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Hah, hah. This was for my two city slicker women who must have screen time every day.

Ya, I had it kicking around in my garage for a few years, and decided to put it to work. And ya. Very, very small fires!

OK then. What makes the gears hard to change? I'd be happy to help you, so that you too can shift with one finger.

If you rev match it will go in with one finger. In winter when everything is cold, I usually double clutch it down to 1st. You should NEVER have to force a transmission. My transmission will last the life of the car. If you are forcing yours, I'm not sure how long it will last.

@@SternDrive thank you for the response, after a inspection, the clutch isnt fully disengaging, while at a stand stop,putting it in first is difficult because the clutch isn’t fully disengaging the engine from the transmission, right now it’s a suspected pressure plate or the clutch is going out

I'm always happy to help people become safe drivers. Blind spots are totally un-necessary. Drive safe!

@@SternDrive thansk a lot. Didn’t know blind spots could be eliminated

😂

So let me guess. You adjust your mirrors to look at planes, birds, and sky? If you adjust your mirrors to see your car, ask yourself why you do that to yourself. News flash. You want to maximize you field of view. Looking at your own car will not help you.

@@SternDrive Well. That was a waist of time

@@philconwayinstruments I tried to help you. If you crash because you had an un-necessary blind spot, you have nobody to blame but yourself.

Yup, you are right. These manual Cruze cars don't really slow down between shifts, but that huge 900 RPM split in between 1st and 2nd gear requires a bit of a pause. Automatics with torque converters don't pause in between shifts, so they get pretty upset when we pull away from intersections. I've had little old ladies give me the finger as they fly bye me on the right, and then get slowed down by pokey traffic in their escape lane. When I pass them down the road they say bad words. So funny. However, many people don't wait for that slow shift, and just jamb it. They don't understand why 2 gear gets torn out. A close ratio transmission would be very wise, but most transmission designers drive automatics, so they have no clue.

Good stuff.Sometimes I want to put a sticker on my bumper that says "This is a stick shift car,give me space!"Probably alot of people wouldnt even know what that means. But yea,I wouldnt ever want an automatic.SO glad GM still had the 6 speed in 2012. 6speeds! Its so fun to drive. @@SternDrive

It is a huge jump. These so called progressive transmissions are an error in judgement on the part of the design engineers. Huge jumps in lower gears, and tiny jumps from 5th to 6th. It's insanity. But you have to realize that the guys that design these transmissions are NOT driving enthusiasts. Their daily driver is an automatic SUV, so they have no clue what a well designed manual should perform like. People are tearing their second gear out because they refuse to wait for it. And they shouldn't have to wait for it if it was a close ratio transmission! If you wait for that RPM to drop 900 RPM it will shift smoothly, but I agree, it takes too darn long. Bottom line: My transmission will last the life of the car, because I just wait for the RPM to drop 900. Most people will not, so the shop makes money. Too bad! How's it shifting now? I will say one thing about your Eco transmission. My 6th gear is identical to your 5th gear. That's why your fuel economy might be better than mine. Can I have your transmission? I'm running at 3,000 RPM on the highway. There is no way this engine needs to run at such a screaming high RPM on the highway. I'd like to have a word with some of these transmission designers. They are really clued out.

@@SternDrive very well said! I’ve been very easy on mine, shifting it the same way you do and I’ve got pretty high miles at this point - still shifts just like it did when I bought it. I never knew that there was that much of a difference in the gearing compared to the non-Eco. I run about 2100-2200 RPM on the highway.

Yes, 2200 RPM on the highway is perfect. You have a better top gear. I envy you. My car is great in the city because it is very geared down. I actually drive up steep bridges in 6th gear. That should not be possible. I get good fuel economy, but it would be much better if I had the Eco transmission. GM screwed up on my transmission, but it will be fine because most of my miles are in the city. On the highway I clean out the carbon. @@matthewjensen9550

Watch the video again. Preload the stick, simply means, put pressure on the stick before you move it into neutral, and start to back off on the throttle. When the transmission loosens up you simply pull it out of gear, and into the next gear. At the end of the video I have a demo that hopefully will help you understand the concept. That's how you get a silky smooth shift, unlike your rough shifting friends.

Don't blame the car companies. They manufacture what ever the public asks for. Right now the public is demanding four wheel drive gas guzzling SUVs and monster bloated pickup trucks to go to the grocery store. Nobody cares about fuel economy in our fat affluent society, and nobody wants to learn how to properly and effortlessly drive a manual transmission. I'm as frustrated as you are.

