Picking up my 06 STI Today, never owned a manual - any tips?

[Adam Frankel]

Thanks to your responses to my previous posts, I have decided to pick up the
STI.

Tomorrow I will be picking it up from the dealer. I will be having a friend
drive it from the dealer to my home. I do have some experience driving a
manual, but I still am not totally comfortable yet. Is there any advice one
can give specifically related to learning on the STI? I will be taking it
on small residential roads this weekend while I learn it.

 

[bigjim]

Buy the xtended warranty- you arte likely to damage ckutch components

 

[grantbilbrough]

You might want to read the thread about my transmission problems with
my '03 Impreza TS wagon. The transmissions are a bit different but it
might get you to ask questions to the service department about what to
expect.

 

[Body Roll]

You might want to read the thread about my transmission problems with
my '03 Impreza TS wagon. The transmissions are a bit different but it
might get you to ask questions to the service department about what to
expect.

Unlike the crap in RS/OBS/WRX transmission in STI is buttery smooth.
The tranny seems to be completely different. Or it feels that way.
At least that was my impression after sitting in a car at the auto
show.

As for the tips, they are mostly for people buying a used STI:
beware of the people who learned to drive a stick on an STI.
You might get stuck with a $2k bill for the rebuild.

 

[Jim Stewart]

Unlike the crap in RS/OBS/WRX transmission in STI is buttery smooth.
The tranny seems to be completely different. Or it feels that way.
At least that was my impression after sitting in a car at the auto
show.

You must be extremely talented to be able
to evaluate a transmission by just sitting
in the car at a car show. I wished I was
that knowledgable about cars.

 

[speednxs]

Some advice that applies to any manual:
Push the clutch all the way down to the floor. Do not get in the habit
of
pushing it in just enough. You can ease off when you get good
and don't make mistakes anymore.

Remember where you are in the H pattern. Pull to the left for 1 and 2
then up and down. Just up and down for 3 and 4. Pull to the right for
5 and 6 (I drive a 5 speed so I am guessing). Reverse is usually way
over. You are guaranteed to get 3rd some day when you wanted 5th.
Happens to everyone. Be fast on the clutch.

The car may have to more 10 feet before you let the clutch out all the
way.
With practice this will go down to a couple feet with the gas just off
idle.

Practice pushing in the clutch and braking the car to a stop a few
times. That way you can concentrate on traffic rather than the gear
box. Sometimes you just can't be distracted in traffic. Example: if
you put the car in 5rd instead of 3rd, you'll know how to stop, put it
in nuetral and take a deep breath, rather than jerking the car bucking
and stumbling upto 40 mph.

Since you own an STI find out about corner entry points, apexes, exit
points, positive and negative camber, slope, crest of hills and
traction.

Enjoy!

 

[M.J.]

Thanks to your responses to my previous posts, I have decided to pick up
the STI.

Tomorrow I will be picking it up from the dealer. I will be having a
friend drive it from the dealer to my home. I do have some experience
driving a manual, but I still am not totally comfortable yet. Is there any
advice one can give specifically related to learning on the STI? I will
be taking it on small residential roads this weekend while I learn it.

It is not too late to spend a final couple of hours in another
manual car, honing your skills, before putting your hands on
the STI.

M.J.

 

[Rick Courtright]

manual, but I still am not totally comfortable yet. Is there any > advice one can give specifically related to learning on the STI? I > will be taking it on small residential roads this weekend while I > learn it.

Hi,

Despite the fact I learned on a stick and have been driving them for
close to 40 years now, I find it helpful with any "new" or "new to me"
vehicles to find an empty parking lot and practice the "what's it take
to get this thing rolling" drill of putting the gearbox in 1st and
learning where the clutch starts to grab and how much gas it takes to
just barely start moving. Each clutch/engine combo's a bit different,
but you'll be surprised how quickly your left foot "learns" after you've
driven a few sticks. I figure since a majority of my driving's in heavy
stop and go traffic, this is the most important part of learning the
feel of a new car to me. The people I know who can drive a stick
smoothly in stop and go traffic usually have few problems with the rest
of the learning curve.

