Stickshift disaster is worrying me :S

Hey, i just recently bought an 1999 acura interga in really good
condition and with a good service record. My clutch and transmission
are in excellent shape. However, the other night, i was trying to
teach my clueless sister how to drive stickshift... she stalled the
car 3 times in a row! :S the first time, she didnt properly press the
clutch and there was a violent "shake" and the car stalled abruptly...
the second time she gave the car wayyy too much gas, let go of the
clutch too fast, screeching the tires and then again a violent shake
and stalling the car abruplty...3rd time was even worse, same thing
except i dunno what she was doing but it sounded also like the clutch
made a squeeling sound as well before she let go too fast and stalled
the car.. then we had to stop before i got a heart attack! Anyways,
that had me really worried for a second that she might have damaged
the transmission, engine, or grinded the gears... now i am worried,
although when i drove the car after, EVERYTHING seemed perfectly fine,
smooth, and sounded completely normal. The car drove EXACTLY the way
it did the first time i tried it (in fact now that im used to this
model, seems even smoother than the first time i drove it)...the only
issue is, i am left with this mental scar of feeling the guilt of
letting my new car possibly get harmed It's normal for the clutch
to wear over time, ive heard clutch life estimates to be 7-10 years.
Even though everything sounds and feels fine and there's nothing out
of the ordinary, i just can't help worrying about it, that something
may be damaged without being noticeable. Does anybody know what the
chances are of damage after this one incident? She didnt redline or
anything, probably wsa around 3000-4000 rpm at some point. My redline
is at 6800. Im sure this happens all the time... just thinking about
the driving school cars too, the manual models... This must happen to
them all the time!! Anyways, can somebody please lend some insight,
and help ease my mind..am i over-reacting? I just want to enjoy my new
car!! If there were something wrong after this incident, I would hear
it or feel it when driving the car, right? Thanks!

wrote:

> Hey, i just recently bought an 1999 acura interga in really good
> condition and with a good service record. My clutch and transmission
> are in excellent shape. However, the other night, i was trying to
> teach my clueless sister how to drive stickshift... she stalled the
> car 3 times in a row!

That's quite normal. It takes time to get used using a clutch and so on. It does
help if she uses 'sensible' shoes btw. There should be a law against driving in
high heels.


> may be damaged without being noticeable. Does anybody know what the
> chances are of damage after this one incident?

As close to nil as makes no odds.

Clutches may last the life of the car if you're a good driver.

Graham

On Jul 20, 5:53 am, wrote:
> Hey, i just recently bought an 1999 acura interga in really good
> condition and with a good service record. My clutch and transmission
> are in excellent shape. However, the other night, i was trying to
> teach my clueless sister how to drive stickshift... she stalled the
> car 3 times in a row! :S the first time, she didnt properly press the
> clutch and there was a violent "shake" and the car stalled abruptly...
> the second time she gave the car wayyy too much gas, let go of the
> clutch too fast, screeching the tires and then again a violent shake
> and stalling the car abruplty...3rd time was even worse, same thing
> except i dunno what she was doing but it sounded also like the clutch
> made a squeeling sound as well before she let go too fast and stalled
> the car.. then we had to stop before i got a heart attack! Anyways,
> that had me really worried for a second that she might have damaged
> the transmission, engine, or grinded the gears... now i am worried,
> although when i drove the car after, EVERYTHING seemed perfectly fine,
> smooth, and sounded completely normal. The car drove EXACTLY the way
> it did the first time i tried it (in fact now that im used to this
> model, seems even smoother than the first time i drove it)...the only
> issue is, i am left with this mental scar of feeling the guilt of
> letting my new car possibly get harmed It's normal for the clutch
> to wear over time, ive heard clutch life estimates to be 7-10 years.
> Even though everything sounds and feels fine and there's nothing out
> of the ordinary, i just can't help worrying about it, that something
> may be damaged without being noticeable. Does anybody know what the
> chances are of damage after this one incident? She didnt redline or
> anything, probably wsa around 3000-4000 rpm at some point. My redline
> is at 6800. Im sure this happens all the time... just thinking about
> the driving school cars too, the manual models... This must happen to
> them all the time!! Anyways, can somebody please lend some insight,
> and help ease my mind..am i over-reacting? I just want to enjoy my new
> car!! If there were something wrong after this incident, I would hear
> it or feel it when driving the car, right? Thanks!

You're overreacting. Manual tranny/clutches do not wear/fail any more
than the current autos do, never for the normal owner as he will trade
cars long before one fails. Even a few errors as with you sister is
going to do no serious harm.

I drove manuals, most of them junker very high mileage cars from 1948
to 1972 and never replaced a tranny or clutch but once each. Clutch
due to an engine change and I put in a new plate just as good practice
while it was out of the car. Tranny was a 1937 Chev that ate them for
an unknown reason. I replaced 3 of them in 1 year, lose it, grab the
old man's car, to town junkyard, back and swap in only a couple
hours. That one was my Senior year HS wheels.

Harry K

In article .com>, wrote:

> is at 6800. Im sure this happens all the time... just thinking about
> the driving school cars too, the manual models... This must happen to
> them all the time!! Anyways, can somebody please lend some insight,
> and help ease my mind..am i over-reacting? I just want to enjoy my new
> car!! If there were something wrong after this incident, I would hear
> it or feel it when driving the car, right? Thanks!

I doubt any damage was done. If any was, it would be wear rather than
damage and it would be a reduction of clutch life by some trivial,
undetectable amount, like 1 mile.

> the driving school cars too, the manual models... This must happen to
> them all the time!! Anyways, can somebody please lend some insight,
> and help ease my mind..am i over-reacting? I just want to enjoy my new
> car!! If there were something wrong after this incident, I would hear
> it or feel it when driving the car, right? Thanks!

Your car is fine. The griding of the gears is trivial, as is the
amount of wear on the clutch.

On Jul 22, 5:17 pm, Ashton Crusher > wrote:
> Here's my way of teaching people to use a clutch. Put them in a
> parking lot. Tell them NOT to use the gas at all. Just have them
> practice letting the clutch up till they just feel (or see on the
> tach) that the engine is getting a load on it. Then slowly engage the
> clutch further (without using the gas) till the car is moving at idle
> speed. Once they can do that smoothly then you start having them give
> it some gas.

My car bunnyhops like mad if you try that, and my
previous car would stall. Guess it only works for some cars