elderlycoffee

Ok, first off i've never owned or driven a manual transmission car before my MS3.
So i'm only basing my question on the MS3.
But 1st gear seems REALLY REALLY short.
Like it only goes to around under 12 mph?
I almost have to launch and shift right away.
Is it the same with your MS3? or is there something wrong with mine.
Thanks

jbiird317

how high are you revving the motor before shifting? You should be able to reach 20-30 mph easily by redline in 1st

elderlycoffee

about 1.2 sometimes a little more.
i can reach 20 the main problem is when u[shifting to two the car jolts like a roller coaster and thats not really great when you have people in the car

elderlycoffee

i should add that it dosnt do this on any of the other gears.

jbiird317

ok well i can assure you, there is nothing wrong with your car. You simply need more practice at driving a stick. Everyone does the whole roller coaster thing when their first learning. I just taught my friend to drive stick on his new rxs type-s, it was an adventure to say the least. Remember the see-saw; as the clutch comes out, the gas goes in and vice versa. The smoother you can do this, the smoother the ride will be.

next, I really hope you mean that you are engaging 1st gear at 1200 rpms, not shifting into second at 1200. You should be carrying the gear to at least 3000 rpms before shifting to the next gear (anything less than that and you are losing all the power). First gear is bound to be somewhat short, but trust me, you can get a lot more mph than 12 if you just carry first gear a little longer beforeyou shift to second. (that really applies to all the gears)

icspots

That being said there really isn't any reason to take 1st gear (or any gear) all the way to the redline. I believe the MS3 makes it's peak power at 5500 rpms, and several magazine reviews have pointed out that the turbo loses power after 6k rpms.

Like he said, you just need more practice to shift seamlessly.

elderlycoffee

All of other shifts are smooth and effective. lol.
and yes I launch at about 1.5 i also launch a little higher sometimes
how many RPM's would you suggest I shift at for all gears, I've been doing it at about 4.5

jbiird317

it depends on how youre driving, with calm city driving, shifting at 3500 will probly save you gas milage, driving aggressively, max power is at 5500 rpm, so thats not a bad guidline