that I bought the car the same day I learned. Like anything, it takes time to get used to it. I was kinda defeated in the first couple of weeks or driving. Stalls here and there. Traffic woes. That was in February and now I'm quite proficient. I wouldn't say I've perfected it, but I haven't stalled since the first month I got it. One thing I've noticed is that going from 1st to 2nd is the jerkiest shift. I try to shift at 3200-3400rpm from 1st to 2nd. That seems to be the smoothest rpm to shift at.

Oh, and I thought I was burning the clutch(smelt burning first couple of weeks after driving) so I would let off the clutch quicker which means it would jerk into the next gear. Turns out it was just the car breaking/burning in.


P.S. I don't regret getting stick at all. Worth the learning curve.

Mike

iTrader: (1)

+1

E-brake is the proper technique.

jinu123nyc

Yes, I think this is a problem with all G37's. I will have this issue checked out during my first inspection, although that's 2200 more miles away. I'm sure everyone's read that the clutch is very abrupt.

JLai

It just needs to be slipped a bit. Took me a while to get the 1-2 down...I still jerk a little when I'm trying to get up to speed quickly.

G37RacerX

+2 yup, that's one reason why the manuals get the hand brake

chain492

rsx is prolly thebest car to practice stick on, its easier than alot of stick cars.
tip: practice ALOT!

stylez09

I wanted to give you guys an update on how things are going. I practiced at a parking lot with a steep incline for about 2.5 hours yesterday. It really really helped me out and I was able to drive to work today without stalling. I can now get to the engagement point real quick without having to think about it. I think the main thing I need to remember is to ease off the clutch only once the car starts moving forward. I am still having some issues on shifting to second in terms of it being a little jerky. If you guys have any more tips I really appreciate it!

BTW...I LOVE MANUAL!! I can't believe I drove around in an automatic all these years....

G-ster

I was on the same ship as you. I bought my first Manual in 05 a 06 subaru wrx. Just keep driving and practice and in a couple days or so and youll get the hang of it. The best way to learn is driving by yourself, and if your on a hill just dont think too hard about it. Well anyways good luck and have fun. Youll probably never drive an automatic ever again haha