@RVExotics,
Wait! Don't forget the break-in period!!
Too Late.

 

Hah, don't worry, I drove him as lightly as I could. I didn't have any choice but to drive 250 mi in a sitting though, since that's how far it is to my dealer. It was almost all interstate highway driving.

 

You're not alone in feeling this way! I've had this same impression despite driving manuals almost exclusively for the past 14 years, and many more years before that in various marques. I have found it easier to make smooth 1-2 shifts with the sport button on, and others have reported this, too. You might want to try it.

 

After a couple weeks with Lewis, I tried "sport" and haven't gone back. My biggest problem driving any manual is I never give it enough gas because I'm somehow afraid to burn up the clutch revving it too high, and I'm more focused on starting smoothly than quickly. The quicker throttle response makes it easier for me.

 

Just had my friend help me pick up my MCS 08 today. I have been taught here and there how to drive a manual, and I was very excited to hear that MINIs are easy to learn on.

So far, it's been a REALLY rough day. :-( I am stalling out like crazy at stop signs...I've been practicing all afternoon, but it's not getting any better.

Everyone keeps saying that it will get better with time, bu I am not seeing it. I hate that I can't drive this car to its potential...or at all for that matter. I need to be able to drive to work on Monday! Help!

 

People are right tho about it getting better with time...but that time goes a lot slower in the very beginning...I basically taught myself to drive stick (besides youtube videos and how tos) and that may possible be the best way to figure out "Your" style...I know i was scared cuz the day I took delivery was my first day using a manual and I hated stalling soo many times on my brand new car, but you gotta remember that car can handle it, its part of the process, and it helps you know the cars limits. For the first few days i stalled often, then weeks later it would happen maybe once every few days (I also ground gears a few times), and now I cant stall even if i forget to put down the ebrake haha

I will give you some pointers that I have picked up over my past few months of driving stick:

1. First thing is to not get over confident (cuz thats when you stall...you think you got it and then you dont pay enough attention to what you are doing) you must concentrate at every launch (that is the most difficult part of driving stick in the beginning)

2. Don't expect to be pro or that you can shift second nature...you must concentrate a lot in the beginning and not expect much more than launching and getting between gears.

3. Dont worry about downshifting at first when you are coming to a stop. Just ride the gear you are in until the rpms get close enough to 1000 and then put it in neutral. Downshifting takes practice, and you must, MUST rev match (blipping the throttle so the rpms are high enough for the lower gear...you will know you did it right when the the shift is really smooth) if you must down shift try and go through all the gears at first so you dont mess up too much (but only if you must downshift like approaching a light that just changed and need to accelerate) soon enough you will just skip gears when down shifting and know what the correct rpms are for that gear.

4. Launches need to be your main focus. The best way to launch is by pressing the clutch in and moving the gear into 1st, while still depressing the clutch give it enough gas so the rpms stay at 1500, then slowly let out the clutch...dont be too afraid to let the clutch out slower in the beginning...it really wont hurt your clutch and you will learn the car faster and soon be able to let the clutch out a lot quicker...remember that normal launches usually are the longest time on the clutch...1-2 2-3 4-5 etc shifts are a much quicker let out of the clutch (but make sure the gear is all the way in so you dont grind gears)

Just keep practicing and trust me you will get to that point that you dont even have to think about shifting and when you do it is to do more advanced maneuvers and to control the car the way you want to....thats the beauty of manual

Have fun and if you need further explanation or have any question feel free to ask

 

Honor thy break-in RPMs... be especially careful of downshifting and forcing the revs above 4500.

I'm 100 miles away from the end of the 1200-mile break-in period. I'll probably will make it there today, finally! This is the first time I've been anxious to put mileage on a new car and I'm looking forward to sunsetting the 4500rpm limit and seeing what she can really do.

