Whine when downshifting into first?

Does it??? I wouldn't be surprised. Although I guess we all need 20 years of experience to come up with that conclusion....buahahaha...

Sorry had to get you back somehow...lmao
 
I say let people do what ever they want to their cars and drive them how they feel is most comfortable, there's no harm in that!

it might not be necessarily better for your car, it just might not be what you do...

now personally, if i have to stop for any reason at (a complete stop [sign or light]), i just put it in neutral and then just use the breaks...
once again, might not be the best, but thats what I do.
 
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its better than using the clutch to slow you down. brakes are cheaper to replace than a clutch.
 
1st is such a short gear that it's more trouble than it's worth to use it for deceleration. By the time you've slowed enough to shift to first without undue tax on the synchronizers, the brakes become a better choice. You're not saving your brakes by using engine braking at 10mph. After the engine reaches idle while slowing in 2nd gear, slip in into neutral and brake the rest. It's smoother, easier and makes more sense in regard to your drivetrain.

The whine you're hearing is your 1st gear synchronizer begging for mercy.
 
I always put it in first before I come to a complete stop at say... at stop sign. I don't let the clutch out or anything, but I like being in first already when I'm ready to go... and lets be honest... who stops all the way at a stop sign anymore? just sayin...
 
and I agree 100%... there is really no reason to use engine speed to slow you down when you're going slow enough to put it in first safely.
 
I always put it in first before I come to a complete stop at say... at stop sign. I don't let the clutch out or anything, but I like being in first already when I'm ready to go... and lets be honest... who stops all the way at a stop sign anymore? just sayin...

That's what I'm saying, I'm just putting it in first while clutched and still rolling at 5-10mph. I'm not using first to engine brake, although I do use higher gears to engine brake.
 
I always put it in first before I come to a complete stop at say... at stop sign. I don't let the clutch out or anything, but I like being in first already when I'm ready to go... and lets be honest... who stops all the way at a stop sign anymore? just sayin...

Yeah, that what I do. But only if I know I'm going to be taking off almost immediately. If I'm at a stop light, I put it in neutral. For some reason when I ride with people driving manuals, it bothers me if I see them pushing the clutch in for like 2 minutes while they sit at a light. Why do that?? It just puts unnecessary stress on the clutch springs, master cylinder, and your leg ;)
 
So basically you are just cooking the clutch for no aparent reason...I see...

the way i read it was that you're not actually cookin the clutch itself, but the mechanism for putting it into place. am i missing something, cause i'd definitely want to know if there's something i didn't know about...=/
 
Yeah, that what I do. But only if I know I'm going to be taking off almost immediately. If I'm at a stop light, I put it in neutral. For some reason when I ride with people driving manuals, it bothers me if I see them pushing the clutch in for like 2 minutes while they sit at a light. Why do that?? It just puts unnecessary stress on the clutch springs, master cylinder, and your leg ;)

And clutch life goes down the drain. Rule of thumb for those of you without 20 years experience... Clutch should never be down for more than 10 seconds or less in any situation. although if I am not mistaken, we have a hydraulic clutch.
 
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'Tis true. The disc is still rubbing against the plate and flywheel when the clutch is disengaged, even if the car's behavior doesn't indicate it. The life expectancy of the throwout bearing is also cut short by extended periods of clutch disengagement. It's designed for intermittent, short periods of use. While waiting at lights or drive-thrus, drop to neutral and give the clutch a break. Neutral isn't there just to provide a gap between gears.
 
OK, we get it! dan1101 had the audacity to say he's been driving manuals for 20 years... ha ha, good times! Can we drop it?

I like to get my car in neutral as soon as I see that there's a stop coming up (and yes, I do come to a complete stop at stop signs). This car will probably coast for... ~2 miles starting at 50 mph.

So you guys are saying that pushing the clutch pedal all the way in isn't equivalent to having the gear selector in neutral with the clutch pedal released. Good to know!

So, just to make it clear:
Rule of thumb: take your foot off the clutch pedal as much as practical.
 
That's what I'm saying, I'm just putting it in first while clutched and still rolling at 5-10mph. I'm not using first to engine brake, although I do use higher gears to engine brake.

Ok, so at lunch today I tried what you're describing. I put it into first a few times while around 10mph with the clutch pedal fully depressed and I had no resistance at all. Smooth as butter. If you're hearing a whining noise when putting into first without engaging the clutch then I would say something is wrong with your syncros. You might want to have it looked at.
 
Ok, so at lunch today I tried what you're describing. I put it into first a few times while around 10mph with the clutch pedal fully depressed and I had no resistance at all. Smooth as butter. If you're hearing a whining noise when putting into first without engaging the clutch then I would say something is wrong with your syncros. You might want to have it looked at.

Were you slowing down from a higher speed, reached 10mph, and then pushed the clutch in and shifted into first? Or were you travelling at 10mph, pushed the clutch in, went into neutural, and then back into first? I think that could make a difference in what the synchros have to do. I hear the whine when I'm decellerating from 30mph or so, downshift into 3rd to slow down, then when I'm at about 10mph I push the clutch in and move the gearshift to first (without letting up on the clutch) while braking.

I might have to make a video. ;)
 

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