I remember teaching a friend how to drive my manual Honda Civic. He was pretty rough with the gear shift. I told him to imagine that the gear knob was an egg, and not to break the egg. He instantly shifted much more smoothly. My two cents worth.
I tell guys to treat the gear lever like it is your johnson. That gives them a mental picture of how much force you should put on it. Don't grab the gearshift lever, use your fingertips, and if the gear doesn't engage easily, you might be trying to downshift into too low a gear for your speed. That's a "money shift", and that isn't good!
An image I also wish someone told me learning manual is literally imagining the clutch, my brother never exactly told me how the clutch engages, so I didn't know what to visualize. I found a vid that talked about how they're essentially 2 discs that you have to mate and mate smoothly, never had a problem with an uphill start or stationary start since.
Taught my newly licensed niece to drive a manual transmission in my '72 Mercedes 220 Diesel. You never heard such grinding in your life. She went on to a be a lifetime fan of automatics. I went on to purchasing $550 worth of parts and finding which one of my shop techs had experience with those gearboxes. No good deed goes unpunished........
I have owned a manual transmission vehicle since I was 16 (30 years). My current manual transmission vehicle is a 2007 Corolla with 245k miles on her. This is great advice. Thank you.
Coming from a manual family. I've owned 3 automatics. Sold them & my last 3 were manuals. I've never looked back. Manuals are truly fun & a real driving experience. I'm leaning towards the Corolla GR manual next only because I see true Toyota technology over the Supra. Thanks for the video. I feel soo much better knowing I've been doing it right all these years.
The new mk5 supra doesn't even have a Toyota engine, engine's from bmw, electronics, etc which I am definitely not a fan off. You're better off buying a GR corolla
It's only fun if you live in the place where there's not a lot of traffic jams. I'm all for manuals when I'm in smaller towns, but in a big city it gets old very quickly.
@@dmytrotarasov9477that’s because everyone wants to ride bumper to bumper. I drive a big rig and can get through most traffic jams without ever coming to a stop. You can drive a car with a manual the same way. You’re not getting anywhere faster by riding up the person’s butt. Just back off a lil.
I agree with most points except with slowing via engine braking/downshifting. I know what is being said here but for proper safety, you need to be in an effective gear at all times. In many Europrean driving exams, you must always downshift to demonstrate you have full control of the car (in other words, you can accelerate/decelerate at all times). If you learn to downshift rev-match reasonably well, this is going to provide more vehicle control. You need to downshift up certain grades or to change speeds without stopping. This happens all the time so you need to learn to match revs as best you can regardless. While this does increase wear, you could argue that this is actually just normal wear and tear for driving a manual properly and that not doing so does reduce wear but also reduces vehicle control and safety. I'll take vehicle control and safety over saving a bit of clutch wear. And if you are gentle with your shift lever than there shouldn't be excessive transmission wear that would cause transmission failure before all the other components in your car started failing. To each their own but this the only point I think is perhaps a bit oversimplified. An automatic downshifts for a good reason and you need to as well. Learning to not burn the clutch while doing so is the main challenge here but that all comes down to skill and practice.
In my accord v6, i downshift revmatch always all the way down to 2nd gear so my rpms stay between 2000-3000. Downshift revmatching puts no wear on the system if you do it right. If you are really good, you could stretch a single clutch out for far longer than normal. If the car doesn't lean forward at all when you revmatch, you know you've done it perfectly. If it does increase wear, i think it's offset by not needing to replace brake pads as often, and the small amount of fuel you save when you're engine braking. One important thing to know is that semi truck drivers have like 20+gears. They are always in gear, which means they're constantly rev matching and double clutching. I also double clutch on the 2nd to 3rd upshift just because i can and 3rd in my car has always been finicky. If I'm flooring it, i don't double clutch, but I've been working on the double clutch heel toe rev match, i can do it sometimes but it's hard af. I just hate rolling up to a stop in neutral. I like rolling down through second gear until I'm just above idle, then i push the clutch and put it in neutral so I'm not just holding the clutch down
> you need to be in an effective gear at all times I disagree. Every time you shift, you are out of gear, if even for just a split second. Coasting down hill is just an extended shift!
@@NoBaconForYou you’re missing the point I think. His arguments in the video in regards to down shifting are: Yes, Do down shift when you need. Don’t downshift unnecessarily. When do you need to? Going up a hill or slowing down. You can slow down while in 6th and downshift to 3rd eventually. Just don’t downshift every gear. Pressing your clutch that much IS going to wear your clutch a bit (not crazy amount because if you rev match properly it does minimize the wear). It WILL wear your pressure plate. It WILL wear your master and slave cylinder. Your brakes are dirt cheap and way simpler to replace than all those parts. Braking while in gear will help and you can still downshift but only to one other gear probably. Not necessary to downshift every gear. Trucking is also different than normal driving. They have a huge load to consider and their brakes are not strong enough to constantly apply pressure (too much heat) so they must also engine brake. It’s a different driving condition that normal cars simply don’t need to worry about unless you’re towing as well. You are extending the life of your clutch more than someone who doesn’t rev match will but you’re decreasing the life of your master and slave cylinders and the pressure plate.
@@MrKaystew the new one is perfect for european roads, EV mode barely all the time, (engine works as a generator at normal speed) it's so smooth during city drive. Everyhing's perfect except it's batteries issues, but no big deal compared to every other crappy car brands
Good advice on using neutral while stopped. I wore out a throw out bearing on my manual transmission Mazda RX-7 many years ago by leaving the transmission in first gear and just pushing down on the clutch while waiting at stop lights. It was a costly, but worthwhile lesson for many more years of driving manual transmissions.
@@nobodylmportant actually that's hurting your transmission, since the gear is still engaging Drive each time. The force wears our your clutch. Either case, don't argue with your girlfriend if you actually like her and want her around. They have big feelings. th-cam.com/video/ULcSauSJrsY/w-d-xo.html
@@LAactor hello, just watched this video, enjoyed it and learned a couple things. Unlike a lot of commenters I've been a gearhead for many years, especially 2 wheels, with extensive racetrack experience, so I guess I have some knowledge. Actually your comment is incorrect, automotive transmissions DON'T have a clutch, they have something called a torque converter. An automatic transmission is quite a different device from its manual counterpart. Cheers!!!!
PERFECT video and suggestions. I have been driving manuals for 40 years. I learned the hard way when I was younger. LISTEN TO The Car Care Nut folks!! And I'll never forget (before TH-cam existed) PBS CAR TALK Tom & Ray always saying: "Brakes are for slowing the vehicle; NOT the transmission"
Never heard of the upshift rev matching suggestion so I tried it on a few of my sports cars - I think it is just "Plain STUPID"🤡🤡🤡 & unintuitive. Of course, it "may" be "incrementally" better for the drive train❓❓ Does anyone ever do upshift rev-matching on the regular - I DOUBT it...
@@TerryManitoba Every upshift I do is rev matched to the best of my ability. Nobody's perfect, but I try. You can also change how quickly you move the gear lever to let the engine settle into the correct rpm for the next gear. Most people do it too quickly, which wears synchros.
@@dougrobinson8602 I've never had to open a manual trany for synchro repair over the last 45 years of driving. If I were to slowly upshift rev match - I'd likely roll over die and get a CVT🤡🤡🤡 Until then I'm going to enjoy fast shifting & actually enjoying the car for what it was meant to do.
Wow what a great video. I’ve yet to need to replace a clutch on any of my cars by following AMD’s same protocols. I’ll add a couple points: 1. Don’t wear thick/high heeled or soled shoes if you can avoid it. Beefy shoes really diminish your sense of touch with the clutch pedal. 2. If you face lots of stop and go commuting daily, Think twice about buying manual if you have other options. Dragging though daily traffic wears out clutches and your left foot :D I love driving manual…until I’m stuck for 30 minutes in heavy traffic. Great video AMD!
quite true. I have a 2019 toyota 86 trd, and it is only is only used on the weekends. Stop and go traffic will give you a disdain for manual trans. vehicles pretty quickly...
Good tip about thin soled shes to feel the pedals . I used to have to wear safety boots at work but always changed into light shoes when i finished work . Tried driving in the safety boots a couple of times , nightmare
Another pro tip is to approach red lights slowly, because many times, by the time you get there, the light turns green and you'll have saved yourself from having to use the clutch from a stop, which is when you use the most clutch material.
Exactly, that will save a lot of fuel and brake wear too not to mention being safer. I don't understand why so many people seem to think being the first person to slam their brakes on for a red light is some kind of an accomplishment. All they really accomplished is burning more gas, wearing their vehicle unnecessarily, and putting themselves and others at a higher than necessary risk.
That’s the same in traffic. Why ride bumper to bumper when you can just coast in first gear by leaving a little space in between you and the car in front of you. I drive a big rig and can drive through most big cities without ever coming to a complete stop, even during rush hour.
