Manual transmission

[attrapereves]

I've had my car for about a week. I find the little Yaris with 5spd particularly difficult to drive smoothly.

Takeoffs are the most difficult. I either give it too much gas and the car slingshots forward, or not enough and it shudders a little.

What should the RPM be to start from a stop on flat ground? Also, around what RPM does this car prefer to be shifted?

[Betrivent]

This is different for every car.. I honestly don't shift by RPM anymore, just by feel.

[IllusionX]

I do short trips these days. So my RPM idles at 1500rpm. I no longer need to give it "gas" to take off.

Because the IDLE is always different depending on engine operation/temperature, you have to adapt yourself.

Since i drive such short trips, when i get to drive around more, and the engine has time to warm up and idles at 650rpm, then I end up stalling once in a while. :P

[Kar98]

You'll get used to it. The Yaris is actually the first car that I had where I have to follow the instructions of letting gas come and clutch go gently. Every other car, the clutch was pretty much digital, either on or off.

[fnkngrv]

been so long since I have had the stock clutch that I can't almost recall. I can say that I agree the stock clutch is a PITA in my book though. The Drive-By-Wire system is a lot to blame too.

[Em_]

my hatchbach ised to idle at 550rpm and used to launch at around 1100 rpm saves a lot of wear
i have an automatic 4 door yaris now
fedup shifting

[Kar98]

Well look at Canadian Monsieur Fancy-Pantalons here with his Canadian tach and manual transmission ;)

But seriously, 550 revs at idle? 1100 to shift? I don't have a tach in my Yaris, but pretty much every other car I had before idled around 950 to 1100 and I shifted at around five grand. Shifting up at 1100? Do you get mistaken for a geographical feature a lot? :P

[IllusionX]

Mine idled at 550 before I cleaned the TB.

[Betrivent]

Mine idles around 650 ish

[fourbangingfun]

Launch between 1100-1500 rpm when on zero slope, and little higher if going up a hill.

And usually up shift around 3k

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MUSKOKA800]

You'll get used to it. We all have. It's done by feel. Driving off is no time to be looking over at the tach.
The engagement of the Yaris is like none of the many manuals I've experienced.
After 6+ years and over 165.000 kilometers I still stall mine occasionally. Switching from one pair of shoes to another with different sole thickness often catches me out.

[DebbyM46227]

Mine usually idles at around 600 RPM.

As far as how the clutch feels, it took me about a year to get used to the Yaris clutch and I'd been driving MT cars for a long time. I think the Yaris is my 14th MT car and it's been the hardest to master.

But I will say one thing....earlier this week the dealership replaced my clutch and to save money I opted for them to use a non-Toyota clutch kit. It's a Sachs now, and it's been so much easier.

[Deathegg]

My '10 hatch is hard to drive smoothly, and in fact makes me look like a rank amateur even after my 30 years of driving a manual. A few factors are involved regarding the yaris, IMO:

* Clutch take-up is quick, and almost an "on-off" affair.
* Accelerator pedal is simply connected to a switch, instead of being analog (via a cable to the engine), and it's not calibrated quite right. First, I can press the pedal about 1/2", and nothing happens. In the next 1/2", I get response. Not a smooth transition. Second, there's actually a delay between your foot pressing the pedal and getting the response. It's the thing I hate most about my car

These things contribute to the yaris being a hard car to drive smoothly. I'm used to it, and actually prefer to take off at a low rpm, instead of revving it a bit. But still bad engineering by Toyota. And yes, wearing different shoes than what you're used to can make a difference as well.

[nookandcrannycar]

Mine idled at 550 before I cleaned the TB.

Aha! I was wondering what the reason might be re my '14 idling at a higher RPM than my '07. I've never cleaned the TB on my '07 :redface:.

[nookandcrannycar]

I agree with many of the points Debby and Deathegg have made. I've owned a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, a Mirage/Colt, a Scirocco, a Suzuki Swift, and a GTI...all with manual transmissions. Each of those was easier to drive than either my '07 MT or my '14 MT Yaris. I'd think even the 2nd Gen Yaris would be a hard adjustment for a novice manual transmission driver. My '14 doesn't seem to have the 'notchiness' in 1st gear that the '07 does. I'm PGD at launching on a steep incline in 1st gear. Could do this even in my '07 (at least when it was 'younger'). With my '14...forget it. One of the ramps in the parking structure at The Galleria in Houston is pretty steep (it is so flat here, this is the only time so far that I've encountered this issue :biggrin:). I was on it in my '14 in bumper to bumper traffic one day fairly close to Christmas. I had to use the parking brake during that experience to keep from stalling.

