Skipping Gears?

[IndyCWPSpeed3]

I have only had the car for a week now but have a hard time going from 1-2 smoothly so have been going 1-3 and it seems to work just fine, car has plenty of power to skip gears. Anyone else do this? Or whats the trick for the 1-2 shift in normal driving?

 

[Abilor]

Hmmm... If it's really that bad, I would take to dealer. You'll need that 2nd gear, trust me.

 

[leadf00t]

1-2 is tricky to pull off smoothly. It takes some getting used to, and I still get some jerk from time to time. This was mentioned in more than one of the reviews of the Speed3 from the car mags. I found that if I move my seat back some, so when my leg is almost straight that the clutch is 3/4 down, instead of all the way to the floor that shifting smooth is easier to do, and quicker. This clutch engages high compared to other manuals I've driven, but once you get used to it, it's not bad.

 

[Circle9]

There is probably no problem with your 2nd gear, 1 - 2 shifts in this car are harder to land smoothly compared to most other manual transmission cars I've owned.

 

[LukeP]

1-to-2 is a tough one. Because of the rocking engine mounts and latent throttle control, and sensitive torque characteristics in the low gears. At least thats my excuse. Even though I'm old and have driven nothing but stick in different vehicles since I got my license, some days this car makes me feel like I've never driven stick before.

What I try to do to soften the blow is either

a) shift 1-2 before the engine gets into its torque band. Under 2300 revs. This minimizes the 280lb-f of available torque shunting the driveline around - by 3000 rpms its all there waiting for the slightest error margin.

b) keep a fair bit of throttle tip in while changing, or tip in early. This will prevent the hiccup of engine braking before the throttle plate actually opens - its kind of late to the party sometimes I find.

c) slip the clutch a bit into second to soften it(not recommended).

 

[SBSPEED3]

^^^
thats pretty much what i do, this car was my first stick i knew how to drive stick, but wasnt super good at it before i got this car. i know exactly what your talking about with the 1-2 buck.
i have the TRZ mount and that helped some, but if im not paying attention i still get the jerk. i am planning on getting the new TRZ side/tranny mount soon and will let you know if that helps too.

i try to shift into second earlier then for other gears about 2500 for me.
on your question about skipping gears, that seems fine for daily slow driving. when im lazy i'll shift 1-3-5, i usually wait a little longer to shift for this, about 3300 RPM, but its not gonna hurt the car, you just wont get as much acceleration, but in the city who cares.

 

[IndyCWPSpeed3]

Thanks for the replies. So far shifting under 2500 has seemed to work as well as getting into the throttle before letting the clutch back out, still is kinda tricky. As far as other manuals, I have driven a decent amount, and learned on a contour SVT so I like the pressure point being high in the pedal, may try moving the seat around. Car is still very fun to drive, will be even better once I get used to it (just turned 600 miles).

 

[TRuSp33D]

so going to the track might be a nightmare... hmmm

 

[coyfish]

Just takes practice my friend. For now you could just feather the hell out of the clutch on the 1st-2nd gear shift. Later when you get better at reading / feeling where your rpms need to be you can shift faster.

I drive a speed 6 but it has its days. Cold temp, hot temp, humid, cold engine . . . all require me to shift a little differently. Give it time and you will get used to it.

 

[240ka]

clutch engage point is pretty low i have noticed.

 

[MSMS3]

Just drive it a while and get used the different feel. The clutch is a pretty good one. It's not "soft" so in the lower gears it will tend to grab more abruptly when it engages. This is good because of the high torque we have.

These cars are capable of lighting up the tires all the way through second gear and chirping them in third, so the clutch has to be strong.

Just drive the car and get used to the feel. Play with your seat position. You'll like the feel of that clutch after a while.