Going From 5th Gen Auto to 5.5 gen 6 speed... Questions...
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how the hell do u check the transmission fluid level on those things? i was reading and saw this one process where a dude was changing his transmission fluid, and he filled it until it started overflowing! is that correct? i notice theres no dipstick on maual trannies.. how do i keep tabs on the level?
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Newer cars are usually more forgiving. Just take your time, after a few drives it'll be like you've been doing it for years.
You don't have to fully release the gas, but why waste the gas by keeping your foot down. It's very unlikely you'll stall in any gear other than first, so save the gas. Before you bring the car back into gear you may want to "stab" the gas so you can rev-match and make it more smooth.
You could potentially do some damage if you misshift. But you won't be able to get into first once you're really moving. The tranny won't let you (you'll know it'd be too hard).
You don't have to fully release the gas, but why waste the gas by keeping your foot down. It's very unlikely you'll stall in any gear other than first, so save the gas. Before you bring the car back into gear you may want to "stab" the gas so you can rev-match and make it more smooth.
You could potentially do some damage if you misshift. But you won't be able to get into first once you're really moving. The tranny won't let you (you'll know it'd be too hard).
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IMO the 2k2 is a hard car to learn with if someone has not driven a MT before. Here's a good away to learn:
Put the car in 1st gear, then without pressing the gas pedal s-l-o-w-ly release the clutch. The object is to get the car moving without using the gas. This does put a bit of stress on the clutch, but it's no worse than stalling the car a bunch of times. Once you know where the friction point is with the clutch you ought to be able to start using the gas when starting out.
Put the car in 1st gear, then without pressing the gas pedal s-l-o-w-ly release the clutch. The object is to get the car moving without using the gas. This does put a bit of stress on the clutch, but it's no worse than stalling the car a bunch of times. Once you know where the friction point is with the clutch you ought to be able to start using the gas when starting out.
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BEST way to learn is through practice and experimenting with ur clutch...i bought mine and i didnt know how to drive stick...i stalled out a couple of times but it only took me like 2 days to get it down. word of advice (i learned this way), practice moving from a stop...just go then stop then go again....ull get used to ur clutch and u will get better at accelerating smoothly...ull be fine...its easy =)
As soon as your clutch catches, your rpms will dip and you will feel a slight vibration in the steering wheel as the idle drops. At that point you will also start to see the car begin moving. Yeah a couple of things happening together but you'll get the hang of it really quick.
good luck!
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alright guys.. picked up the car today.. a nice 03 6 speed TE with 49,000 miles on it.. now just gotta learn to drive the sucker! lol
i drove for about 20 minutes around the dealer parking lot trying to get the clutch thing down, and it went ok.. i stalled a few times of course, but i think im getting it.. i practiced some more with my mom when i got home.. i noticed that sometimes the stick feels like it doesnt go into gear smoothly... like sometimes it clicks right in, and other times it goes into gear kinda roughly on the 1-2 shift and 2-3 shift... is that normal, or am i doing something wrong?
also.. i tried that letting the clutch so slowly, and that worked pretty well.. what i did was, i let the clutch up, then when i saw the car start to move, i gave it a little gas and got going.. is that the good way to do it?
i drove for about 20 minutes around the dealer parking lot trying to get the clutch thing down, and it went ok.. i stalled a few times of course, but i think im getting it.. i practiced some more with my mom when i got home.. i noticed that sometimes the stick feels like it doesnt go into gear smoothly... like sometimes it clicks right in, and other times it goes into gear kinda roughly on the 1-2 shift and 2-3 shift... is that normal, or am i doing something wrong?
also.. i tried that letting the clutch so slowly, and that worked pretty well.. what i did was, i let the clutch up, then when i saw the car start to move, i gave it a little gas and got going.. is that the good way to do it?