[Kar98]

LOL, I always use the parking brake for taking off any time there's a detectable incline ;)

It's the skilled driver's hill-assist feature :D

[matti]

I have a 2012 Yaris and always liked the clutch-feel. My wife has a 2009 Honda Fit Sport and that clutch gives me fits.

[nookandcrannycar]

LOL, I always use the parking brake for taking off any time there's a detectable incline ;)

It's the skilled driver's hill-assist feature :D

I should have proofread my previous post before posting :redface:. Leaving out a few words changes the whole meaning. I left out 'without using the parking brake' at the end of the 'PDG sentence'. Re clutch wear, using the parking brake probably is better than not using the parking brake. In past cars, especially my Suzuki, I could stay at a standstill in gear on a pretty good incline and have no 'backward lag' on launch...and I've been fortunate enough to never have to replace a clutch (with two of those seven MT cars going over 195k miles and three of them over 150k miles. I was worried about backward lag on that ramp because of the guy behind me...almost right on my bumper. IMO, the only state worse than Texas re tailgating on the road (including the hunt for parking spaces) is Florida. Neither Texas (at least re major population centers) nor Florida is a hotbed of encountering these situations.....I don't know if that is good or bad :laugh:. One doesn't have to think about it much, but there's not as much opportunity to keep the skill in practice.

[nookandcrannycar]

I have a 2012 Yaris and always liked the clutch-feel. My wife has a 2009 Honda Fit Sport and that clutch gives me fits.

Perhaps I will like the feel of the clutch in such situations (only time encountered so far in my '14) after I have more miles on the car :smile:.

[IllusionX]

I had driven a 2010 Fit a while back. The clutch feels like the new Corolla. Ie, very light. I couldn't drive my yaris properly for a few miles after test driving a 6MT Corolla.

[attrapereves]

I drove a Chevy Sonic before getting my Yaris. The Sonic had a very high catch point. The car would also give itself a little bit of gas, meaning that from a complete stop you rarely had to give the car any gas. It was annoying at times, but also helpful.

One thing I find particularly difficult with the Yaris is the accelerator. It's easy to not give it enough gas, but just as easy to give it way too much and end up revving up to 3000rpm. I also find it hard to determine where the clutch catch point is. Like another poster said, switching from sneakers to boots can mess with you too. I've driven several manuals and the Yaris is one of the most difficult.

One question... About how much does it cost to replace the clutch on these cars?

[DebbyM46227]

One question... About how much does it cost to replace the clutch on these cars?

Mine was replaced last week at the dealer. I had a choice of Toyota parts for $1018.00 or non-Toyota parts for $853.00 - I chose non-Toyota parts and they used a Sachs clutch kit. I also filed a dispute with Toyota over a clutch needing replaced with only 33,000 miles on my car. I never ride the clutch or hold it in at stoplights and I've never had a clutch needing replaced EVER prior to this with any of my cars.

[CoryM]

The Yaris really isn't a forgiving car to get going. If it makes you feel better, I have stalled it more than any of my other 25+ cars combined. The clutch feel isn't great, prone to clutch-shudder, it has no torque, the engine is too quiet to hear half the time, idles low (mine is also 550rpm hot. Maybe a Cdn Yaris thing?), and the drive-by-wire is pretty slow.

It's pretty important to give the throttle a blip before engaging the clutch when stopped. It increases the exhaust velocity, which gains you a bit of much needed torque. Blip the throttle, then as the RPMs are coming down, engage the clutch and apply gas.

Cheers.

[Em_]

Well look at Canadian Monsieur Fancy-Pantalons here with his Canadian tach and manual transmission ;)

But seriously, 550 revs at idle? 1100 to shift? I don't have a tach in my Yaris, but pretty much every other car I had before idled around 950 to 1100 and I shifted at around five grand. Shifting up at 1100? Do you get mistaken for a geographical feature a lot? :P


From a stop yes 1100 driving like a grandpa

[nookandcrannycar]

and I shifted at around five grand.

:biggrin: This procedure = fun, but = MPG :thumbdown:.

[nookandcrannycar]

test driving a 6MT Corolla.

A bit OT, but MSN just posted 'the 10 coolest cars we can't get here' (in the U.S., (and Canada?))...

...among them...the Honda Civic Type R that the European continent is about to get.....275hp turbo 2.0 liter 4 with a 6 speed manual :wub:......and the VW Scirocco Type R :wub:.

