hi

 

just brought my own first car, i had learnt to drive in a 1.6 mondeo

 

my car is a 1.4 skoda fabia comfort year is 00.  I absolutely love this car, the only problem I am having is changing gear.  as I keep revving when doing it.  do I take my foot out of the clutch first then accelerate or is there any advice on how to do this without revving the engine

 

thanks guys

 

 

learing to drive a new car for the first time is a skill!

 

with practice you will get it just right, you want your foot on the brake, then bring the clutch up slightly until you feel the car want to move or the revs drop slightly, in this time you will rev the car slightly while bringing the clutch up further.

 

for the gear changes you want to release your foot fully off the throttle and then fully down on the clutch, change gear, clutch fully back up then revs on.

Is it an MPI model? I find my MPI quite a jerky car for gearchanges. The revs drop very quickly when you release the throttle (light flywheel?) making it harder to match the speed of the engine to the gearbox unless you keep the throttle pressed just enough. Took me a while to get used to it as my previous car, a 16 valve Ford, had the revs die off much more slowly and smoothly.

hi

 

just brought my own first car, i had learnt to drive in a 1.6 mondeo

 

my car is a 1.4 skoda fabia comfort year is 00.  I absolutely love this car, the only problem I am having is changing gear.  as I keep revving when doing it.  do I take my foot out of the clutch first then accelerate or is there any advice on how to do this without revving the engine

 

thanks guys

 

Can take some getting used to a different car, especially if you learnt in a diesel or vice versa.

 

Have a read of the link below, but the best way is getting plenty of practice

 

http://www.iam-bristol.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=58\

Basics....keep your revs over 2000rpm and everything will be just fine. This engine offers you torque from 2500rpm. If you under rev the engine, then it might get jerky, as TMB says. 

STR-00031401-PS-Nm-C.pdf

Edited 7 November, 201411 yr by Alexandru

It sounds like maybe your foot isn't coming off the throttle early enough on gearchanges?  Might just need practise.

A true mark of a good driver is the ability to change gears without using the clutch and to do it smoothly with crunching them.

I've mastered this technique in all cars I've owned.

A true mark of a good driver is the ability to change gears without using the clutch and to do it smoothly with crunching them.

I've mastered this technique in all cars I've owned.

not a good thing too do. huess you dont do many miles in your car. your syncros in your gearbox must be half knackered.

no way of saying this without a big head but I find half clutching is the best. pressing the clutch half down and then matching rev (well in a joined motion) it makes gor a quick smooth gear change.

yes I can drive without a clutch quite well but its just putrign stress that isnt designed for parts for no reason.

my job is a mechanic and I spend allot of time drive allot of different vehicles. so picked up the slill of jumping in anything amd just driving.

best advise I can offer is be smooth and gentle and read the road ahead. take your time on gear changes/turning into amd out of corners/braking coming to junctions. smooth your driving as much as you can amd over time speed and confidence willl come too you. ita tough at first. but while your new at driving its the best time too master it

go out for drives with a few mates. get to know your car. night times are quieter roads so better to learn how too truly drive.

A true mark of a good driver is the ability to change gears without using the clutch and to do it smoothly with crunching them.

I've mastered this technique in all cars I've owned.

How does this help the op.

A true mark of a good driver is the ability to change gears without using the clutch and to do it smoothly with crunching them.

I've mastered this technique in all cars I've owned.

 

The only time I've ever done that is if I've had clutch failure, and only to get the car home.

How does this help the op.

While I appreciate it doesn't and my post does come across a bit smug there is some real benefit in learning to do this. It teaches you how to change gear (with the clutch) at the optimal moment without stressing the engine or the clutch thus reducing wear and tear.

However, the post by the OP somewhat confuses me, without sounding too pedantic isn't it a question about driving fundamentals. Basically keep practicing and try and get use to the Fabia.

Its a question asking if its a characteristic of the car or their driving style. People who have this car are probably better qualified to answer it.

The MPI is a bit of a 'snatchy' car to drive. I'm sure the OP will get used to it in time. The engine has crap driveability by modern standards, I don't know what possessed them to carry it over to the Fabia because it was well past its sell-by date years ago.

 

It's strange though because I regularly used to drive a brand-new Felicia with the same engine and it had a smoother driveline.

68bhp and 120nm torque at 2500rpm are some great numbers for it and it's not an under powered car. It's quite a heavy little hatchback and must be driven according to it's dimensions. I've never understood which is the purpose of the 100bhp engine, if that one shows it's muscle at over 4000rpm. Between 2500 and 3500rpm those engines have about the same output. IMO, 80% or more of the time, I'm driving it in this range of rpms so..I'm pretty sure about this.

For crying out loud, the 2006 Avensis has the same weight as the 2000 Fabia.

A true mark of a good driver is the ability to change gears without using the clutch and to do it smoothly with crunching them.

I've mastered this technique in all cars I've owned.

But Chris, you've got an Automatic Only licence.....