Hill assist was at first annoying to me but now that I'm used to it I absolutely LOVE it. It makes those steep starts on a rainy day so much less stressful. Even after decades of driving manual those situations can be stressful. Either you don't have enough power and you stall or you have way too much and you go sideways. Gotta be careful and quick to get it right. Hill assist allows you to only focus on the clutch and accelerator without having to fight against the roll back. Basically you just gas it as normal if your car has the torque.
I've got a 3rd gen 4runner with a 5spd. It's the funnest ride; eventhough, it's slower than most cars. I've always had manual trans on all my rides. For me it's there preference. You have to be alert, and it's more enjoyable! Thank you!
im SO glad someone has some sense and understanding about how manuals work and whats bad for them... i tried telling this to all my friends and coworkers but they never believe me
4:25 that exactly wut I do. At uphill grades, i engage the parking brakes then release the clutch til theres enough rpm and the car wants to go, then quickly release the parking brake. You can do the same with the pedal brake but i prefer the parking brake because i can relax my leg. I even do this sometimes at long red lights. Driving stick is alot of work.
Excellent Advice for Manuals in passenger cars. I love my 2016 Honda Accord 6-speed. Change that oil every 30K ... super easy to do. Now, for my 2008 Ram 4500 dump with the 6-speed (Southbend 1,100 lb/ft clutch) it is a different story. Everything is slow moving, long throws, but the downshifting is a must especially when you have many thousands of lbs. in the dump body and pulling a trailer. Downshifting through the gears and letting the Exhaust brake help slow down the load is crucial otherwise you'd burn up the brakes fast and at $300 per rotor and $200+ pads for back or front that gets expensive FAST.
Great stuff. My dad insisted that I learn how to drive on a manual transmission, and I'm so glad he did. I love the advice on "clutch breaking." I don't know how many times I've heard people say you should brake by shifting down in gears "to avoid wearing out your brakes." Like he said, it's way more expensive and time-consuming to replace a clutch than brakes. The only time I use shifting to slow down is if I'm descending on a steep hill (like he mentioned) and my brakes are starting to get sketchy. And I don't know how many of my friends felt like they had to shift like a race car driver (even unintentionally), crunching those gears.
Good points that I pass on to everyone too. I never understood the need to sit at a light while in gear with the clutch pedal depressed. I'm also a big believer in changing the gear oil very 30k miles for the vey reason you stated, to get rid of any debris. Most people just don't understand this reasoning. Every manual transmission I've owned from new has shifted like new even after 300k+ miles. Congrats on your new shop too! I wish I lived closer to come by and see it.
This guy REALLY knows his stuff! If you follw up on all of his advice you will never experience any problems with your manual transmission! Which is exactly what you want, because work on and parts for manual transmissions is expensive.
When I first learn to drive, manual was common, automatic were inefficient and use more gas. Went through 5 cars with manual until it was much less standard. My brother has a Fiesta ST and I get to drive that from time to time and what a joy it is. Still remember how to shift after nearly 20 years of no practice.
Great advice AMD! I used to have a 1991 Honda Civic. 291,000 miles the transmission never gave me an ounce of trouble. Had the original clutch too. Thanks!
Ahmed, thanks for another great video. When I learned how to drive a school bus when I was in college in the 1970's, my instructor always said to match engine speed with road speed. This is especially true when downshifting or driving a non-synchro transmission. It is very important that you use the correct gear lube in a manual transmission to protect the soft metal parts like synchro rings. I change my tranny, xfer case and differential fluids every 30,000 miles using Royal Purple synthetic gear lube. Finally, be gentle. Treat your baby like a lady. Feel, not force.
I am going to share my experience with a problem I had after replacing the oil of my 2014 rav4 manual transmission. The problem was the shift gear binded in gear, specially when trying to move from first to neutral. The problems was similar to not fully pressing the clutch pedal, but the actual problem was that I had slightly overfilled the gear box. Only 0.2 litres were enough to cause this weird problem.
SUPERIOR video!!! As someone who taught driving (yes, manual transmissions), I want to state that you were bang on with your full explanations of how & why. Absolutely, treat your manual transmission with love and it will outlast everything. Once again, KUDOs my friend. Superior video!
This is great advice. I bought a brand new 1998 Mazda 626 with a manual transmission. My first manual car and I did most of the advice you mentioned and this is something I just did because I felt it was right to take care my clutch and transmission. This is before TH-cam and didn’t get any advice from manual drivers. It’s just something I felt was right. At 235k miles/ 15 years later my fuel pump went out before my clutch. Decided to donate it since I already had 3 cars i owned. I do miss driving my manual 626.😢
I have driven manuals most of my life. Still have one , a 2009 Honda Fit. It is my towed car behind my motorhome. Light and dependable. Now 180K mi. Hey, AMD, good info. I will stop down shifting as much and when I do, will match RPMs. And you just reminded me, I need to change the gear oil. As usual well presented. It would have been nice if on some of this discussion, you were driving and demoing some of this. Although I was able to follow you.
Worked in a shop as an emissions tech up until about 5 years ago. Always amazed me that the youngsters who did the oil changes could not bring a car into the shop that was a manual trans. Got pretty old pretty fast having to stop what I was doing (if the manager was busy) and bring these cars into the shop for them.
Excellent excellent advice. Driving a manual also does feel very direct. If you operate the transmission smoothly, gently, and correctly, the car will give you good feedback. And the opposite applies too.
Great video and great advice. While it wasn't mentioned in the video, I have replaced more clutches due to failed/noisy release (also called throw out) bearings than actual worn out clutches. Riding the clutch, sitting stopped in 1st gear, and high rev shifts all contribute to premature release bearing wear. The release bearing is what actually pushes on the pressure plate fingers. It has to spin up and spin down every time you press the clutch.
Interestingly, quite a few clutch release bearings these days have pre-load springs that keep them in permanent contact with the pressure-plate fingers. I'm not sure I like the idea but there you go.
As a manual transmission 3rd gen Tacoma owner, I approve this message haha. I will say, the diffs on a new Tacoma are another must for an early oil change. Mine at 8k was rather sparkly, all things considered.
Stopping on a hill definitely took me a few good tries before I mastered it. Heavily pressured when you got cars behind you waiting on the light! Made me more intune with the vehicle without a doubt. I went from watching the rpms when they slightly started hitting the bite point to just feeling it through the vehicle now.
Coming from Europe and at 49 years of age (manual transmission is more common in Europe, especially in the past - never had car with automatic transmission :D ), i cannot but agree with that video. Well presented. Except maybe in rev matching when upshifting, revving the engine could be counterproductive (assuming shift is done in reasonable amount of time, not super lazy - engine revs wont drop significantly when done right and gear change will be smooth without throttle input in between), for downwhifting: yes, great technique when done properly, and fun also: i ride motorcycles as well, so rev matching when downshifting is familiar concept to me and used daily. Another tip: when cold, try not to shift without pausing in neutral for a fraction of a second, just don't shift in one brief motion and that's it.
I love manuals also. My past 3 vehicles were all manuals, and I took them all three to 330k miles. 97 Isuzu Rodeo 5spd 4x4-- 95 F150 5spd 4x4-- and a 2002 F350 7.3L 6spd 4x4. I put a lot of miles on these three cars in the last 20 years. lol.. I still have the Diesel at 330k miles and it's as strong as ever.
All great advice. When I had my Focus wagon, I was able to teach myself how to heel-and-toe my downshifts, and eventually got to the point that I always did it. It was just one more thing to enjoy when I got it just right and none of the passengers would be jerked around by the shifting.
Great review as usual, I have learned a lot regarding manual transmissions. I just purchased a 2023 Tacoma TRD Pro with a manual transmission and am enjoying it. There is a small learning curve with a manual but I will apply your suggestions and help too protect the clutch and transmission. I like your suggestion to replace the transmission fluid after 30000 miles. I already changed my oil and filter at 1500 miles for the break in period. I intend to keep my manual Tacoma for a long time. Thanks again
Great advice all around. Especially the point about not fighting the transmission. A firm but gentle hand when shifting is the way to go. Don't force it!
I agree with everything except the part about not to downshift. I live in a northern climate and during icy conditions there is no comparison IMO between the control a manual transmission gives you in comparison to an automatic or cvt. And matching your rpms to the proper gear is crucial at all speeds during these icy conditions. Its true for the 6 months of summer conditions we get each year downshifting may not be necessary, but i would argue that falling out of practice for even those months just might land you in the ditch during the first few snowfalls each winter. Awesome video btw.
I haven't driven manual for 20 years. Interesting that design hasn't been changed for the last 50 years and it is still working for millions of miles. I remember on dad's car made in 70th you need to press pedal to start car. Good video- thank you
When I did my driving license, all these things were noted by the driving instructors. Performing a 'hill start' was compulsory. Good advice, all of what you said, As a fellow master mechanic I agree. Many blessings to you
In my state if you took the test with a manual transmission vehicle and you coasted to a stop in nutral you automatically lost points and failing to be in gear and coasting itself as 2 seperate fails I still remember that over 20 years ago in the old fashioned hand books that we had to learn from driver Ed 😂
I drove a manual transmission for decades and always kept my hand on the gearshift. Never had any transmission or clutch problems or repairs. I put almost 200K miles on my 2003 Acura CL, Type S with a 6-speed manual. I routinely used the transmission for braking. When I sold it, it was on its 5th set of tires, 2nd set of brakes, and still on the original clutch (working just fine). As with most front wheel drive cars, the gearshift worked through cables and that might lessen the effect of keeping one's hand on the gearshift.