If the parking lot's got some reasonable uphill sections, they can be
helpful to learn about "roll back" and using the parking brake as a
"hill holder" (I'm assuming the STI does NOT have a hill holder
feature?)

That part of the exercise shouldn't take more than maybe a half hour if
you're really rusty, maybe just a few minutes for an experienced driver.

Then use the back roads to learn the shifting patterns, quirks and get
the feel for the throttle and all that. Watch the tach, but also develop
a "feel" for where you are in the rev band vs how the engine feels.

Go easy on the clutch and gearbox at first until you know how they react
and you should do just fine!

Rick

 

[JD]

Thanks to your responses to my previous posts, I have decided to pick up
the STI.

Tomorrow I will be picking it up from the dealer. I will be having a
friend drive it from the dealer to my home. I do have some experience
driving a manual, but I still am not totally comfortable yet. Is there any
advice one can give specifically related to learning on the STI? I will
be taking it on small residential roads this weekend while I learn it.

First of all, the STI accelerates insanely fast in low gears. Boost will
come on at about 2500 RPM and increase from there. If you are just
learning, don't get too close to the car in front of you, or you both get a
nasty surprise.

I would also advise short shifting at first; don't let the revs get too
high. The transmission is very smooth, but the gears are very close
together. Invariably, even people experienced with a standard, go from 2nd
to 5th a few times. That's not a big issue, except that acceleration will
be flat when that happens and the car may chug. However, it is worse if you
are downshifting at higher revs. Hence, it is better to keep the revs low
when you are learning and avoid damage.

You also have to learn to be soft with the shifts. The car doesn't respond
well to ham-fisted shifting. But once you get the knack of it, it is one
helluva lot of fun to drive.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Thanks to your responses to my previous posts, I have decided to pick up the
STI.

Tomorrow I will be picking it up from the dealer. I will be having a friend
drive it from the dealer to my home. I do have some experience driving a
manual, but I still am not totally comfortable yet. Is there any advice one
can give specifically related to learning on the STI? I will be taking it
on small residential roads this weekend while I learn it.

Do NOT be tempted to 'light up all four' with a high-rev clutch dump on
dry pavement. You might do it - you also might destroy a tranny.

Carl

 

[Adam Frankel]

Thank you for all the responses. They have really helped me, and I am going
to try it all out.

I spent a good amount of time today on very light residential roads. After
I got my confidence i went into town. Throughout my trip I did stall out
twice: a) Once going on an uphill from a green light (I was the first
person and there were 3 cars honking behind me - sorry guys!), I turned the
car back on gave it another shot and it worked b) In a parking lot someone
cut me off without even looking and my instinct hit the brake but not the
clutch.

 

[Rastis P. Buttsnort]

Unlike the crap in RS/OBS/WRX transmission in STI is buttery smooth.
The tranny seems to be completely different. Or it feels that way.
At least that was my impression after sitting in a car at the auto
show.

The tranny feels "Buttery smooth" SITTING in the car at the AUTO SHOW!!
Great/right on target info there.....this is a joke...right?

 

[Body Roll]

The tranny feels "Buttery smooth" SITTING in the car at the AUTO SHOW!!
Great/right on target info there.....this is a joke...right?

Of course... not. It's easy though to weed out the cars you do NOT
want to take for a test drive by checking how they shift on the floor.
STI was not one of such cars. It was easy to put in gear and felt
very smooth.

You must be extremely talented to be able
to evaluate a transmission by just sitting
in the car at a car show. I wished I was
that knowledgable about cars.

I don;t believe I ever made that claim. But crappy transmissions
are easy to spot, They have a rubbery feel that you feel right
away. Of course the lack of rubbery feeling may not mean
anything. So my statement might have looked a bit
ridiculous, I can give you that.

It's a moot point in this case, because the OP will be learning
to shift on a $33k car. Therefore the joke, if there was one,
will be lost on him.

 

[Adam Frankel]

I am now completely adjusted to the STI shifting - thank you. I have put
over 200 miles on it already, and as I stated previously I am not learning
on the STI I already had some experience in friends cars.

