i just baught a (CANADIAN) Honda Civic Si 5 speed and i'm soooooo worried about wrecking my car especially since its my VERY FIRST car and i NEVER drove stick be4, i just wanna kno the main things in maitaining my car and making sure i dont damage the engine n such,i drove around all day today and my engine is really hot is that normal? also when i'm driving and i see a stop sign or light ahead i put the car in nutral and cost to the sign and or light till i come to a complete stop then put it in first to drive is that okay for tha car ? does it damage anything?

 

NOBODY WANTS TO HELP ME ... i just want a few quick tips that are important for me to kno

 

Well I dont drive a stick. But your engine is going to get hot when you drive it thats normal. As long as your temp guage(the one that goes from c to h) doesnt go past the mid mark its fine. Good luck and welcome to HCF!

 

#1 thing is to be aware as a driver. If you see a light pop up as you are driving (especially and oil or temp light) pulll over immidiatly. #2 is do all your schedualed maintanance. Oil changes every 3 months or 3000 miles (which ever comes first). Everything else thats in the owner's manual.

 

It's OK to coast to a stop in neutral. Also, since you're new to driving a manual transmission, it would be a good idea to check out the function of the clutch and find tips on how to prolong your clutch life. Howstuffworks.com has a very good guide (complete with animated diagrams) to the inner workings of a clutch.

 

Coasting to a stop is not a good idea unless you are going very slowly, because if the engine dies, you lose your power steering and power brakes. Downshifting will slow you down and will also give you more vacuum for the brakes.
My $0.02

Mikel

 

Good point. But downshifting isn't something I'd recommend to somebody just learning to drive manual. Without a tach and heel-toe skills, it's pretty likely they'll chew the clutch up before its time.