Thankyou for being so honest as you renewed the Toyota engine. I'm in Sydney Australia and took my 2013 Toyota to a Dealer in a suburb called Parramatta. I drove about twenty miles then I had to leave it most of the Day for its Service of 140,000kms. Anyhow after paying $1100 for it! They didn't have enough fluid ,(coolant) as it was quarter filled only and told me to just fill it up with water when I get home! I was a mechanic and checked a few things.The tires were not rotated as I marked them the cabin filter was not changed either was the engine air filter but that was fairly new anyhow. I even marked the spark plugs, no change and so on! And this is a so called Big Dealership as it was suppose to be free the first three if I took it ther as I brought the car just up the road from it at Toyota's Dealership. I will do all my own work now as they more or less stole $1100 from me and said they knew nothing about the Deal and I forgot to put the agreement in the car as I was running late!. So sadly it's all about money and not the Good old customer these Days. I could of taken it to fair-trading here in Oz but I was so furious I had to let it go at that. I pray to find a good mechanic like yourself, honest and knows what to do sufficient as I am getting on now as we all are and need a bit of honesty in my life regarding cars. Thanks again. Love watching you do your work. Aussie chris 🇦🇺 ♥️
my father made sure my mom, my elder brother, and i knew how to drive manual and he’s working on our youngest brother now. He’s always told us that driving manual is all about being smooth. Smooth with the clutch and shifter and remaining calm. I learned when i was 14 in our shop parking lot. Never drove a manual or a car in my life but with that advice i was driving manual like a veteran within 45mins
Great video on driving with a manual transmission. Practice gentle shifting and clutch release. Read the road and time the traffic lights definitely makes your clutch and transmissions last.
Being an enthusiastic driver and technician I agree 100% with everything you said. I've just got one question though. Why do many Japanese cars clash their second gear when cold? I'm convinced that plays a big part in the faster wear and tear on 2nd. Personally I use a special Castrol fully synthetic manual transmission fluid in my Nissan Sunny that has been formulated especially to preserve your syncro rings. On cold mornings, I always shift from 1st to 3rd (downhill, where I live☺) to avoid that clash. I also never downshift lower than 3rd. The special oil does help tremendously in cold shifts compared to the 80/90 gear oil that it came with. Thanks for the VERY interesting channel, big Japanese and Toyota fan.
Nice video! I had a 96 Integra 5-speed as my bachelor car before I started a family, and I loved shifting that thing, even in Toronto traffic, which can be a lot of shifting! Once the little ones came along, I moved onto 4-door Toyota hybrids, which sadly don’t fit technologically with manual stick shift… That Integra was the car I *learned on* to drive stick and was only manual I ever owned, I did all the right things you describe, and still had the original clutch (without slippage or any signs of failing) right up until I traded the car at 10 years old and over 300k KM, so I guess I did something right! 😉. Lots of good tips in the video, especially not sitting in #1 with the clutch engaged waiting for traffic lights. 😣 It’s too bad manual transmissions are as rare as they are these days, but that is a byproduct of advancement of technology with autos and CVT which are just as fast and efficient now… Just not as fun. 😕
I naturally do all of these things, and I taught myself how to drive manual. I currently am approaching 140,000km on my car and it still has the stock clutch, it still drives like new. I've had the transmission maintenance done and it wasn't recommended to get it changed. The bearing is fine everything is good, I guess these do really work.
Good video. Another part that wears out when holding the clutch down at stoplights are the thrust bearing surface of the crankshaft bearings. Pushing the clutch pedal down pushes the crankshaft forward. Only one of the main bearings has the thrust bearing surface, and this can have significant wear if the clutch is always held down at stop lights.
Great sound advice. Often now lost to the younger generations who grew up not knowing what a manual transmission is! Maybe you can add a bonus tip of how to double-clutch shift. That really helps to preserve the synchros.
I agree, I double clutch whenever the synchros will be subjected to a large speed differential. I always double clutch when downshifting and skipping gears and I double clutch on upshifts when I'm shifting near max RPM. Also, when double clutching and/or rev matching, err on the side of slightly overshooting the RPM rather than not revving high enough because it's much easier for the clutch and synchros to slow down the engine and clutch disc respectively than to speed it back up.
Excellent,excellent,excellent,informative video. Driving stick for 63 years and I was so proud that I do exactly what you said……..until you got to the part about down shifting. Like to downshift so I can hear my mufflers sing to me. I learned from you and won’t do it again. You are spot on about everything. Thank you. 😊
That part about neutral and parking break . In the U.K you would fail your test if you sat at lights with the car in gear and your foot on the clutch and parking brake not set . I think it is a safety thing so that if you get shunted from behind you would not get pushed into traffic. Do that coasting to a stop in the U.k and you will fail your driving test , shift from 6th to 3rd and then come to a stop , it adds engine braking for control
Great tips. Unfortunately the manual transmissions are progressively disappearing (here in Europe they are still quite popular) and it's a shame. A double clutch or a cvt will never give the same feeling of being involved in driving the vehicle. Same story for the motorcycles.
When im stopping, i throw it to neutral and engage the brakes. A good thing to pay attention to is the speed range of each gear so you know what gear to throw it into when rolling.
@@crow_2k11beatsbydre8 You certainly should be rev matching as he stated. Unless you don't want to accelerate or engine brake (in that case no need to downshift).
Thank you. I drive a manual and learned some things from this video. I love how the Xrunner works, it rev matches automatically when shifting through the gears, the rpms doesn't drop as you clutch in. I agree, manual feels better to drive than an auto, become one with the car.
9:55 when you move the stick over half way you feel the resistance from the syncro. Well i feel opposite i feel like car takes the stick from my hand and finishes the motion weird..
I never knew about the rev matching until my co-worker told me about when we were driving a truck together. That blew my mind! I was wondering if you were going to say anything about it and I am glad you did. I was wondering if it was bad to do that kind of shifting and I was happy with your view of it. 😁
Love this breakdown of the manual transmission. And, yes. There is a HUGE difference in a stock setup manual transmission than one someone has built up to do sprit driving and stock setup. I rev match all the time and even when slowing down. But! Only when driving like back country roads and racing my Trans am, autocrossing, road course racing. But everyday and all the time. Hell no.
AMD….Great video….! My first stick shift car was a 61’ bubble coupe (Chevy Impala) with a 301CI V8 and a 4 speed trans w/a 456 posi screw. The car was fast! Your video brought up some very interesting points and some tips that I never really thought about. I rebuilt that trans because I lost the main drive gear and first gear. I did this by shifting the trans while going over railroad tracks, so I thought. Taking everything apart and repairing the synchros (block rings…?) were cracked and the pilot bearing was literally worn out. This pilot bearing was a cheap porous bronze bearing. My Mustang has what looks to be a ball bearing pilot bearing that I replaced a few years back. It really was the pilot bearing and going over the railroad tracks that caused this failure. No matter, here in Chicago, it was professionally stolen and stripped shortly after it was completed. Yes the insurance company found the shell after it was stripped. Never found out who did it, but I had my suspicions….. thanks for the great tips! Jim
How nice to see this Mazda Miata in this video. I gave my 22 year old daughter this car as a graduation gift from college (she graduated a semester early, and had full time paying job before graudation).
Thanks for the great tips! I've been driving manual since my first car 22 years ago. I never had to rely on the parking brake method and just use heel-toe to keep from rolling backwards. Essentially the same concept. Keep the great videos coming!
The only mistake i do sometimes from the ones you mentioned is resting my foot on the brake while downhill, instead of using the handbrake! Though i never let it in 1st grear when i stop the car, i do that only when i let the pedestrians cross the street! I dont understand the people who leave in 1st gear when they wait at a traffic light, it makes no sense! Its bad for the clutch and its tiring for your foot, why would you do that? I would like to point out another common mistake that is bad for the gearbox and clutch, when you reverse you dont wait untill you stop the car before going into 1st gear, i do that sometimes too. Personally ive never driven an automatic transmission, only manual. Great advices, keep up the good work!
Excellent tips as usual!! I have a manual 2007 Yaris.. Just serviced it not long ago. I dont know the history of the car. Have 104,000 miles on it. Changed fluid.. Hope it lasts a long time..
My work truck is a 2009 Tacoma with a manual transmission and wind up windows. I love it. My dad was a VW mechanic, and I grew up with manual transmission cars. I did hours of pretend play in the garage shifting gears. Sometimes my dad would have me do the shifting when we were driving. He would step on the clutch pedal and say "shift!" Our first automatic transmission in the family was his 1990 Audi 80.
