Stay BACK ... I have a STICK, and I Dont know how to use it!

[4jacks]

Hello All....

I'm a New Honda Owner, 2002 Silver HX Civic. Drove a Probe for the past 5 years, I miss my probe *sniffle* ... But Anyway !! This Civic is my first Standard Shift... AND my Goodness I SUCK ! ... my wife drives better than i Do ! ..... I need some pointers !!!!! Couple Questions Though.

1) How do I go FAST ??? This seems like a stupid question, but seriously, I went from 118hp in the Probe to 117hp in the Civic, w/ comparable torque, I WOULD KICK MY ArSe IN MY PROBE. I just Can't make the Civic !GO! ....

2) Is it Ok to skip 4th gear, if so... what is fourth gear for? or should i not be doing 60mph in 3rd ?

3) When your crusing about 40mph should I be in 4th or 5th ???

Any and All Pointers On how to turn my pansy ass into a man is very much appreciated !!!!

THanks in Advance,

Patrick
4jacks
4jacks@mail.com

[ebpda9]

WELCOME TO HONDASTYLE


don't try to drive fast with a stick until you can't drive normal with it. I really don't know how big the engine of your car is, but on my old subaru luuyale 1.8l i was diong something like this

1st - 10 mph
2nd - 25mph
3rd - up to 40 mph
4th - up to 50 mph
5th - 50 and up.

Every car is different in gearing so once you will get to know your car you will be fine. Just take it easy. Do you plan on doing something to your car ? We can help.

[4jacks]

Hey , Thanks for the reply...

Yeah.. I'm trying to drive pretty conservative, cause the HX is good on gas and all 40mpg i'm getting now, My engine is 1.7 liters 117hp and 111 lbs/ft tor.


YES !!! I plan on doing something w/ it!!! Right now I feel naked not sitting on any chrome, But that's ahead of me... I'm thinking of starting out w/ a Cold air intake, followed buy a Fat muffler (I shoulda hacked my old muffler off my Probe).... Then I'll get into some Cosmetics... Tint, Front Fascia, maybe some springs...

But right now... the Air Intake... Does Honda Style ever organize Bulk Buys... (Probers love those).... And if so How do I get the Info ??????

Thanks Again !

Patrick

[Accord Man]

Forget about the gear---speed thing..


For saving gas, you should shift at 2000-2200 rpm..

And give enough gas during accleration.. I dont mean pushing the pedal half way down, but almost....



When in traffic and you gotta kinda flow with everyone else, you could go as high as 3000rpm..


For now, avoid driving with the radio on.. Try to listen to your engine and feel how it reacts to driving.


Like hondaman said.. Dont think of racing or driving fast until you're able to shift like butter.. Cause you'll burn your tranny and lutch sooo fast..


Anyways, good luck!

Hey, I'm Dave. The other guys got all over the shiftin' question so I just stopped into this thread to say hello and welcome.....to Ho-tel Hondastyle. The complimentary continental breakfast will be brought to you via room service whenever you call for it in the morning. Enjoy your stay!

[Racing Rice]

Originally posted by diligent_dave
Hey, I'm Dave. The other guys got all over the shiftin' question so I just stopped into this thread to say hello and welcome.....to Ho-tel Hondastyle. The complimentary continental breakfast will be brought to you via room service whenever you call for it in the morning. Enjoy your stay!

Your good at that, do you do that for a living??

We sometimes get Groupbuys here. Id check out Groupbuycenter.com Youll find tons of cool stuff there. Welcome to HS..

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Welcome to HS. Seems like everyone covered the driving thing. Once you go stick, you'll never go back

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by mt.biker
i ordered my food 40min ago.. wtf is up with this service around here... ok i'm going to make a call to someones boss and your going to get one hell of a talking too bro

I think dave is stuck or something Another 92 accord beat u Dave ?

[4jacks]

We definatly have a wacky group of ppl here..


But Your saying shift at 2000 rpm???? right now i'm shifting at 3500. Im at 2000 rpm from first before I even let the clutch out.

When I'm stopped and getting ready to go where should I put the RPM's before I start letting the Clutch out... Right now I'm bringin it a little high about 3500 so I dont stall... and less feels like i'm going stall ??? WHAT makes the car stall anyway? anyone know the mechanics ??

And What About Skipping Fourth Gear ?? Is that Bad ???


Thanks Again Guys,

Patrick
4jacks
4jacks@mail.com

Originally posted by hondaman-iac


I think dave is stuck or something Another 92 accord beat u Dave ?

I ain't stuck. Just busy. hehehe


As for mt. biker:

As for you callin' someone, I'm the damn manager you can't get me for nothin', your problem is either with the desk clerk or the kitchen. If you'll fill out this customer complaint form your problem will be addressed shortly, Sir. Thank you.

Originally posted by 4jacks
We definatly have a wacky group of ppl here..


