[beauchampboiler]

Hello All,
I have recently started learning to drive but have not yet had any formal lessons (I've got some booked for next week). So far I have been learning in my parent's Fiat Multipla which has a 1.9l diesel engine (insured with Provisional Marmalade if anyone's interested). The car, being a diesel, simply refuses to stall in the low gears no matter how rough I am with the clutch and this has led me to use only the clutch (not the accelerator) while manoevering at low speeds.

Is this considered poor driving practice and how difficult do you think I will find it to transition to my instructor's petrol Mini One? Also, should I employ techniques such as starting out in a higher gear to force me to use the accelerator when starting off?

Any help would be much appreciated, cheers!

[PJ991]

I think stalling in first gear will be enough to force you to use the accelerator. Why would you attempt pulling off in 2nd? I can't imagine that going down well with your car, or the instructor and examiner when it comes down to it.

It's not hard to get used to. You'll be fine.

[Nice.Guy]

the main adjustment would be pulling off - you'll need to use the accelerator, as well as being really slow in bringing the clutch back up so you don't stall...
learning in a diesel isn't a problem though, and it is fine to just use the clutch at low speeds in a diesel (it's called clutch control), but this is less effective in a petrol i think
but seriously, your instructor will go through all of this with you

[beauchampboiler]

Cheers guys, that's really helpful. I think I just to get in a car with a decent instruct as soon as possible. My parent's 'lessons' are just confusing, and my Dad (who is quite 'mature') keeps teaching me weird stuff like 'never use the breaks to slow down, use the gears'. The Multipla is really difficult to learn in as well, it's so bloody wide!

[KCLeblanc]

When I took my test the advice was to use a little gas. Although if you're gentle with the clutch you don't need to do this (even in a petrol car). When I first started manoeuvres my instructor got me to just steer and he did the rest via the dual controls.

I would start learning with an instructor, the driving test expects a very particular style of driving and that's what you will be taught by the instructor. I know you're dad is trying to help, but the sad truth is he'd probably have to adjust his driving style in order to pass the test himself.

I think the key thing with driving with you parents is you need to use it to practise and reinforce what you learn in your lessons.

[101101]

My instructors car is a petrol and has a tiny 1.2 engine. When manoeuvring it also requires no gas.

[linkdapink]

I've been learning in a diesel and practising in a petrol... the interchanging between the two is confusing. My boyfriend insists that I use the accelerator when manoeuvring in the petrol (which I hate!) but my instructor says I don't need to use any in the diesel. You can tell which I prefer...

[Advisor]

(Original post by linkdapink)
My boyfriend insists that I use the accelerator when manoeuvring in the petrol (which I hate!) but my instructor says I don't need to use any in the diesel. You can tell which I prefer...

Shame on your instructor for teaching you incorrectly just because his car lets you "get away with it". Seriously, how does he expect you to be able to drive for life - in any car? Even if the car doesn't stall, moving away from junctions is going to be painfully slow with main road traffic forced to brake to your slow speed.

On this occasion, take your boyfriends advice which will work for any car.

[Nuffles]

(Original post by Advisor)
Shame on your instructor for teaching you incorrectly just because his car lets you "get away with it". Seriously, how does he expect you to be able to drive for life - in any car? Even if the car doesn't stall, moving away from junctions is going to be painfully slow with main road traffic forced to brake to your slow speed.

On this occasion, take your boyfriends advice which will work for any car.

I'm pretty sure she meant when maneuvering, not when moving in traffic.

I often just move on the clutch in heavy traffic and when I'm parking in really tight spaces, and I drive a 1.4 petrol Golf. It's not really about petrol/diesel, although that does come into it quite significantly, but the individual engine involved.

My Dad drives a 1.7 TD Astra, and that engine is gutless down at the bottom end, but has some punch once the turbo kicks in. As a result of this, and quite steep gearing, it hates pulling away in second. I've stalled it a few times expecting it to have the torque of the Iveco engine in my old Land Rover, but it just doesn't. I tried a few times and it really wasn't fun. My Mog, on the other hand, with it's 1.1 A-series had gobs of idle-to-low-rev torque and quite low gearing so I only ever really used first gear for hills, on flat ground I'd usually just pull away in second and chang straight to fourth. I could pull away in first and change to second, and even third sometimes, without using any gas at all if I was in tight traffic.

[linkdapink]

(Original post by Advisor)
Shame on your instructor for teaching you incorrectly just because his car lets you "get away with it". Seriously, how does he expect you to be able to drive for life - in any car? Even if the car doesn't stall, moving away from junctions is going to be painfully slow with main road traffic forced to brake to your slow speed.

On this occasion, take your boyfriends advice which will work for any car.

Sorry, yes, I do use the accellerator for moving away in traffic, just for the manoeuvres I don't use any gas for that. I know I'll have to learn differently in my own car at some point (need to get a car first though!) but at the moment, I'm doing what my instructor says so I can pass. Unfortunatly, that's what it's come down to, which makes me quite sad really.