The manual transmission vehicle in my life is an 1986 4Runner (150K miles, we’ve owned it since 1989). It still shifts very well, with one exception - it can sometimes be a bear to put in reverse without crunching it. Sometimes it goes into reverse very smoothly, but not always, so when I feel it not wanting to go in, I’ll try putting it in 2nd or 4th before reverse as I’ve heard some people suggest, but usually this does not help. I think the problem is the synchro is damaged in one part, so depending on where it ends up from previous shifts, it will crunch or not. Been that way for many many years.
If every driver of a manual transmission car had to replace the clutch assembly himself when it wore out there would be a lot less clutch abuse. The last time I helped my son replace his pilot bearing (it failed in the first few weeks after the clutch job for no obvious reason) I pulled a muscle in my face as I struggled to hold it in the right position for him to get the first bell housing bolt in. It hurt for days!
Good info. One thing that came to mind is that many manual transmissions don't have a synchronized reverse gear (definitely not the c-series Toyota transmissions). So engaging reverse when the car is moving forward is really bad for the gears. What I do in my manual 03 corolla to engage reverse from neutral I first depress the clutch, select a forward gear (Which are all synchronized) without releasing the clutch in order to halt the input shaft and then with the clutch still depressed I then engage reverse.
My current 2010 Honda Fit will sycronize reverse but only from a complete stop. My 1983 Subaru absolutely required a shift to a forward gear prior to going to reverse. It was even in the owner's manual.
GREAT advice man! Especially the point about 1st being only for starting from a stop. This for me has one downside and that's when you're going like 2mph and it'll lug in second. In that case I just stop. Then go into 1st. When slowing down I say keep it in the gear it's in until it will lug. If you have the torque you can accelerate in 5th at even 20 mph or even 6th at 35. Assuming ratios are like mine but the point is to leave it be if it isn't going to lug.
Some cars have absurdly long gears lol. Like with my car 3500rpm in 1st only equals around 1750-1800rpm in 2nd. My second goes from 20mph at 1800rpm to 80mph at my engines 7200rpm redline. She lugs hard ahaha
I have automatics as company cars, but manuals as personal cars all my life, and I stick to all those advices as they were taught in my driving school. I would add one more, especially for higher torque cars: DON'T SLIP YOUR CLUTCH WHEN UPSHIFTING, press the clutch, change gear, release clutch, THEN press the gas pedal. I have seen this, especially with older people, you can heat them change gears and the revs go waaaaay up and then you hear them slowly coming down as the clutch gets more bite
My daily is a manual ( Fj Cruiser ) I do downshift a lot, mainly when getting off the highway from 6th to 5th-4th-3rd. I do however rev-match all the time when downshifting and I got it to a point where is very smooth and it’s so satisfying when you got that perfect shift. Something to point out it’s the Fj Cruiser doesn’t like to be shifted fast. You gotta let the synchros do their thing and be gentle. You can slammed into gear but it’s not happy about it.
Thank you so much for teaching me about being gentle with the clutch! I will remember to not keep my foot on the clutch all the time! I will remember to not do the unnecessary downshifting on my clutch! You are a great Teacher!
Thanks AMD for the advice, waiting on my manual tacoma is nice to refresh the right things to do driving manual transmission is been few years that I drove manual, great video.
I've been driving manual transmissions since my first car, more than 50 years ago. I will stop putting my '98 Subaru Impreza into 1st at the red light thanks to TCCN's sensible advice! But it is becoming nearly impossible to find a new car with a manual transmission. I looked a few years ago and the only Toyota I could find with one is the model that's actually a Mazda!
I've been enjoying manual transmission vehicles for a long time, the latest being my newest Mazda 3. By doing (most) of what you said consistently, the clutch in my VW TDI lasted over 160k miles. Oil changes are necessary and actually make for a better feel. Red Line makes a very good oil, MT 90, for manual transmissions. (Check it for compatibility for your manual trans.) In my previous Mazda 3, synchros operated much more smoothly after replacing oil with MT 90 at the first 40k mile service interval. I hope that manufacturers continue offering vehicles with manual transmissions! Thank you for an excellent video, brother. God Bless!
Hi I Love your Videos, and I’m a big Toyota Fan . I’ve just changed my transmission oil on my Toyota Avensis 2.0 D4d 1AD-FTV 130,000 miles. I’ve used Fuchs Titans Race SRG 75 Full Ester, And it has made a massive difference to the behaviour of the vehicle. No Drag just it just rolls freely and gear shift has become very smooth especially from 1st to 2nd. Best of all my MPG has risen slightly. Keep up the Good work ! 👍
I use Amsoil synthetic lubricants for my engine and transmission. The only Avensis we have around here are the ones disguised as the Scion tC or Lexus HS 250h.
I have a 2014 Fiesta as my commuter. It's like a 5spd go cart! Although a 30 minute stop and go traffic jam going UP a bridge did have me worried about the clutch one afternoon!
I noticed my 2021 corolla se is hard to shift from first to second when is cold now in winter time with low temps. When the car is warm enough, the shift goes back to smooth. The car is going to 40k miles so I will change the oil like you recommended. Thank you. God bless you. 👍
just sold my 2019 Rav4 and kept my 2011 Scion XB with the manual. Every time I do a shift, it brings joy through my spine and the best thing with a manual is that you can do hypermiling so easily, when ever you see the light turns red in the distance, just put it in neutral and let it coast. Even in city driving, I can get 27 MPG in my Xb.
I’m currently driving a 2022 Mazda 3 hatch with a manual, it has a hill start assist feature that holds the brakes even after you let your foot off the pedal when you’re hanging on an incline and about to move. Totally phenomenal feature. It is different from the “Hold” function. I’m pretty that Miata has one of those too.
I'm personally not a fan of it - not that I think it's a bad idea at all, but I prefer using the handbrake as it's much more engaging and takes some of the skill back from the computer. I have the hill assist system disabled in my '10 STi, not just because I don't use it, but also because this particular system is garbage!
I have 2008 Infiniti G37S 6MT (coupe) that I used for a daily driver, and my stock clutch lasted 180k miles before it started slipping. I was never hard on my gears, and I never did unnecessary shifting. So when I went to replaced my clutch, my flywheel was in perfect shape that after 180k miles it could still be re-used. now as for my race car which is a 1992 Nissan Skyline GTR that makes 1500 WHP, I am replacing the clutch so often because I am very aggressive with my shifting and at the track I am always down shift rev matching. So yes take this guys word of advice and be gentle with your MT if you are going to be daily driving it.
I remember teaching a friend how to drive my manual Honda Civic. He was pretty rough with the gear shift. I told him to imagine that the gear knob was an egg, and not to break the egg. He instantly shifted much more smoothly. My two cents worth.
I tell guys to treat the gear lever like it is your johnson. That gives them a mental picture of how much force you should put on it. Don't grab the gearshift lever, use your fingertips, and if the gear doesn't engage easily, you might be trying to downshift into too low a gear for your speed. That's a "money shift", and that isn't good!
@@dougrobinson8602 What do you tell the ladies?
An image I also wish someone told me learning manual is literally imagining the clutch, my brother never exactly told me how the clutch engages, so I didn't know what to visualize. I found a vid that talked about how they're essentially 2 discs that you have to mate and mate smoothly, never had a problem with an uphill start or stationary start since.
Dude that's how you make someone fall in love with driving
@@dougrobinson8602 What do you do about the death-grip guys?
Taught my newly licensed niece to drive a manual transmission in my '72 Mercedes 220 Diesel. You never heard such grinding in your life. She went on to a be a lifetime fan of automatics. I went on to purchasing $550 worth of parts and finding which one of my shop techs had experience with those gearboxes. No good deed goes unpunished........
😅😅
I drive a '82 w123 auto, really been wanting to manual swap it someday so I can properly row my boat
That was on you for trying to teach her on that dinosaur. Should of used a small honda they are the easiest to learn/teach.
I love manuals. Made sure my son's first car was a manual. We currently have a manual FJ Cruiser & manual BMW e46.
I have owned a manual transmission vehicle since I was 16 (30 years).
My current manual transmission vehicle is a 2007 Corolla with 245k miles on her.
This is great advice. Thank you.
Coming from a manual family. I've owned 3 automatics. Sold them & my last 3 were manuals. I've never looked back. Manuals are truly fun & a real driving experience. I'm leaning towards the Corolla GR manual next only because I see true Toyota technology over the Supra. Thanks for the video. I feel soo much better knowing I've been doing it right all these years.
The new mk5 supra doesn't even have a Toyota engine, engine's from bmw, electronics, etc which I am definitely not a fan off. You're better off buying a GR corolla
It's only fun if you live in the place where there's not a lot of traffic jams. I'm all for manuals when I'm in smaller towns, but in a big city it gets old very quickly.
@@dmytrotarasov9477that’s because everyone wants to ride bumper to bumper. I drive a big rig and can get through most traffic jams without ever coming to a stop. You can drive a car with a manual the same way. You’re not getting anywhere faster by riding up the person’s butt. Just back off a lil.
