Hey guys...i need your opinion...my original car was a ford escort ZX2 5 speed...when I test drove the cobalt it shocked the hell out of me...for one the clutch just wanted to spring back up...I couldn't drive the dang thing...I am use to driving my old escort...and I tend to find myself trying to drive my colbalt like that...it just isn't possible lol...I find myself either holding the clutch in too long...or not long enough...its really making me feel like a retard cuz I can't seem to get use to driving it right...maybe you guys can help me out...what is the best way to shift...and let off of the clutch...lshould I rev it up to a certain rpms then let off slowly...or fast...how many secs should I wait...I mean its stupid cuz when I race I really have no problem...but when it comes to normal driving...I find myself burning my clutch driving like a newbee....welll I take that back...when I try and show off I feel like I am in a rocking chair...if you know what I mean...I feel myself flying forward than back...I know that isn't right...I can only imagine some one driving behind me laughing at how I drive.....

 

Ive had mine for 3 months and had a stick for three years, its def hard to drive smooth and still save the clutch but you'll get the hang of it. It just takes time.

 

i noticed its a bit harder to ride the clutch and go slowly in parking lots because the car has so much kick, but took me about an hour and i got used to it. and thats coming from a saturn! (and not a ion! a old sc2!)

 

just rev to 1000-1250 and find the clutch release spot...about 4 inches off the ground. Its around 800 so its just enough gas to let the rpms fall back to 800 and then get rolling...once rolling, DONT mess with your pedal, youll buck TERRIBLY...just be smooth with BOTH PEDALS. as for the 1-2 shift, give the engine about 2 seconds before re-releasing the clutch and youll be fine. 2nd gear is so wide that the proper rpm shift from 1st to 2nd is like a BIG gap. in parking lots, just dont ride your clutch...just have a steady right foot. I never ride my clutch when slowly traveling, I just make sure i dont hit the gas ever too hard.

 

Yeah coming from my 95 GMC, it does take a little getting use to. Just keep messing with it and you will get the hang of it

 

yeah im having an odd time getting use to the clutch in my base...definetly alot diffrent then any other 5 speed i drove

 

I came from an '06 ion and got used to the ss s/c setup on the way home from the dealership Life time stick shift driver, took my license test in a stick and learned to drive on a stick. Took twice as long as my friends though.

My tip = rev to 4k - drop clutch and floor it

P.S. Repoman, that thing in your sig is just creepy!

 

No ****!!!

I've driven stick long enough to make this car drive smooth, but its a quirky engine. Be smooth on the pedals with no quick movements especially in 1st gear otherwise be prepared for whiplash. Other than that it just takes practice. Go to a parking lot and practice on hills using your ebrake at first so you don't burn out your clutch.

On a side note I like watching people react differenctly to my shifting. A few friends know when a hard shift is coming and the prepare their head not to whip around. I have this one friend that has jello neck muscles or something cause when I accelerate hard and slam into 2nd his head whips around like a bobblehead doll. Gets me laughing everytime

 

go drive a V8 car (stang or maro) with a Spec 3 clutch in it, you'll learn fast, then the bolt won't be such a problem lol

 

A torque dampner greatly reduces that...I speak from experience...

 

1st to 2nd gear change is tough if you're just driving "normal". What I do is go to about 3k in first then clutch in, go out of gear, clutch out, clutch in again, then go into 2nd. By the time I do this I'm back down to around 2k and can shift very smoothly without slipping the clutch at all. It just takes practice. Again this is only when wanting to drive "normal" and smoothly. If racing or need to accel quickly then you of course rev up in 1st higher and disengage/engage at a higher RPM.

 

Umm a big torquey V-8 isnt' gonna help him shifting. Dang near every v-8 I've driven you can just bog off idle and get going np. Including my T/A with its' big lumpy ass cam and lightswitch-like clutch engadement.

 

Took me a day

 

Yup my first manual car, although i've driven them since i was 12, i've never had one in my DD. But slowly you'll get used to it. But still get the head bop by my friends and i still laugh.

 

I have to say I have driven a lot of sticks. This one was the hardest to master. The clutch engagement point is too far from the ground. It is very hard to figure out the pressure needed to coast in first. After having it for a while I have gotten VERY good at driving it. I can now punch it out the whole give little to no squak and take off.

 

Just make sure you downshift into 1st when comming to a stop and it shouldnt jerk at all. I find this works the best at around 40-50 KM (whatever that is in MPH) Hope this helps.

 

At 40 To 50 Km Wouldnt It Jerk U Lol

 

Agreed.

 

well at least I know it is taking some other guys some time to get use to driving the cobalt Thanks guys

 

That makes it worse My SS feels like driving a video game coming from that ....literally . Get back in the SS and the clutch pedal feels like it connected to nothing .

 

Get an Auto

Halfcent and I never miss a gear

 

I agree, totally. I find it hard to heel-toe with my Redline!

 

.....all said though , the key to driving this car smoothly is dont push the clutch in too much when u shift ....especially on 1-2 . Like has been said throughout this thread the engagement point is pretty high . Once you get comfortable with barely pushing the clutch pedal , its pretty easy to drive this car smoothly .

On a side note , my spec 2+ is even higher up . Its pretty awesome for the strip as I barely have to push the clutch in at all for full engagement , but it took a whole getting used to all over again to drive smoothly at low speeds . Now that Im used it I love the pedal engaing so high up .

 

^^^^THATS RIGHT^^^^
but y not 4 and a half??
lol

or... dont even put your foot on the gas...and let the clutch up untill the car starts moving and you can fully pop the clutch (slowly..no gas at all)..
now you know your friction points...
dont do it at the red light though!!