Hey guys, I am fairly new to manual transmissions, only have about a total of 30mins using one. And was wondering what your guys technique is for shifting smoothly. I have driven my friends 01 z06 and I could shift that thing like butter, but with the tc its not even close to that. It's giving me a headache. So can anyone give me some tips. Oh yeah and do you guys gas then clutch out slowly? cause i let go of clutch till gripping point then gas.

 

As you get more comfortable it'll come to you. Many have noticed the tC transmission is a little tricky to get smooth. I've had mine for a year (and 5 years of manual driving on other cars) and still get a rough start occasionally.

Try slowly letting the gas on as you feel the clutch start to "grab," then gradually increase it till it's in gear.

 

Change the trans fluid. That will help a lot. I also feather/ride the clutch in first and second in order to keep it smooth. I only do that if there's someone else in the car and I don't want them bouncing around.

 

yeah feathering/blipping the gas helps alot.....but takes some practice...

 

well, the way u balance is the key, for me...clutch and gas balance is not the same, i let the clutch out a lil first then gas with it.

 

Just Power shift! Full Throttle, and Shift to 2nd but dont let go of gas, and keep doing to other gears. Thats the best way and keep an eye on the RPM's. LoL j/k

Like everyone said, its a bit rough, i drove a mustang for a long time and it feels the same.

 

That wont help anything. Changing to a better oil in the tranny may make the shifter feel smoother (but very little difference) but it has no effect on the smooth release of the clutch. No oil comes in contact with the clutch. Smoothness in taking off and releasing the clutch is all about timing and technique.

 

Agreed

 

i still grind my gears every once 'n' while and i've been driving it for 5 years now

 

do you have a hill to goto with no traffic.........now hear me out.

practice finding the clutch grab point on the hill with no gas,then practice adding gas,that will give you a better idea mechanically where your clutch grabs at,then just repeat with normal driving through the gears,once you learn the sound of the correct RPMs it is easy,take your time for a few days to a week of driving and learn the car correctly then you will have less issues later on.....tC clutch is a pain till you get it down.

 

Every car is different, you'll adapt over time.

Still, the tC's clutch sux more than anything I've ever driven, which is a LOT of vehicles over more than 30yrs.

 

I actually found it very easy to learn and drive. It just depends on what you are used to. In his case, he is new to a manual transmission so it will be a learning curve either way.

The key though is to slip the clutch as little as possible. Slipping the clutch equals clutch wear = a spendy repair early on. A clutch can easilly last 100,000 - 150,000 miles if driven properly, but wont if you slip it excessively. So you will just need to learn how to slip it just enough to be smooth and nothing more.

Honestly, when I teach someone to drive one, I get them started and teach them a little, then leave it to them. The only way to learn is to just keep doing it.

 

the tc was really hard to get used to and it gave me alot of head aches when i first started driving
I found that letting off the gas completely then engaging the clutch and dis-engaging it while applying gas makes shifting much smoother.
Also it helps to rev a little higher than you normally would and then feathering the clutch.
practice makes perfect! Just bring some advil

 

So true. You can concentrate better when you are alone v.s. having someone watch your every move. Plus sometimes the teacher can get frustrated and then everyone is ____ed off and yelling at each other. lol

 

Alright so I guess I will just have to keep practicing thanks for your guys' input.

 

Yeah I've been driving mine for over a year now and I still get the bouncing around, and I know its not my driving because i drive other sticks just fine!

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one saying it my boyfriend thinks I'm nuts!

 

You know what really grinds my gears? When I grind my gears!

 

yeah I grind sumtimes letting go of the clutch to quickly etc. I was so use to my stage 1 clutch in my jetta and how easy it was to drive that car, with this one I jus let go of the clutch slowly and peddle the gas, sumtimes ofcourse it jumps around but not much. tranny fluid will jus make the shifting smoother

 

before the tc i never drove a stick..I learned on the tc and it took 15 mins...They threw me on the streets and said figure it out lol...

 

Yeah the real problem is the drive by wire throttle in the engine that has a slight delay in gas pedal response and also plays around a little as the RPMs drop when the clutch starts to load down the engine a little as it grabs. Being a little more steady and smoother on the gas pedal is probably key. On my xB I find that between gears it is best to let off the gas completely for about half a second then push the clutch in, shift to the next gear and let the clutch out and then back on the gas works out best.