Manual Transmission Tips
- Thread starter MacAttack7
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MacAttack7
Member
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- 2011 Mazda2 Sport (Manual)
I think starting from 1st & going 1st to 2nd maybe be more difficult to smooth out due to the "clutch cushioning" also called "clutch delay valve". I don't know why they do things like this. A manual transmission should be kept simple & allow the driver to get a feel for it. The drive-by-wire & clutch cushioning just make things more difficult.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutch_delay_valve
http://www.zeckhausen.com/CDV.htm.
EDIT: After googling some more I'm not positive if "clutch cushioning" & "clutch delay valve" are the same thing. There's a lot of info on "clutch delay valves", but not much on "clutch cushioning" which is what the Mazda2 has. They may be the same; may be different. Didn't want to misinform everyone, so if anyone knows what "clutch cushioning" is please let us know.
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MacAttack7
Member
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- 2011 Mazda2 Sport (Manual)
Removed: Bad Info
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Yeah, that "clutch cushioning" thing sucks. I had an '07 MS3 before this, and the clutch feel was excellent.
I pride myself on being smooth and good at starts, but that's pretty dang hard to do in the 2.
I'm hoping a performance clutch will fix it, but that's not going in until the warranty expires in three years. If anyone knows of a good resolution to the 2's marshmallow catch points, please share.
I pride myself on being smooth and good at starts, but that's pretty dang hard to do in the 2.
I'm hoping a performance clutch will fix it, but that's not going in until the warranty expires in three years. If anyone knows of a good resolution to the 2's marshmallow catch points, please share.
sderrickson
Member
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- 2002 protege es
The way my dad first taught me was that he took me to a parking lot, and made me release the clutch from first without using any gas. You have to go slowly your first few times but it really made me learn where the contact point was. With that knowledge, you should be able to know when to apply some gas to accelerate qquicker and eventually itll become more fluid as you practice. Within 2 1/2 weeks i could hold the car on a hill without brakes or gas with ease. Before trying to go fast you should try to go for smoothness too because, if you cant be smooth a low speeds, theres no way that you'll be smooth at faster speeds
MacAttack7
Member
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- 2011 Mazda2 Sport (Manual)
I at 1500 miles now, and I've gotten it pretty smoothed out.
Fun car to drive. Zoom-Zoom !
By the way clutch cushioning is really nothing out-of-the-ordinary:
Reply from Mazda below:
Thank you for contacting Mazda. The clutch cushioning is a single dry plate with diaphragm spring.
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MacAttack7
Member
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- 2011 Mazda2 Sport (Manual)
Can anyone go 1st to 2nd smoothly?
I get it right once-in-a-while, but it's usually pretty jerky.
Are you supposed to keep the clutch 1/2 way up for longer than normal?
Also what is the best rpm to shift from 1st to 2nd at if just driving normally around town?
If I try to get into 2nd quickly at a low rpm there seems to be no chance of it being smooth. If I get above 3000 rpm, then maybe I have a chance.
I get it right once-in-a-while, but it's usually pretty jerky.
Are you supposed to keep the clutch 1/2 way up for longer than normal?
Also what is the best rpm to shift from 1st to 2nd at if just driving normally around town?
If I try to get into 2nd quickly at a low rpm there seems to be no chance of it being smooth. If I get above 3000 rpm, then maybe I have a chance.
What he said. There's no reason to be scared of high revs as long as you're (up)shifting smoothly. Downshifting calls for a little more caution because the rev limiter won't always save you.
MacAttack7
Member
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- 2011 Mazda2 Sport (Manual)
I'm still not any good going 1st to 2nd. Amateur I guess !
I've tried revving high, low, in-between. Tried holding the clutch longer, letting it up quicker, etc.
Who out there can do 1st to 2nd, so it's nice & smooth?
I need to know how you do it, because I either get the bucking bronco effect, or the engine bogs down for a bit.
I'm all right in all the other gears.
Thanks !
I've tried revving high, low, in-between. Tried holding the clutch longer, letting it up quicker, etc.
Who out there can do 1st to 2nd, so it's nice & smooth?
I need to know how you do it, because I either get the bucking bronco effect, or the engine bogs down for a bit.
I'm all right in all the other gears.
Thanks !
