2008 Mazda Speed 3 Shifting

[galaxyzoom]

I just picked up my 08 mazda3 hatch last saturday, i had never driven manual before this and I'm just feeling confident enuff to drive it to work (through back roads of course from 1st to 2nd is the part I'm still having trouble getting...but I guess it will just take more practice - it does feel tho that I need to shift really fast into 2nd.

 

[Sierra117]

Hey man practice alot and u'll get the heng of it.thats all...hope u dont get caught in stop and go traffic..thats where u can prove urself..

When it comes to DIY Cog Swappers, stop and go is where we seperate the men from the boys, lol.

 

[fourthmeal]

That, and steep hills with a stop light. EEK!

 

[Kosh]

Going from first to second leave the throttle open maybe 10%. If you keep your rpm up just a bit it shouldn't be so jerky once you get back into gear. Stiffer torque mount will help as well.

I have 11k on my car and I still think it is rough through first and second. Shifting seems to go smoother the quicker you can get it into gear and get back on the throttle.

 

[Mocoso]

13K on mine.. more manual driving experience than the age of most of you and yes the MS3 is one b****y car in 1st and 2nd gear... I stalled it the other day and I hadnt done THAT in 20 yrs... I still find myself over-reving one too many times to avoid the jerky pimple faced moves the car likes to do otherwise.... its not the easiest (or hardest) manual and does some getting used to.... what screws me up the most is having the radio on too high and not being able to hear the engine...thats usually when I get sloppy and the car wont forgive crappy clutch/gas timing

 

[clos561]

Just wanted to see if this was normal when breakin in a clutch, 1st and 2nd gear shifting, the clutch bits and the car lunges a bit.. this is my first manual i own, but ihave driven them before. 2nd to 3rd and up are fine, smooth shifts, its just from stop to 1st and 1st to 2nd, i cant seem to get that jerk worked out.. the car has 430 miles....

open to any suggestions

rev match....if you have low rpms and release clutch, the cars jerks because the clutch slips in, same if the rpms are high. it will jerk and slip into the low rpms..u gota learn how to rev match in shifts...its more common in the low gears

 

[Kynetx]

I've had nothing but ManTrans my whole driving life (17+years) and this is by far the most finicky clutch I've driven. It does seem to get a little less grabby once you "break it in".

 

[fourthmeal]

I think the car breaks you in, instead of the other way around!

Celica 6 speeds from 00+ are finicky too. I hated mine.

 

[StewRat]

Mine is about 3 days old now, and, I found it easy the first two days to just wind it up in second and skip 3rd all together. These cars rev so quickly to above 3k that its hard to keep up with it, especially if your not used to driving something this quick.

 

[v0ice]

what screws me up the most is having the radio on too high and not being able to hear the engine...thats usually when I get sloppy and the car wont forgive crappy clutch/gas timing

Same here. Having the a/c on with the radio up is a recipe for a stall.

 

[blacksheepms3]

not my first turbo car, had a 2000 1.6l turbo charged, with an auto though..
now that you say it like that, it is after i shift let of clutch it jecks a bit slower then it i hit the gas.. should i keep my foot on the gas a bit when i shift?

i guess ill just keep driving till i get the hang of it.. i just need to learn quicker my fiancee is complaining of whiplash.. lol..

yes you should stay on gas just a tiny bit when shifting, that way your engine and wheel speed matches quickly and u wont get the jerkiness. I noticed this about our car too, my first turob and manual car, i had it figure out a while after having the car. but i can shift smoothly now. try it.

 

[Colleptic]

Same here. Having the a/c on with the radio up is a recipe for a stall.

FEWWW! Good to hear I am not the only one who has stalled for what seemed to be no reason!

 

[silverspd3]

I can drive mine great at full throttle but when leaving stop lights etc, this car makes me feel like I have a learners permit sometimes. lol It's only the 1-2 shift that gets me.

 

[TRMS3]

Don't know if its been mentioned on this forum already, but its been said before that the MS3 seems to have a narrow clutch engagement zone (aka friction zone, or sweet spot) along with a relatively long throw of the shifter needed to change gears... having just yesterday installed a TWM STS for the MS3 I can add my opinion that shortening the shifter throw def improves one's ability to smoothly change gears in this car... there are a lot of posts out there questioning the value of the TWM STS, mainly due to the impression by some that it doesn't shorten the throw enough... while this may be true for those trying to rapidly shift through the gears in order to best their times in the quarter mile, for street use imo it is spot-on for matching the shifter to the clutch in this car. this is my opinion of course based on my driving habits, so ymmv...

 

[Shane5425]

I might have to invest in one.. Birthday is comming up to...