 

[Body Roll]

I am now completely adjusted to the STI shifting - thank you. I have put
over 200 miles on it already, and as I stated previously I am not learning
on the STI I already had some experience in friends cars.

Hmm, the first car with 5sp i learned to shift on:
bought at 92k miles needed a transmission rebuild at 166k.
I hope you can do better.

 

[M.J.]

Hmm, the first car with 5sp i learned to shift on:
bought at 92k miles needed a transmission rebuild at 166k.
I hope you can do better.

I'd say the sturdy tranny of an STI may be an excellent choice for learning,
and may be affected negatively only minimally. Of course providing he takes
it real easy on it.

I hope the OP gives us some more feedback on how he is doing.

M.J.

 

[Adam Frankel]

Doing well. I am still trying to get the hang of the shift from 1 to 2. I
am trying to do it without revving the engine too much (unless I am trying
to pass). I have been stalling out about once per day from stops, but doing
well.

The only other thing I am still working on is downshifting - right now I am
shifting to neutral and braking when I have to slow down a good deal. For
example, if I am going 50mph in gear 5, and I sense that I'll have to slow
down quite a bit I usually pop it in neutral and then if I slow down to 30
before I can accelerate again I will shift to 3rd from neutral and with the
clutch down rev the rpms a bit (to match 3rd gear) before dropping the
clutch. Is this the proper method?

Thanks.

 

[JD]

Doing well. I am still trying to get the hang of the shift from 1 to 2.
I am trying to do it without revving the engine too much (unless I am
trying to pass). I have been stalling out about once per day from stops,
but doing well.

The only other thing I am still working on is downshifting - right now I
am shifting to neutral and braking when I have to slow down a good deal.
For example, if I am going 50mph in gear 5, and I sense that I'll have to
slow down quite a bit I usually pop it in neutral and then if I slow down
to 30 before I can accelerate again I will shift to 3rd from neutral and
with the clutch down rev the rpms a bit (to match 3rd gear) before
dropping the clutch. Is this the proper method?

Thanks.

I wouldn't drop the clutch, and it is OK to brake with the car still in
gear.

With an STI, I would go learn how to do heel-toe braking. It will allow you
to brake, operate the clutch and match revs all at once. Takes a little
practice, but its the best way once you get the hang of it.

 

[Cam Penner]

Doing well. I am still trying to get the hang of the shift from 1 to 2. I
am trying to do it without revving the engine too much (unless I am trying
to pass). I have been stalling out about once per day from stops, but doing
well.

IMO, shifting from 2-1 for a stop is the least important
shift. I'll gear down all the way to second, but the shift
to first is usually done in the last couple of feet before
stopping, and the clutch stays in until it's time to go.

The only other thing I am still working on is downshifting - right now I am
shifting to neutral and braking when I have to slow down a good deal. For
example, if I am going 50mph in gear 5, and I sense that I'll have to slow
down quite a bit I usually pop it in neutral and then if I slow down to 30
before I can accelerate again I will shift to 3rd from neutral and with the
clutch down rev the rpms a bit (to match 3rd gear) before dropping the
clutch. Is this the proper method?

I prefer to always be in gear. You never know when you
have to go from "stopping" to "going". Walk the car down
the gears as you brake, easing the clutch out for each.
That way, no matter when you have to accelerate, you're
already in an appropriate gear. Don't use high rpm, but
keeping the car in gear will help you stay connected with
the road.

Blipping the throttle on downshift is good to match RPM,
but it's tricky to nail, and takes lots of practise. More
important is smoothly letting the clutch out.

You'll know you have the feel for your tranny when you can
drive it up from first to 5/6 and back down again to 2nd
without the clutch at all. Don't expect this to happen
until you have a few years of familiarity with your car.
I've been able to do it on all my cars except my current.
I'm at about 60% success rate on clutchless shifting with
my RS - likely will have it mastered in a year or two.

 

[k. ote]

Thanks to your responses to my previous posts, I have decided to pick up
the STI.

