I am still having issues shifting. This is the first stick I've owned, but I've driven several in the past. What's the deal with shifting gears in this car? ITs revving like crazy, its kicking, and just being difficult in general.

 

revving would be ur right foot, kicking would be u suffocating the engine by making it run at below 750 rpm

 

kicking is also the result of a shift where the clutch is engaged too quickly

 

be smooth with the car. its not a pickup truck.

 

..read some other threads on shifting and it looks like i'm not the only one. i'll keep practicing.

 

I've only owned manuals and this car feels much different than most - even a previous RX-7 I had. It seems my clutch engagement is really high in this car (pedal height off the floor at the point the clutch fully engages) - which can be adjusted. At first it seemed it was easier for me to quickly dump the clutch just before mashing the throttle (especially in the upper rev range).

Try this: As your clutch foot slowly comes up, your throttle foot should slowly come down smoothly (after you've selected the gear) at roughly the same speeds to ensure smooth shifts. So halfway through the maneuver, your clutch foot and throttle foot would be at the same level. Does that make sense? You can do this very slowly until you get it down smooth and then speed up the process for smooth fast shifts.

 

Thanks Richter, good advice!

 

I'd be willing to bet you don't get much repeat business in the bedroom, if you know what I mean.

 

I agree. but it was a lot easier to drive the other cars that i've owned

 

From what I have noticed, and per dealer recommendation, shifting at higher rpms than what the owner's manual suggests seems to result in a more smooth shift. The owner's manual will have you shifting at around 3k RPM, but the sweet spot seems to be somewhere around 4.5k. And its more fun!

 

Double clutch !

 

I've always found this car very easy to drive, although it does require a little more throttle than other cars with more torque. Yes, shiting at higher rpm should be easier. Once the car is warmed up, shifting at 4k and above seems to engage the easiest.

Above all, concentrate on being smooth. This car seems to reward smoothness even more than most cars.

 

practice, practice, practice!!! seriously.......i asked my self the same question about a year ago....

 

The car is definitely different, but not in a bad way. When I first got it, I constantly would shift horribly, causing slight bucking/stalling. Took a couple weeks, but I got it under control, finally.

 

That it, just keep practicing! thats what I did. Try dif things when driving. Get "your" feel
-Gil

 

i shift at 2.5k rpm all the time. works fine. sometimes i shift at 2k, and thats still fine.

 

Practice makes perfect!

 

right.

 

practice practice

 

when trying to execute smooth shifts, i tend to ease up on the throttle right before i push the clutch in to eliminate the sudden acceleration/deceleration i get if i were to just punch the clutch without easing up on the throttle.. once the clutch is in, i shift gears and as i'm easing the clutch back out i'm also easing back into the throttle.. the trick is to match clutch out and throttle in.. once you figure that out, your shifts will be as smooth as butter.. this is not for stoplight drags or racing of any kind.. this is first date driving.. i have no point of reference for this.. this is from my own experience.. if led the OP astray in any way, please correct me.. hope this helps

 

i sense the force strong with this one

 

get an AT!

problem solved