Help driving a manual.

[1tty bitty kitty]

I've only been driving for a few days and I've been doing alright. It's a '91 geo prism. I'm just wondering a few things.
What causes my car to sort of stutter when I change(or just after) between 2nd and 3rd?
Should I be concerned if my car starts to smell weird? Not really like burned rubber though.
It makes a bit of a scratching noise while I drive, but I figure you'd have to actually look at the car to figure that one out.
Any tips though? I avoid holding the clutch down when I don't need to, I've been told it'll wear at the clutch.

[Invader Kuro]

It will stutter if you let the RPMs drop too low during the shift. It could be burning oil, it is from 1991 after all. The scratching could be engine noise, maybe throwout bearing but that sounds more like grinding....

[Chained-Down-Brit]

The smell is most likely clutch smell, maybe? It's quite a distinctive smell, so ask someone you know ( who knows some more about cars ) to go on a drive with you, and they should be able to tell you if it's clutch or not!
Nothing to worry about though, it's just a new driver thing! xD

[PasteatizeMe]

The shuttering is two things.

Either your letting go of the clutch to soon when shifting, or your to low of rpms.

If your shifting to a lower gear from a higher gear you need to make sure that the rpms are not to high, if they are to high your car is either one going to jerk(shutter), or two stall. You have to match the rpms. Either wait till they are low enough to change gears, or Rev match (I would not suggest rev matching until you've driven awhile)

If you just shifting to a higher gear and it shutters then you are letting go of the clutch to soon, and the gear has not completely engaged. It will shutter because it is slipping and trying to hold on. If it stalls that's because it couldn't hold, if it shutters a lot but keeps going, it saved its self.

Since you said it happens when you just changed your most likely letting go of the clutch to soon, and the car is not engaged. Try holding onto the clutch a little longer then you normally do, but don't hold on to long, you don't want to burn the clutch.

[Crimmy Sun]

xD ha, Prism, love the car

Pretty much everything everyone has already said, I'm thinking you're smelling clutch, take your foot totally off the pedal when you're in gear, it's pretty common that people leave their foot on the pedal, which wears the clutch a bit creating that smell

the shaking is likely you being out of power, shift a little bit later

the grinding sound though, depends, need little more info to really give you a good answer

[PasteatizeMe]

Crimmy Sun

xD ha, Prism, love the car

Pretty much everything everyone has already said, I'm thinking you're smelling clutch, take your foot totally off the pedal when you're in gear, it's pretty common that people leave their foot on the pedal, which wears the clutch a bit creating that smell

the shaking is likely you being out of power, shift a little bit later

the grinding sound though, depends, need little more info to really give you a good answer

She could be grinding the gear?
Possible not pushing the clutch all the way down when shifting.

[elemein]

PasteatizeMe

Crimmy Sun

xD ha, Prism, love the car

Pretty much everything everyone has already said, I'm thinking you're smelling clutch, take your foot totally off the pedal when you're in gear, it's pretty common that people leave their foot on the pedal, which wears the clutch a bit creating that smell

the shaking is likely you being out of power, shift a little bit later

the grinding sound though, depends, need little more info to really give you a good answer

She could be grinding the gear?
Possible not pushing the clutch all the way down when shifting.

That gearbox (and most modern manual gearboxes these days) has a synchro. "Grinding the gears" is really unlikely; espiecally in that car; a Corolla clone.

I'm thinking its the engine.

[PasteatizeMe]

elemein

PasteatizeMe

Crimmy Sun

xD ha, Prism, love the car

Pretty much everything everyone has already said, I'm thinking you're smelling clutch, take your foot totally off the pedal when you're in gear, it's pretty common that people leave their foot on the pedal, which wears the clutch a bit creating that smell

the shaking is likely you being out of power, shift a little bit later

the grinding sound though, depends, need little more info to really give you a good answer

She could be grinding the gear?
Possible not pushing the clutch all the way down when shifting.

That gearbox (and most modern manual gearboxes these days) has a synchro. "Grinding the gears" is really unlikely; espiecally in that car; a Corolla clone.

I'm thinking its the engine.

My 03 Acrua did it a few times when I first started driving.

