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Advice on driving manual Rx-8

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Old 07-02-2009, 09:14 AM
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Advice on driving manual Rx-8

Hi, I just bought 2007 manual RX-8.
I do not know how to drive manual yet, just started from learning.
Like many other beginners, my car got turned off a lot when I tried to drive.
First question, will it hurt my car??

Second question, yesterday I noticed my manual shift box was some what hot after driving for a while llike 40 minutes. Is this normal or there is something wrong with my car?

Third question, people been saying give a minute or so before turning off the car. Do I have to wait for a bit before turning on the car too??

Thank you

Last edited by jungjiyungg; 07-02-2009 at 09:17 AM.
Old 07-02-2009, 09:16 AM
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best advice i've ever heard is try to move the car without using the gas. just ease off the clutch until it moves, and don't let it stall. once you can do that, you'll know how to do it.

it will hurt your transmission if you mess up too much.
Old 07-02-2009, 09:28 AM
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Originally Posted by jungjiyungg

Second question, yesterday I noticed my manual shift box was some what hot after driving for a while llike 40 minutes. Is this normal or there is something wrong with my car?

Third question, people been saying give a minute or so before turning off the car. Do I have to wait for a bit before turning on the car too??
It will get very warm but it should not be anything to worry about.

If your car is warm [engine is warm] you can turn it off without fear of flooding.
That's the main reason people say don't turn it off right away if it's cold.
A cold engine could flood but not when it's warm or hot.

With an '07 you should have little to worry about.
Old 07-02-2009, 09:33 AM
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Ha someone as crazy as me! I did the same thing. If you have been driving auto for a few years and know how to handle traffic without panicking go get your self stuck in stop and go traffic. Happened to me on my home from picking up my 8! Got a lot of experience with 1st gear that day.
Old 07-02-2009, 10:26 AM
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^i got stuck going up hill! i soon learned what burnt clutch smells like
Old 07-02-2009, 10:37 AM
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[QUOTE=myriadshalaks;3097565]best advice i've ever heard is try to move the car without using the gas. just ease off the clutch until it moves, and don't let it stall. once you can do that, you'll know how to do it. .......QUOTE]



Totally agree.... This helps one understand the meaning of clutch slip and delaying clutch release....

most new stick drivers dont get the concept of delaying clutch release for a few miliseconds mid clutch stride. it does whonders for smooth shifts

.... by engaging first without using the gas pedel you are forced the learn this concept very quickly....or else you stall lol!

I've used this learning method with lots of people, And have succesfully taught multple people(including girls) how to drive stick.
Old 07-02-2009, 10:46 AM
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If you smell a horrible smell coming from under your car and it does not smell like your exhaust, then you are doing it wrong. That my friend, would be you burnin up da clutch. Also, best to start off in a big open parking lot. Try getting first gear down packed and then work on parallel parking. Once you get first gear down, the other 5 are a sinch! There is a pin in the transmission that stops you from going in reverse while trying to get into 6th gear, so don't worry about that. (unless you push down on your shifter *** when trying to hit 6th, cause that will release the pin and that would be bad)
Old 07-02-2009, 10:53 AM
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I've used this learning method with lots of people, And have succesfully taught multple people(including girls) how to drive stick.

?? punk
Old 07-02-2009, 10:54 AM
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yup thats great advice my 8 isnt stick (for good reason) but both my other cars are and thats the best way to get used to driving stick or even to get used to a different clutch coz every car is different
Old 07-02-2009, 10:58 AM
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Do it in a parking lot.

Old 07-02-2009, 11:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Patrick_r
Ha someone as crazy as me! I did the same thing. If you have been driving auto for a few years and know how to handle traffic without panicking go get your self stuck in stop and go traffic. Happened to me on my home from picking up my 8! Got a lot of experience with 1st gear that day.
I had driven stick before, but only for a total of probably 10 hours in my life before I bought my 8. I also got stuck in stop and go traffic on the way home. Baptism by fire!

Moving the car w/o the gas is a great training method. And ronjonathan is right too, every cars clutch is a little bit (or a lot bit) different. I always have to re-calibrate myself when I got from driving my 8 to driving my brother's Cobra.
Old 07-02-2009, 11:17 AM
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Originally Posted by rodjonathan
yup thats great advice my 8 isnt stick (for good reason) but both my other cars are and thats the best way to get used to driving stick or even to get used to a different clutch coz every car is different

I concur about that great advice. And every clutch is different even in the rx8 one feels completely different from another.

Whats your reason for not having a manual 8? Is it medical?
Old 07-02-2009, 11:21 AM
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It takes about a week. So by the end of next week you should have it down.
Old 07-02-2009, 11:25 AM
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Originally Posted by User24
It takes about a week. So by the end of next week you should have it down.
Lets clear this up, it takes a week or two to know how roughly drive a stick. It takes years to master all the driving techniques
Old 07-02-2009, 11:28 AM
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^agreed
Old 07-02-2009, 11:30 AM
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Originally Posted by dozer
^i got stuck going up hill! i soon learned what burnt clutch smells like
You sure that wasn't just you

Anyway 22 more posts and your at 4k WOWZORZ!
Old 07-02-2009, 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by xun4gvn4everx
.... There is a pin in the transmission that stops you from going in reverse while trying to get into 6th gear, so don't worry about that. (unless you push down on your shifter *** when trying to hit 6th, cause that will release the pin and that would be bad)
Man!!!
The 8 is the first 6 speed I'd ever driven and was worried about hitting reverse coming from 5th.
I kept going into 4th because I thought you had to "squeeze" in between 6th and "R".
That's funny.....
Old 07-02-2009, 12:00 PM
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I preferred when my "R" was down and to the right.

I'll admit my "idiot" moment... They moved "R" on me from my 07 to my 09. It took me a good 15 seconds to figure out they had stuck it up and to the left. Tricksy Hobbits!
Old 07-02-2009, 12:05 PM
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oh wow, I didn't know they moved the "R" on the new 8's
Old 07-02-2009, 12:07 PM
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I didn't either. I have this OCD thing I do when I pop it into Reverse. I have to smack it twice and push it in. (don't laugh at me). When I went to smack it, it didn't stick. That's when I knew something was fishy. For the first time I actually had to look at the shift pattern..and sure as shyte, they changed it! Sneaky buggers.
Old 07-02-2009, 12:11 PM
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Originally Posted by af7mn
I didn't either. I have this OCD thing I do when I pop it into Reverse. I have to smack it twice and push it in. (don't laugh at me). When I went to smack it, it didn't stick. That's when I knew something was fishy. For the first time I actually had to look at the shift pattern..and sure as shyte, they changed it! Sneaky buggers.
I love a woman who can smack a good stick!
Old 07-02-2009, 12:22 PM
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LOL don't think any guy would appreciate the way I smack my stick. Smack, Smack, Push, crank left in a backwards J fashion. But then again, I guess I hope if I were to smack a guy's stick, it wouldn't be so short n stubby!
Old 07-02-2009, 12:28 PM
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For xun, you'd get to the 2nd smack and he'd be done, so he's fine with it. Zing!
Old 07-02-2009, 12:34 PM
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ooooooooh burn!!!!!!
Old 07-02-2009, 12:34 PM
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parking lot is best...should have a rough grasp on it with a few hours then u can try and conquer some traffic.....good luck...

and what's with all the stick slapping around here? Some time you ppl scare me.....haha!


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