Learner Driver Question

BizzyLizzie

Hey guys, was wondering if anyone could throw some advice my way

Been driving for about...a week... and understandably enough I'm having a few problems.

I seem to be getting on really well, apart from when I'm slowing down. I'm learning to drive in a 2 litre diesel and when I'm slowing down to turn into a road or coming to a roundabout, the car jerks like crazy, even when I'm doing about 20mph in second gear. Is this normal? It's my parents' car and when I asked them what to do they said that they just press the clutch when it starts to shudder, but isn't that coasting? What I've found myself doing is either waiting until the last minute to break and going too fast, or breaking too soon and having to give the car some gas because it's stopping to far from where I want it to or coasting a bit because it's jumping around like crazy. I don't want to pick up these dangerous habits! Probably need lots of practice?

I've had a lesson and he told me I didn't need more, just to practice a lot. But his car was a Micra so it was a lot easier to control and I had no problems with slowing down and stuff in that car. I'm having a lesson in the family car next week but was just wondering if anybody had any tips or anything to tide me over until then? Sorry if it's a stupid question with a glareingly obvious answer...

Liamario

Usually, if the car us starting the shake, you are in too high of a gear for the speed you are going. Take into account the engine size of the car over the micra. Just because you would be in second gear making a turn with the micra, that doesn't necessarily apply to the 2 litre as well.
You've probably noticed that the acceleration is much quicker in the 2 litre as well as that you don't need to be in as high a gear as you would in a micra.

ADIDriving

No car would shudder at 20mph in second. It is possible that you are accidently in forth. Slow down early enough to make a comfortable gear change.

BizzyLizzie

I'm 100% certain that I'm in second and it's shuddering a lot. It happens no matter who drives it, but they keep the clutch pressed to stop it happening, I just don't want to get into that habit and the car cuts out I did coast a bit today going around a roundabout because the car was jumping like crazy and there was a lot of traffic and I didn't want to cut it out...

ADIDriving

Ok. That's not normal for a car to do that. So if you are 100%, then there is something wrong with the car. See how you get on with your instructor in the car. Talk to someone about the car geting a service. You should not have your foot on the clutch when turning.

BizzyLizzie

Ok, I must do that. I had no problems with that in the other car so I don't think it's me, but it's very possible that I'm doing something stupid that I don't know about!

This could be way off but one of the other drivers is constantly taking off in second gear, do you think that might have affected it?

It cut out today when I was turning in my driveway in second gear, it's really annoying me now because I'm not sure if it's me or the car and the only advice I get from my accompanying driver is to press the clutch because ''that's what you have to do for this car, it's the right way to do it, f**k the test'' :rolleyes:

Thanks for the advice guys

Newsite

All cars are different - for example in my folks' car you could take off from a stopped position in 2nd gear! Whereas in other, lower-powered cars I've driven you'd just cut out. It does sound a bit strange though - the car shouldn't be shuddering in 2nd gear going around a corner.

What I suspect - especially since your family are saying there is no problem and to just 'put in the clutch' - is that you are approaching corners too quickly and not braking enough before going into 2nd gear to take the corner. This would make the car shudder since you are effectively using the gear box to slow the car down. Make sure you brake first, then ease into 2nd, and take the corner.

A tip for turning in areas like a driveway is to hover your foot just over the clutch - NOT on it - so that you can catch it before it starts to struggle.

ADIDriving

Turning into a driveway, get very slow and use 1st. You did say in a previous post that in shuddered at 20, but if you are drving slower consider the lower gear. Do make sure you have the speed down though.