[elemein]

PasteatizeMe

elemein

PasteatizeMe

Crimmy Sun

xD ha, Prism, love the car

Pretty much everything everyone has already said, I'm thinking you're smelling clutch, take your foot totally off the pedal when you're in gear, it's pretty common that people leave their foot on the pedal, which wears the clutch a bit creating that smell

the shaking is likely you being out of power, shift a little bit later

the grinding sound though, depends, need little more info to really give you a good answer

She could be grinding the gear?
Possible not pushing the clutch all the way down when shifting.

That gearbox (and most modern manual gearboxes these days) has a synchro. "Grinding the gears" is really unlikely; espiecally in that car; a Corolla clone.

I'm thinking its the engine.

My 03 Acrua did it a few times when I first started driving.

Really? Are you sure it was the transmission you were hearing? I guess it's possible but I find that odd... We are talking about a Honda and Toyota transmission after all, they're not like Jaguar's that need a new clutch every burnout... I've never heard a Honda or Toyota transmission "grind gears" before, its always been the engine... Odd... Possible, but odd.

[PasteatizeMe]

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

PasteatizeMe

Crimmy Sun

xD ha, Prism, love the car

Pretty much everything everyone has already said, I'm thinking you're smelling clutch, take your foot totally off the pedal when you're in gear, it's pretty common that people leave their foot on the pedal, which wears the clutch a bit creating that smell

the shaking is likely you being out of power, shift a little bit later

the grinding sound though, depends, need little more info to really give you a good answer

She could be grinding the gear?
Possible not pushing the clutch all the way down when shifting.

That gearbox (and most modern manual gearboxes these days) has a synchro. "Grinding the gears" is really unlikely; espiecally in that car; a Corolla clone.

I'm thinking its the engine.

My 03 Acrua did it a few times when I first started driving.

Really? Are you sure it was the transmission you were hearing? I guess it's possible but I find that odd... We are talking about a Honda and Toyota transmission after all, they're not like Jaguar's that need a new clutch every burnout... I've never heard a Honda or Toyota transmission "grind gears" before, its always been the engine... Odd... Possible, but odd.

Yup I could tell instantly what I did. Because I didn't push the clutch in far enough and heard RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and felt it to. I was like OH FCK! XD

Infact, its done it more then once. Possible because the clutch is going out, its a very used and abused clutch(not stock of course, its been replaced a few times(Because the car used to be raced))

[elemein]

PasteatizeMe

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

PasteatizeMe

Crimmy Sun

xD ha, Prism, love the car

Pretty much everything everyone has already said, I'm thinking you're smelling clutch, take your foot totally off the pedal when you're in gear, it's pretty common that people leave their foot on the pedal, which wears the clutch a bit creating that smell

the shaking is likely you being out of power, shift a little bit later

the grinding sound though, depends, need little more info to really give you a good answer

She could be grinding the gear?
Possible not pushing the clutch all the way down when shifting.

That gearbox (and most modern manual gearboxes these days) has a synchro. "Grinding the gears" is really unlikely; espiecally in that car; a Corolla clone.

I'm thinking its the engine.

My 03 Acrua did it a few times when I first started driving.

Really? Are you sure it was the transmission you were hearing? I guess it's possible but I find that odd... We are talking about a Honda and Toyota transmission after all, they're not like Jaguar's that need a new clutch every burnout... I've never heard a Honda or Toyota transmission "grind gears" before, its always been the engine... Odd... Possible, but odd.

Yup I could tell instantly what I did. Because I didn't push the clutch in far enough and heard RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and felt it to. I was like OH FCK! XD

Infact, its done it more then once. Possible because the clutch is going out, its a very used and abused clutch(not stock of course, its been replaced a few times(Because the car used to be raced))

Oh thats the clutch, not the synchros; that's totally expected. The clutch is a disposable commodity; I's expect that to grind in due time. Synchros are supposed to last the duration of the car's lifetime.

[PasteatizeMe]

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

That gearbox (and most modern manual gearboxes these days) has a synchro. "Grinding the gears" is really unlikely; espiecally in that car; a Corolla clone.

I'm thinking its the engine.

My 03 Acrua did it a few times when I first started driving.

Really? Are you sure it was the transmission you were hearing? I guess it's possible but I find that odd... We are talking about a Honda and Toyota transmission after all, they're not like Jaguar's that need a new clutch every burnout... I've never heard a Honda or Toyota transmission "grind gears" before, its always been the engine... Odd... Possible, but odd.

