How to Drive Manual Tacoma

I have a 4.0L V-6 Tacoma and just learning how to drive a manual.

Does anyone have any suggestions or tips?

when I shift from first and press the clutch in to shift to second the clutch will make a noise, but if I rev 1st up to close to 2,000 rpms and press the clutch in "slowly," into the resistance, to shift into second it's more smooth...

So what's going on there?

 

Try shifting gears at 2,500rmp

 

Find a dirt parking lot, put her in 4-lo, and practice starting from a stop with the clutch only and no gas. That'll help you find exactly where the clutch starts to grab/engage and will also keep you from burning up the clutch too much. Putting it in 4-lo makes it way easier to start without the gas, but you don't haveee do it, its just how I taught myself. Also dont do super tight turns in 4-lo cuz it can bind up the drive train if you aren't careful. After your'e comfortable with that take it out of 4-lo and practice starts with more and more gas until you get proficient with that.

Once you're good at starts(thats the toughest part for most people) move on to shifting between gears. Normally I shift around 2500rpm. If you shift too soon (<1500-2000rpm) the truck is gonna want to bog down and die on you.

When you want to shift ease of the gas a bit when you put the clutch in, then move it to the next gear and ease the clutch back off. While you're still learning the process will be a bit unfamiliar and you'll find yourself slowing down a bit during gear changes but after some extended city driving you'll get it down pat and your changes will be silky smooth.


FWIW I bought my truck having no idea how to drive stick, and withing a few hours of driving I felt proficient enough to hit the roads, but starts and hill starts took weeks to get really comfortable with.

 

Some good advice in here already. I don't really have much to add just that the 6 speed can be an odd feeling manual. If you drive lots of other manuals you'll definitly notice the difference. For some reason it took me a while to get 1st to 2nd shifts smooth.
Just take it easy and you'll be surprised how fast you start figuring it out.

 

Congrats on the manual. As others have mentioned the Tacoma 4.0 6 speed isn't the easiest of manuals. A few members have mentioned issues shifting from 2nd into 3rd. My recommendation is to shift slowly and you should be fine.

 

The Car Guys have a great recommendation on how to learn. I will search for it and plop it here for you or anyone else to see. I really liked how they explained it.
I won't tell you how I learned because it wasn't the most efficient way.

Here ya go. Just had to get a couple more sips of coffee in me.
http://www.cartalk.com/content/learn-drive-stick-3

 

Like you stole it!!! That's how!

 

^^

 

Definitely noticed that I need to take 1st gear past 2,000 but any more than 2,300 and I have problems.

If in 1st at 2,000 rpms then I can shift into second, but have to push the clutch in slowly -- I feel some resistance and that's how I know I'm doing it right. Won't make an awful noise.

 

Problems how? You should be able to rev the bitch to the redline in every gear without issue haha

 

I usually shift out of 1st at over 3k rpm otherwise it's kinda rough transitioning to 2nd.

Don't be afraid to rev it up some more would be my advice.

 

I generally skip 2nd unless going up a hill. I usually use 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th. Depends on what speed I need to maintain. Sometimes I skip 5th as well. Most shifting I do is between 1~2000 rpm's. As a rule of thumb I shift every 10 mph if rowing the gears. 1st to 2nd 10mph, 2nd to 3rd 20mph etc....If I not coming to a complete stop I don't even bother with 1st. I only use 1st just to get rolling, or stuck in really slow traffic and don't want to ride my brakes or keep the clutch in. Kudo's for picking a stick, will save you money on brake jobs. I've got 74k on original brakes and had them checked not long ago, still have lots of pad.

 

When you're upshifting you don't push in the clutch slow... Just push her in haha. Downshifting is where you let it out slow. You're also shifting at a really low rpm. It's harder to shift smooth at a really low rpm I've noticed.

 

I rarely shift over 2300. Actually my truck rarely gets over 2300, but I'm old.

Congrats on getting a manual - way more fun for regular driving and more challenging off road.

 

It takes some time and patience. Go practice somewhere there is no one else around (preferably on dirt so the tires can spin if you really get on the gas by accident), no pressure, turn the radio off, open the windows, and let your senses get used to the pattern of shifting. After a while, you will get used to what a good shifting RPM sounds like, what the timing of pushing in the clutch/releasing the gas pedal feels like, and how quickly you need to release the clutch/apply the gas on the upshift.

It's like any other drill that requires coordination. It takes time to learn how to do it, how high or low the clutch pedal is (all of the toyotas I have ever driven have been a high clutch, meaning it starts to engage toward the top of letting the clutch out), and how touchy the gas pedal is.

Don't get frustrated. Everyone starts out like this.

 

I get frustrated from time to time. I usually shift right at 2,000 rpms, that's when I hear the engine start to strain in that gear. getting moving isn't hard, shifting from 1st to 2nd is tricky, but everyday I get a better hang of it. Beyond 2nd I usually rev till I hear the strain and then shift again, I've figured out that 1st is about 0-12 mph, 2nd is 10-18 mph, you get the pattern?

Most of the time when I shift like that, it's WAY easy to get into the next gear, just slides into it, no bumping no loud CLANK, or anything like that.

 

I miss Car Talk. RIP Tom.

 

2000rpm isn't straining the engine whatsoever.

 

Just so you're getting multiple perspectives, this is bad advice. Not trying to offend anyone of course. The transmission was built to use all the gears in a row, just like automatics. You can generally skip any or all gears while downshifting, but it's not good practice while accelerating, especially over the life of the vehicle.
Once you get more proficient, you can choose the gear you think is best for power/torque based on the conditions (hills, traffic, etc.), but this is considering the truck is all ready in motion.

Also, you can petty much always push the clutch in as fast as you want. There are times when you slam on the brakes and you need to also slam on the clutch, or it will stall as you decelerate (or if the wheels stop moving).
I try to SLOWLY and smoothly let the clutch out during all my shifts and the transitions work well. If you let it out too fast at, regardless of RPM, gear, or speed, you might hear that bang as the gears are forced to engage faster than they are designed to.
My 2¢. Hope it helps. I've been practicing for 15 years and I am still learning.

 

same here.