alright guys.. picked up the car today.. a nice 03 6 speed TE with 49,000 miles on it.. now just gotta learn to drive the sucker! lol
i drove for about 20 minutes around the dealer parking lot trying to get the clutch thing down, and it went ok.. i stalled a few times of course, but i think im getting it.. i practiced some more with my mom when i got home.. i noticed that sometimes the stick feels like it doesnt go into gear smoothly... like sometimes it clicks right in, and other times it goes into gear kinda roughly on the 1-2 shift and 2-3 shift... is that normal, or am i doing something wrong?
i drove for about 20 minutes around the dealer parking lot trying to get the clutch thing down, and it went ok.. i stalled a few times of course, but i think im getting it.. i practiced some more with my mom when i got home.. i noticed that sometimes the stick feels like it doesnt go into gear smoothly... like sometimes it clicks right in, and other times it goes into gear kinda roughly on the 1-2 shift and 2-3 shift... is that normal, or am i doing something wrong?
yeah, that's right. release clutch slowly when 1st and 2nd gear.
Last edited by jasonmax; Dec 19, 2007 at 07:45 PM.
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as ive said before, its all about finding the clutch engagement point so you know exactly when to apply the proper amount of throttle. thats very important in these cars.
sit in a parking lot and slowly let out the clutch (no gas). as soon as it starts to catch, push the clutch back in and do it again. then do it when you are sitting at lights. after a few days/weeks, you will have muscle memory and know the engagement point. makes starting and shifts quick and smooth.
sit in a parking lot and slowly let out the clutch (no gas). as soon as it starts to catch, push the clutch back in and do it again. then do it when you are sitting at lights. after a few days/weeks, you will have muscle memory and know the engagement point. makes starting and shifts quick and smooth.
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i'm gettin better fellas!!!!!! i can now start out on a hill without ANY rollback.. i thought that you had to let the clutch out and push the gas in at the same rate, but i figured out a new way (probably old news to all of you, but new to me) --thanx to all of those who told me about the catch point thing, because that exercise helped me devise this method-- so after some practicing of letting the clutch out and back in (thank you sooner), i got a feel for the catch point.. and i was doing this exercise in a driveway where theres a nice incline... what i did was, i kept my foot on the brake and brought the clutch up just to the point where it was about to catch, let off the brake, and i was slowly moving forward without even using any gas!! i was like holy crap... this makes things so much easier.. now i can start on a hill without rolling back... i'm so proud of myself.. lol.. that was the main issue i was worried about, but thats no sweat now.. i just gotta do it slowly.. but i do still have an issue though...
my upshifts are still kinda rough most times.. but sometimes they're smooth as an automoatic.. and i have yet to figure out what it is i'm doing to get these smooth shifts.. my ultimate goal is to drive, and have it feel like an automatic to my passengers.. do i have to give it a little gas after i shift before i let the clutch out? or not touch the gas at all until the clutch is completely out? or let the clutch out and the same speed i get on the gas after the shift? i cant figure this out yet...
my upshifts are still kinda rough most times.. but sometimes they're smooth as an automoatic.. and i have yet to figure out what it is i'm doing to get these smooth shifts.. my ultimate goal is to drive, and have it feel like an automatic to my passengers.. do i have to give it a little gas after i shift before i let the clutch out? or not touch the gas at all until the clutch is completely out? or let the clutch out and the same speed i get on the gas after the shift? i cant figure this out yet...
Last edited by wyche89; Dec 20, 2007 at 08:18 PM.
glad the advice helped.
for smooth upshift, its all dependent on the RPMs. low RPMs, you can shift slowly and it wont matter. higher RPMs, you have to shift faster. just takes practice and learning YOUR car.
after the learn all that, come back and learn about rev-matching for down shifts (really needed on these cars).
for smooth upshift, its all dependent on the RPMs. low RPMs, you can shift slowly and it wont matter. higher RPMs, you have to shift faster. just takes practice and learning YOUR car.
after the learn all that, come back and learn about rev-matching for down shifts (really needed on these cars).
