Timothy

I have been driving manual for a while... but I sometimes I feel unsure of the way I shift gears and use the clutch. Can you all please post some DOs and DON'Ts. I don't want to ruin my clutch in a year or so, just because I am not using it correctly. Thx

Wndrnnr

1) Should you downshift coming to a stop, or just shift into N and coast?<p>2) How bad is it when you take-off up-hill where you have to burn more of the clutch? Should you use the hand brake to relieve a little of this?<p>3) What RPM do you guys normally run? The car seems to like to be around 2500-3000.<p>I can't think of any more specific questions but any advice/help/ideas would be great. Just learning to drive my manual 2.8qs 30v.

Clair C.

I've never owned an automatic in 30 years of driving. I have had clutches go at 30,000 miles and others last over 90,000 miles. IMHO it depends largely on the make of the car, and somewhat on improvements in design.<br>I don't recommend hard downshifts, but neither should you coast to a stop with the car out of gear or the clutch down from a speed over about 20 mph. There will probably be other opinions on this.<br>Just a couple of thoughts!<br>Clair, 98.5 2.8 FWD MAN

BC

1. Downshift to 1st (thus prepared for any emergency move if needed).<p>2. release handbrake while letting out the clutch

Bill Shaffer

I downshift through every gear on the way down. On my 89 Accord a service rep wouldn't believe me that I had 117,000 miles on the factory brakes. <p>Soon you will be ready to search the archives to learn how to double clutch.<p>Bill

SMS

(nt)

Ray Calvo

Laying your hand on the shifter can put undue stress on the linkage, and might inadvertently pop you out of gear.<p>For info, if I'm going down a hill, will downshift to gear to maintain comfortabel car and engine speed (approx. 3000 RPM, as noted). I will downshift when approaching a light, at least to 3rd. If cruising/drifing to a stop, genrally keep it in third till get close to idle, then will declutch and shift to neutral. I stay in neutral with clutch engaged until ready to start again.<p>I don't like downshifting to second unless absolutely necessary (descending a hill in nasty weather; will hardly ever downshift to 1st for purposes of slowing the car. To me 1st gear downshift puts the greatest strain on gears, clutch, and drivetrain.<p>Got 130,000 miles in clutch in old Coupe Quattro; tranny/synchros were fine, too.<br>

B. Clinton

Keep your hand on your passenger, where it belongs

GregW

(1) I downshift down to second, at which point I'll just brake. The extra shift to first has never seemed to be worth it.<p>(2) Use the handbrake, in conjunction with the clutch. I suppose (especially with the 2.8) that you could just pop the clutch but why? Of course, none of us would ever hold the car on a hill with just the clutch for more than a few seconds.<p>(3) It depends on what I'm after. If I think I'll be needing acceleration, I keep rev's relatively high, else rarely below 2000. The 2.8 will accelerate quite well at just about any point, but really starts to take off once you give it some rev's.<p>I tend to disagree about where the car "likes to be", mine seems to "like to be" >4000 rpm, at which point it rockets. It's no slug before that but it zooms past 4000.<p>--Greg<p>

Ian S.

1. Downshifting is fine but as someone else said don't bother with first.<br>2. At a light, shift into neutral and let off on the clutch pedal. Don't use the clutch to hold your position.<br>3. Double-clutching is great for 40 year old British sports cars with weak synchros but is unnecessary in an A4.<br>4. Getting started on a hill is toughest and just takes practice. At first the mergency brake may be useful but after a while you shouldn't need it.