Tomorrow I will be picking it up from the dealer. I will be having a
friend drive it from the dealer to my home. I do have some experience
driving a manual, but I still am not totally comfortable yet. Is there any
advice one can give specifically related to learning on the STI? I will
be taking it on small residential roads this weekend while I learn it.

Yes. Here's some advice:

.. Don't try to downshift to 1st. It won't happen, the car will hate you for
it, and you'll feel bad trying to force it. When you learn what to do to
double-clutch your STi (don't try it yet until you get your timing down)
then you can start downshifting to 1st AT LOW SPEEDS. Yes, 1st is a really,
really tall gear.

.. REV MATCH for the downshift! I can't stress this enough. It's hard enough
shifting a new STi without rev-matching. The more you rev-match, the closer
you'll be to double-clutching, and the closer you'll be to shifting
perfection.

.. Reverse is LONGER than first. That is, doing X RPM in 1st will get you
going slower than doing X RPMs in reverse. Keep this in mind. I find it's
nearly impossible to reverse with the clutch fully engaged over short
distances of a few or even ten or twenty feet. It goes too fast for touchy
manoeuvering, or I go too slow and it stalls.

.. The difference between 1st and 2nd is enormous. It'll feel almost like
1500 RPM difference between 1st and 2nd to get a comfortable shift. Keep
this in mind. The rest of the gears are much more predictable.

.. Be careful! The accelerator is extremely touchy. Well, I mean in a 300HP
car what else do you expect?

.. Do not drive with the DCCD set to anything but wide-open, or Auto when you
are on pavement. Tight cornering with it set to anything else will generate
a horrible noise that will make you (and everyone who knows what car you're
driving) cry. Nothing's going to be damaged, but.. be gentler on your car
and don't hurt your new baby.

.. The stick will be *stiff* when you first buy it. It'll be cranky and will
refuse to shift perfectly without Just The Right RPM. Take it easy and
don't force it. It'll loosen up after about 6 months or more.

.. The car understeers around corners--this can be distracting until you get
used to it.

.. Do NOT shift on a curve in the rain until you have your timing down pat.
The weight transfer could kill you. Literally.

.. TAKE IT EASY and don't drive beyond YOUR OWN COMFORT LIMITS for at least
6-12 months. Just about every STi in my area except for mine has been in a
serious accident because 1. The drivers all thought the tires were stickier
than they really are in the rain, 2. The drivers thought they were godlike
in the rain.

.. The A/C makes an absolutely ENORMOUS difference in the speed with which
the engine revs down without pressure on the accelerator. Keep this in
mind: when the A/C is on, shift faster or use the accelerator more.

.. The first six months or more--pretty much everytime you rev it up even to
a measly 2K and begin engaging reverse, or take too long engaging first, or
start on a hill you WILL smell burning clutch. A new STi's clutch is so
easy to burn they even make fun of it on Top Gear:

"They've made it harder, edgier.
Less of a car.. more of a bar-room brawler.
[..later..]
This Subaru is a HUGELY manly experience.
The noise it makes.. 'sgot a macho gearbox, it's got macho steering, it even
smells of man.. the essence of .. *snifffff*.. burnt clutch. Splash it on
all over before going out at night for a curry, and a fight."

.. Finally, when depressing the clutch, do it QUICKLY. Really slam your foot
down on it when disengaging it. If you don't, shifting will be much harder.
I find that when I'm driving to work in the mornings, the car is cold and
seems to need violence on the way down, and then smoothness and precision
on the way back up again.

General hints about your new car:

.. WARNING! Go EASY on the brakes! They're godlike, but replacing the rotors
or even just the pads (and having the rotors machined) costs a fucking arm
and a leg. While I've known people whose rotors have lasted and will last
for another two or more years (four+ total,) I've had my '04 STi for about
two years and my rotors are right on the edge of needing replacement and my
pads just needed to be changed last month. Engine brake and downshift to
slow down wherever possible. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Good luck! And don't just become another statistic and trade it in after a
year.. keep it for at least 1.5 years before deciding whether you really
want to keep it. Everyone I've known who's had one has traded it in after
about a year. I don't know why. Something about the cost of brakes, the
cost of gas, the cost of maintenance, the cost of and of and of and of.