clutch?
 

First I am new to having a standard transmission, I learned to drive on one a long time ago.(67 camaro, I am only 29 so it wasn't that long ago) But this is the first one I have owned and not sure if it's just because its new and that much different. When I start out in my 04 V6 mustang, the car kind of jerks if you don't give it a lot of gas. If you start out on a level parking lot and just give it gas to get it moving like 10mph or less, take your foot off the gas then give it gas again it just starts jerking untill you get up to about 1500 rpms. Is this driver stupidity? Or I've heard it could be the clutch? I bought the car used with 16500+/- miles on it.

Re: clutch?
 

Sorry to say, thats' driver stupidity. First gear is obviously the shortest gear..when you feather the clutch (even with a V6), you've gotta give it firm gas and not let up to fast on the clutch. Don't go too far in that direction though, too MUCH gas with that clutch pedal depressed will eat up the throwout bearing in the assembly and you'll soon be in need of an $800 repair job. The clutch is supposed to catch low, just get a feel for when the car starts to move when you're feathering the clutch thru first gear, when you're acceleration from a dead stop gets smooth, thats how you know you're doin it right. People forget that all a manual transmission is, is an automatic transmission that uses YOU as a component, let the car drive YOU. The closer your ride comes to a car with an automatic tranny, the less wear you're putting on the clutch...Believe me it took 2 YEARS for me to learn how to drive my 1996 GT correctly, another year later I had a new clutch put in and after seeing that price tag I decided to always drive my Mustang like and old lady would as often as I could drive that way ("Built Ford Tough" does'nt mean "Beat On Me for Fun"). Funny, to get the rest of the cash for my 2001 GT, I wound up selling my 1996 (with a BRAND NEW OEM CLUTCH) to an idiot from Queens who I had to TEACH the basics of a manual transmission to in the parking lot of the DMV, 5 minuets before he drove home with the car. 24 hours later this retard calls to say he ate the clutch (IN 4 HOURS THIS PUTZ BURNED A BRAND NEW CLUTCH!!). He asked me if I'd help pay for it and then I said...click...His check cleared and thats all I cared about. Moron. People should never buy these cars unless they're very familiar with a manual transmission. But you, on the other hand, have a V6. It'll actually be easier on your leg AND the car while getting the feel for the clutch. Bye