I agree with most points except with slowing via engine braking/downshifting. I know what is being said here but for proper safety, you need to be in an effective gear at all times. In many Europrean driving exams, you must always downshift to demonstrate you have full control of the car (in other words, you can accelerate/decelerate at all times). If you learn to downshift rev-match reasonably well, this is going to provide more vehicle control. You need to downshift up certain grades or to change speeds without stopping. This happens all the time so you need to learn to match revs as best you can regardless. While this does increase wear, you could argue that this is actually just normal wear and tear for driving a manual properly and that not doing so does reduce wear but also reduces vehicle control and safety. I'll take vehicle control and safety over saving a bit of clutch wear. And if you are gentle with your shift lever than there shouldn't be excessive transmission wear that would cause transmission failure before all the other components in your car started failing. To each their own but this the only point I think is perhaps a bit oversimplified. An automatic downshifts for a good reason and you need to as well. Learning to not burn the clutch while doing so is the main challenge here but that all comes down to skill and practice.
In my accord v6, i downshift revmatch always all the way down to 2nd gear so my rpms stay between 2000-3000.
Downshift revmatching puts no wear on the system if you do it right. If you are really good, you could stretch a single clutch out for far longer than normal.
If the car doesn't lean forward at all when you revmatch, you know you've done it perfectly. If it does increase wear, i think it's offset by not needing to replace brake pads as often, and the small amount of fuel you save when you're engine braking.
One important thing to know is that semi truck drivers have like 20+gears. They are always in gear, which means they're constantly rev matching and double clutching. I also double clutch on the 2nd to 3rd upshift just because i can and 3rd in my car has always been finicky. If I'm flooring it, i don't double clutch, but I've been working on the double clutch heel toe rev match, i can do it sometimes but it's hard af.
I just hate rolling up to a stop in neutral. I like rolling down through second gear until I'm just above idle, then i push the clutch and put it in neutral so I'm not just holding the clutch down
Well said
> you need to be in an effective gear at all times
I disagree. Every time you shift, you are out of gear, if even for just a split second. Coasting down hill is just an extended shift!
He says you need to downshift to decrease wear because it’s less sudden shifting. Might need to rewatch that section
@@NoBaconForYou you’re missing the point I think. His arguments in the video in regards to down shifting are:
Yes, Do down shift when you need. Don’t downshift unnecessarily.
When do you need to? Going up a hill or slowing down. You can slow down while in 6th and downshift to 3rd eventually. Just don’t downshift every gear.
Pressing your clutch that much IS going to wear your clutch a bit (not crazy amount because if you rev match properly it does minimize the wear).
It WILL wear your pressure plate.
It WILL wear your master and slave cylinder.
Your brakes are dirt cheap and way simpler to replace than all those parts. Braking while in gear will help and you can still downshift but only to one other gear probably. Not necessary to downshift every gear.
Trucking is also different than normal driving. They have a huge load to consider and their brakes are not strong enough to constantly apply pressure (too much heat) so they must also engine brake. It’s a different driving condition that normal cars simply don’t need to worry about unless you’re towing as well.
You are extending the life of your clutch more than someone who doesn’t rev match will but you’re decreasing the life of your master and slave cylinders and the pressure plate.
Don't even own a Toyota. I own a Honda Fit manual transmission and I always learn something from you AMD. Thank you!
You just own the perfect quirky car
@@kojsiusoaliu6772 thank you! It's a great car. A shame it's no longer on the US market.
@@MrKaystew the new one is perfect for european roads, EV mode barely all the time, (engine works as a generator at normal speed) it's so smooth during city drive. Everyhing's perfect except it's batteries issues, but no big deal compared to every other crappy car brands
Good advice on using neutral while stopped. I wore out a throw out bearing on my manual transmission Mazda RX-7 many years ago by leaving the transmission in first gear and just pushing down on the clutch while waiting at stop lights. It was a costly, but worthwhile lesson for many more years of driving manual transmissions.
Modern cars have brake hold too, don't have to hold down any pedals when you are stopped.
@@nobodylmportant actually that's hurting your transmission, since the gear is still engaging Drive each time. The force wears our your clutch. Either case, don't argue with your girlfriend if you actually like her and want her around. They have big feelings. th-cam.com/video/ULcSauSJrsY/w-d-xo.html
Yeah only put that shit into first when you know you’re going to be moving
@@LAactor hello, just watched this video, enjoyed it and learned a couple things. Unlike a lot of commenters I've been a gearhead for many years, especially 2 wheels, with extensive racetrack experience, so I guess I have some knowledge. Actually your comment is incorrect, automotive transmissions DON'T have a clutch, they have something called a torque converter. An automatic transmission is quite a different device from its manual counterpart. Cheers!!!!
Oops correction Automatic transmissions. Everyone have a good day.
PERFECT video and suggestions. I have been driving manuals for 40 years. I learned the hard way when I was younger. LISTEN TO The Car Care Nut folks!! And I'll never forget (before TH-cam existed) PBS CAR TALK Tom & Ray always saying: "Brakes are for slowing the vehicle; NOT the transmission"
😁
Never heard of the upshift rev matching suggestion so I tried it on a few of my sports cars - I think it is just "Plain STUPID"🤡🤡🤡 & unintuitive. Of course, it "may" be "incrementally" better for the drive train❓❓
Does anyone ever do upshift rev-matching on the regular - I DOUBT it...
Learned the hard way too, destroyed my throw out bearing and it left me stranded.
@@TerryManitoba Every upshift I do is rev matched to the best of my ability. Nobody's perfect, but I try. You can also change how quickly you move the gear lever to let the engine settle into the correct rpm for the next gear. Most people do it too quickly, which wears synchros.
@@dougrobinson8602 I've never had to open a manual trany for synchro repair over the last 45 years of driving.
If I were to slowly upshift rev match - I'd likely roll over die and get a CVT🤡🤡🤡
Until then I'm going to enjoy fast shifting & actually enjoying the car for what it was meant to do.
Wow what a great video. I’ve yet to need to replace a clutch on any of my cars by following AMD’s same protocols. I’ll add a couple points:
1. Don’t wear thick/high heeled or soled shoes if you can avoid it. Beefy shoes really diminish your sense of touch with the clutch pedal.
2. If you face lots of stop and go commuting daily, Think twice about buying manual if you have other options. Dragging though daily traffic wears out clutches and your left foot :D I love driving manual…until I’m stuck for 30 minutes in heavy traffic.
Great video AMD!
quite true. I have a 2019 toyota 86 trd, and it is only is only used on the weekends. Stop and go traffic will give you a disdain for manual trans. vehicles pretty quickly...
I work in a factory and wear heavy steel toe boots. Sometimes I go barefoot on the way home...
Not only your foot, your knee and hip too!
Good tip about thin soled shes to feel the pedals . I used to have to wear safety boots at work but always changed into light shoes when i finished work . Tried driving in the safety boots a couple of times , nightmare
@@ozarklife9996 might save gas too
For us minority MT drivers, it's always good to have reminders of how to keep ours going.
Agreed!
Another pro tip is to approach red lights slowly, because many times, by the time you get there, the light turns green and you'll have saved yourself from having to use the clutch from a stop, which is when you use the most clutch material.
common sense aint common
Exactly, that will save a lot of fuel and brake wear too not to mention being safer. I don't understand why so many people seem to think being the first person to slam their brakes on for a red light is some kind of an accomplishment. All they really accomplished is burning more gas, wearing their vehicle unnecessarily, and putting themselves and others at a higher than necessary risk.
That’s the same in traffic. Why ride bumper to bumper when you can just coast in first gear by leaving a little space in between you and the car in front of you. I drive a big rig and can drive through most big cities without ever coming to a complete stop, even during rush hour.
@@Coonazz791 Agreed!
I'll usually downshift into first and creep along. Most of the time the light turns before I have to stop
Hill assist was at first annoying to me but now that I'm used to it I absolutely LOVE it. It makes those steep starts on a rainy day so much less stressful. Even after decades of driving manual those situations can be stressful. Either you don't have enough power and you stall or you have way too much and you go sideways. Gotta be careful and quick to get it right. Hill assist allows you to only focus on the clutch and accelerator without having to fight against the roll back. Basically you just gas it as normal if your car has the torque.
I've got a 3rd gen 4runner with a 5spd. It's the funnest ride; eventhough, it's slower than most cars. I've always had manual trans on all my rides. For me it's there preference. You have to be alert, and it's more enjoyable! Thank you!
im SO glad someone has some sense and understanding about how manuals work and whats bad for them... i tried telling this to all my friends and coworkers but they never believe me
4:25 that exactly wut I do. At uphill grades, i engage the parking brakes then release the clutch til theres enough rpm and the car wants to go, then quickly release the parking brake. You can do the same with the pedal brake but i prefer the parking brake because i can relax my leg. I even do this sometimes at long red lights. Driving stick is alot of work.