 

Yes I had a run-in in my first few weeks...i was at around 400 miles, i was going down a hill around 40 in 5th and decided to try it in 4th but i popped it into 2nd :impatient luckily the rpms only went to 4000, but it seriosly scared me and i was so nervous because i came sooo close and there was no rev match either so it went from 1500 up to 4000 and i was so new that i wouldnt have know how to stop it like i could now

Yeah i was soo happy once the break in period came, but once you pass it you wish the miles would slow down...now I've had it since Oct 30th and have 3200 miles

 

You should practice in a parking lot. No pressure so you can concentrate better. Also try the no gas approach. You put it in 1st and sloooowly let the clutch out until 1st gear engages. After about 10 minutes you will understand how the clutch works.

 

Thanks for everyone's advice. I spent three hours this morning trying to bond with my car. I made a trip to the grocery store, and stalled twice at the same light. I am also spinning and chirping my tires when I start on iclines.

When I think I've got it, I either stall or have really rocky starts...

I feel like I'm doing a lot of damage to my clutch..burning in particular since I am having to let off the clutch reeaaallllly slowllllly.

 

P.S. Your tips were really helpful, checkercoop!

 

I don't know if manuals are necessarily that great. My first three cars were manual and then I experienced the joy of owning an automatic... My clutch foot gets pretty sore in stop and go, and not having to use the clutch is desireable. I got an auto and I am amazed at how responsive the m/s setting is.

When I test drove the manual, I noticed that there was a really tight feeling that just all of a sudden let go about halfway up the pedal. Its like I was pulling something up a hill and all of a sudden I crossed over the top and the item I was pulling came at me too quickly.
It didn't seem linear to me and I did not like that. My other car is a '68 VW bug and the clutch is much nicer on that. It's linear and has a nicer release than the jumpy MCS clutch. My vote is for the automatic.

 

No problem

Yeah hill starts are pretty difficult...i went on my first run about 2 weeks after having the car and 2 times we got stopped on a hill and both times i stalled...have to start it up and just gunned it so i chirped tires both stops as well haha

The best technique for hills, IMO, and mainly for really steep hills, is to use the ebrake...basically set it, let go of the brake, and when the light changes or you need to move put it in first and slowly let the clutch out until the car starts to move and you can tell the weight is coming off the rear and then put down the ebrake and make sure the car is going enough to let off the clutch completely
But if its not huge hills, or after you have gotten some practice and are really comfortable, you can just do a quick shuffle from the brake to gas and get it going with no roll back


Oh and I wouldnt worry about the clutch too too much just because if you do bad enough damage to it it will be replaced under warrantee (hopefully) i know i figure its gunna need replaced one day and if it's past warrantee then atleast I will know well enough how to use the new one

One thing tho that I hate is being that i am so new to stick im not sure if id be able to tell when the clutch is going...i think it just gets really sloppy and doesnt catch like it used to, but im sure people who have driven clutch forever can really easily tell when the clutch is going...I think you have to really be gunning the throttle and letting the clutch out a period of 3-5 seconds at every shift to do real damage this early on

 

Thanks again, everyone.

So now a new problem...I take a large exit ramp everyday from work. I come off the freeway in 5th gear, and I need to slow down about 10-20 mph. I tried it yesterday by downshifting, and I just about redlined by car. There were people behind me too, and I had to turn on my hazard lights.

I then tried to shift back into higher gears, but my car just kept bucking and redlining. I eventually slowed down enough and shifted into second gear.

So my question is what is a good way to slow down when you're not coming to a stop? Say, if I want to go from 60-70 mph, to 50-40? I want to use the method that is easiest on my clutch.

Thanks in advance, everyone!

 

Downshifting is fairly easy, you just need to know what rpms match what speed.
my example will not be appropriate since I have an auto, and I don't pay that much attention in this car...
lets say at 50mph to down shift all you have to do is get the right rpm for the speed you are going. Over time you can just select a gear, rev the car up to where you know the rpms match the speed an gear you are in and let the clutch out. I usually use downshifting to slow the car, so when my rpms go lower than about 1500, I shift to the next lowest gear and let out the clutch at the rpms will go up and the speed will go down.