I've got 13K miles on my Mazda2, and I've recently been able to get into 1st and then get from 1st to 2nd pretty smoothly. The main problem with the setup on the 2 is the relationship between low torque/hp and a really weak clutch. There's an extremely small window between bogging and burning the clutch... and I hate to say it... but you just have to find it. If you pop the clutch, there just isn't enough power to handle it. If you ride the clutch, there isn't enough pressure to get a nice grab.
You really just need to get your head out of it and drive. The minute you think to yourself, "Ok, I think It's engaged," you pull your foot off the clutch and start bucking... then on your next launch, you overcompensate and ride the clutch. Rather than focusing on the engagement point, just try to focus on taking your foot off the clutch at a steady rate (not super slow, and not too fast), while giving it the perfect amount of accelerator. (Sounds easy, right?
)Either way, this is certainly the most difficult clutch I've ever had to learn.
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- 2016 Scion iA
Dont ever buy a VW TDI then... this clutch is cake compared to the TDIs... I have been driving manual transmissions for 15 years and the TDI will shut off below 800 rpms, so stalling is a regular event. (and if you stall, you have to cut the car completely off then restart, not just turn the key - I believe this is a dangerous feature of the VWs) While the Mazda2 might not always be the smoothest shifting clutch, its almost impossible to stall it.
MacAttack7
Member
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- 2011 Mazda2 Sport (Manual)
Thanks for the tips.
That would really suck with the Volkswagen. I do like how the Mazda is just about impossible to stall (except when launching).
But anyway after typing my dilemma last night I remembered that when shifting to 2nd gear you have to start pressing on the go pedal much sooner than in the other gears, while the clutch pedal is still pretty far down. I figured that out before, but I forgot. So I got a few smooth shifts on the way to work this morning, so as long as I don't forget again I think I've got it.
Has anyone else noticed that? When shifting to 3rd, 4th, 5th you can start pressing the throttle as the clutch is just about fully released. But when going to 2nd you have to start pressing the throttle fairly deep while the clutch is still down quite a bit. (Maybe it's just my car).
It seems like my throttle response has a slight dead spot or something when going to 2nd gear, or maybe I'm just a really bad driver.
That would really suck with the Volkswagen. I do like how the Mazda is just about impossible to stall (except when launching).
But anyway after typing my dilemma last night I remembered that when shifting to 2nd gear you have to start pressing on the go pedal much sooner than in the other gears, while the clutch pedal is still pretty far down. I figured that out before, but I forgot. So I got a few smooth shifts on the way to work this morning, so as long as I don't forget again I think I've got it.
Has anyone else noticed that? When shifting to 3rd, 4th, 5th you can start pressing the throttle as the clutch is just about fully released. But when going to 2nd you have to start pressing the throttle fairly deep while the clutch is still down quite a bit. (Maybe it's just my car).
It seems like my throttle response has a slight dead spot or something when going to 2nd gear, or maybe I'm just a really bad driver.
It seems like my throttle response has a slight dead spot or something when going to 2nd gear, or maybe I'm just a really bad driver.
I doubt that your a "really bad driver." Like I said above, just don't think about it so much.
Must be a diesel thing. I'm coming from a VW GTI and that car basically drove itself off the line. It's literally the easiest transmission I've ever encountered.
I went from a Jetta TDi to the Mazda2 and the clutch was much easier on the TDi. However, I also had a dual mass flywheel, which the previous owner installed, so that may have been the difference.
I have been driving manuals for over 10 years and between me and my wife, have had 7 manual transmission cars in the family, from various brands (Ford, Mazda, Saab, and BMW). This is one of the lightest clutches I've experienced, and perhaps one of the hardest in terms of the "sweet spot". I would put it on par with the Focus in that respect, but overall I like this better than the Focus. I still have troubles with second gear, and it drives me nuts because I know there's no reason I should have any trouble with it. I'd say it's more of a design flaw.
Wow am I glad I found this thread. I've been driving stick since my first car in 01 and I've got 3,500 miles on my 2 and I can't seem to get it down. Going from a Neon with a lightweight flywheel/PT Cruiser clutch was just about complete opposites and I thought that was why I sucked............ but nothing has ever taken me this long to adapt to!
The 1-2 shift sucks no matter what I do. I think I got a good one... ONCE.
Would a short shifter help or is it just the gearing change from 1 to 2? It almost seems like first is short, second is tall and there's just no good way to get a solid fast shift.
If the DBW on my LSx that's going into my Miata is this bad, I may have to rethink my setup, lol. (hi)
