Around here (Sweden) most cars are manual and the first thing you learn whe=
n in=20
driving school (to get a drivers licence) is to drive in 1st gear very slow=
 and=20
constantly slipping with the clutch. You work with the clutch and the=20
accelerator pedals together to get a smoth ride.

I actually never (or very seldom) let the clutch all the way up when drivin=
g in=20
first gear. It is just to get the car rolling and then you shift it into 2n=
d=20
gear (if you don't skip gears).

A special lesson in driving school is to start from standstill in uphill. T=
he=20
problem here is that you have to get the clutch just right in slip mode and=
=20
quickly shift the foot from the break pedal to the accelerator pedal so the=
 car=20
doesn't roll backwards (into the car behind you) and work with the clutch a=
nd=20
the accelerator together. In the beginning you can use the handbrake instea=
d of=20
the foot brake to keep the car still, which makes it easier to adjust the=20
clutch and accelerator before letting the brake go. A common misstake for=20
beginners is to release the clutch go too much with too little gas which ma=
kes=20
the engine stop (and the car behind to honk).

/Ruben

>  However, my understanding is that it is considered
> good practice to slip the clutch momentarily when starting out uphill
> in a manual transmission car. If you don't do that, I think that you
> would have to rev the engine up enough so that the flywheel inertia
> would prevent the car from stalling when you suddenly let the clutch
> out, and this would result in a jerky motion.
>=20
> I drive manual cars, trucks, vans and bikes and never did that. This migh=
t
> be necessary if you push your engine to the limit and you have no more po=
wer (or
> almost to the limit). But don' t know. Eventually I'll switch down gears.=
 What I
> know for sure is that with manual gearboxes, you, the driver must anticip=
ate
> what the engine will need not to stall it.
>=20

--=20
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
.