Manual transmission

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kar98

Meh. I still get 35 mpg in the city.

Do you turn the engine off at red traffic lights ? (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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Flammable

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]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

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.

[Flammable]

Originally Posted by Jcp123

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.