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From: Philadelphia, PA
glad the advice helped.
for smooth upshift, its all dependent on the RPMs. low RPMs, you can shift slowly and it wont matter. higher RPMs, you have to shift faster. just takes practice and learning YOUR car.
after the learn all that, come back and learn about rev-matching for down shifts (really needed on these cars).
for smooth upshift, its all dependent on the RPMs. low RPMs, you can shift slowly and it wont matter. higher RPMs, you have to shift faster. just takes practice and learning YOUR car.
after the learn all that, come back and learn about rev-matching for down shifts (really needed on these cars).
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From: Philadelphia, PA
one thing that sucked.. i upshifted to 2nd going around a turn in the rain... yeah... it shifted roughly and definitely slid a little bit 
mental note.. don't upshift going around a corner in the rain until i get good.. lol
mental note.. don't upshift going around a corner in the rain until i get good.. lol
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hey... WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THE TURN RADIUS ON THESE THINGS? i went to make my everyday u-turn at the end of my block and i damn near hit a parked car! the turn radius on the 5.5 gens is apparently larger than the 5th gens... i was highly upset.. i thought everything was the same besides engine/tranny/headlights, etc...
Last edited by wyche89; Dec 21, 2007 at 05:57 PM.
Thread Starter
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glad the advice helped.
for smooth upshift, its all dependent on the RPMs. low RPMs, you can shift slowly and it wont matter. higher RPMs, you have to shift faster. just takes practice and learning YOUR car.
after the learn all that, come back and learn about rev-matching for down shifts (really needed on these cars).
for smooth upshift, its all dependent on the RPMs. low RPMs, you can shift slowly and it wont matter. higher RPMs, you have to shift faster. just takes practice and learning YOUR car.
after the learn all that, come back and learn about rev-matching for down shifts (really needed on these cars).
Last edited by wyche89; Dec 22, 2007 at 06:36 AM.
the shift has to be quick and smooth
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ok... i'm trying to be patient and get better, but it's hard.. lol.. i guess it's pretty good though considering i've only been driving a few days.. but will this time period f' my car up though?
Last edited by wyche89; Dec 22, 2007 at 04:18 PM.
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ok.. i'm re-defining the hardest part of learning to drive a stick.. its not starting from a stop.. nor is it even starting from a stop on the hill.. i'm did both of those in 2 days.. it's up-shifting smoothly.. i think i figured out that after you shift and push the clutch in, you have to rev the engine to the point that it will be in the next gear before you let the clutch out to make the changeover smooth.. and if you do it quickly, then it should be smoother cause the rpms dont get a chance to drop as much when ur foot is off the gas while the clutch is in... does that sound about right?
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no, im not shifting at redline.. or anywhere near it.. lol.. the highest i went was 4k so far.. but it's still kinda jerky sometimes when i let off the clutch and get back on the gas
you need to push the clutch in more at higher rivs, and catch it by pressing the gas quicker at that speed. only try to drop it 700 rpm at most. This is using more clutch but it wont jerk as much...dont let the clutch out fast at that rpm, press more gas and use more clutch to engage.
Last edited by Tippy Toes; Dec 25, 2007 at 01:48 PM. Reason: 2x the word and
just keep driving man eventually you'll get the hang of it.
the first day i got my maxima my bro-in law drove it home for me. I drove it around the street in first + second gear, then i just went and drove on the street and highway 10 minutes later. I was a little nervous but you have to learn somehow. Do what you have to do to not let the car roll on hills, then just master it.
On that first day I got my car, I was at a stop sign by my friends house which was at a little incline, needless to say i couldn't get the car to move for a couple minutes lol. I finally just floored it or something and took off. Just don't ride the clutch!
the first day i got my maxima my bro-in law drove it home for me. I drove it around the street in first + second gear, then i just went and drove on the street and highway 10 minutes later. I was a little nervous but you have to learn somehow. Do what you have to do to not let the car roll on hills, then just master it.
On that first day I got my car, I was at a stop sign by my friends house which was at a little incline, needless to say i couldn't get the car to move for a couple minutes lol. I finally just floored it or something and took off. Just don't ride the clutch!
