Yeah the best I got out of this thread is that not many people drive the way I do. Bottom line I won't put it in first as I stop if causes the whining noise, but I should be able to. I'll bring it up with the mechanics at my first oil change in 2,000 miles (just passed 1,000 today!)
Whine when downshifting into first?
- Thread starter dan1101
- Start date
Yeah the best I got out of this thread is that not many people drive the way I do. Bottom line I won't put it in first as I stop if causes the whining noise, but I should be able to. I'll bring it up with the mechanics at my first oil change in 2,000 miles (just passed 1,000 today!)
It fine to put it downshift into first but I would just do it at a slower speed so that the synchros don't have to work as hard, hence the whining noise + resistance.
I am someone who should read Cars for Dummies, so I'd never insult anyone's knowledge here. This thread did raise some curious questions in my brain, however.
It sounded like the OP was saying he was downshifting into first while coasting to a stop and not engine braking and heard the whining noise.
If he's engine braking w/ 1st (which apparently wasn't the case), I don't see the point since the 2nd provides enough braking power. When you've slowed down enough to safely engage into the 1st, you're crawling anyway.
Downshifting into 1st while coasting (not engine braking) raised more questions in my head because
1. If you're being stopped at the light, chances are you will be there for a couple of minutes. Would you hold the clutch in or shift back to neutral? If the latter is the answer, why would anyone shift into first only to shift back to neutral?
2. If you're coasting to a "rolling stop" unlike the first scenario the 2nd gear provides more than enough power to move the car again, doesn't it? -_-a
I'm curious to see what the Mazda mechanic has to say about the whining noises, so please keep us posted. *^_^*
It sounded like the OP was saying he was downshifting into first while coasting to a stop and not engine braking and heard the whining noise.
If he's engine braking w/ 1st (which apparently wasn't the case), I don't see the point since the 2nd provides enough braking power. When you've slowed down enough to safely engage into the 1st, you're crawling anyway.
Downshifting into 1st while coasting (not engine braking) raised more questions in my head because
1. If you're being stopped at the light, chances are you will be there for a couple of minutes. Would you hold the clutch in or shift back to neutral? If the latter is the answer, why would anyone shift into first only to shift back to neutral?
2. If you're coasting to a "rolling stop" unlike the first scenario the 2nd gear provides more than enough power to move the car again, doesn't it? -_-a
I'm curious to see what the Mazda mechanic has to say about the whining noises, so please keep us posted. *^_^*
knowledge007
Banned
I agree with you Hikaru. There is just no point in it what so ever to down shift into first and hold the clutch.
Mallitious
Member
I agree also. There is no point of down shifting into 1st for any reason. All your doing is putting undo stress on the car.
We have about 6 redlights in our whole county, but anyway you never know how long you'll sit at the light, could be 5 seconds could be 30 seconds. I like to be prepared, get the shifting out of the way. More common is stop signs, and they like you to come to a complete stop.
Yeah, with a rolling stop 2nd works, or when starting from a stop while pointing downhill.
Holy~ I need to move there. My daily commute is 3~4 hours (1.5~2 hours each way). The traffic in the Northern VA is a nightmare. >_<
That's a shitload of time on the road every day. I try to stay away from NoVa, the traffic really gets to me. But you can make the big $$$ up there, jobs are harder to come by down here.
I've got some family up there, they only way they dealt with it is to move right next to where they worked, that way their commute was a lot more predictable. Before ideally they could make it in 20 minutes, but if traffic was bad it could be over an hour.
You shouldn't downshift into first gear, period. That's the fastest way to leave ur tranny on the road. The whining noise ur hearing is ur synchros trying to hold onto first gear. Go easy on ur tranny and just use ur brakes after downshifting into second. Besides the only real time you need to downshift is when ur tearin up the track.
blacksheepms3
Member
- :
- Mazdaspeed 3
as ryz said, the whining is your transmission trying to prevent you from doing something very very bad. don't use first gear unless you are starting up from a complete stop. it's just not designed for anything else...that's why the car feels all jumpy and rough as compared to other gears.
try this: while moving at 10mph, gently try to shift into 1st gear. you will notice that your shifter resists such a motion and you hear the whining you spoke of.
now try this: wait until you are at a full stop, then gently try to shift into 1st gear. you will notice that your shifter slides right into 1st gear like butter.
the car is complaining in the first case because you're doing something it was not made to do. please don't do it out of love for your baby...
I've come with the same conclusion. I did an experiment doin exactly the same thing Sacrilicious stated here. And I realized that I havent been shiftin for 1st while slowing down (but still goin about 5-10mph) until that one night that i did that's why it got me worried cause it was just so different. So I wont be doin that anymore, but will still do it if i'm goin under 5 mph. I guess I dont have to go to th dealer, they seem to jsut waste my time most of the time. Thanks everyone