I hope that was a clear explanation...

 

Apply the brakes. Brake linings are cheaper to replace than the drivetrain.

If you want to heal-and-toe downshift as well, wait until you are at about 3,000 RPM or lower before downshifting.

Personally, I'm not convinced that downshifting for slowing down is an economically wise move, if you plan to keep the car for the long term.

 

ahhh... but you have to downshift to go up hills, passing and stuff. He needs to learn how to do it anyways.

know what rpms correlate with what speed and gear. Take the time to analyze your car. Downshifting is always appropriate.

 

As long as you rev match there is no really excess strain on the clutch than a normal upshift

and if you are just doing highway speeds and not getting the revs to high then i honestly think you are not putting excess stress on the drivetrain unless you revs are all above 3000 IMO...i say if your doing 50 in 5th (your around 2100 i believe) you can easily and safely downshift to 4th at about 2700 rpm and let go of the gas and let the car slow itself down...then when the revs drop to say 2100 you can do another downshift into 3rd and go along your way

I think when people are worrying about stress on the drivetrain and replacing it and all they are talking about the people that are already at 3000 + rpm and want to drop it a gear or 2 putting it at 4500+ rpm...that will cause unnecessary stress and lead to early replacement, but dont worry if you are dealing with 3500 and under...plus you really need to learn downshifting it is important for sooo many things

 

To my rescue again, checkercoop! Ya break it down in a way I can understand. :-) It must be our Pepper White MINI connection, haha. I do need to pay attention to the RPMs more and such.

I live in Austin, which can be quite hilly, so downshifting is a necessity for me. As much as I'd like to avoid it, I know it's another thing I need to learn.

 

haha no problem our cars are like brothers just looking out for each other

yeah downshifting seems scary and bothersome in the beginning, but trust me once you have your first perfect downshift you'll fall in love

 

I wasn't there, of course, but is it possible that you shifted into 1st by accident? Maybe went from cruising in 5th or 6th, and then shifted into 1st? That would certainly overrev the engine, like you describe (and probably scare the s... out of you at the same time!). First gear is a low gear in all cars, and especially in the '07 MINI, and I never use it once the car is moving a few miles an hour--say 10 to 15. I might also add that it's fairly easy to miss the middle gears (3rd and 4th) because those gates are a little vague compared to some cars. Again, just guessing by your description.

+1 on what Robin says--brakes should be your first option.

Also, I'm a little concerned that you might be overly focused on checker's advice about rev matching. You do need to be pretty close in RPM, but what he's describing is a little more advanced than you probably are ready for, and I think your brain might be a little too full to do this right now. Lots (most?) people don't ever do this rev-matching-by-blipping-the-throttle thing. Your car does have synchronizers, which are supposed to do this for you--you just have to be in a "similar" gear. In other words, don't go from 5th to 1st--that's too much of a leap. 5th to 4th is fine, though, or 5th to 3rd. It's the same principle in both higher and lower gears.

In the situation you described--having to lose about 20 mph on a ramp, brake to the speed you want, then pick the gear that will work best from then on--maybe 3rd? Depends of course on the ramp speed, but BRAKE FIRST. You're lucky on one thing--the '07 MINI is very "versatile" in its gearing and torque. By that I mean, in a pinch you can use a gear that's a little higher than what you really need. It will pull from about 1500 rpm on up--very forgiving, and wonderful compared to most cars! I'm specifying the '07 MINI because it will "pull" from about 1500 rpm up--a change from earlier MINIs. (Most cars aren't nearly as easy to live with--and you will soon become friends with your gearshift.)

