The clutch in the 2008.5 seems different

[shane02pro5]

Do you guys come with hard clutchlines..if not that should make the feel much more connected. Just throwin it out there for ya! Made an nice change for me.

 

[Super Unique]

You bring up a good point. Lacking a real mechanical linkage, these hydraulic assist linkages are vague @ best. When you say hardline, do you mean like a steel brake line? or a steel braided hose. I can see how either would definitely cure any mushiness due to hose bulge. Are there any ready made kits or is this strictly roll-your-own fabrication?

 

[TonyMS3]

I have a 2008 MS3 and I actually like the clutch feel. Not too stiff, not too soft. Like many have mentioned, to me it doesn't feel that stiff probably because I have driven old muscle cars and Porsche's since I was a teenager.

The only thing I don't like about my car is that I feel the spring side preload going to 4th / 5th from the lower gears is a little too much.

 

[dandydaniel]

My 2008.5 MS3 is 2 days old. This is my first manual transmission cars but I have dinkered around for a couple of days with an Integra GSR, 92' 300zx, and a 2001 Toyota Tacoma. Compared to the 300zx and Integra, the clutch on the MS3 is softer but not by drastic margins. One thing I can complain about is the high engagement point of the clutch. And like other people have stated, it sort of sucks that I have to give the car a decent amount of gas in order to get it going from a stand still as well as the shift from 1st to 2nd. If anyone has any tips on how to make the stop and go a little bit smoother I'll take it!

 

[Betelgeuse]

My 2008.5 MS3 is 2 days old. This is my first manual transmission cars but I have dinkered around for a couple of days with an Integra GSR, 92' 300zx, and a 2001 Toyota Tacoma. Compared to the 300zx and Integra, the clutch on the MS3 is softer but not by drastic margins. One thing I can complain about is the high engagement point of the clutch. And like other people have stated, it sort of sucks that I have to give the car a decent amount of gas in order to get it going from a stand still as well as the shift from 1st to 2nd. If anyone has any tips on how to make the stop and go a little bit smoother I'll take it!

1st tip: adjust your seat so you can depress the clutch all the way comfortably. The steering wheel is telescopic so adjust that as needed.
The first lever to the left of the seat not only brings the seat forward or back but also up and down. So if you want a sportscar type sitting position where you sit low, adjust the left lever for height and use the one between your legs (to the front) for forward and backward movement.

Lots of people complain about the high seating position but that can be helped by taking the time to adjust things properly.


2nd tip: take off traction control unless needed (like on slippery surfaces). Traction control tends to make slow speed driving (and shifting in general) more jerky (from my experience).

3rd tip: try to keep the rpms between 3-4k on every shift (normal driving) and feather the clutch more when going from 1st to 2nd.

4th tip: use the tach and exhaust/engine sound to help with your timing.

The rest is just time and practice.

 

[nextcar]

The only thing I don't like about my car is that I feel the spring side preload going to 4th / 5th from the lower gears is a little too much.

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

 

[dandydaniel]

Hey Betelgeuse, thanks for all the tips. (Your brings back horrible memories of the two Astronomy classes I took this past quarter [thinking that it would be interesting...]) But I have one more question. Being this is my first manual, I don't know how to go about doing the smaller, intricate things such as not stalling the car when needing to go about 2-3mph (a la my driveway [it has an incredibly sharp dip and this is by far the lowest car I've driven be it automatic or manual]) in order to "JDM slant" up my driveway. What would be the best way to go about tackling this so I don't end up ruining a 3 day old front lip? Thanks!

 

[dandydaniel]

And sorry to OP for thread jacking =/

 

[tiagotiago]

But I have one more question. Being this is my first manual, I don't know how to go about doing the smaller, intricate things such as not stalling the car when needing to go about 2-3mph (a la my driveway [it has an incredibly sharp dip and this is by far the lowest car I've driven be it automatic or manual]) in order to "JDM slant" up my driveway. What would be the best way to go about tackling this so I don't end up ruining a 3 day old front lip? Thanks!

Congrats on your new car!

I agree with Betelgeuse's tips, though personally I've never noticed TC/DSC interferring with crawling around, but it will probably help you get a better feel for the throttle/clutch if you turn them off (though I'd recommend you turn them on if you go out for a quick drive, if only while you find the limits).

