Stick shift driving question
 

I have a question. I have a 2002 ProES. It is my first car with a stick shift. I've had it for about 2 months now and I'm pretty comfortable/good with the stick. However I have a quick question. I know if you are at low RPMs and try to accelerate too slowly/quickly the engine can lurch/stutter and that is bad for the engine. Obviously in most situations you want to downshift to get the revs up.

However, what about in this situation. You are approaching a red light, there is a line of cars. As you approach, the light goes green, but the line of cars is pretty big so you still have to slow down quite a bit. This happens to me a lot. I usually get down into 2nd, as the last car in line finally starts to go. At this point my RPMS might be really low, like 1000 or so (since I am not stopped, I am just cruising up slowly behind him). Now that the car ahead of me is going, I want to accelerate. However, my RPMs are too low to really step on the gas without lurching the engine. I can't downshift into 1st, so what should I do in this situation to get my revs up as to not stutter the engine?

Thanks,
Jeremey

just don't pin the gas pedal. going down into 1st will be a lot rougher than just gently bringing up speed in 2nd.

yeah
 

I don't know, I've tried various speeds of applying gas. I usually do it pretty slow and it still jerks...it seems pretty sensitive.

Re: yeah
 

it is sensitive. it was one of the biggest things i had to get used to with the car. but i found going into first worse.

the other thing i guess you can do is push the clutch in and then do a sort of rolling start in second. more clutch wear though i suppose.

Yeah, you could slowly release the clutch in second but like previously mentioned it could increase clutch wear. What I usually do in a situation like that is slow down until I can drop into first and then I go from there. It takes a bit of practice to get the engine to rev at the right speed though.

It takes practice, but depending on how much I really want to go I'll drop to 1st at times. Like pollax says, just make sure you blip the gas to get the rpm's up to the right level for your current speed. Deciding what the tach should look like before letting off the clutch is most of the battle...

Heel-toe shifting. As stated above...

If your cars continues to lurch, you're doing serious damage to your driveline. Not to mention how it makes you look...

Heel-toe at a red light? Come on, he isn't in a rally, he is coasting behind the guy infront of him. Just give the clutch a little tickle and raise your rpm about a 1k, roll forward. If you aren't at a complete stop the wear on your clutch is less than minimal. I do it all the time for the exact situation Jeremy mentioned.

Geez, it's a car not a peice of crystal. Look at the way some guys treat their cars around here, and they are still rolling. One burn out will do more damage to the clutch than a lifetime of slipping the clutch for a half second while rolling.

Stocker

lol i have to do that almost everyday!!! ppl are too damn slow.. so in order for the car not to shake / engine stutter, you clutch and release the clutch (still in 2nd) just like you would when you start up in 1st. you will wear your clutch out a bit more like this but its smooth

yeah
 

Lately I have been just putting the clutch in and releasing it, while still in 2nd....and that usually lets me do it smoothly. At first I was hesistant because of clutch wear, but I figure doing that a few times a day is better than having it jerk and stutter.

I just misuderstood the situation. I thought he was referring to a situation where he might be in third gear and should go into second.

I agree with just giving the throttle a 'blip' when rolling along in traffic. Downshifting into first isn't worth the effort.

It's a problem that a lot of us have. I've been driving stick for15 years, and this car for a full year and I STILL can't seem to pull away smoothly in 1st without a lot of clutch slippage.

Unless I'm pointed uphill from a dead stop, I usually start in 2nd. Still a lot of clutch slippage, but at least it's smooth.

Check this out for much more...

http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...highlight=rock

BAD!! don't start in 2nd.. thtz will destroy your cluth 5 times as fast

i use the clutch in thing, works for me.

And frankly, everyone is too paranoid about clutch wear, you are gunna have to replace it eventaully after 100,000 miles or whatever, being extra gentle so you can replace after an extra 25,000 miles isnt a big thing to me.

And starting in second while rolling is fine. Spoon didnt say he started in second from a complete stop.

