G35 coupe is the first manual car for me, and I'm have a couple of questions regarding gear shift.

1) I noticed when I shift from 1 to 2, at say 4k rpm (breaking still), the car will jerk a lot if I dont apply gas. Is it correct to hold the gas at say 2rpm while releasing the clutch? Will this wear the clutch?

2) When I break, I usually press both the clutch and break, is this ok? I've been told that both shouldnt be press at the same time, is it true? Also are there any harm in just holding the clutch on a red light rather than shifting back to nuetral?

Thanks

 

First off you must realize that everyone has their own method of shifting:

Response to 1) You will notice the car jerking a lot from 1st to 2nd if you aren't applying gas because you are -supposed- to be applying gas when the clutch engages. So no, holding the gas at 2,000 rpm (when it engages) is not bad for the clutch, "flooding the clutch" meaning you have the accelerator depressed before it engages is not bad for the clutch either, just bad for gas mileage.

Response to 2) Pressing the break and the clutch down at the same time is not bad for the clutch. I would recommend depressing the clutch, moving the stick to neutral and then braking to a stop, but that's just me. -Do not- hold the clutch down the complete time you hold the brake down, that is -bad- for the clutch. Think 'quick' *boom* clutch down, in to neutral *boom* release clutch pedal *boom* brake to stop. Whatever you do, and I can't emphasize this enough, never, NEVER sit at a red light with your foot on the clutch and into first gear. Sit in neutral and wait for the light to turn green, then depress the clutch and go into first gear. If you are going to remember any of this, remember that the best way to treat a clutch is to simply stay off of it as much as possible.

I hope this helps.

 

You are correct, everybody has their own method.

I never "depressing the clutch, moving the stick to neutral and then braking to a stop". before coming to a complete stop, when I want to slow the car down I depress the clutch, downshift to an appropriate gear, release the clutch, thus slowing down the car without the wear and tear on the brake.

 

you're putting wear on the tranny when you downshift like that. If you want to do it right you have to rev match when you downshift to a stop, this is a lot of work for nothing. When approaching a stop light leave it in the current gear, brake, and push in the clutch at 900-1000rpm. You'll notice that the tach needle doesn't bounce as much.

Do not push the clutch in for long periods of time, this will wear out the throwout bearing NOT the clutch.

1-2 shift on this car is tough to get it smooth when you're driving normal. It's easier to shift 1-2 slow or fast when you're racing. I'm still working on this.

For more information on clutch wear. I suggest you to check out videos this guy made to properly drive a manual.

www.bmwm5.com/greg/school/

2003 G35 Coupe 6mt Diamond Graphite
1992 Jeep Cherokee Blk 5.5 RE lift /w 33s
AIM= bkchang79

 

Just on the topic of braking to a stop:

Just like bkchang79 said, down shifting is fine if done correctly, but I've been doing neutral braking since I've been driving stick (only 6 years) and have never replaced a clutch on my two manual cars. Obviously the wear and tear on my brakes are no different from those with AT.

 

What are the typical rpm for shifting 1-2 then? I just couldnt shift properly. The best I can do now is to shift at 4000 and wait till it drops to 2000 then release clutch. But it's still slightly jerky, AND the most annoying thing is the shift process takes too long. So basically the car doesnt move for a couple of seconds and holding out traffic.

 

try slipping the clutch more when you come out of gear, the clutch will slow down the engine faster than just waiting for it to spool down. Later on if you invest in a light weight flywheel the problem will be gone...

i think this happens due to a heavy flywheel for a smooth operation...

-Sasha Anis

91MR2T For Sale (Toronto, Email For Details)
Ordering G35C November/December
www.SoundOfTurbo.com

 

when I really want a smooth shift from 1-2, I'll go only to like 2800 rpms and then shift to 2nd, where i'll be at like 1400 or so. It usually is that the lower the rpm's that you shift at, the easier it is to not get it to jerk, at least for me.

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