All My Questions About Cars(Please Help Me)

[jarjarblinks]

1. In a standard, how do you use the clutch petal and Gears in these conditions:
-Shifting Up
-Shifting Down
-Accelerating from a stop to a fast speed
-Slowing Down from a fast speed to a stop
-Starting Up The Car
-Shutting Off the Car

I understand how the principles work(Clutch releases the engine, allows you to shift the gears), but I just dont know how fast you need to release the clutch, when to have it in and when to have it out, where to have the gears, ect.
So to sum that up, the perfect response would have

Clutch=In/Out/How Fast
Gears=Neutral, shifting up/down/not shifting
Gas Pedal=On/Off/Push Slowly

Ive watched a few people drive standards, and Ive noticed weird things like shifting through gears while slowing down, ect. Thats what prompted this question.

2. I understand the principles of how a torque convertor works, but what is the point of it? I know it eliminates the need for a clutch on autos, but all it seems to do is transfer torque to a liquid, then transfer it back to a solid(Like a motor working, except the input is the same form as the output). What part did I miss?

3. Do all newer stock production standard cars(Around 1993-Present) have RPM limiters?

4. Will an automatic tranny let you rev past redline? Like when I am driving my van, if I put the pedal down will the car stay in first and the engine explode? What about in neutral.

5. What will happen if, in an auto, I put the pedal down as fast as I can from a standstill.

6. What is overdrive?

7. On radar detectors, can someone explain the K, Ka, X, and all the other bands and what they signify?

8. Where can I find a place to legally speed, do fun stuff like drifting and spinning out, and just have fun without breaking the law or being in danger?

9. How does engine braking work

Thanks to everyone that awnsers the questions, because I poured every question about cars that I can think of here.
Thanks so much to anyone who can awnser any of these, they have been bothering me for a long time
Steve

[Hudson]

Originally posted by jarjarblinks
3. Do all newer stock production standard cars(Around 1993-Present) have RPM limiters?

4. Will an automatic tranny let you rev past redline? Like when I am driving my van, if I put the pedal down will the car stay in first and the engine explode? What about in neutral.

5. What will happen if, in an auto, I put the pedal down as fast as I can from a standstill.

6. What is overdrive?

7. On radar detectors, can someone explain the K, Ka, X, and all the other bands and what they signify?

8. Where can I find a place to legally speed, do fun stuff like drifting and spinning out, and just have fun without breaking the law or being in danger?

9. How does engine braking work

I'm going to leave the first question to someone who can better put the answer into words. My simple answer would be that you need to feel it. With experience, you know when the car needs to shift and how quickly to let out the clutch.

I think you're missing the point of the torque converter, but again, I'm leaving that to folks who can better describe it.

Not all modern cars have rev limiters. I can't name specific models, but there are a number of them without limiters.

There are transmissions that will enable you to keep the engine running past redline. I've had mechanics tell be stories about people who drive cars for miles at high speed in first or second. It can happen, it all depends on the vehicle, transmission, and engine.

Jackrabbit starts? Sure....some cars will just acceleration and others will "peel out"...all depends on the car and engine power...and condition of the transmission.

Overdrive is a gear range where the input shaft turns slower than the output shaft...a gear ratio below 1:1.

The radar bands are different ranges of radar. Like different radio frenquencies.

Legally speed? A race track.

[Deakins]

I'm not very good at explainging stuff, so:
http://cssdrivertraining.com/manualprimer.htm - This should answer your first question.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/torque-converter.htm - How torque converters work.
Actually,
http://www.howstuffworks.com/category.htm?cat=sc-engi - How cars work.

[Polygon]

1. In a standard, how do you use the clutch petal and Gears in these conditions:

Shifting Up: Let off the gas, push in the clutch, shift up, let off the clutch, and push in the gas. You will need to practice to find the best intervals for you and your car.

Shifting Down: Same as up shifting.

Accelerating from a stop to a fast speed: Find a good RPM rang where you won't loose traction and side step the clutch and floor it at the same time. Feather the gas if you loose traction. Shift as quick as you can, some people buy short throw shifters to reduce shift time. Also, side stepping the clutch means to slide your foot off the clutch so it releases at maximum speed.