Also, the car wont let you get into first unless you are going verrry slow.

Stick Shift Driving Question!!!
 

Ok, I understand the question here...but I have been having my problems with the 3rd gear. I have a 2002 Protégé DX, and it seems that everytime I start the car and start driving 3rd gear always grinds...no matter if the clutch IS all of the way in!!! Don't get me wrong...I have been driving Manuals for years...every car I have ever owned since 1988 has been a manual tranny...I can even still be found on the Nissan Sentra Forum (had a 1991 Nissan Sentra E, 4-Speed Manual Tranny, that I gave to a family member when I got my Protégé...that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE), only when the engine is warmed up will it shift into 3rd smoothly.:)

Been driving nothing but stick for 17 years, and I am having no of the lurching problems you guys are describing with my new P5. I am skilled enough to keep it smooth almost all the time. I am teaching my wife to drive this car however (her first stick), and she lurches all over the place. Practice, practice, practice. Just rev the rpms a little higher, ease out until the clutch catches and smooth on out of there. Also, I have never had to replace a manual transmission and I have had cars for close to 200k miles. (knock on wood) However, I have noticed a slight bog down when you get on it in first gear around 5000rpms. I attribute this to air intake. Remember, stock this is a fun zippy car not a race car. Treat her like a lady and she will always get you home :)

Sorry.. I just don't buy it. I've been driving stick smoothly and succesfully for 15 years and this car is a real bear to pull away smoothy in first.

The throttle tip in is just too aggressive, and I think the engine mounts are far too soft. I also think it's possible that the car runs too lean at idle (to meet ULEV standards) then runs very rich just off idle (for power). All these things are causing a genuine issue IMO.

I've got nearly 25k miles on this car in 1 year, I've had plenty of practice. :)

Been driving nothing but stick for 17 years, and I am having no of the lurching problems you guys are describing with my new P5. I am skilled enough to keep it smooth almost all the time. I am teaching my wife to drive this car however (her first stick), and she lurches all over the place. Practice, practice, practice. Just rev the rpms a little higher, ease out until the clutch catches and smooth on out of there. Also, I have never had to replace a manual transmission and I have had cars for close to 200k miles. (knock on wood) However, I have noticed a slight bog down when you get on it in first gear around 5000rpms. I attribute this to air intake. Remember, stock this is a fun zippy car not a race car. Treat her like a lady and she will always get you home :)

I have noticed in my Pro5 that I like going into 1st again in that situation. Before the 5 I had a VR6 Jetta that wouldn't like dropping to 1st unless you were going like 2-3 mph, so I just kept it in 2nd. I find you can downshift pretty smooth at around 5-7 mph in the Pro5. I'd also think if it's stalling when you try it in 2nd, go ahead at throw it into 1st!!! Again I've only been driving stick for about 4 years, just my thoughts.

Sporin is absolutely right about the throttle tip-in. I don't have any trouble pulling away smoothly, but it's difficult to drive the car at very light throttle, regardless of the speed, because of the sensitive gas pedal. Even at highway speeds I can feel the driveline lurch a bit if I take my foot completely off, then gently touch and release the accelerator. I wonder if Mazda would have addressed this for 2003.

Stick
 

Geez, I wish I could DRIVE a stick. Three pedals is just too much for me!!
My WIFE drives a stick. I have to grow a foot taller or beat somebody up to compensate!! Good for you guys, these cars are probably more fun with the 5spd. Mine's a 2002 LX automatic. Flame away if you wish. Other than the K+N drop-in, I'll have to add HP/Torque to compensate. Cheers!!

Bandido0 I am having the same problem except with 2nd. I am going to have Mazda look at it when I get my oil changed.

Hey, I don't blame you Dermen, I am going to have to do the same thing!!! :cool:

Re: Stick Shift Driving Question!!!
 

It sounds to me as your synchromesh for 3rd is starting to go. My MX-3 started doing that this year, I had to put it into 3rd slower in order for it not to grind, sort of let the revs drop a bit.