[El Kapitan]

they've been screwing us over on civic engine choices in NA for years now.

in regards to the MT for the yaris, i notice the same quirks that you guys do. also, i have to back up for some distance to get into my carport and the yaris is the only MT i have driven that wants to stall in reverse. the other MTs would lurch along but not require any extra gas pedal work on level ground. i wonder if this might have to do with the DFCO? i am in gear with my foot off the pedal and isn't DFCO supposed to cut fuel in those situtations?

i'm not a big fan of drive by wire but it seems here to stay. can anyone remember the name of that device which lets you change how quickly your DBW responds to your foot pressure? it looks kind of like a scanguage... i know that several people here on the forum have it.

[428CobraJet]

Our clutch interaction is terrible. Fortunately our gearbox is awesome.

[bentjazz]

nook,
I see you have over 300,000 miles on your Yaris. Good job! We've been waiting for this. :-) How long are you gonna keep your old Yaris?

[ern-diz]

...The clutch feel isn't great, prone to clutch-shudder...

Totally agree with this. I felt a big difference when first coming over to the Yaris from my Civic.

[Ben_]

It took me a long time getting used to also. One thing I do at the track and at stop lights to get a good take off is hit the gas and then wait till the rmp is at a good level (1000-4000 depending on where I'm driving) and let the clutch slip till the rpm I started at meets wheel speed. Upshift to second somewhere between 1800 and 6800

[nookandcrannycar]

nook,
I see you have over 300,000 miles on your Yaris. Good job! We've been waiting for this. :-) How long are you gonna keep your old Yaris?

The damaged (driver side) fender started pulling away from the windshield a bit in the corner. I don't know if that is a result of suspension or other internal damage from my 'fender bender' in October with the Expedition, or from accidentally opening the driver side door (the few inches that it will open) a few times. On the way back from the Ennis/Dallas area on 2/5/15 I did 70-75mph for the first time (happened to be on the 75 MPH limit part of I-45) since the clash with the Expedition. The next day I opened up the hood to disconnect one of the battery cables (to combat a draw on the battery while I leave it for a while), and I noticed that the clamp, etc = busted apart :eek:...nothing anchoring the battery.....wasn't that way a few days before that. Higher speed = shaking = caused that? Not a good sign. Through sometime in August, I'm just going to use it to go to Kroger (the back way...only a few two lane roads with shoulders (one 40 MPH limit and others 30 MPH limit or less) ...and no signals...only stop signs). Then I'll probably have a local shop I trust look it over. If the clash with the Expedition (or Explorer...can't remember which it was....just remember that the driver was a 16 year old who had only had his DL for a few weeks) rendered it unsafe to drive (regular use), I'll probably donate it to the Wounded Warrior Project (if they take cars) before having to pay the registration again and continue to insure it. The extra insurance is costing me less than $9 per month right now, but I'm sure the clash with the SUV will cause my rate to increase. My policy renews 4 days after my registration expires. If the shop says the only damage is cosmetic, and the inconvenience of not being able to open the driver side door, then I might make a different/currently undetermined decision re the fate of 'my egg'. The car had 120 miles on it when I drove away from the dealership (a few test drives + the family owned two Toyota dealerships...driven from their dealership in Northern CT to their location near the coast in RI), so I've driven it 300,004 miles. When I hit 300,000 miles since driving away from the dealership, that was about 2 1/2 days shy of 100 months since driving away from the dealership.

[bentjazz]

I hope my Yaris lasts me 300,000 miles. I'm going to keep it as long as I can, and with proper maintenance I hope to have this car 10+ years in the future....

[attrapereves]

Another thing I struggle with. Sometimes when I release the clutch, the car jerks a little. I see the tachometer blipping up and down between 500 and 1000 rpm before leveling off. Can't tell if I am giving it too much gas or not enough.

I still struggle with take offs from a stop with this car.

[fnkngrv]

clutch upgrade was one of my best investments. people can bitch all they want about how they shouldn't have to do it with a stock setup, but honestly if it gives ypu an easier and more enjoyable experience it is like anything else that is better than OEM.

[Kar98]

:biggrin: This procedure = fun, but = MPG :thumbdown:.

Meh. I still get 35 mpg in the city. :headbang:

[nookandcrannycar]

Meh. I still get 35 mpg in the city. :headbang:

Do you turn the engine off at red traffic lights :biggrin: ? (jk)

[edmscan]

Even though I have been driving a standard for over 30 years .. when I got the Yaris .... it was a bit touchy. I stalled it a few times.

But now I am pretty used to it and it works well. But it is definitely harder to use than my 1980 Toyota Tercel, 1980 Honda Civic or 1987 Honda Accord that preceded it.

My fave of them all ... it is a tie between the Tercel, Civic and Yaris. They were all great cars.