But Your saying shift at 2000 rpm???? right now i'm shifting at 3500. Im at 2000 rpm from first before I even let the clutch out.

When I'm stopped and getting ready to go where should I put the RPM's before I start letting the Clutch out... Right now I'm bringin it a little high about 3500 so I dont stall... and less feels like i'm going stall ??? WHAT makes the car stall anyway? anyone know the mechanics ??

And What About Skipping Fourth Gear ?? Is that Bad ??

You can shift at 2000 but that is for hella gas savin' mode. If you're on level ground, say leaving a stoplight, if you let the clutch out slowly enough you can get moving without stalling. If your on any type of slight hill, bringing up the rpm to get movin is not bad. Cruisin' around in third goin' 60 is. Well, not totally bad, but the only time I do 60 in third is when I'm doin' some type of a road race thing. You should actually be in 5th for 60 but fourth is better than 3rd. It prevents premature wear on the engine.

As for what makes the car stall...
Try this, go down a road where there's noone around. Be goin like 10 mph in 1st. Now slow down verry slowly. When the car is at least moving a little forward, maybe 1 mph, the car will still be running but the rpm will be really low. You go any slower and it dies. When the car is in gear there is a connection between the wheels and crankshaft via a series of gears and such (i.e. the transaxle). When the wheels are stopped the crankshaft will be stopped also, unless the connection is interrupted via the clutch or disengaging the gear (putting the car in neutral).

[Accord Man]

You let the clutch out at 3.5k ?? thats freaking high.. You'll finish your clutch in no time..

I let out between 500(normal -- relax) and 1000 (steep) .. Depending on driving conditions..

You should aim for 1000.



About shifting at 2000, its true.. It isnt something I came up with. Its reality.. It comes up in Road and Track every couple of years..

Using that strategy, I hold 1st till 2500, and shift the rest of the gears at 2000.



Usually people will hold till 3000 before shifting..

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by diligent_dave


I ain't stuck. Just busy. hehehe


As for mt. biker:

As for you callin' someone, I'm the damn manager you can't get me for nothin', your problem is either with the desk clerk or the kitchen. If you'll fill out this customer complaint form your problem will be addressed shortly, Sir. Thank you.

Ok them i'm the general manager and u re fired jfwy

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

With the way my clutch is doing, very sloppy, I usually start at about 1000-1500 rpms. You should shoot for lower. Also, one more thing is make sure you don't rest your foot on the clutch pedal when you're driving

Welcome to HS, 4jacks I'm new here too, but since I know a bit about striaght trannys I thought I'd chime in. The gas-clutch and speed-gear ratios are ones that must be mastered in order to get skilled at operating a manual transmission. The ratio depends entirely on what type of driving you're doing at the time. The faster you want to go, the higher your RPM's should be at the start and when you shift. For normal driving, 1000 is about right for starting off the line, but the lower you can get without lugging the engine, the better. You will get to know your engine and the way it sounds. Hondas like the upper RPM's (that's where they get their power rather than the Dodge-complex of sheer displacement) but that doesn't mean you need to wind it out when you're starting. 3500 seems pretty high unless you're dragging someone.

Just keep in ming that, in general, all of the new things you have to think about were still issues in your Probe, you just didn't have to think about them. You have a much greater degree of control, and when you master the clutch and move on to things like double-clutching, you'll never want to drive that Ford again

P.S. If you want an actual listing of speed-gear ratios, look in your manual. There should be a listing, though they, like most everything Honda, are geared toward gas-savings and long engine life (always good things).

[4jacks]

Thanks Again Guys !! !


I've been driving for a Couple Days now, shifting inbetween 22000 and 25000. Not that I would know... but that feels Ok..

It's still really rough and shaky starting off and going into second, Everything else is good though...

But I just cant' beleive EVERYONE is saying shift at 1000 rpms... I dont think my gauge has every even been that LOW ... AND i'm not THAT bad of a Lead Foot... I"m still getting 40 mpg =) ... but when I'm shifting at 2500 rpm ... it feels like i'm still accellerating SLOW.... ppl behind me are on my tail... I'm losing the ppl ahead of me.... HOW can YOU guys be shifting so LOW... ?????


I'm just a lost cuase.

Patrick
4jacks

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

People were saying to start from a stop at around 1000 rpms. You are shifting just fine for "econo" driving, and you can easily shift higher when driving quicker. Now that you're getting the hang of it, try shifting at 3500 or 4000, and you'll see that your car makes more power at higher RPMS.

[Accord Man]

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX
Now that you're getting the hang of it, try shifting at 3500 or 4000, and you'll see that your car makes more power at higher RPMS.

Are you trying to awake the evil spirits that dwell in him??

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by Accord Man



Are you trying to awake the evil spirits that dwell in him??

