Jeremey

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

alcoholiday

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

Jeremey

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.

alcoholiday

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.

pollax

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.

VaporTrails

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...

PhotoPro5

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...

stocker

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

pr5owner

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

Jeremey

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.

PhotoPro5

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.

Sporin

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

pr5owner

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

uclaP5

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.

Bandido0

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.