Problems with car

[Rhinohuey]

I got a few questions. I let someone else drive my car around the neighborhood today becuase they weren't any good at driving a standard shift car and they wanted to practice. Anyways, they drove it for about an hour, and I thought they were doing it alright but when I got back in to drive everything feels different.

First, the clutch feels significantly stiffer when initally down but when its all the way down it puts hardly any pressure against your foot. (So its hard to go from a stop becuase of the delay when letting the clutch out.) Second, the gas pedal is clearly stiffer. It is harder to push down than it was before. Third, whenever I punch it now, from a stop or from rolling, it doesn't accerate or throw me back in my seat as much as it did before. Fourth, when coasing slowly in first gear, it hear some kind of sound that sounds like when I put on the brakes so stop at a stoplight or something. Also, when I get going really slow in first gear (rpms still about 1100 though) the car starts to surge back and forth sort of. It almost feels if I were to use the parking brake to come to a stop.

I know these are vague problem descriptions, but if anybody could help me determine what could have caused these all to start happening right at the same time that would be great. I don't know if it had something to do with my friend driving the car when he really didn't know what he was doing or if it was something else. But again, these all began happening (very noticably) when I let my friend drive the car. Eveything felt perfectly fine before.

[96z28]

hmmm no idea. But i would never let anyone practice on my car

[TROYWS6X]

Let them practice on another car. That's what they make Hondas for.

[Mike's TA]

My friend is beggin me to let him drive mine. "Teach him to drive it"

You know what I said.

"Hell No"

This is not a car to learn how to drive stick on. I'm sure others out there have done it, but I don't want to risk having to replace my clutch or, god forbid, the transmission. Then there is the possiblity that they just gun it and run into something. I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!!

[Rhinohuey]

I admit that I probably made a mistake letting him drive it, but I got good news. Everything is back to normal today. I don't have a clue what could have caused the problems but it had to be just one thing, becuases they all stated at the exact same time and all went away at the exact same time.

[imflyn]

I would guess that the clutch got hot (newbie riding it more than normal) and started slipping. After it had time to cool down the hydraulics and everything went back to "normal". I wouldn't be surprised if the flywheel got some heat checking, or whatever it's called, from the occasion though. A clutch fluid change may be in order, but my t/a was an a4 so I don't have much experience with the m6 in these cars.

As to the gas pedal, I bet that was just perception. The clutch was soft, so that made the gas pedal feel stiffer.

Just my .02 Glad everything is working fine for you now.

[Rhinohuey]

As a matter of fact, my dad didn't pay a penny for my car. I paid it all. And, my friend does know something about driving a car, he just wanted to get better at it. I admit I probably made a mistake letting him drive it, but I don't consider myself stupid considering I was supervising him the whole time he drove it on neighborhood streets only. Also, I'm not an idiot, I know the clutch might have gotten hot, but I was just trying to get more opinions to see if that could cause all of the problems I was having to all start at the exact same time. And yes, I guess it did heal itself over night. There was clearly a problem and it happened to go away over night. I'm still not sure what happened, but I know that whenever I drove it the next day everything was back to normal.

[secondgearscratch]

anyway, everytime i let my buddy drive (who after months and months of teaching is still horrible) when i get back behind the wheel everything feels different. alot of it is nerves ive found, as i used to be completely paranoid too. as for the suggestions of whats going on, im not sure about. the clutch pedal gets softer the longer i drive, but the gas pedal and all that shit is probably in your head.

its your car. if you trust your friend and dont mind him killing it, then by all means let him drive. it doesnt hurt anything.

[Rhinohuey]

Thank you!

[SSwt00SS]

SGS, "I like the motivated anger" he's from Nebraska what do you expect. gotta flex those cornfed muscles somehow, so why not over the internet and even better yet an internet car site...

peeps, i wouldnt even worry about his comment. no need for ink. so lets get back on topic...