It has to happen some time

[4jacks]

Alright Someone tell me something,


These HX's .... what's the deal???
I thought I was getting the best Value, it has more HP and torque than the DX and LX and is much better priced than the EX,

But it Feels so SLOW ????

But I do get great gas milage, Is it still my driving Or Did I buy a Pumpkin ????



Patrick
4jacks

[Accord Man]

Originally posted by 4jacks
Alright Someone tell me something,


These HX's .... what's the deal???
I thought I was getting the best Value, it has more HP and torque than the DX and LX and is much better priced than the EX,

But it Feels so SLOW ????

But I do get great gas milage, Is it still my driving Or Did I buy a Pumpkin ????



Patrick
4jacks

Wasnt the HX the lowest trim level?


Anyways.. With the 115hp.. Its probably you're driving..
Give yourself a couple of months to get the swing..

If observe well, the only times when your car is *slow* is when your shifting.

Try this. In 2nd, floor it till you get to around 5-6K.. It'll give a picture of your acceleration(motor wise)..

just thought id poke my nose in...

good luck with the manual
just remember DO NOT rev beyond the red line on the tachometer... lol you can ask 4thgenlude about that.

>>Later>>

[slowEJ6]

Originally posted by 4jacks
Thanks Again Guys !! !
I've been driving for a Couple Days now, shifting inbetween 22000 and 25000. Not that I would know... but that feels Ok..

damn! 22000 and 25000!!!! id love to hear VTEC kick in on that sucker.....15k rpm VTEC engagement???

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by hybrid3do0rcx

damn! 22000 and 25000!!!! id love to hear VTEC kick in on that sucker.....15k rpm VTEC engagement???

Maybe he swapped a jet engine in

22,000? sure you dont have a Cart Honda Racer?
those are at least in the neighborhood of 22,000 revs

[Accord Man]

2 years ago porsche had a prototype that revved that high..

[4jacks]

Yeah !! Great ... this is How you treat the new Ppl!!!!

j/k



=P

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by 4jacks
Yeah !! Great ... this is How you treat the new Ppl!!!!

j/k



=P

Lol, did you try keeping it in gear longer to get to the top of the powerband?

Use jet fuel@!

[4jacks]

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX


Lol, did you try keeping it in gear longer to get to the top of the powerband?

Huh..... What's a Powerband ???
Remember, for the past Five years I've just been tromping the gas pedal down when i wanna move.


Patrick
4jacks
4jacks@mail.com

He's basically asking if you've taken it into the upper RPM range (NEAR redline, but not over)

You can still get an auto close to redline.
Just drive it LIKE a manual.
Go into first, let the revs get high, then second, then third so on.
The ratio between gears is different and a manual is still better. But like let's say I'm going 100 km/h or 60mph
And I punch it, it takes a couple of seconds to downshift, but if I put it into 3 myself booom it's gone.
I think that the strategy biker taught me is good for auto's, what do youthink?

its good if you like replacing transmissions often... yep yep

i'd suggest you do that as little as possible.

>>Later>>

[Accord Man]

Originally posted by Maxvla
its good if you like replacing transmissions often... yep yep

i'd suggest you do that as little as possible.

>>Later>>

True.. Very bad thing to do.. :o

Originally posted by Accord Man



True.. Very bad thing to do.. :o

How come? I just want to know why?

It's bad because those gear selections are there for when it is NECESSARY to use them, such as when going up or downhill for a long period of time, where it would be wiser to keep the car in a lower gear. They are not there for normal shifting; that's what an automatic transmission is for. Using them too much can wear out your auto tranny.

What if I use them only when racing?

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Originally posted by juvenile
What if I use them only when racing?

Do whatever you want. You've been told it is bad on your tranny, so you can make the decision.

Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX


Do whatever you want. You've been told it is bad on your tranny, so you can make the decision.

Well I'd rather be on the safe side. I'll stop! Thank you

[4jacks]

Originally posted by juvenile
You can still get an auto close to redline.
Just drive it LIKE a manual.
Go into first, let the revs get high, then second, then third so on.
The ratio between gears is different and a manual is still better. But like let's say I'm going 100 km/h or 60mph
And I punch it, it takes a couple of seconds to downshift, but if I put it into 3 myself booom it's gone.
I think that the strategy biker taught me is good for auto's, what do youthink?

I really hate to be mean.... BUT that IS WEAK !!! When I had my probe I had a OD button it was great, basicly it wouldn't let the auto go into forth.... for up hill and such... But if you were at a light and wanted to race you would hit the OD OFF button and tromp the Gas .... the RMP Would hit EXACTLY 6495 (right before redline) rpm before shifting .... NO Worries .. Then I could Hit the OD button again to get into forth.


And No so far on my Civic I've only had it up to about 5000 RPMs ..... hehehe I forgot I was suppose to shift ....

Patrick
4jacks
4jacks@mail.com