@@SternDrive my thoughts exactly! $100,000 pickup trucks that you need a step ladder to check the oil. So dangerous to pedestrians and normal sized cars 🚗

A lot of owners don't like to replace the clutch and pressure plate when it wears out after so many years! Expensive replacement know from experience.

Here in affluent Canada everybody drives automatic 4 wheel drive SUVs. Our gas is relatively cheap, and nobody worries about fuel economy. Lots of people drive big 4 X 4 pickup trucks with monster V8 engines. They complain about the price of fuel, but keep on buying them. Nobody wants to drive manual trucks anymore, so the manufacturers stopped making them. I don't know what I'm going to do for my next car. I don't drive automatics, and I want a domestic locally built vehicle. I think I'm out of luck. Do I have to go to Japan for my next car? Let me know how your driver test goes. I'm always happy to help manual transmission folks. Best of luck.

Salamat !

Nope. I have never owned a car with an automatic. I despise them. I bought this car brand new because it was one of the last domestic cars with a manual six speed. Sadly the North American public is too lazy to drive a real car, and they have voted manuals out. I may have to buy a car from Japan next time. I am somewhat bitter about it.

Don't forget! You want a silky smooth shift right?

​@@SternDrive can you do the same methof with a super10 downshifting?? let off the gas flip then back on it?? at what rpm would you downshift

@@3HonestGoat3 Yup you can do that with a Super Ten as well. When climbing hills I usually pre-select the splitter when doing my downshifts. It's faster that way. You don't want to lose speed when climbing a hill.

@@cam-vv4lc it doesnt mess up the trans by letting go the throttle and hitting the splitter then back on it??

Yup. But just for a split second. When you get good at it, your shifts will be smooth as silk.

Sure is! These 13 Speed gearboxes are very standard here, and I think the best. An 18 speed is a step up, and I love them, but they are really only necessary in mountains, or hauling logs out of the bush etc. I do split low range sometimes just because I like the sound of a close ratio split. Music to my ears.

I'm on the road for up to twelve hours a day, and constantly see 5 ton box trucks with mirrors looking at their box. In many cases over half of the flat mirror, and half of the convex is looking at their truck. And then I see scratches and dents up and down the side of the truck. No surprise. These guys are poorly paid, and I guess get very little (or none!) training on how to eliminate blind spots. But it is not rocket science. Obviously if half of your mirror is looking at your truck, you just cheated yourself out of half of your field of view! Why would a person do that to themselves? It has always been a mystery to me. Very strange.

Hint to owners - Just like the engines or a.t.'s, these need periodic oil changes. The shift feel is much improved w/ good oil in them, not to mention extending the life.

I was glad to help. If you drive correctly, it is pleasurable, fun, and economical, and your car will last a long time.

Glad to help. I love my Cruze! They are a great car, and are durable if you look after them. I have a next door neighbor who has the same car from the same year, and he has had no end of problems with it. He has a garage, but he parks it out in the snow, and when he starts it up in the morning he revs the crap out of it, and drives like a banshee. He says he bought a lemon, but I know what happened.

Why would you do that? If you use engine compression to slow you down, your brakes will last longer. Coming off the highway on a hot day, it allows your engine to cool off better. People that keep clutching and coasting are not only making driving too complicated, but all that clutching in and out of gear just wears things out. Why do that to yourself? Most people that complicate their driving experience like this end out getting an automatic next time. Too bad, because millions of gallons of fuel are wasted with 4 wheel drive SUVs. And then they complain about the price of fuel. Very strange...

@@SternDrive I definitely would downshift slowing down from highway speeds, lol, but usually I would put it in neutral in coast from anything less than let's say 30mph... in the car very rarely would i downshift all the way to 1st if I was running up on a stop sign or red light, in my truck if I was pulling a trailer, yeah more often but only very briefly...I do this to avoid stalling out...we're talking about my 1st couple of vehicles here so there was DEFINITELY a learning curve & you were saying to let the engine slow all the way down to idle before putting it in neutral. Well, when I was a teenager, that just wasn't my cup of tea b/c I was either driving w/ the music blasting or paying attention to the road, sometimes even both😁 Very rarely was I just cruising w/ the windows down no music listening to what the vehicle was doing...It didn't take too many times of me downshifting all the way to 1st when coming to a complete stop & stalling out to realize that the biting point of the clutch was just barely above idle speed so I needed to put it in neutral BEFORE the rpm's dropped that low (idle speed)to avoid stalling out!!

@@SternDrive I'd rather wear and replace my brakes more frequently than a clutch. Trust me, I just did mine (2012 Cruze LS 6MT)

​@jay1185 100% agree. Brake pads are dirt cheap, transmission parts, not so much. I actually just replaced all front and rear pads the other day on my Cruze. Total cost... $40, and 2 hours of my time. I rather let them take the brunt and wear than my tranny.