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ok.. is there a reason why anytime i lift off the gas or get on the gas in certain gears at certain speeds that the car has a slight jerk? if i'm cruising and i lift off of the gas in second gear at about 20mph, the car jerks ever so slightly.. then when i give it even the slightest amount of gas, it does the same thing.. it's not a big jerk, but it's so annoying... is there a reason why it does this?
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It means, the throttle is driven by the signal from ECU, not by the cable mechanically linked to the gas pedal. When you hit gas, the ECU sends a signal to tiny servo motor, and it moves the butterfly plate. However, the effect you experienced is not caused by DBW, rather this is the drawback of the majority of manual trannies. I drove many cars w/manual trannies, most of them didn't have DBW, but all of them did have this behavior. I heard the stiffer engine mounts can reduce the effect, but i may be wrong.
Last edited by boris; Dec 27, 2007 at 10:35 PM.
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oh ok.. thanx for the info.. i didnt even notice there was no throttle cable.. it's not a huge deal anyway.. just annoying.. but on a side note...
HOLY **** this car is fast! i took it on the highway and did a full throttle run from a stop up to like 3rd gear.. whew.. lemme tell you.. lol.. FAST.. i chirped 2nd gear and all that fun stuff.. i heard people talk about that, and i dont know if it's a good thing or not but.. yeah.. my tires definitely chirped on the 1-2 changeover.. i looked down at the speedometer, and it was climing so fast... so much faster than my 01 auto with intake and y-pipe.. now i can do that thing where you roll back and forth at a light, and still be in control.. i felt so cool
and my upshifts are smoothing out now.. still not perfect but getting there.. the only thing i really still have trouble with is backing up hills.. my girlfriend lives on a hill street and i have to parallel park while backing up the incline, trying not to go too fast, go too slow, stall, hit the curb, or any parked cars, and get in at the right angle.. it's quite challenging.. lol.. but it's no big deal
HOLY **** this car is fast! i took it on the highway and did a full throttle run from a stop up to like 3rd gear.. whew.. lemme tell you.. lol.. FAST.. i chirped 2nd gear and all that fun stuff.. i heard people talk about that, and i dont know if it's a good thing or not but.. yeah.. my tires definitely chirped on the 1-2 changeover.. i looked down at the speedometer, and it was climing so fast... so much faster than my 01 auto with intake and y-pipe.. now i can do that thing where you roll back and forth at a light, and still be in control.. i felt so cool
and my upshifts are smoothing out now.. still not perfect but getting there.. the only thing i really still have trouble with is backing up hills.. my girlfriend lives on a hill street and i have to parallel park while backing up the incline, trying not to go too fast, go too slow, stall, hit the curb, or any parked cars, and get in at the right angle.. it's quite challenging.. lol.. but it's no big deal
Last edited by wyche89; Dec 27, 2007 at 10:40 PM.
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p.s... are these behaviors considered riding the clutch?:
1. pressing it in as your coasting to a stop
2. holding it down in while stopped at a traffic light in 1st gear
3. holding it in while going at extremely low speeds (1-10mph) in 1st or 2nd gear to prevent the car from bucking when i'm off the gas
Last edited by wyche89; Jan 9, 2008 at 09:32 PM.
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no, not when i'm riding the clutch... when i was at a stop with either the car in neutral or 1st gear, it used to make a clicking sound when i pushed it in, and now it doesn't do it anymore.. i was just wondering if anything was wrong
p.s... are these behaviors considered riding the clutch?:
1. pressing it in as your coasting to a stop
2. holding it down in while stopped at a traffic light in 1st gear
3. holding it in while going at extremely low speeds (1-10mph) in 1st or 2nd gear to prevent the car from bucking when i'm off the gas
p.s... are these behaviors considered riding the clutch?:
1. pressing it in as your coasting to a stop
2. holding it down in while stopped at a traffic light in 1st gear
3. holding it in while going at extremely low speeds (1-10mph) in 1st or 2nd gear to prevent the car from bucking when i'm off the gas
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ok i'm back... what's the deal with this rev-matching stuff on the VQ? i tried it a couple times last night and it was still kinda jery (though not as bad as when i let the clutch out without giving ANY gas)