Slowing Down from a fast speed to a stop: Push in the clutch and the brake at the same time, don't worry about what gear the car is in.

Starting Up The Car: Push in the clutch and the brake and start the car.

Shutting Off the Car: Push in the clutch and the brake, put the car in gear, and then shut off the car. Make sure the car has STOPPED running before you let off the clutch or the car will lunge forward.

I understand how the principles work (clutch releases the engine, allows you to shift the gears), but I just dont know how fast you need to release the clutch, when to have it in and when to have it out, where to have the gears, ect?

On the matter of how fast to let out the clutch and press the gas and vice versa, you must understand that it is different for each car. Some clutches will grab very early when letting the pedal out, and some will grab almost at the end. Some will be stiff and some will be soft. It all depends on the car; you will have to experiment to find out for the particular car you are driving.

Now as for when to have it in, when you are at a stop leave the car in gear and the clutch pressed. Some would say to put it neutral and leave the car out of gear. This causes more wear on the clutch because every time you engage the clutch you are causing wear to the clutch. Leaving it in gear and the clutch engaged at stops will prolong the life of the clutch as well as let you be ready to go when the light turns green.

Ive watched a few people drive standards, and Ive noticed weird things like shifting through gears while slowing down, ect.

This is done to save the brakes. I do this sometimes if I am going slow enough, otherwise just use the brakes and if traffic starts up again downshift and go. Brakes are much less expensive to replace than other mechanical parts.

2. I understand the principles of how a torque converter works, but what is the point of it? I know it eliminates the need for a clutch on autos, but all it seems to do is transfer torque to a liquid, then transfer it back to a solid(Like a motor working, except the input is the same form as the output). What part did I miss?

This is best explained by How Stuff Works.com. Just click the link below:

How a torque converter works.

3. Do all newer stock production standard cars(Around 1993-Present) have RPM limiters?

Possibly in the United States, outside of the United States, no.

4. Will an automatic tranny let you rev past redline? Like when I am driving my van, if I put the pedal down will the car stay in first and the engine explode? What about in neutral.

This is not a limitation of the transmission. Perhaps if you have a rev limiter on your car it won't, if not you can rev the engine until it blows.

5. What will happen if, in an auto, I put the pedal down as fast as I can from a standstill.

Depending on how much power you have the tires will or will not loose traction and you will simply accelerate. In an automatic the computer will decide the best shift points based on how open the throttle is.

6. What is overdrive?

It is a gear less the 1:1 and in most autos is 4th or 5th gear and in most manuals is 5th or 6th. It is a gear for saving gas while at freeway speeds.

7. On radar detectors, can someone explain the K, Ka, X, and all the other bands and what they signify?

They are different frequencies on a band of radio waves. K and Ka are used by radars, and X is the cellular band.

8. Where can I find a place to legally speed, do fun stuff like drifting and spinning out, and just have fun without breaking the law or being in danger?

Danger is always a constant when racing. The only place is an old abandoned air field or your local race track. I think that every city should have a place where people can go and get bad nasty on their car without legal reprisal. I would reduce the street racing problem.

9. How does engine braking work

It is simply using the engine to slow down the car, done by shifting down. Now if you are talking about a Jake brake in semis that is a different story:

How a Jake Brake works.

Hope that helps.

[jarjarblinks]

Could you explain side stepping the clutch more? Ive never heard of it.

[Polygon]

Yeah, it is when you have your foot barely on the clutch with the clutch fully pressed in. Then you slide your foot the rest of the way off so that the clutch comes out and grabs as quick as possible.

[454Casull]

Originally posted by Polygon
Yeah, it is when you have your foot barely on the clutch with the clutch fully pressed in. Then you slide your foot the rest of the way off so that the clutch comes out and grabs as quick as possible.

That can't be good for the tranny. Even with an engine that doesn't put out a lot of torque.

[Polygon]

Originally posted by 454Casull

That can't be good for the tranny. Even with an engine that doesn't put out a lot of torque.

Nope, it's not. Much the same as a neutral drop in an automatic. I never use it, but some do, and it works.

[Kashy]

side steping or dropping the clutch same thing