Excellent Advice for Manuals in passenger cars. I love my 2016 Honda Accord 6-speed. Change that oil every 30K ... super easy to do. Now, for my 2008 Ram 4500 dump with the 6-speed (Southbend 1,100 lb/ft clutch) it is a different story. Everything is slow moving, long throws, but the downshifting is a must especially when you have many thousands of lbs. in the dump body and pulling a trailer. Downshifting through the gears and letting the Exhaust brake help slow down the load is crucial otherwise you'd burn up the brakes fast and at $300 per rotor and $200+ pads for back or front that gets expensive FAST.
Great stuff. My dad insisted that I learn how to drive on a manual transmission, and I'm so glad he did. I love the advice on "clutch breaking." I don't know how many times I've heard people say you should brake by shifting down in gears "to avoid wearing out your brakes." Like he said, it's way more expensive and time-consuming to replace a clutch than brakes. The only time I use shifting to slow down is if I'm descending on a steep hill (like he mentioned) and my brakes are starting to get sketchy. And I don't know how many of my friends felt like they had to shift like a race car driver (even unintentionally), crunching those gears.
Good points that I pass on to everyone too. I never understood the need to sit at a light while in gear with the clutch pedal depressed. I'm also a big believer in changing the gear oil very 30k miles for the vey reason you stated, to get rid of any debris. Most people just don't understand this reasoning. Every manual transmission I've owned from new has shifted like new even after 300k+ miles. Congrats on your new shop too! I wish I lived closer to come by and see it.
This guy REALLY knows his stuff! If you follw up on all of his advice you will never experience any problems with your manual transmission! Which is exactly what you want, because work on and parts for manual transmissions is expensive.
When I first learn to drive, manual was common, automatic were inefficient and use more gas. Went through 5 cars with manual until it was much less standard. My brother has a Fiesta ST and I get to drive that from time to time and what a joy it is. Still remember how to shift after nearly 20 years of no practice.
Great advice AMD! I used to have a 1991 Honda Civic. 291,000 miles the transmission never gave me an ounce of trouble. Had the original clutch too. Thanks!
@mewisemagic oh my god I love those old civics. I’ve been searching for a stock mint one for a LONG time. What colour was yours?
@@Blakecryderman7244 It was red
Almost 300k mi on the original clutch, that’s quite the achievement even for a superbly engineered early 90s Honda. Which they were.
@@Levi-mg4nf wow, extremely impressive
Ahmed, thanks for another great video. When I learned how to drive a school bus when I was in college in the 1970's, my instructor always said to match engine speed with road speed. This is especially true when downshifting or driving a non-synchro transmission. It is very important that you use the correct gear lube in a manual transmission to protect the soft metal parts like synchro rings. I change my tranny, xfer case and differential fluids every 30,000 miles using Royal Purple synthetic gear lube. Finally, be gentle. Treat your baby like a lady. Feel, not force.
I use Castrol BOT 402 in my Nissan Sunny gearbox☺
I am going to share my experience with a problem I had after replacing the oil of my 2014 rav4 manual transmission. The problem was the shift gear binded in gear, specially when trying to move from first to neutral. The problems was similar to not fully pressing the clutch pedal, but the actual problem was that I had slightly overfilled the gear box. Only 0.2 litres were enough to cause this weird problem.
RAV4 manual?
Yes, from Spain. @@rj12345rj
SUPERIOR video!!! As someone who taught driving (yes, manual transmissions), I want to state that you were bang on with your full explanations of how & why.
Absolutely, treat your manual transmission with love and it will outlast everything.
Once again, KUDOs my friend. Superior video!
Excellent advice. 69 retired driving a 2006 Subaru sti and 98 honda prelude
The parking brake trick is gold. Been doing that for years. Ive gotten spoiled with some of the auto brake holds on some of the newer cars though.
This is great advice. I bought a brand new 1998 Mazda 626 with a manual transmission. My first manual car and I did most of the advice you mentioned and this is something I just did because I felt it was right to take care my clutch and transmission. This is before TH-cam and didn’t get any advice from manual drivers. It’s just something I felt was right. At 235k miles/ 15 years later my fuel pump went out before my clutch. Decided to donate it since I already had 3 cars i owned. I do miss driving my manual 626.😢
Once I switched to manual I never looked back. Recently Toyota patented a manual transmission for electric cars so there is still hope 😁
I have driven manuals most of my life. Still have one , a 2009 Honda Fit. It is my towed car behind my motorhome. Light and dependable. Now 180K mi. Hey, AMD, good info. I will stop down shifting as much and when I do, will match RPMs. And you just reminded me, I need to change the gear oil. As usual well presented. It would have been nice if on some of this discussion, you were driving and demoing some of this. Although I was able to follow you.
Worked in a shop as an emissions tech up until about 5 years ago. Always amazed me that the youngsters who did the oil changes could not bring a car into the shop that was a manual trans. Got pretty old pretty fast having to stop what I was doing (if the manager was busy) and bring these cars into the shop for them.
Excellent excellent advice. Driving a manual also does feel very direct. If you operate the transmission smoothly, gently, and correctly, the car will give you good feedback. And the opposite applies too.
Great video and great advice. While it wasn't mentioned in the video, I have replaced more clutches due to failed/noisy release (also called throw out) bearings than actual worn out clutches. Riding the clutch, sitting stopped in 1st gear, and high rev shifts all contribute to premature release bearing wear. The release bearing is what actually pushes on the pressure plate fingers. It has to spin up and spin down every time you press the clutch.
Interestingly, quite a few clutch release bearings these days have pre-load springs that keep them in permanent contact with the pressure-plate fingers. I'm not sure I like the idea but there you go.
Great info
As a manual transmission 3rd gen Tacoma owner, I approve this message haha.
I will say, the diffs on a new Tacoma are another must for an early oil change.
Mine at 8k was rather sparkly, all things considered.
My front diff was twice as dirty as the rear.
Stopping on a hill definitely took me a few good tries before I mastered it. Heavily pressured when you got cars behind you waiting on the light! Made me more intune with the vehicle without a doubt. I went from watching the rpms when they slightly started hitting the bite point to just feeling it through the vehicle now.
Coming from Europe and at 49 years of age (manual transmission is more common in Europe, especially in the past - never had car with automatic transmission :D ), i cannot but agree with that video. Well presented. Except maybe in rev matching when upshifting, revving the engine could be counterproductive (assuming shift is done in reasonable amount of time, not super lazy - engine revs wont drop significantly when done right and gear change will be smooth without throttle input in between), for downwhifting: yes, great technique when done properly, and fun also: i ride motorcycles as well, so rev matching when downshifting is familiar concept to me and used daily. Another tip: when cold, try not to shift without pausing in neutral for a fraction of a second, just don't shift in one brief motion and that's it.
I love manuals also. My past 3 vehicles were all manuals, and I took them all three to 330k miles. 97 Isuzu Rodeo 5spd 4x4-- 95 F150 5spd 4x4-- and a 2002 F350 7.3L 6spd 4x4. I put a lot of miles on these three cars in the last 20 years. lol.. I still have the Diesel at 330k miles and it's as strong as ever.
All great advice.
When I had my Focus wagon, I was able to teach myself how to heel-and-toe my downshifts, and eventually got to the point that I always did it. It was just one more thing to enjoy when I got it just right and none of the passengers would be jerked around by the shifting.
Great review as usual, I have learned a lot regarding manual transmissions. I just purchased a 2023 Tacoma TRD Pro with a manual transmission and am enjoying it. There is a small learning curve with a manual but I will apply your suggestions and help too protect the clutch and transmission. I like your suggestion to replace the transmission fluid after 30000 miles. I already changed my oil and filter at 1500 miles for the break in period. I intend to keep my manual Tacoma for a long time. Thanks again
Great advice all around. Especially the point about not fighting the transmission. A firm but gentle hand when shifting is the way to go. Don't force it!
I agree with everything except the part about not to downshift. I live in a northern climate and during icy conditions there is no comparison IMO between the control a manual transmission gives you in comparison to an automatic or cvt. And matching your rpms to the proper gear is crucial at all speeds during these icy conditions. Its true for the 6 months of summer conditions we get each year downshifting may not be necessary, but i would argue that falling out of practice for even those months just might land you in the ditch during the first few snowfalls each winter. Awesome video btw.
I haven't driven manual for 20 years. Interesting that design hasn't been changed for the last 50 years and it is still working for millions of miles. I remember on dad's car made in 70th you need to press pedal to start car. Good video- thank you
When I did my driving license, all these things were noted by the driving instructors. Performing a 'hill start' was compulsory. Good advice, all of what you said, As a fellow master mechanic I agree. Many blessings to you
In my state if you took the test with a manual transmission vehicle and you coasted to a stop in nutral you automatically lost points and failing to be in gear and coasting itself as 2 seperate fails I still remember that over 20 years ago in the old fashioned hand books that we had to learn from driver Ed 😂
I drove a manual transmission for decades and always kept my hand on the gearshift. Never had any transmission or clutch problems or repairs. I put almost 200K miles on my 2003 Acura CL, Type S with a 6-speed manual. I routinely used the transmission for braking. When I sold it, it was on its 5th set of tires, 2nd set of brakes, and still on the original clutch (working just fine). As with most front wheel drive cars, the gearshift worked through cables and that might lessen the effect of keeping one's hand on the gearshift.
