Anyone else have troubles downshifting into 1st of 2nd unless the car is stopped? I've been driving stick for a long time and all the cars I've driven, if say, you want to downshift while coming to a light - clutch in, slight pressure on say the 1st gate and it will "float" in when the speed comes down. I haven't noticed that same sensation in this car. (The weather has finally climbed above freezing here in MN so I getting my first chance at actually "feeling" out the shifter.) Its a hard push unless dead stopped if it will go in at all.
I've also noticed a few other things like with the clutch all the way in, I'll notice a slight, but definitely there, rpm drop as I go from neutral to a gear. hmmmmm.... could the clutch be dragging?? I don't know enough about this stuff to know but any ideas or are these things normal/characteristic?? Thanks - Brad

 

any gear (assuming you have your clutch pedal down). If it were dragging, then I would think you would be getting a grinding noise.

The shifting "problem' to 1st when cold can be solved by going with a synthetic transmission fluid like Redline. It's an expensive solution.

 

Thats what I figured too, but the clutch is all the way in and there is no noise associated, just the drop on the tach.

 

Here is my observation. I've driven a few 5sp and some seem to be different than others. With the max for example. The "gate" from 2nd to 1st is blocked off when slowing down because you should never need to use 1st to slow down.. That would be too hard on the tranny... Yeah, you can force it in, but it's not good. I know what some of you are wanting to do... those rolling california stops. Just keep the car in 2nd and you should be fine.

 

Where in MN are you from? I am in Minneapolis (St. Anthony).

Fellow Minnesotan...Go Vikes! (I hope that doesn't start anything)

 

I let a friend drive my car once (mistake), while I was in the car, and he tried to force it into 1st at about 15mph, and he wrecked the tranny pretty good. It kept lurching everytime I drove it (thought it was the clutch). The next day it was raining, I got a little wheel-hop accellerating, and 1st and 2nd were completely gone (could not find them at all). Turned out to be a crunched bearing in the tranny and something else small broke, but luckily warranty covered it. Would have been close to $1000 to fix. Moral of the story, 1)don't let your friends drive your cars and 2) probably not a good idea to force it into 1st at 15mph

 

I do this to get to 2nd gear at speed. Put the shifter in neutral, let out the clutch, rev the engine to match 2nd gear and my speed, (4000rpm seems good enough usually), quicky push in the clutch and shift into 2nd, it should slide right in. If you revved to high then it will slide in after a slight delay. Doing this for 1st gear also works, but matching the revs seems to be much more tricky.

 

This way might work, it did on my friends Nissan that did the same thing. But I've never been known to be an expert on manual transmissions.

When shifting from 2 - 1, and it won't let you into 1:
Move out of 2 into N, let out clutch.
Push in clutch then move it into 1.

His car would never let me into 1 while I was still moving, but if I did it as listed above (on his suggestion) it would let me in every time.

If it works, congrats! If not...sorry.

 

YOU CAN downshift to 2nd to get the growl, but into first is just not good for the clutch or tranny. it should go into 2nd fairly easy, if not you should replace your tranny fluid with the redline synthetic, you will love the feel.

 

Thanks for the advice guys.... did some more driving this weekend paying attention to the shifting and I realized the 2-1 shift isn't as bad after the car is warmer. I don't shift to 1 to slow the car down, usually its when I come to a stop sign usually in 2nd and want to do a slow rolling stop and takeoff in 1st... thats the only time I really notice that 2-1 is a pain - most of the time I end up leaving the stop in 2nd. I'll have to try some of those "tricks" to get it in.

 

Hey selle,
I'm actually in Eagan now- but I just moved from the U of M so my profile probably still says Minneapolis.... I guess I'm still close though.

I wish I could sympathize with the Vikes loss (er.. beat down) but I have Wisconsin blood in me so its Packers all the way

later