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So Im still pretty new to driving stick. However even if I feather the clutch to get it rolling from a stop it always vibrates the car a little bit when I get close to the catch point. I've tried doing it SUPER slow and the car still vibrates a little bit, it's especially prevalent when going in reverse.

Is this normal? Im very paranoid about damaging my car since it vibrates some. I've gotten pretty good at going from Stop-->1st without vibration (giving it a little gas). But in reverse it's difficult since giving it any gas just shoots you into reverse quite fast.

Am I hurting my car when it vibrates like this?

Car is a 2014 GTI (VW)

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  • What year/make/model is your vehicle? How many miles are on it?
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Apr 7, 2014 at 13:02
  • 2014 VW GTI, like 200 miles maybe on it.
    – user4822
    Apr 7, 2014 at 18:21
  • My father has been driving stick for decades, and told me he was having lots of trouble getting used to his 2012 Jetta's clutch control. It may just be a difficult clutch.
    – jscs
    Apr 8, 2014 at 18:27

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It may be a case of the clutch still needing to be broke in and/or "bedded", but if it continues doing it after 500 to 1000 miles, I'd take it back to the dealership to have it looked over. You should not be causing any issues with the engine or the car, but that also depends on the level of vibration that you are feeling. If you have a friend who is very used to a VW stick (of about the same year), you might have them drive it and see what they think. A small amount of shudder is not necessarily a bad thing, but a lot is not good (all subjective). For your edification, bedding (which I referred to above) is the process of breaking in the clutch (can also apply to brakes), where it has to go through several hundred miles worth of heating/cooling cycles to totally cure the friction material which is used. If you are too hard on it, it can wear out prematurely. All-in-all, just take it as easy as you can on the clutch with most of this period being city driving (if possible). If you continue to have the issue even after the time given, the dealership has the obligation to do fix the issue. This is called the "adjustment period", which they may have told you about when you purchased the vehicle. (Dealerships I worked at usually gave a 12 month adjustment period). If it gives you problems after this point, it should be covered under the powertrain warranty.

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  • It's not a large amount, it's just a small vibration when u get close to the catch point. Im assuming maybe it's from the RPM's dropping?
    – user4822
    Apr 7, 2014 at 20:33
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    I'm sure once it get's bedded and you get fully used to it, it will either go away completely or you won't notice it anymore. It's probably just small variations in the friction disk which is causing it.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Apr 7, 2014 at 21:16
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practise makes perfect-it's a learning curve.Find a lonely road and persevere.you will become so adept you could do it in your sleep

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