As for learning how to drive up slow driveways/inclines, I could recommend the way my dad tought me: Go find some incline or well light streets with little traffic and find a empty side where you can park, then try to keep the car still (not rolling forewards, not rolling back) just on the clutch, once you get the hang of this, you'll find you start to remember just how little or much clutch slip you need for a given hill. BUT do be aware that this will cause your clutch to wear, how much depends on the way you treat the car. If you can get another car to try this on with, (preferably a less powerful one too) by all means do, and I'd recomend you try and find someone to be with you to coach you (or apply the e-brake if you star to roll back too much). I know this may not be the best way, but considering you're fresh with MT and you need to be able to park your car on your driveway, I think you could find this practice usefull.

Let's see what other forum members come up with.

 

[TonyMS3]

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

I feel like I have to push to the right (almost to the point of thinking about it) when shifting from 4th to 5th, and 5th to 6th. Most cars I can just push forward from 4th to 5th and the shifter pretty much settles into it's grove without coercion.

 

[Betelgeuse]

But I have one more question. Being this is my first manual, I don't know how to go about doing the smaller, intricate things such as not stalling the car when needing to go about 2-3mph (a la my driveway [it has an incredibly sharp dip and this is by far the lowest car I've driven be it automatic or manual]) in order to "JDM slant" up my driveway. What would be the best way to go about tackling this so I don't end up ruining a 3 day old front lip? Thanks!

For many first timers inclines are probably among the toughest things to learn. I did it by practicing on weekends in a couple empty parking garages where I work. Inclines are harder on the clutch as you need to use more gas and feather it at the same time to overcome gravity and prevent stalling. It's a seesawing action with the clutch and gas that will come naturally over time. Learning to finesse the cutch is the key.

My best advice to you would be find a place with steep inclines and practice as much as possible. There are also some pretty good websites with lots of good tips. Here's one: www.standardshift.com

As for your driveway, you might need to enter at an angle and very slowly to avoid scraping the front. I have to do the same here at work. Also you should always be in 1st gear by the time you enter the driveway. You might have to stop or slow down to around 5mph but entering in a higher gear will increase the likelyhood of stalling. Of course as time goes by and you get used to the clutch, you might even be able to keep it in third.

 

[ericm]

I've driven a lot of manual clutch cars (I'm 47). My 2008.5 MS3's clutch has a light lever pressure but the engagement point is pretty narrow. That makes it easier to stall when starting out from a stop. But it also makes shifts faster when you are moving, especially once you figure out that your foot doesn't have to go all the way to the floor to disengage the clutch.

The centering spring on the shifter is a little too strong, especially the 5-6 one on the right. Mine takes some effort to make the 4-5 shift. It's getting better as the trans breaks in (I have about 4000 miles on it). But that spring makes the 5-4 downshift pretty slick.

My car has an annoying drone at 3k rpms with the throttle off. Like when going down a grade. It's not so bad on level ground and on the freeway the tire noise seems to mask the exhaust. But that's because the tires are pretty loud, especialy on grooved concrete.
It's not a quiet car.

 

[nextcar]

I've driven a lot of manual clutch cars (I'm 47). My 2008.5 MS3's clutch has a light lever pressure but the engagement point is pretty narrow. That makes it easier to stall when starting out from a stop. But it also makes shifts faster when you are moving, especially once you figure out that your foot doesn't have to go all the way to the floor to disengage the clutch.

The centering spring on the shifter is a little too strong, especially the 5-6 one on the right. Mine takes some effort to make the 4-5 shift. It's getting better as the trans breaks in (I have about 4000 miles on it). But that spring makes the 5-4 downshift pretty slick.

My car has an annoying drone at 3k rpms with the throttle off. Like when going down a grade. It's not so bad on level ground and on the freeway the tire noise seems to mask the exhaust. But that's because the tires are pretty loud, especialy on grooved concrete.
It's not a quiet car.

thanks for the input. i gather that overall the car is pretty easy to live with long term?

i think my prius is pretty noisy on the freeway. i guess to make the car lighter and more gas efficient, there's just little cabin insulation. so i can probably deal with the ms3.