kidkay

In the 2003 Nissan manual, they recommend suggested speeds each gear should be in…with the exception of 1st and 2nd , the higher gear speeds just seem too close. I’m not an expert manual driver yet, but what speeds do you guys shift your gears. Also, downshifting ... according to the Nissan manual, you can downshift your max into 1st gear at 30mph? Is this true or maybe I’m not reading it clearly. I search the forum for stickys explaining the concept, but had no luck. If someone can provide me with more info or there experience with shifting, I would appreciate the info.

Pbmax

I have an 2003 6 speed and I shift between 3-4K RPM always. When I down shift, I also make sure that the RPMs will fall between 3-4K RPM. If your a newbie stick driver you will get the hang of it. I think the Maxima really give power at the 4kRPM point.

One thing is, if you want to pass and your going 60Mph in 5th or 6th, I drop to 4th, gun it and quickly go to 5th.

Larrio

iTrader: (10)

its difficult to shift back into first gear at 30mph, its almost maxed out in that gear at that speed.

I pay more attention to what rpm I shift at, not what speed... thats a better indicator. I'm usually shifting between 2-3k for every gear just normal driving

BlkShadow01

i don't downshift whenevee im about to stop i jus go to neutral and then jus first then 2nd and so on..its fun and easier imo

jc2k1

i have never heard of anyone downshifting into 1st gear. And most definitly not at 30mph. That's really unheard of.. i usually only shift right at 3k rpm under normal driving. i swear that nissan manual is totally wrong. i really only downshift when necessary..i.e..when i need to stop quickly or coming around a turn to pick up speed.

crispykid717

iTrader: (7)

I shift at 3k during lazy driving and when my car is cold. But I shift at 4k every other time.

LA02MAX

iTrader: (3)

i dont think the car is even meant to downshift into 1st when going 30...i have a hard time getting it to go into 1st when going 15 or so, becuase it seems like there is a lock on it...idk, maybe mine just has a problem....i dont judge when to shift or downshift by what speed im going though...in fact, i hardly ever look at my speed, i just concentrate on the rpms

Larrio

iTrader: (10)

its hard to get the car back in 1st when its up to speed <30mph, but not impossible. If you blipped the throttle up to 5k and tried to put it back into 1st, it'd probably go in around 10-20mph

skierxx5556

iTrader: (12)

when i shift its usually around 3000 rpm's and i never down shift into 1st i think that there is a lock on first b/c i can only get it in around 5 to 10 mph other than that i try down shift so that the rpm's are around 2500 and 3000.

Imagetusucka

think we all shift at about the same usually 3-4 k, my rotors are warped so when i downshift, i usually only use 2nd then into neutral. now when there is something going on where i need to slow down fast then engine braking is the main thing i use.

kidkay

thanx guys for the info...

imjd

Are you talking about the table on page 5-12 of the manual? I think you need to check the text again... 30 mph is the *maximum* speed in 1st gear. The manual doesn't say anything about downshift speeds. I don't know why they include that table anyway since the speeds they list for the gears do not quite correlate with the 6500 rpm redline on the tach.

There are usually two reasons to downshift: 1) quick acceleration for passing; 2) increased engine braking for going down a steep hill or approaching an intersection. In the first case you want to select a gear that puts you into the fat part of the torque curve but below the peak, so you can accelerate quickly but without having to shift again right away. I usually aim for 2500~3500 rpm but for absolute peak performance you would probably want that to be 3500~4000. (In other words, the same engine speed as if you were accelerating at full throttle and changing gears at redline.) In the second case by definition you're not planning to accelerate, but it would be a rare hill that would need the upper range of the rev band in a low gear. So the point is, usually when you downshift it will result in an engine speed somewhere in the range 2000~4000 rpm but there's no fast rule. You definitely want to avoid overspeeding the engine though.

In general, the trick with downshifting is to become familiar enough with the car, i.e. the engine speed corresponding to road speed in each gear, that you can match the revs before engaging the clutch. Going to the next level, even a crude attempt to double-clutch will help the gear lever to engage more quickly, with lower force and less wear and tear on the synchros. It is not particularly easy to match revs with the 3.5L engine because of the slow engine response at mid-throttle positions and the fact that it takes a painfully long time for the revs to drop when you lift off the throttle. Practice makes better, if maybe not perfect.

It's useful to bear in mind these approximate relationships between engine speed and speedometer indication in the 5.5 gen m/t Maxima. If you can do a little quick mental arithmetic you can use the tach and speedometer to match the revs pretty well. (These relationships will still hold even if you put on different size tires.)
1st gear approx. 6 mph / 1000 rpm
2nd 10
3rd 14
4th 19
5th 25
6th 32

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Here's some more math for fun sake.


Mph = rpm x tire diameter/Gear ratio x 336

Rpm = mph x gear ratio x 336/Tire diameter

Gear Ratio
1st 3.153
2nd 1.944
3rd 1.392
4th 1.055
5th 0.809
6th 0.630
Reverse 3.002
Final Drive Ratio 3.812

kidkay

Okay, I misread the page then. Thank you for clearing it up, I just have to get used to the car. In the beginning, anytime i would downshift i would get a jerk from the car and speed up. Recently, my downshifting to lower gears for accerelation has been smoothed.

sublimer

iTrader: (7)

Don't forget to factor in the contour of the road either. 40 mph on a straight road and 40 mph on an inclined road will require a different gears. Just watch the rpms and "feel out" the car. Before you know it shifting gears will feel natural.