xhebard

hi， i just got my c300 stickshift real-wheel drive

i haven't driven stickshift much so this is really hard.

1. when I start off, should i wait until i can fully let go of the clutch and then give it some gas? assume i am in the first gear.

2. when i shift from the 1st to the 2nd, it usually jerks a lot, anyone knows why? am i still supposed to let go of the clutch as slow as i were to start off?

thanks

micropower99

dude why did you get a manual if you can't drive it?

BlackMercBenz

OMG

broke_R

be nice....i would go find someone that knows how and have them teach you. good luck

BenzoNY

Well hope this helps!!

Manual Transmission Videos
http://www.standardshift.com/videos.html

spotless

Excellent instruction. The trick is learning the engage/disengage point. In 1st gear, let go of the clutch slowly w/o gas until the car starts to move. That's ur engage point.

Keep in mind, the smoother shift is always the best shift. But don't ride your clutch.

Derspeed

Give it a week or so with someone that can help you. My girlfriend bought my manual Passat and she was inexperienced. After a couple nights of practice she really got the hang of it. The C300 has the added benefit of hill assist. Hills are usually problematic for those just learning to drive a manual.

ZedStyle

nothing like a brand new mercedes to learn to drive stick

ProV1

depress clutch
put in 1st gear
rev to 5000rpm
dump clutch, floor gas


repeat

gnma

First off, congrats. on your new car! ANd mad props to you for buying a manual transmission car! Don't be disheartened while learning - A "real" enthusiast owns at least one stick shift car in his/garage, and I guarantee you will never go back to tragicmatic. There is nothing like throwing your own gears and fully controlling the car. No tiptronic/steptronic, AMG speedshift nonsense or the like....

As stated above, find someone to show you, or if u cannot do that, take a few lessons with a stick shift car. U'll prolly need no more than 3 lessons. Then take your Benz out late at night to avoid traffic and find a empty parking lot. Getting in first is the hardest.

Also, study the link above which teaches how to drive manual. Its all about feel, and you will get it in a few hours.

U're going to love stick shift. MB should offer it in the C350.

One of the biggest ironies in the world is that AMG = automatics...

Good luck, and enjoy a REAL car!

angeloxnet

test drive a manual car, thats how my friend learned
although some ppl learn quicker then others

tanktube67

sounds like a clutch job, very, very soon

F_Porsche

drivin stick ain't that hard, just try to use the clutch as few as possible and be on it as short as possible. that way the ride is better and the clutch will last longer.

jstaneff

Get a friend who knows how to drive a stick to sit shotgun and help you learn.

Find the most empty lot you can. Empty and large. Park in a traffic lane. Depress the clutch. Close your eyes (NO peeking!). Let your friend put the car in some gear, doesn't matter which. Slowly release the clutch and give gas until the car is moving. Don't ride the clutch. Don't overdo the gas. Roll it out.

Repeat in all gears. You're going to have problems in 5th and 6th. So, one thing you learn is to put the clutch back in to save it. Don't forget to try reverse.

Once you can get rolling, in first, open your eyes and try to shift up to second. Not as easy as it sounds. Clutch in/gas out, move lever, clutch out/gas in. Works. Hard part: finding the next gear whilst trying to shift fast enough to be smooth. (Your feet begin a pedaling motion, almost like riding a bike.)

Try backing into parking spaces, backing out of spaces. Try down-shifting (don't over-rev).

When you feel confident (can take hours), pull out into traffic. You'll discover that it's not the same. You're so focused on shifting that you'll forget to brake, or use the turn signal, etc. Light traffic is preferred. You're gonna feel like a compete rookie.

Only with a lot of confidence can you do things that are really interesting:
- double clutching
- speed shifting (matching revs, no clutch)
- driving on ice/snow (start in a higher gear, never first)

Good luck, and start putting your pennies aside for that new clutch ;-)


Ps: my C is auto, my Wrangler is 5-spd. It starts smoothly in all 5 plus reverse, and the clutch is just fine. It even speed shifts now and again.

blastit

hahaha

jollar

Do what I did. Learn to drive stick in LA traffic... plenty of opportunities to get used to 1st gear. Got the hang of it after 3 hours in traffic and only 1 stall.

Feel the car tug before applying the gas. Too jerky = clutch released too far. You can hold the clutch at it's engage point to make the car move. Giving it gas at that point will move you forward without the jerkiness.

Ultimate test of you knowing the car's engage point... try balancing the clutch and gas on one of SF's steep upward hills! I never use the brake on steep upward hills anymore. But only attempt after you've mastered the art of MT.

Would recommend learning in a different car though. I'm sure replacing the clutch in a brand new MB would cost a grip...

Stick Girl

HAHA. I double clutch all of the time and didn't know that was the term for what I do. :-)

F_Porsche

what is speed shifting?

Why should you double clutch? the tranny is synchronized, you don't need to do so!

jstaneff

Speed shifting is shifting without using the clutch. Synchros aren't needed, but you have to match revs to get it to slide right into that next gear (up or down).

Double clutching is what you do once you've killed the synchros and are too cheap to get them fixed. When the synchros are gone, you double clutch.

Oh, and both are what you do after you teach someone else to drive a stick ;-)

oblu

1) Clutches are tougher than most people will let on; they want to scare you that any little mess up and it'll be costly. It's a friction surface just like brake pads, if you constantly abuse them they'll go away quicker than they would if you didn't. But slipping the clutch occasionally isn't going to instantly kill it.

2) Always keep in the back of your head that manuals are an analog experience.

3) It's okay to drag the clutch a little while you're learning how to launch. Bring the revs up just a tiny bit, bring the clutch up to friction point until the car starts to move and then give it more gas while releasing the clutch. To make the clutch last longer you'll want to work on minimizing that slip period in the middle and make it one smooth motion.

4) 1st - 2nd you can't just dump the clutch immediately like you can 2nd to 3rd, 4th to 5th, etc. You have to still slip it a little like during launch if you want it smooth.

5) Double clutch?!?! WTF, is this 1929? Transmissions have synchros for a reason. Don't take on more than you need to.

6) People who drive manuals like to act like it's some kind of special talent. It's not. It just takes some practice getting the feel for it. Any chimp can drive a manual well enough to get around well. I used to think heal-toeing was the master skill. And then I met a couple of professional race drivers, and when asked about it they all just laughed and said, 'Why bother, I can be smooth enough not doing it and not have to risk messing it up'. Lot of old timers still think this is the mastery level though and they'd get all foamed up about it if you ask.

F_Porsche

would speedshifting hurt the car if you don't match the revs exactly?

jstaneff

Well, if you speedshift and neglect to match gears, you run a high risk of chipping teeth from the gears. Yeah, I'd say it's not a good idea to try to grind your way into that next gear!

Practice, practice, practice, and someone else's tranny ;-)

freeperjim

Now THAT"S entertainment! :-)

293

When I learned to drive it was in a manual vehicle. I was taught never to ride the clutch or as noted above balance the clutch and gas. I always used the brake (not parking brake) on a hill even on steep hills.

To eliminate roll back we would engage the clutch slightly before releasing the brake and stepping on the gas. The steeper the hill the faster you needed to release the brake and hit the gas without stalling the vehicle or over revving the engine. With practice this can be done without roll back.

I am curious how many pepole actually balance their cars with their clutch on a hill?

newtonlaw

whats it gonna do?