Yes, I know what you're talking about. I've driven many Mack trucks, all the way back to the B Model Mack with the 5 X 3 double stick transmission. They're lots of fun, but ya' , give me a good Freightliner any-day. Right now I'm driving a Classic Freightliner with a Detroit and 13 speed. My only complaint on this truck is the blind spot on the right side. Sadly those fancy new mirrors are not fully adjustable, and Toyotas can hide on the right side. A right fender mirror would fix that real quick.

That camera was a gift from Greyhound Bus lines for 40 years safe driving. And ya' it is a bit dated right now. Some people say that I should get a Go Pro, and others say that is a bad idea. I do driving very well, but cameras are not my expertise at all. Maybe I should just use a modern cell phone camera? And you're right, coasting in neutral is terrible driving technic. Every time I see that I cringe. My rule is simple. While slowing down, do not clutch, or pop it into neutral until the RPM is down to idle. Thanks for the feed back!

Well, I am not a pro blogger, but I am a pretty good driver, and have won many awards over my 48 years as a long haul driver. I'm always happy to share safe driving tips with new guys, and some not so new guys. Nice to hear from you, and thanks for that!

Nice to hear from you Michael. I drive a Peterbilt with an 18 speed. That's a few more than a three on the tree! A 3 speed transmission would never cut it with our heavy trucks these days. Say hi to Daisy Mae!

@@SternDrive BIG RESPONCIBILITY YOU HAVE. THANKS FOR THE REPLY.

Ha,ha! You like my holster do you. Back when I started in 1974, most of our trucks did not have A/C. Heck we didn't have power steering on my brand new Kenworth, nore did we have air ride! Those cabover trucks used to get pretty hot, so all the guys would wear T Shirts to stay cool. The T Shirts did not have pockets to put our pens in, and we had to do paper logs. So all the guys would wear holsters for their pens. I'll put a gun in my holster in the next video. Stay tuned!

I know eh! In less than one year she will get her beginners permit. That should be lots of fun!

@@SternDrive Just give her a car with a manual transmission so she can learn to drive well.

Thanks. Nice to hear from you, and you're right, it's not hard to shift smoothly.

Drive it like I showed , and it will serve you well. Let me know how it goes.

Always glad to help!

I normally shift at about 2,000 RPM. If I'm in a big hurry I might run it up to 3,000, but that just wastes gas and wears your engine out sooner. I don't think I have ever run it past 4,000. However if you have a turbo you will get your power up there, but you pay a price for that power. Your local engine shop will love you.

I drive truck, and rarely use the clutch to shift gears up or down. However to shift a car transmission you should always clutch to shift. Cars have syncro gears and do not need to be double clutched. When it is cold I will often double clutch into 2nd gear, and sometimes 3rd, just to help get a smooth shift. Hope this helps.

@@SternDrive So I take it you double clutch cold transmissions because you just like smooth shifts. Sounds like fun!

I sometimes only need a half a gear downshift, so I will split. But if you have low RPM already you can drop a whole gear. Sometimes I will drop from 12th to 9th. To do that your RPM needs to be below 1,000 RPM. Let me know how it goes.

@@SternDrive thanks bro..I sometimes get 10 speed at work getting better n better

Yes of course. It's the only way to start up a hill. The obsession with emergency brakes (in Europe) to start up a hill is silly. Emergency brakes are for emergencies, and maybe parking. Actually I don't even use them for parking unless I'm parked on a steep hill. Put it in any low gear, and your car will not move. Nice to hear from you!

@@SternDrive Thanks! Also, how is your cruze holding up? Long term reliability? The rust is eating my saab alive so I'm looking at a potential replacement in the next year or so.

@@asgpu414 If you drive any North American car properly they will last a long time. I don't know anything about your Swedish car though. My Cruze has had no issues at all except last winter the "check engine" light came on three times when it was -35 in the middle of winter. I took it to the shop and they said to ignore the light. The scope said it was a timing issue, but they tested the timing and it was OK. All this summer the light did not come on again. It's 8 years old and I'm expecting the clutch to give up soon, but so far it's still good. I'm glad I chose the 1.8 engine but I just wish that the transmission was not geared down so low. It runs at 3,000 RPM on the highway. That is the only thing I don't like about it. The Eco Cruse 5th gear is identical to my 6th gear. The engineer who designed my transmission must have been on crack. Other than that I am pleased with it, and plan on keeping it for another 8 years hopefully.