Those were Japanese vehicles
Thanks AMD! I'm going to show this to my son. He burned out new clutch in my 2000 VW Golf in less than 2 years!
What a coincidence, I’m planning on changing my transmission oil tomorrow! My gallon jug of Redline MT-90 is supposed to deliver today.
Thankyou for being so honest as you renewed the Toyota engine. I'm in Sydney Australia and took my 2013 Toyota to a Dealer in a suburb called Parramatta. I drove about twenty miles then I had to leave it most of the Day for its Service of 140,000kms. Anyhow after paying $1100 for it! They didn't have enough fluid ,(coolant) as it was quarter filled only and told me to just fill it up with water when I get home! I was a mechanic and checked a few things.The tires were not rotated as I marked them the cabin filter was not changed either was the engine air filter but that was fairly new anyhow. I even marked the spark plugs, no change and so on! And this is a so called Big Dealership as it was suppose to be free the first three if I took it ther as I brought the car just up the road from it at Toyota's Dealership. I will do all my own work now as they more or less stole $1100 from me and said they knew nothing about the Deal and I forgot to put the agreement in the car as I was running late!. So sadly it's all about money and not the Good old customer these Days. I could of taken it to fair-trading here in Oz but I was so furious I had to let it go at that. I pray to find a good mechanic like yourself, honest and knows what to do sufficient as I am getting on now as we all are and need a bit of honesty in my life regarding cars.
Thanks again. Love watching you do your work.
Aussie chris 🇦🇺 ♥️
miles?
my father made sure my mom, my elder brother, and i knew how to drive manual and he’s working on our youngest brother now. He’s always told us that driving manual is all about being smooth. Smooth with the clutch and shifter and remaining calm. I learned when i was 14 in our shop parking lot. Never drove a manual or a car in my life but with that advice i was driving manual like a veteran within 45mins
Great video on driving with a manual transmission. Practice gentle shifting and clutch release. Read the road and time the traffic lights definitely makes your clutch and transmissions last.
Being an enthusiastic driver and technician I agree 100% with everything you said. I've just got one question though. Why do many Japanese cars clash their second gear when cold? I'm convinced that plays a big part in the faster wear and tear on 2nd. Personally I use a special Castrol fully synthetic manual transmission fluid in my Nissan Sunny that has been formulated especially to preserve your syncro rings. On cold mornings, I always shift from 1st to 3rd (downhill, where I live☺) to avoid that clash. I also never downshift lower than 3rd. The special oil does help tremendously in cold shifts compared to the 80/90 gear oil that it came with.
Thanks for the VERY interesting channel, big Japanese and Toyota fan.
Nice video! I had a 96 Integra 5-speed as my bachelor car before I started a family, and I loved shifting that thing, even in Toronto traffic, which can be a lot of shifting! Once the little ones came along, I moved onto 4-door Toyota hybrids, which sadly don’t fit technologically with manual stick shift… That Integra was the car I *learned on* to drive stick and was only manual I ever owned, I did all the right things you describe, and still had the original clutch (without slippage or any signs of failing) right up until I traded the car at 10 years old and over 300k KM, so I guess I did something right! 😉. Lots of good tips in the video, especially not sitting in #1 with the clutch engaged waiting for traffic lights. 😣
It’s too bad manual transmissions are as rare as they are these days, but that is a byproduct of advancement of technology with autos and CVT which are just as fast and efficient now… Just not as fun. 😕
I naturally do all of these things, and I taught myself how to drive manual. I currently am approaching 140,000km on my car and it still has the stock clutch, it still drives like new. I've had the transmission maintenance done and it wasn't recommended to get it changed. The bearing is fine everything is good, I guess these do really work.
Good video. Another part that wears out when holding the clutch down at stoplights are the thrust bearing surface of the crankshaft bearings. Pushing the clutch pedal down pushes the crankshaft forward. Only one of the main bearings has the thrust bearing surface, and this can have significant wear if the clutch is always held down at stop lights.
Great sound advice. Often now lost to the younger generations who grew up not knowing what a manual transmission is! Maybe you can add a bonus tip of how to double-clutch shift. That really helps to preserve the synchros.
I agree, I double clutch whenever the synchros will be subjected to a large speed differential. I always double clutch when downshifting and skipping gears and I double clutch on upshifts when I'm shifting near max RPM. Also, when double clutching and/or rev matching, err on the side of slightly overshooting the RPM rather than not revving high enough because it's much easier for the clutch and synchros to slow down the engine and clutch disc respectively than to speed it back up.
Very helpful video, even I have been driving manual transmission since 23 years. Thanks man.
Excellent,excellent,excellent,informative video. Driving stick for 63 years and I was so proud that I do exactly what you said……..until you got to the part about down shifting. Like to downshift so I can hear my mufflers sing to me. I learned from you and won’t do it again. You are spot on about everything. Thank you. 😊
Awesome video, been driving manual transmission all my life, and my driving has changed and still learning stuff even now. Thank you!
That part about neutral and parking break . In the U.K you would fail your test if you sat at lights with the car in gear and your foot on the clutch and parking brake not set . I think it is a safety thing so that if you get shunted from behind you would not get pushed into traffic.
Do that coasting to a stop in the U.k and you will fail your driving test , shift from 6th to 3rd and then come to a stop , it adds engine braking for control
Great tips. Unfortunately the manual transmissions are progressively disappearing (here in Europe they are still quite popular) and it's a shame. A double clutch or a cvt will never give the same feeling of being involved in driving the vehicle. Same story for the motorcycles.
When im stopping, i throw it to neutral and engage the brakes. A good thing to pay attention to is the speed range of each gear so you know what gear to throw it into when rolling.
Well said, know your speed to which gear your vehicle should be driving. no need for rev matching......
@@crow_2k11beatsbydre8 You certainly should be rev matching as he stated. Unless you don't want to accelerate or engine brake (in that case no need to downshift).
Thank you. I drive a manual and learned some things from this video. I love how the Xrunner works, it rev matches automatically when shifting through the gears, the rpms doesn't drop as you clutch in. I agree, manual feels better to drive than an auto, become one with the car.
9:55 when you move the stick over half way you feel the resistance from the syncro. Well i feel opposite i feel like car takes the stick from my hand and finishes the motion weird..
I never knew about the rev matching until my co-worker told me about when we were driving a truck together. That blew my mind! I was wondering if you were going to say anything about it and I am glad you did. I was wondering if it was bad to do that kind of shifting and I was happy with your view of it. 😁
Love this breakdown of the manual transmission. And, yes. There is a HUGE difference in a stock setup manual transmission than one someone has built up to do sprit driving and stock setup. I rev match all the time and even when slowing down. But! Only when driving like back country roads and racing my Trans am, autocrossing, road course racing. But everyday and all the time. Hell no.
AMD….Great video….! My first stick shift car was a 61’ bubble coupe (Chevy Impala) with a 301CI V8 and a 4 speed trans w/a 456 posi screw. The car was fast! Your video brought up some very interesting points and some tips that I never really thought about. I rebuilt that trans because I lost the main drive gear and first gear. I did this by shifting the trans while going over railroad tracks, so I thought. Taking everything apart and repairing the synchros (block rings…?) were cracked and the pilot bearing was literally worn out. This pilot bearing was a cheap porous bronze bearing. My Mustang has what looks to be a ball bearing pilot bearing that I replaced a few years back. It really was the pilot bearing and going over the railroad tracks that caused this failure. No matter, here in Chicago, it was professionally stolen and stripped shortly after it was completed. Yes the insurance company found the shell after it was stripped. Never found out who did it, but I had my suspicions….. thanks for the great tips! Jim
Great advice as usual.
Also glad to see i had a great driving instructor back in the day, he gave the exact same guidance as you did.
How nice to see this Mazda Miata in this video. I gave my 22 year old daughter this car as a graduation gift from college (she graduated a semester early, and had full time paying job before graudation).
I love my 92 Toyota Extra Cab pickup with a manual transmission. 30 years old and still going strong.
Good video! 2019 Tacoma Sport with manual trans. Still enjoy it as much as I did the day I bought it!
I have 2023 GR86 and 2023 Tacoma TRD Off-Road - both six speed manuals! I love it!
Thanks for the great tips! I've been driving manual since my first car 22 years ago. I never had to rely on the parking brake method and just use heel-toe to keep from rolling backwards. Essentially the same concept. Keep the great videos coming!