Going back to your exit ramp story, if you need to lose 20 mph, brake first to the speed you want, then shift. You might pick 3rd or 4th (again, just guessing at your exit speed and needs--2nd is probably too low, unless there's lots of traffic), and the car will do a pretty good job of working with you. You'll soon feel when you've picked a gear too high, and can downshift again if needed, but it will become second nature to pick the right gear. Keep the revs above about 2000 rpm, and you'll do fine. I might add, that 2000 to 2500 rpm is a pretty good number to pick for most cars you'll probably drive. In all my cars (I'm old), I can think of only one that needed a higher rpm.

It sounds like you're doing fine on the learning curve for manuals, especially for Austin's hills. (I'm a fellow Texan!) Just use the brakes first, then shift into what seems to be a "reasonable" gear for the speed you're going--you'll soon get a feel for what that is. Say, 6th gear for cruising an open highway, 3rd for city streets, and 1st or (preferably) 2nd for stop and go traffic, all of this depending on traffic and speed limits. If you do get in that famous Austin stop-and-go, try to space yourself back from the guy in front of you so you can keep in 2nd without jerking.

Keep on it--I'll bet by the end of the week you'll have developed that "feel" for shifting, clutching, hills, speeds, etc. You did it for automatics, right? BTW, I'm using these speeds and rpms for an MCS--I haven't spent much time in a Cooper, so this advice might need a little adjusting.

P.S. I'm envious that you live so near really good "MINI roads." Once you get this shifting thing under your belt, you'll have a blast!

 

I'm bumping this thread!
I'm a new mini owner, placed my deposit before learning how to drive manual on a 2008 MCS. Rash decision i suppose but I really wanted the car and got a good deal less than MSRP. So I took a few lessons (3 hrs) with an instructor on his car the past few weeks (Toyota Celica) and he said I had learned pretty quickly (launching, downshifting, steep hills etc)...
So now I've picked up my MCS but drove it home in fear as I'm not yet used to the clutch. It's sitting in the parking garage now...but I'm going out tomorrow early when traffic is light to venture out on the roads!
I'm apprehensive as it's a brand new car but so excited to be taking it out!

Any tips on the MCS clutch? I find it's a little more difficult to find that grabby point and i'm not sure how well the hill assist feature works (I've got to take it uphill to get out of teh garage..)

 

First off, congratulations

The clutch is very easy and you should pick it up real quick. The best way to find the grab point is to do a series of tests. Basically keep your foot away from the gas, clutch to the floor and in 1st, then super, super slowly let the clutch out. when you see the the rpms start to dip you have found where the clutch begins to bite. Just push it back in and repeat a few times. the best bite point will be a bit further back, but you don't want to stall the car. Now you will know where you can fully let off the clutch after the car moves from that bite point (if that makes any sense )

As for the hill, i personally swear by the ebrake method. Just rip the ebrake, floor the clutch and pop into 1st, then gas, and let clutch to bite point while lowering the ebrake. Depending on how steep the hill is, you will want to begin the launch with more gas than flat, level launches or else you could stall, or be jerky.

Practice is the key to all so just go out and have some fun, but don't get ahead of yourself. Keep the advanced maneuvers for when you have gotten the basics down like second nature (that just keeps you from hurting the car/ego)

 

First....Congrats!

I just picked up my new MINI on Friday so I am no expert but I have been driving manuals for 28 years. Even with all that experience, I stalled the first MINI I drove on a test drive at the dealership.

I find my MINI needs a bit more throttle at launch than previous cars. The clutch engagement point is really subtle. You will just have to get out there and drive it for a while and it will become second nature. I'm not quite there yet but only have 140mi on the car.

I was playing with the hill assist in my (slightly sloped) driveway. From a dead stop, on a slope, when you push in the clutch you have about 2 seconds where the car will not roll backward. After that, it will.

 

cool thanks guys!
I'm gonna spend the whole day driving it today..quiet sunday traffic. My mini has already been broken in seeing as how it has about 1000 km on it (demo for the assistant sales manager). I'm just a little worried about harming the transmission or engine and burning out the clutch early! But I guess you just have to do it and get used to it