good advice from instructor?

chump

Hey I had a pre-test recently. Still have plenty of time before test but wanted to see where was falling down.

A few questions;

I drive a 1.6 focus

1. Should I drive in 4th gear going 30mph (50kph) ? My instructor said I should although my car would definitely prefer 3rd.

2. I have a habit of putting on handbrake at lights even when not on hill. When on hill, I brake, clutch (still on brake), handbrake, neutral. I've found that when I am not on a hill I brake, clutch, neutral (still on brake), handbrake - will this fail me a test? Ie. Should it always be brake, clutch, handbrake, neutral?

3. When braking from 4th gear I have typically taken foot off accel., and brake to a stop (this didn't work in the last car I drove - ie. shaky, but works fine in the focus). Instructor said for test should come down to 3rd, or even 2nd. Is this correct?

4. When turning around corners in estates I often would basically stop for a left turn (particularly if poor vis. - cars etc.), this would then mean I turn the corner in first gear. Instructor saying I should turn in 2nd in this case. But basically my car is going too slow to really feel right in 2nd - it'd also be a really quick 1st to 2nd gear change. Is this correct advice?

5. Back fog light - has anyones ever been checked during the test?

6. Coming out of an estate/etc. with a stop sign, going left, 2 lanes of traffic, it is clear, can I drive straight into the far lane (ie. if turning right up a bit yonder) - OR should I come into the the closest lane to me and then indicate into the other lane?


No more questions just yet

In general the instructor I had was a fricken joker. Looking at watch whole time, speaking 10 times too fast, rushing, generally a dishevelled gobshiote of a dude. I won't be going back to him - that's not to say his advice is bang on. Just looking for confirmation.

thanks

L1011

1 - if the car is at any risk of juddering in 4th, keep it in third. Have you got a rev counter on the dash?

2 - Not a clue...

3 - you should go down through the gears if you've got the space for it.

4 - You shouldn't need to stop for a left turn in modern estates, but you should get out of first as quickly as possible.

5 - mine wasn't. Doesn't mean it won't be...

6 - I'd go in to the inner lane unless the instructor is giving you fairly advance warning, mine was a bollox for announcing turns really late. I'd check the current ROTR to see if it specifies anything, but if it doesn't, just treat it with normal DC rules and go in to the inner lane first.

Alanstrainor

For question 2 it's perfectly fine to put on the hand brake in the order you said when at lights and not on a hill, it's probably preferred, well i did it on my test without any bother.
As for the first question i'd say follow your instructors advice and try get into 4th, but if it is the case that it shudders at 50kph bang it into third, as stated above keep an eye on the rev counter if you're unsure.

chump

Thanks for the responses.
It generally is 2000 or less revs at 30mph in 3rd.

Wishbone Ash

Re: Fog Lights.

There is no legal requirement to have fog lights (front or rear).

LuckyStar

1. Yes, unless you get the shakes.

2. I was taught to always put on the handbrake when you're stopped because that way if anyone rear ends you, you won't go flying forward. You always put on the handbrake before changing into neutral.

3. You can stop in any gear, I was taught to use the clutch as I stop so the car doesn't shake, but if I can see from far away that the lights are red, to bring down the gear so I'm not riding the clutch too much. My instructor said to use the clutch when stopping as if you ever need to stop really suddenly, you will be in the habit of using the clutch so you will stop smoother. I don't want to be worrying about gears and shaking if I ever have to slam down!!!

4. I was taught to only use 1st gear for starting the car, but when I am going around car parks really slow in 2nd, the car often shakes, unless I use the clutch, so I use 1st.

5. Haven't done the test yet.

6. As far as I know you change lanes one by one.

L1011

... thats not neccesarily great advise from your instructor on point 3, LS. If you need to stop suddenly you could benefit from engine braking if you *don't* depress the clutch all the time, and drop gears. You require somewhat more distance to stop if, say, coasting from fourth with the brakes on hard than 4th->3rd->2nd with the brakes on hard....

And if its a true emergency stop, I'm not sure that worrying about the car shaking is going to be a real problem!

As goes point 2, if you've not got the handbrake on when stopped you should have the footbrake on, there was a long and heated discussion on the main Motoring forums about this...

Wishbone Ash

MYOB wrote: »

if you've not got the handbrake on when stopped you should have the footbrake on

And blind the eyes out of the motorist behind you (during lighting up hours)! :eek:

L1011

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

And blind the eyes out of the motorist behind you (during lighting up hours)! :eek:

Indeed, thats why I said to look at the endless discussion in the main motors forum, I wasn't advocating one position or another

LuckyStar

MYOB wrote: »

As goes point 2, if you've not got the handbrake on when stopped you should have the footbrake on

owww sore feet!

you're right about the shaking when doing a sudden brake!