The only mistake i do sometimes from the ones you mentioned is resting my foot on the brake while downhill, instead of using the handbrake! Though i never let it in 1st grear when i stop the car, i do that only when i let the pedestrians cross the street! I dont understand the people who leave in 1st gear when they wait at a traffic light, it makes no sense! Its bad for the clutch and its tiring for your foot, why would you do that? I would like to point out another common mistake that is bad for the gearbox and clutch, when you reverse you dont wait untill you stop the car before going into 1st gear, i do that sometimes too. Personally ive never driven an automatic transmission, only manual. Great advices, keep up the good work!
Excellent tips as usual!! I have a manual 2007 Yaris.. Just serviced it not long ago. I dont know the history of the car. Have 104,000 miles on it. Changed fluid.. Hope it lasts a long time..
👍
Thank you for sharing. I just want to let you know that I'm jealous of your customers to have you as their mechanic. God bless you and your family.
My work truck is a 2009 Tacoma with a manual transmission and wind up windows. I love it. My dad was a VW mechanic, and I grew up with manual transmission cars. I did hours of pretend play in the garage shifting gears. Sometimes my dad would have me do the shifting when we were driving. He would step on the clutch pedal and say "shift!" Our first automatic transmission in the family was his 1990 Audi 80.
The manual transmission vehicle in my life is an 1986 4Runner (150K miles, we’ve owned it since 1989). It still shifts very well, with one exception - it can sometimes be a bear to put in reverse without crunching it. Sometimes it goes into reverse very smoothly, but not always, so when I feel it not wanting to go in, I’ll try putting it in 2nd or 4th before reverse as I’ve heard some people suggest, but usually this does not help. I think the problem is the synchro is damaged in one part, so depending on where it ends up from previous shifts, it will crunch or not. Been that way for many many years.
I put mine in 1st then in R
If every driver of a manual transmission car had to replace the clutch assembly himself when it wore out there would be a lot less clutch abuse. The last time I helped my son replace his pilot bearing (it failed in the first few weeks after the clutch job for no obvious reason) I pulled a muscle in my face as I struggled to hold it in the right position for him to get the first bell housing bolt in. It hurt for days!
Great info as I have a 2021 TRD Pro Tacoma M/T, so at 30K change the Transmission fluid. been driving M/T since 1978.
Good info.
One thing that came to mind is that many manual transmissions don't have a synchronized reverse gear (definitely not the c-series Toyota transmissions). So engaging reverse when the car is moving forward is really bad for the gears. What I do in my manual 03 corolla to engage reverse from neutral I first depress the clutch, select a forward gear (Which are all synchronized) without releasing the clutch in order to halt the input shaft and then with the clutch still depressed I then engage reverse.
My current 2010 Honda Fit will sycronize reverse but only from a complete stop. My 1983 Subaru absolutely required a shift to a forward gear prior to going to reverse. It was even in the owner's manual.
GREAT advice man! Especially the point about 1st being only for starting from a stop. This for me has one downside and that's when you're going like 2mph and it'll lug in second. In that case I just stop. Then go into 1st. When slowing down I say keep it in the gear it's in until it will lug. If you have the torque you can accelerate in 5th at even 20 mph or even 6th at 35. Assuming ratios are like mine but the point is to leave it be if it isn't going to lug.
Some cars have absurdly long gears lol. Like with my car 3500rpm in 1st only equals around 1750-1800rpm in 2nd. My second goes from 20mph at 1800rpm to 80mph at my engines 7200rpm redline. She lugs hard ahaha
Finally found a mechanic I can trust. Thank from South Africa.
I have automatics as company cars, but manuals as personal cars all my life, and I stick to all those advices as they were taught in my driving school.
I would add one more, especially for higher torque cars: DON'T SLIP YOUR CLUTCH WHEN UPSHIFTING, press the clutch, change gear, release clutch, THEN press the gas pedal.
I have seen this, especially with older people, you can heat them change gears and the revs go waaaaay up and then you hear them slowly coming down as the clutch gets more bite
Thank you. Great advice. So do you only slip the clutch on down shifts?
99' 4runner Manual. 280k and smooth as butter. You hit it on the Nail thank you.
My daily is a manual ( Fj Cruiser ) I do downshift a lot, mainly when getting off the highway from 6th to 5th-4th-3rd. I do however rev-match all the time when downshifting and I got it to a point where is very smooth and it’s so satisfying when you got that perfect shift.
Something to point out it’s the Fj Cruiser doesn’t like to be shifted fast. You gotta let the synchros do their thing and be gentle. You can slammed into gear but it’s not happy about it.
Thank you so much for teaching me about being gentle with the clutch!
I will remember to not keep my foot on the clutch all the time!
I will remember to not do the unnecessary downshifting on my clutch!
You are a great Teacher!
All the good advice in ONE place. Thank you sir! You are awesome & this helped me A LOT!
Back in the day... 1983 I drove a Mazda RX7
THE ROATERY ROCKET 🚀
I loved that car!
Thanks AMD for the advice, waiting on my manual tacoma is nice to refresh the right things to do driving manual transmission is been few years that I drove manual, great video.
I've been driving manual transmissions since my first car, more than 50 years ago. I will stop putting my '98 Subaru Impreza into 1st at the red light thanks to TCCN's sensible advice!
But it is becoming nearly impossible to find a new car with a manual transmission. I looked a few years ago and the only Toyota I could find with one is the model that's actually a Mazda!
The Impreza still offers manual on the base models and the sport hatchbacks. Still a rare find though.
I've been enjoying manual transmission vehicles for a long time, the latest being my newest Mazda 3. By doing (most) of what you said consistently, the clutch in my VW TDI lasted over 160k miles. Oil changes are necessary and actually make for a better feel. Red Line makes a very good oil, MT 90, for manual transmissions. (Check it for compatibility for your manual trans.) In my previous Mazda 3, synchros operated much more smoothly after replacing oil with MT 90 at the first 40k mile service interval. I hope that manufacturers continue offering vehicles with manual transmissions! Thank you for an excellent video, brother. God Bless!
Good advice AMD. 😎😎👍👍I used to have a 1994 Nissan Sentra with a 5 speed manuel transmission with over 250,000 miles with the original transmission.
Thank you, from all of us with a dual mass flywheel, good points given here.
Hi I Love your Videos, and I’m a big Toyota Fan .
I’ve just changed my transmission oil on my Toyota Avensis 2.0 D4d 1AD-FTV 130,000 miles.
I’ve used Fuchs Titans Race SRG 75 Full Ester, And it has made a massive difference to the behaviour of the vehicle. No Drag just it just rolls freely and gear shift has become very smooth especially from 1st to 2nd. Best of all my MPG has risen slightly.
Keep up the Good work ! 👍
I use Amsoil synthetic lubricants for my engine and transmission. The only Avensis we have around here are the ones disguised as the Scion tC or Lexus HS 250h.
I love my 2016 Accord sport with the 6spd. You can keep that CVT.
My 6000 lb f 350 one ton v 10 is a 5 speed manual. Love it
I have a 2014 Fiesta as my commuter. It's like a 5spd go cart! Although a 30 minute stop and go traffic jam going UP a bridge did have me worried about the clutch one afternoon!
I noticed my 2021 corolla se is hard to shift from first to second when is cold now in winter time with low temps. When the car is warm enough, the shift goes back to smooth. The car is going to 40k miles so I will change the oil like you recommended. Thank you. God bless you. 👍
just sold my 2019 Rav4 and kept my 2011 Scion XB with the manual. Every time I do a shift, it brings joy through my spine and the best thing with a manual is that you can do hypermiling so easily, when ever you see the light turns red in the distance, just put it in neutral and let it coast. Even in city driving, I can get 27 MPG in my Xb.
Xbs are good but they burn oil
@@m-droradio1483 : mine doesn't burn. Toyota fixed models after 2011 with a different piston ring.
Hypermiling it is. Hydro is water.
@@volvo24091 :haha, ok, typo.
I have a tacoma x runner with a 6 speed manual , a great shifting truck. I learned many years ago keep the clutch pedal out as much as possible .
I’m currently driving a 2022 Mazda 3 hatch with a manual, it has a hill start assist feature that holds the brakes even after you let your foot off the pedal when you’re hanging on an incline and about to move. Totally phenomenal feature. It is different from the “Hold” function.
I’m pretty that Miata has one of those too.
Our 1990 Subaru GL Wagon had hill hold as well. It's been around for longer than that I think.
I'm personally not a fan of it - not that I think it's a bad idea at all, but I prefer using the handbrake as it's much more engaging and takes some of the skill back from the computer. I have the hill assist system disabled in my '10 STi, not just because I don't use it, but also because this particular system is garbage!
I have 2008 Infiniti G37S 6MT (coupe) that I used for a daily driver, and my stock clutch lasted 180k miles before it started slipping. I was never hard on my gears, and I never did unnecessary shifting. So when I went to replaced my clutch, my flywheel was in perfect shape that after 180k miles it could still be re-used.
now as for my race car which is a 1992 Nissan Skyline GTR that makes 1500 WHP, I am replacing the clutch so often because I am very aggressive with my shifting and at the track I am always down shift rev matching.
So yes take this guys word of advice and be gentle with your MT if you are going to be daily driving it.