Yup I could tell instantly what I did. Because I didn't push the clutch in far enough and heard RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and felt it to. I was like OH FCK! XD

Infact, its done it more then once. Possible because the clutch is going out, its a very used and abused clutch(not stock of course, its been replaced a few times(Because the car used to be raced))

Oh thats the clutch, not the synchros; that's totally expected. The clutch is a disposable commodity; I's expect that to grind in due time. Synchros are supposed to last the duration of the car's lifetime.

Yeah I guess I didn't word it right. I have a hard time trying to explain what I'm thinking, to many things run through this head of mine.

[Crimmy Sun]

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

That gearbox (and most modern manual gearboxes these days) has a synchro. "Grinding the gears" is really unlikely; espiecally in that car; a Corolla clone.

I'm thinking its the engine.

My 03 Acrua did it a few times when I first started driving.

Really? Are you sure it was the transmission you were hearing? I guess it's possible but I find that odd... We are talking about a Honda and Toyota transmission after all, they're not like Jaguar's that need a new clutch every burnout... I've never heard a Honda or Toyota transmission "grind gears" before, its always been the engine... Odd... Possible, but odd.

Yup I could tell instantly what I did. Because I didn't push the clutch in far enough and heard RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and felt it to. I was like OH FCK! XD

Infact, its done it more then once. Possible because the clutch is going out, its a very used and abused clutch(not stock of course, its been replaced a few times(Because the car used to be raced))

Oh thats the clutch, not the synchros; that's totally expected. The clutch is a disposable commodity; I's expect that to grind in due time. Synchros are supposed to last the duration of the car's lifetime.

Gotta remember a few factors
first its a manual Acura, that gearbox was likely dogged for years, the syncro may be the problem

and the Prism is early 90's, the syncro's could very likely be shot

[elemein]

Crimmy Sun

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

That gearbox (and most modern manual gearboxes these days) has a synchro. "Grinding the gears" is really unlikely; espiecally in that car; a Corolla clone.

I'm thinking its the engine.

My 03 Acrua did it a few times when I first started driving.

Really? Are you sure it was the transmission you were hearing? I guess it's possible but I find that odd... We are talking about a Honda and Toyota transmission after all, they're not like Jaguar's that need a new clutch every burnout... I've never heard a Honda or Toyota transmission "grind gears" before, its always been the engine... Odd... Possible, but odd.

Yup I could tell instantly what I did. Because I didn't push the clutch in far enough and heard RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and felt it to. I was like OH FCK! XD

Infact, its done it more then once. Possible because the clutch is going out, its a very used and abused clutch(not stock of course, its been replaced a few times(Because the car used to be raced))

Oh thats the clutch, not the synchros; that's totally expected. The clutch is a disposable commodity; I's expect that to grind in due time. Synchros are supposed to last the duration of the car's lifetime.

Gotta remember a few factors
first its a manual Acura, that gearbox was likely dogged for years, the syncro may be the problem

and the Prism is early 90's, the syncro's could very likely be shot

Idk about the Acura as its apparently been raced; so anything is possible, but I'm almost sure the Prizm's synchro's are just fine! 20 years isnt very long at all for a synchro.

[Crimmy Sun]

elemein

Crimmy Sun

elemein

PasteatizeMe

elemein

Really? Are you sure it was the transmission you were hearing? I guess it's possible but I find that odd... We are talking about a Honda and Toyota transmission after all, they're not like Jaguar's that need a new clutch every burnout... I've never heard a Honda or Toyota transmission "grind gears" before, its always been the engine... Odd... Possible, but odd.

Yup I could tell instantly what I did. Because I didn't push the clutch in far enough and heard RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR and felt it to. I was like OH FCK! XD

Infact, its done it more then once. Possible because the clutch is going out, its a very used and abused clutch(not stock of course, its been replaced a few times(Because the car used to be raced))

Oh thats the clutch, not the synchros; that's totally expected. The clutch is a disposable commodity; I's expect that to grind in due time. Synchros are supposed to last the duration of the car's lifetime.

Gotta remember a few factors
first its a manual Acura, that gearbox was likely dogged for years, the syncro may be the problem

and the Prism is early 90's, the syncro's could very likely be shot

Idk about the Acura as its apparently been raced; so anything is possible, but I'm almost sure the Prizm's synchro's are just fine! 20 years isnt very long at all for a synchro.

Psh, every early 90's car I've ever had has had a bad 2nd gear syncro