Armin_Tamzarian

Brake, clutch, handbrake then Neutral

L1011

LuckyStar wrote: »

owww sore feet!

You're not wearing heels while driving or something are you? No problems with sore feet when wearing nice comfy massive skate shoes

IncredibleHulk

chump wrote: »

Hey I had a pre-test recently. Still have plenty of time before test but wanted to see where was falling down.

A few questions;

I drive a 1.6 focus

1. Should I drive in 4th gear going 30mph (50kph) ? My instructor said I should although my car would definitely prefer 3rd.

2. I have a habit of putting on handbrake at lights even when not on hill. When on hill, I brake, clutch (still on brake), handbrake, neutral. I've found that when I am not on a hill I brake, clutch, neutral (still on brake), handbrake - will this fail me a test? Ie. Should it always be brake, clutch, handbrake, neutral?

3. When braking from 4th gear I have typically taken foot off accel., and brake to a stop (this didn't work in the last car I drove - ie. shaky, but works fine in the focus). Instructor said for test should come down to 3rd, or even 2nd. Is this correct?

4. When turning around corners in estates I often would basically stop for a left turn (particularly if poor vis. - cars etc.), this would then mean I turn the corner in first gear. Instructor saying I should turn in 2nd in this case. But basically my car is going too slow to really feel right in 2nd - it'd also be a really quick 1st to 2nd gear change. Is this correct advice?

5. Back fog light - has anyones ever been checked during the test?

6. Coming out of an estate/etc. with a stop sign, going left, 2 lanes of traffic, it is clear, can I drive straight into the far lane (ie. if turning right up a bit yonder) - OR should I come into the the closest lane to me and then indicate into the other lane?


No more questions just yet

In general the instructor I had was a fricken joker. Looking at watch whole time, speaking 10 times too fast, rushing, generally a dishevelled gobshiote of a dude. I won't be going back to him - that's not to say his advice is bang on. Just looking for confirmation.

thanks

Do a search on http://www.drivingschoolireland.com/phpbb/index.php

chump

thanks for responses lads

LuckyStar

MYOB wrote: »

You're not wearing heels while driving or something are you? No problems with sore feet when wearing nice comfy massive skate shoes

Hell no, I wear flat pointy toe boots. I tried wearing canvas boots a few times but they hurt sooo bad, whatever way they are cut, and the toe was too wide, I kept hitting off the brake as I was accelerating!

L1011

You learn to adjust for that, I'm in a smaller Fiat and have size 13 feet.. .

meathstevie

Just drive in the gear the car feels right at. If you're doing 1000rpm in 4th you were probably better of doing 2200rpm in 3th.

LuckyStar

What should the revs be? Like obviously they should not be lit up red but as a general guide, if I was in the correct gear for my speed, what should my revs be?

In kilometers, what general range is for each gear?

L1011

Less than 3300 I seem to remember being told at some stage.

Depends, however, on where the redline is on your car. As goes speed, that depends on your gear ratio...

Some of us have to slum it with no rev counter still!

Wishbone Ash

Lads/ladies - practise and experience will tell you if you are in the right gear. Discussing the optimum engine speed only complicates matters.

meathstevie

You don't need a rev counter at all. You notice well enough with a bit of experience when your engine is purring nicely, chugging or howling. I drive +100k km a year and the only time I'd be looking at the rev counter is when I'd feel the engine isn't turning right. Every car is different. Say a fiat seicento will be doing 3500 revs or more to do 120k in fifth gear while a a merc s500 might be considering switching itself into 4th gear at this speed.

WUSBDesign

On point (1): if the road is clear ahead, then I find that my Jazz moves quite smoothly in the 4th gear at 30mph. However, once I find that I need to slow down to less than 30 for a hump, hazards, etc., I find that I need to switch down to 3rd gear in order to pick up speed later.

My instructor certainly prefers a higher gear at any time for cruising speeds as, quote, "the engine is calmer and easier to control".

j1979p

I find that the engine noise gets far too loud above 30 mph in 3rd gear (99 ford fiesta). So I generally change to 4th at that speed.

chump

thanks guys,

i know how the car feels, i know when it feels right in 3rd or 4th, that's why it annoyed me when he said -- eh go up to 4th, when to me, it wasn't right for me and my car yet

of course you could argue his judgement is superior but I thought he was a joker so I provided the question!

Wishbone Ash

chump wrote: »

thanks guys,

i know how the car feels, i know when it feels right in 3rd or 4th, that's why it annoyed me when he said -- eh go up to 4th, when to me, it wasn't right for me and my car yet

of course you could argue his judgement is superior but I thought he was a joker so I provided the question!

Please read the Charter chump!