hi
i have a 5sp myself and i am not really experienced
but i want to know if you guys find it hard to eliminate the little bit of jerking when shifting from 1st to 2nd
i can do it a lot of the times, but it seems harder on the maxima than on the few other manual cars i ve driven.
i think that overall, the max is a hard manual car to drive

 

search on "fuel cut" there is a tsb on it in the sticky post..

 

Yes - that's a tough shift to get smooth. Partly, it's because there's so much torque multiplication in first, partly because the clutch feel is poor. You can help smooth out the shift by slightly rolling off the throttle before starting the shift. If you hold first to a little higher RPM it helps - or shift below 3k, you will find a comfortable shift point eventually.

Dave

 

I agree, the Max manual is not the easiest 5 spd to drive smoothly. I figure its a mixture of the fuel cut off issue and quite a harsh clutch - it has a very small biting range on the pedal, which makes gear changes sharper with less chance to slip the clutch and smooth out the shift.

 

Practice my man, practice... Yeah, its kind of touchy sometimes, but you get used to it. I think what the other people have posted makes sense -- give it a try and be glad you bought the 5sp...

 

Hey, It's all about getting comfortable in your car.The Max is definately a little more touchy than say a Honda(sorry I used that word on this site everyone), but you just have to practice. I have a had and driven alot of "muscle cars". And I like that its a little more difficult to drive than others. It makes it feel sportier or something to me. One other thing, I noticed that my wife does in my car the few times I let her drive it. When shifting from 1st to 2nd, she starts pushing on the accelorator before she has let the clutch completely out(Thats why she doesn't get to drive it that often). When she does this, she then lets off the rest of the clutch to quickly, and that's when you feel that jerkin motion. Good luck.

 

Check with your dealer to make sure your ECU has the newest program.. it smooths out the throttle.

 

The max also has a very light flywheel for a motor it's size...great for hp and raw acceleration but really sucks for everyday driving.

 

The Maxima is a hard car to shift smoothly.

The clutch is not really progresisve, and over all, the 1-2 shift jerks a lot compared to other cars. It grabs too aggresiveely.

But that can be good most of the time.
practice, and eventually, you will get it.

 

Do any of you, when starting in 1st gear, actually feel the teeth of the gears engaging as you start? No abnormal sounds you can just feel the gears, or at least that is what I think it is. Or do I need to get my max checked after only 1300 miles? Thanks

 

Well...I think I'm starting to get a hang of this 5spd driving thing!! After a week of keep stalling at take off...I've finally been able to drive the whole day without stalling!!!

I love it when I use the excuse of a slight hill to rev the engine to take off so I wouldn't roll backwards. Almost peal off every time!

Green

 

Practice is the key. You'll get it. You just have to familiarize yourself with you car's transmission behavior. I know this thread has been very useful. I'll have to pay more attention when I drive my Max next time.