New manual driver, have some questions

[theholycow]

That'll buff right out.

[daleadbull]

Are you saying, shifting into neutral, let the clutch out, at around 2 mph clutch in and go into 1st. Does this make it smoother?

Yes. Replace "2mph" with whatever speed your car does in 1st at idle (or at the same RPM as it idles in neutral, if it idles differently in gear vs. neutral). It's likely to be somewhere in the low single digits of MPH, I just threw 2 out there to demonstrate.

That is a double clutch rev matched downshift to 1st, despite not needing to do anything fancy with any pedals or the shifter. It isn't necessary (unless your 1st is unsynchronized/bad synchro and your clutch doesn't spin down like it should) but it's pleasant.

Just tried it, pulling into my garage. The stick slid right in like it was lubed up!

[tankinbeans]

o_0

[potownrob]

I just got my first car with a manual transmission (2006 mazda 3 5-spd) and I am moving it around ok, I just have a few questions/concerns you guys might be able to help me with.

bring it

1. Is there any way I can make my 1 to 2 shifts smoother? I usually just wind first gear to 3000 to 3500 and and put it in second gear and give it a little gas, but it's almost 100% of the time jerky. I know that's not really a lot of info but maybe someone knows what I'm dealing with.

you really just need more time under your belt (and feet?) to get smooth. some things you just need to let your body figure out. that said, you can cut down on the agony by shifting into 2nd at lower rpms (for now).

2. When I'm coming to a stop, I always try to stick it in first gear before I stop, but it's really hard to get it into first if I'm going above 20 miles an hour. Is there something wrong with this or is this just how it is, and I should wait until I'm below 20 mph to put it in first

so this passage must be what lead the other guys to try to teach you to DC into 1st?? i recommend just coming to a stop in neutral or with the clutch in and then shifting into 1st when you come to a stop or when you get to go again. this will help you to learn to shift into 1st quicker at lights etc. if you slow down and then have to move again before coming to a stop, you can usually just shift into 2nd at low speeds. you can learn how (and when) to DC into 1st later on.

3. If I'm crusing down the highway and I need to go up a steep hill at about 65 or 70 mph, I'll downshift into fourth and go up the hill, then hold the clutch in until I get to the bottom of the hill, and THEN shift it into fifth and keep going. But sometimes, if I'm going fast enough, it'll grind when I have the clutch IN and put the shifter into 5th. I don't know if that's because I shouldn't shift between neutral and 5th at that speed, or because one of my syncros are bad?

the whole problem here is that you're holding in the clutch when you should just stay in gear with the clutch out, other than when you're actually shifting between 4th and 5th. you should be in either 4th or 5th with the clutch out going down that hill.

[Rope-Pusher]

Whatever you do, DO NOT coast down the hill with the trans in 1st gear and the clutch pedal depressed. The engine may be out of the loop, but the clutch will be spinning up as if you were driving at that speed in 1st. Clutches can only take so many rpms, like maybe 1.5 x engine redline speed, before they break apart under the stress.

Oh, and they spin apart at reduced rpm if they've been heat-stressed.

[tankinbeans]

Thank you, rope, I've learned something I wouldn't have thought to ask about. Not that I do that sort of thing, but it's good to know the mechanics behind what is going on.

[MidnightDrive94]

First of all you should never downshift into first gear before coming to a complete stop! When coming to a stop you should put the car in neutral and only shift into 1st gear when you want to drive again. Downshifting into first gear whilst moving can put a lot of stress on both the transmission and your clutch (especially if the downshift hasn't been rev-matched).
Be sure to completely have your foot off the gas when shifting into second gear and only get back on the gas after you have selected the gear and are simultaneously giving the car gas as you're slowly releasing the clutch.

[tankinbeans]

You can shift to first before stopping as long as you won't got redline and properly rev match in. Most manuals I've seen advise to do it at no more than 15 mph though.

[ClutchDisc]

First of all you should never downshift into first gear before coming to a complete stop!

There's nothing wrong with downshifting into first while moving, I do it all the time.

[ClutchFork]

Heee heee, I have down shifted into first at 25 to 30 mph. Not something I will do often. If you are coasting along in neutral you can blip the throttle and then shift into first (like second half of double clutching) and if you get the rpms right it will go in like butter even at 20 mph.