I just had my first driving lesson!!!

"Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder" (pabuuu4)
11/21/2013 at 14:31 • Filed to: lesson

And he said I was ''Pretty good''.

The only thing I do wrong is I let the car go to the right too much.

Next lesson: learning how to shift and stuff.

The car is a VW Golf Diesel.

Any advice?

DISCUSSION (5)

Tom McParland > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
11/21/2013 at 14:36

In terms of learning to shift...you really just have to do it. You can watch YouTube vids all day and that will help a little but the only real way to learn is just to try. I will tell you this, when I taught people how to drive stick I did it reverse of what most folks say. As you know 1st gear is the hardest, so to get moving without stalling this is what I would do-

With the car running and in neutral have your right foot on the brake-

Keeping your right foot on the brake, depress the clutch completely with your left.

Shift into first, (keeping your right on the brake and left on full-clutch)

Now, keeping the clutch fully depressed. Take your right foot and give it some very gently bring the revs to about 2000-25000 RPM.

Then slowly pull back on the clutch, when you feel the sensation that the car will roll drive increase your revs slowly and let off the clutch more.

dogisbadob > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
11/21/2013 at 14:59

I wish we had those cars in driving school.

Was the instructor's name Barack Obama by any chance? Because that's why he called your driving "not bad" :p

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > dogisbadob
11/21/2013 at 15:14

What car did you learn to drive in?

dogisbadob > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
11/21/2013 at 15:15

A Cavalier

nippon > Tom McParland
11/21/2013 at 15:30

Thats not so necessary. It's a diesel, either 1.6 TDI or 2.0.
They have enough torque to move on its own, without adding gas. And chances are he will mash the gas too much and let off the clutch too early causing the car either stall or produce some not so nice sounds.

So, to master starts/stops fast and get the feel of it i recommend the following.
Press the clutch all the way, put it in first, start letting clutch off gently. You will feel the car moving at one point. Thats your friction point.
Do that a few times till you get the feel where the friction point is. Then as you master that you will have no problems with starting from dead stop with some gas.