I shift at about 2500 rpm.

[428CobraJet]

The clutch interchange? It's bad , pure and simple. But its strong.

[attrapereves]

Does anyone else find a crunch when shifting into 3rd? It doesn't do it all the time, only about 50% of the time.

I just wonder why it's so difficult for car manufacturers to make a manual transmission that's worth a darn (besides a $50K sports car). My Chevy Sonic had a terrible manual tranny as well. Grinding shifting into certain gears, and a noisy clutch pedal.

[428CobraJet]

My trans is superb...especially for fwd. Great ratios. Great shifting. My floor liners, however, can keep the clutch from fully disengaging. ...especially when im too lazy to re hook them.

[Jcp123]

SVT Focus had great shifts. I learned on a '66 Mustang, so I always feel a bit lost on modern shifters - I got really used to that dog leg shifter, long throws, and rather gravelly shift quality. The shorter throws especially get me - I've slid my hand off the shifter before in my SVT, absentmindedly still pushing and expecting more travel.

[MJZ]

I am so glad I found this thread... it's like a MT support group. I learned on an 84 Toyota 4 Runner and that thing... the clutch was tight, the gas was light and the throw was massive. Yet the 08 Yaris HB I just bought makes me feel like a total noob.

I work on a military base, so always a line to get in, get your creds checked, then pull off... stalling it out or worse over revving, the looks I get from the guards, it's embarrassing...

For those that swapped clutches, can you provide any insight into which brand / part you used ? Cost would be nice as well. I just bought the car and when i had Toyota look it over, they said it looked like the plugs were never changed (it's got 133+k on it) so I feel safe assuming the clutch is still the originally installed unit.

Thanks!

[Jcp123]

I'm in big rig school right now...try shifting these ragged-out 9- and 10-speeds...you'll never complain again! Lol

[Flammable]

I've had my car for about a week. I find the little Yaris with 5spd particularly difficult to drive smoothly.

Takeoffs are the most difficult. I either give it too much gas and the car slingshots forward, or not enough and it shudders a little.

What should the RPM be to start from a stop on flat ground? Also, around what RPM does this car prefer to be shifted?I don't have a manual so can't say for the Yaris but if you think your car is hard try learning how to drive a standard tranny in a 1965 dodge pickup with a hydrolic clutch. That was a real experience. It took me a while to learn how far you had to let the clutch out before it bit and had to give it a lot of gas opr you stall the truck. Had no park/emergency brake either so hills were really fun.:eek:

[nookandcrannycar]

learning how to drive a standard tranny in a 1965 dodge pickup with a hydrolic clutch.

Was it a 'three on the tree' ?

[Jcp123]

Three on the trees are fun. I had a Mercedes with a four on the tree.

[Flammable]

Was it a 'three on the tree' ?Yes sir three on the tree. It also had a 170 ci slant six that my brothers swapped out for a 225 ci slant six when the 170 was burning and leaking so much oil you practically had to stop every 100 miles or so and add a quart of oil. Still ran however. The truck belonged to my dad I was 17 when I leared how to drive that thing. Only cars I have drove up to that point were autos. Years later a friend of mine was selling his 1963 Dodge step side. I bought it for 800 bucks. It was the same truck as my dads except two years older and a step side. Great vehicles always started right up and pretty much bullet proof. So simple to work on as well, just an engine, tranny and frame.:smile:

[Flammable]

Three on the trees are fun. I had a Mercedes with a four on the tree.Nice! I never drove one but heard the old Saabs had a 4 on the tree manual. LOL

[Idahotom]

Even after 30K miles on my Yaris now, if I'm stopped on a hill, especially when in town at a red light, I found turning the radio down helps the clutch action! Seriously, being able to hear the engine a bit better makes it easier for me to engage the clutch smoothly, not to mention not stalling it out. Every day, when I stop on my rural road, right after pulling 1,000' vertical up the mountain at 45 mph, I get out to check my mailbox. I am always amazed how frigging quiet the engine is, especially after working it hard up hill. All in all, the clutch engagement issue is a pretty minor thing for me.

[Ben_]

I have let other members of the utah scca drive my mt at the auto x and I swear to you if its their first time driving a yaris with stock exhaust (or even second lol) the first thing they do is try to start the the engine when its already running. I shit you not this has happened on more than one occasion

[fnkngrv]

When I went for my driving test when I was 16 the officer got pissed at me b2cause she sais I was ignoring her when she kept telling me to start my parents 86 Corolla while she was doing her walk around. I told her to put her hand on the hood and she was startled the car was so quiet.