keyboarddriver

This is my first manual car so I would really appreciate the help. I got my car today and I can't seem to get nice smooth starts and I kill it 1/3 of the times I start off from a complete stop because I drop the clutch too fast. I think I have narrowed it down to foot placement or pedal adjustment. I naturally want to have my left heel locked into the carpet just like the right which can operate the gas/break with the heel dug in no problem (I have always driven like this). The issue comes with the long clutch travel (compared to gas/break) and the little rubber nubbies on the pedal. They grip on my shoes and I end up constantly fidgeting with my heel/foot placement to avoid it getting wedged between the pedal and the floor when I go to slowly release it. The clutch engages right in the middle of the stroke, with about 2-3" from first touch to fully engaged. It would be awesome if I could leave my heel directly under the engagement point so I have the best precision where I want it.

I feel like removing the rubber nubs would allow me to keep my heel in the same position on the floor, and allow my foot to slide on the pedal so it stops getting stuck. Is there any reason not to remove the grippy nubs on the pedal if it is bothering me? Or is it bad foot placement to have my heel on the floor while actuating the clutch? Would adjusting the clutch help? What could I adjust to help with my foot sticking.

Possibly Important Details: I am 6'2" and can't move my legs much.

Edit: Car is an 02 with 100k mi.

woodburn

Your just not used to driving stick and the car is smaller then your used to so it's harder to get comfortable. Once your mastered the clutch in a normal car the s2000 should feel even better.

BLAQ&GREYs2k

Congrats on the S and stepping up to driving manual! We all had to face the learning stage at one point in our lives. Id say stick to roads/places/parking lots with LOW traffic until you are comfortable. Do anything necessary to make yourself more comfortable. So see if you can remove the pads on the pedals you were speaking of. Your height of 6'2" could be a real difficulty but there are plenty others in your position that make it work.

When starting from a stop. Set your right foot at about 2,000 rpm and hold it there, while letting your left foot up SLOWLY. Im talking 1/2" by 1/2" smoothly as well. Once you feel the car start to move, FREEZE the position your feet are in. You will begin to smoothly start moving from a stop, here you give it more gas with your right foot as you now continue to SLOWLY lift your left foot all the way up.

Nice! Now you are going in first gear no problem. These transmissions have special rules and weak points but to keep it simple for now, do not shift below 4,000 rpm. Once you hit 4,000 smoothly press down the clutch with your left foot and put the shifter into second gear slowly. Repeat.

You got this, dont get frustrated. Just take your time. The starts are all about muscle memory of that sweet spot on the clutch pedal, then freezing to get yourself going, then fully release.

Hope this helps!

SpitfireS

First thing to check is throttle cable slack.
Great change it's way... way out of spec.
Easy fix, you just need basic tools.
And it will return some lost HP!

Do - or have it done - first and then get familiar with the clutch-throttle.

Andersonracing

Congrats on getting for S2k! As for you having your clutching problems. Im 6'4 all legs and can drive this car just fine =) you dont need to remove any of the nubs off the pedal or change any of the pedal positioning. Make sure the seat is all the way back and reclined as far as possible believe it or not reclining makes you feel like youve got a whole lot more room.

try and sit in your drive way or an open road and just work the car in the friction zone of your clutch so you get used to it. Now dont go overboard and burn the thing up! You should just about be able to get the S2k moving with little to no throttle input.

AZH

I had the same problem with the pedal nubs gripping my shoe too much but I was trying to leave my left heal on the floor when engaging the clutch. I now keep my heal off the floor when using the clutch and that's helped out tremendously.

Car Analogy

Yeah, you can't leave your heal on the floor. There is too much travel in the clutch. Also, you have more precision lifting your whole leg than just your foot. Use your thigh to flex your knee, not your calf to flex your ankle.

mikemo

I've never heard this (I am a new owner, however). Truth or legend?
Thanks
Mike M.

takeshi

You just need to learn to drive it. Don't fixate on modding it while you're learning. The nubs won't be an issue once you get it down. If you remove them you'll have serious problems when your shoes are wet as you won't have any traction on the pedal.

Again, you're learning to drive stick. Don't just assume that what you "naturally" want is correct. You won't be able to dig in your heel and not move it. Don't just assume that the way you've always driven is going to work. It sounds like you're trying to be lazy with the right leg and that just won't work in the S. You're going to have to learn to use it differently and it takes time to develop that muscular control. Don't be so quick to blame the hardware when it's a matter of driver learning. If you want to retain your driving style then you'll need a different car.

Which part?

BLAQ&GREYs2k

Well thats what the "know it alls" of this site are telling me on my other thread in this section labeled "explain why skip shifting is bad". They seem to believe it is bad to shift below 4k due to the difference in speed of the input shaft during gear changes? IDK. S2Ki is starting to be more and more like any other forum out there, just a bunch of jerks with strong opinions.