r/ManualTransmissions

My 1996 started grinding roughly only when switching to 2nd gear. Seems like it came out of no where just started happening one day now it’s pretty much every time. I’ve been avoiding the grinding by letting the rpms drop a lot and switching into 2nd super slow and carefully. I’m just at a loss of what this could be indicative of. I’ve changed out the clutch and trans oil about 2 years ago.

Any help is appreciated!!

i learned to drive stick on a 2003 mazda miata and it was an incredible ride! i did have to sell it though, it wasn’t feasible as a daily driver for me and i am too poor to have a joyride car and in addition to my functional ride. but now i see myself looking toward the future and really wanting my next car to be a manual. i want something with personality, relatively easy to maintain/source parts for, something older than 2006, and has room for me to be able to pick up furniture in it or use it for more practical errands. i love old toyota land cruisers but those go for so much money!! love honda elements, love VW rabbits to name a few. i’m seeking suggestions, thanks friends!

I’ve recently been driving a Mazda 3 2017 with the 2.0L engine and I’ve been finding you have to rev it quite a bit to get some decent power out of it. It also is most fuel efficient in 6th gear from 40mph and faster. Because of these factors I find myself accelerating up in 2nd up from 5 - 40mph and then sticking it straight in 6th to cruise at 40mph.

Is this bad for my engine/transmission/clutch?

i've been driving a manual car for 20 years since i learned how to drive. and i think this will be my last one. I've been having issues with my clutch, and it's almost impossible to find someone to work on my car. Tried one old timer mechanic and he did the best he could but ultimately told me it would be best to take it to the dealership (VW), I take it to the dealership and theres ONE mechanic there who can even drive it. I've got valet drivers crashing my car into things instead of admitting they cant drive my car. I'M OVER IT.

Most of the world still drives manual but some North Americans like to act as if they have spent years mastering some long lost form of martial arts. They are kind of like vegans where they always want to throw that fact into a conversation.

Even more cringe when they join groups about the topic or put bumper stickers on their car drawing attention to the fact that its manual.

Ultimate cringe is when they act like its impossible for them to drive an automatic car because "there is just no control" or they just pretend to be confused by the whole thing.

My teen will be getting her license soon and I'll be teaching her to drive stick on my WRX. Needless to say, that's not an appropriate car for a teenager.

Which manual transmission car would you recommend for a teenager in the US? Used is ok and budget is $15-30k.

Been doing lessons and my driving instructor has noticed that I bring my leg up to control the clutch he says this is extremely wrong however I’ve seen many people do it and been good at clutch control due to this , he had me try a new method where I keep my heel planted which works however the pedal slides under my foot , I have just watched a YouTube video who says it’s best to keep the heel to the floor slide the heel of my foot as I bring the pedal up. How do you guys do it ? I’m quite tall as well I’m aware short people tend to use their legs to control their clutch

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks

Goes completely limp. I have to pick it back up with my foot to get pressure back. Just curious if this is just an issue with the new corollas.

Every year I dread discovering which new vehicle will no longer be offered in manual transmission (RIP manual Crosstrek). And I was thinking what can the community do to help promote manual transmissions to keep them around as long as possible.

Here is what came to mind:
I’ll start with the obvious, buy a new car. Speaking with your wallet is the clearest signal to manufacturers that they are worth making.

Teach someone to drive. We all learned at some point. Most of us didn’t learn in our own car. There can be a culture of “not in my car,” as we seek to avoid the inevitable wear and tear of a new driver on our precious vehicle. One of the big reasons more manual transmission vehicles aren’t sold is because people don’t know how to drive and don’t have a good way to learn. So next time a buddy asks about learning to drive be open to teaching them.

Reach out to manufacturers and request them. More of a long shot here but it was this topic that inspired this post. If their customer inquiries are requesting manuals they may see the interest. This could be as simple as requesting them in the AI chat bots. They will have a summary feature that tells the company what are the frequent questions that customer ask. If more people requested options for manual then maybe the manufacturers will see where customer interest is.

Thoughts?
Any other ideas?

Edit: I’m seeing a lot of comments along the lines of ‘buying new is the only thing that matters’. We get it. That was first in my list. I was hoping for some additional ideas.

If a manufacturer that doesn’t offer any manuals is seen as less of a drivers brand they may want to keep at least one available.

Regulatory changes to make it easier for manufactures to offer manual transmission as an option. Like reduced crash testing for each engine/transmission offering.

Want to do a 1/4 mile with a car that has hill assist. I definitely do not want this to engage, so should I just use the handbrake to stop while approaching the starting line?