My friend wants to learn how to drive a 5-speed car. I was thinking about teaching how to do it on my car. How bad is it for the car when it stalls? I.E. stop light stalls and 1st gear stalling?

 

Its not the stall that hurts the car.

It the clutch burns and rapid clutch engagements that have the chance of shortening the life of your clutch and damaging other drivetrain components.

If you are going to take a chance, find an empty parking lot or deserted street where you can have them carefully practice the art of clutch engagement. Its the mastering of that few millimeters of clutch pedal movement and throttle that usually gives most first time stick drivers the most difficulty.

Then once they have mastered that part you can introduce them to the art of taking off and shifting in traffic.

 

Very well said 400HP930. I would have them watch you for a little while. If it were my car I would make them watch me for about an hour

 

Yea I stalled about 1000 times before I actually learned how to successfully engage the clutch, so I would tell him that he get's 10 free stalls, then they cost him a buck each after that.

Chris

 

When I was young I mastered the whole clutch engagement thing with my hands on a motorcycle so my first time driving a car with a stick came pretty easy to me. The hardest part was trying to make small controlled movements with my left foot instead of my left hand.

Since the age of 10 I have probably taught over a dozen people how to operate a clutch on both bikes and cars. The problem for newbies is always the clutch and gas.

I feel sorry for people over the age of 20 that don't know how to drive a stick or can't do it very well.

One of my best college buddies was over 25 years old, a lifetime stick driver, had a mustang GT with a manual tranny and that boy still could not drive a stick worth a shit.

Driving a car with a stick flawlessly is a fine art that takes practice. Don't expect your friend to get really good at after just the first day.

 

Till this day I still stall at lights sometimes.... hmmmm maybe it's just me.

 

Thanx for the info and I will be sure to start in a LARGE parking lot. Hehe

 

The road that goes around Citrus Park mall is excellent for learning how to stop and start.....a big ass circle with lots of stop signs....it's where I learned......plus you can go in the parking garage and teach her how to get rolling on an unhill incline.

 

Ya, when I learned, I think I stalled a lot too.. plus, it's diffrent with each car.. he may get it down with your car, but then when he gets his, it could be partially diffrent, and he could still stall, lol.

 

It better be a girl

Also, torque never hurts, civics are twitchier than a 240sx, or anything that has a tiny bit of low end torque.