As far as the lurching action, I've had my 2003 P5 for 3 days and I don't lurch at all, very smooth, I've been driving for 16 years. I test drove a 2002 when I did the deal and the same, no lurching so that rules out any changes to the 2003 model. The accelerator is sensitive but that should make it easier, i agree with the others here, practice. If you have many years experience and are still lurching then you're doing something wrong IMO.

Bah!

My own vehicle is a beat to hell (and very very worn in clutch, it barely slips on its own right at redline in 1st) '89 240sx, so I'm used to an easy enaging non-jumpy clutch.

Until the Street Heat even in Houston I hadn't actually really driven a Protege, and I did have to get used to the fact that while my clutch starts to pickup about a half inch from the floor the protege picks up about halfway up.

However, it didn't take long driving the MSP and then later TheMAN's ES around and I was starting in 1st smooth no problem (altho after awhile my left leg was a little worn out / exhausted since I've been driving my mom's auto saturn the past few months as I have yet to get my own car full put back together yet).

Those of you complaining of jerkiness just need to practice with it more and better learn the pickup point and pickup rate of the clutch, I only have a total of maybe 2-3 hours in a Protege (MPS and ES both combined) and can drive it fine.

Pfffft :P

While on the topic of 2nd gear, does anyone have any trouble going from 1st to 2nd gear when running the car from the line?

And for the "older" P5s, where does your clutch catch (near the bottom, halfway, top)?

Use of first gear
 

Hello,

I am a new user here. I was surfing to find resolution to my engine light rough idle problem and found this site.

Great site btw.

On to the subject at hand.

I have read that some of you gear down into first while slowing down. NEVER EVER EVER put your car in first unless at a complete stop. You will wear out drive line compentents and gears very fast. It is better to stay in second and remove your foot from the accelerator using engine revolutions to slow you down then simply apply the accelerator lightly when you need to gain speed while coasting. This will save you thousands in the long run.

Brit.

how come lately, people have been bringing back all these old old threads.....

????

well you can go into first upto about 40 - 45kmph, the trick is to rev match..... and if you have rev matched properly, you put very little or only normal stress on the driveline components if rev matched properly, and no jerkliness or anything.... (its hard to do, and normally i don't try do it, unless i'm actually going about 20kmph and want to pick up fast enough, which is really rarely.... but it can be done with only normal stress on first gear, and it takes practice doing properly)

You're slowing down in 2nd gear and going too slow to accelerate smoothly in 2nd when the opportunuty to speed up again occurs? No problem, just double clutch and shift down into 1st. Once you learn to double clutch it becomes second nature so that you can do it without even thinking of the individual steps.

1. You're in 2nd gear, lift foot off throttle, depress clutch pedal and move stick to neutral.
2. With stick in neutral, engage clutch and rev up engine to synchronize engine speed with road speed
3. Depress clutch pedal and move stick to 1st gear while maintaining sufficient throttle opening to maintain synchronization as you engage clutch.
4. Accelerate away smoothly in 1st gear.
The key here is proper synchronization-do this correctly and you can make rolling shifts from 2nd to 1st with absolutely no stress or harm to the synchros. It's just a matter of practice.

Incidently, I've driven some trucks where double clutching was necessary for downshifting in all gears.

Hello Jeremey,

I didn't answer your post the first time I read it....but this morning I was driving and thought about it and just paid close attention when slowing down....and if you are in second gear and your RPM are down to 1000 RPM...its TIME to downshift into First Gear....so if you are going that slow...downshift...and then get after it.

I understand what you guys are saying about race shifting etc but unless you have a sponser or rich relatives to pay for the practice damage, the normal Joe should never put the car into first unless at a compete stop.

shifting question
 

you could always put the car in neutral and rev it up a little to get the rpms higher and then put it in 2nd

Welcome, but watch the thread dates! You're replying to a post made in 2004!

uh, you mean 2002

uh, no I was referring to the last post, not the thread.

right, gotcha. we should let it go now. :tear:

lol, it's ok.