Help me understand the manual preference

I've never had a battery go so flat I couldn't push start the car. I've never done it on my truck, but I've done it to other, newer vehicles.

Not disagreeing, but if you're in a pinch, I've never not been able to do it.

 

The technical part of driving a manual off or on road if the whole fun of it to me. Those white knuckle moments climbing an off camber ledge and catching a lower gear with out rolling back or over in the process is what makes wheeling enjoyable to me. Left foot on the clutch, right heal on the brake, right toe on the gas, one hand on the wheel and the other rowing gears....! That's just what floats my boat. To each his own.

 

I haven't either. When I had to push start my first gen at the gas station one morning, the lights were still working, they were just dimmer than usual. Not enough power to crank the engine though.

 

Driving versus spectating.

 

Alternators are usually ''self exciting'' in that they don't need electricity to produce it, older generators on the other hand do need
to be ''excited''by applying voltage to them to get them to produce electricity.

The main computer in most modern vehicles will not operate under 9.2 [off the top of my head] volts as they will be damaged. You also need enough juice to run the fuel pump, anyone who has push started a modern manual transmission did not have a completely dead battery, just one without enough amps to spin the starter.

 

You have that backwards.

 

Looks like you've got a 2000, mine is a 2013.

 

Possessing the skill set to operate a manual transmission smoothly off road. It is not fighting it is just knowing how to do it correctly. 90% of the time on the trails my crawler is in single low and 3rd gear and I only need the clutch when I come to a complete stop somewhere. Most of the time my left foot is on the foot rest on the wheel tub or on the slider if I have the doors off. I'll say again it is not a fight it is just knowing the limitations and characteristics of both you and your vehicle.

 

That's what I initially thought too, but it seems the alternator needs a small current to its rotor to create electricity. It gets this current from the battery.

 

Maybe it's a reliability thing - that trumps drive abilit when the Engs sit down and design. But if Yota could program in good shift points and programming Id have the Auto.
when I heard online reviews and people on here saying the same thing "shift happy"confused " transmission about 3rd Gens as I always thought about my 2nd gen- my mind was made up.

 

Started driving manual transmission cars at age 16 and have owned only 2 automatics in my life, including this truck and the only reason now is because the knees are not so good and there's a lot of stop and go traffic in the DC metro area. But there's nothing like the ability to determine your own shift points each and every time you row through the gears. I've often said that when I drive a stick, I feel like I'm driving but in an automatic, I feel like I'm just a co-pilot and the vehicle is driving itself. Getting older is a bitch but it beats the alternative.

 

That's exactly how I stumbled into my truck... well after test driving a Nisan <spit> then the sales Mgr. tried to upsell me a $29K truck for $40k ... meh no thanks. Taco FTW.

My wife won't drive anything but manual but she's scared to drive my TRD Sport, so far. I much prefer manual to auto - makes me feel more connected to the road and my vehicle, that and I've never had anything but a manual since I learned to drive in the 70s.

 

Wind and hydro turbines use permanent magnet systems, completely different than a car alternator. You absolutely need DC current to excite the rotor in order to generate electricity with a car alternator. You can not bump start a gas engine vehicle without a battery charge. Yes the battery can be weak, but it won't work if it's dead or removed. It will crank, but it will not start because there's no ignition.

 

False. I tested this out on my 16 and it bump starts VERY easily.

 

Well, this is getting pretty far into the rhubarb with respect to the the OP's topic, but I will add this -
You do in fact need a small amount of current to a modern alternator to get it to produce output. The reason? A coil passing through a magnetic field will have a voltage induced in it. And, a coil with current passing through it will produce a magnetic field (like in a relay); Since alternators don't have permanent magnets in them, where does this magnetic field come from? It comes from a coil that already has current flowing through it (form an outside source - the battery).
AS said above, you may not have enough CURRENT left in your battery to crank the engine, but unless the battery is completely flat you would probably have enough VOLTAGE to get the alternator producing O/P when it rotates - ie from push starting. See the chicken and the egg paradox to this?
Anyway, you need a small amount of juice in your truck to push start it. Try unhooking your battery and push starting. Bet you supper you'll just tire out your buddies

Frank

 

I thought this is a different transmission than 2nd gen? I haven't read anything about manual transmission problems with the new 3rd gen's transmissions.

 

I am over clutching. My first Vette was a 6 Speed Manual. PIA in light traffic. My second Vette and MX5 are automatics with paddles. Only thing missing is a clutch and I can do without the extra mechanicals from the driver,

I cannot think of a vehicle I would prefer a manual in.

 

1997

 

I like my manual on icy roads around town. I can slip the clutch a little more and keep my wheels from spinning when I'm starting out at an icy intersection.

 

I stand corrected. I just read for like an hour trying to tie up my loose ends of knowledge, plus watched several YouTube videos. Thanks for your input and clarification.

Conclusion is, as along as the coils are "excited" then the alternator will provide electricity. So given each circumstance, if one can do that, they can get on their way.