Manual Transmission - Shifting Gears

[Nessa 23]

So here i was yesterday, picked up Charles and we were driving to Home Depot to pick up some illegals to help us remodeling the house (jk ). I was on 2nd gear, turning right followed by a complete stop. He says ''go to first gear''.

My first thought is ''he's just finding something to b!tch about as usual, because that's what he does whenever i'm driving, move to that lane, go slower, go faster, shift now''. I said ''are u crazy? #######?'' Then he continued for 20 min giving me a lesson on how to drive stick.

I've been driving stick since i was 14, I'm sorry, but i consider myself an excellent driver and he knows i hate the b!tching. If I'm driving, shut the fukc up!

So he insists that if you're driving under 10mph you should downshift to 1st. Have you ever tried downshifting to first gear while moving and taking your foot off the clutch pedal? (I''m talking about doing the right way, taking your foot off of it very slowly while applying the break). The RPM goes up to 3000 at least and the car does the shaking thingy. I understand doing the downshifting if you're coasting, 1 second from a complete stop and maintain your foot on the clutch pedal until you complete stop and then you start moving, note, i understand but I don't think it's good for the transmission.

A little note: I come from a country where at least 90% of the cars have manual transmission. I've never met a person that would think it's right to downshift while moving. Charles' Camaro has a really fukced up transmission. None of the cars I used to drive on a regular basis in the past ever had a fukced up transmission, which takes me to the:

Question number 3:

Is there a possibility that what he's doing is wrong?

He says maybe that's an American thing, so'here's the poll.

[Damian P 92]

I personally only downshift as far as 2nd when using the engine as a means of slowing (i.e. when the clutch is not depressed). I can't see that downshifting to 1st does any more damage than downshifting to any other gear does, provided the speed is relevant, but if Charles is doing what you say he is (causing the engine to rev hard, and the car to shake) then I would imagine it's not too clever for the transmission.

So, to answer the questions:

Yes

Downshift all you want (provided the speed is relevant to the gear you're downshifting too, i.e. it doesn't rev too hard or cause the car to shake)

Probably (not an option, I know, but it should have been )

[Rob&Dawn 1]

The car i had before i moved to the US would need a fight to get it into first if it was doing over 5mph.

Personally i never try and jam the transmission into 1st until im stopped as i hate bunny hopping up the road.

[Sylvia_n_Joseph 3]

I would never survive haulling trailer up some of our west coast hills if it wasn't for first gear, and downshifting also provides some braking action so I don't wear the main brakes out coming down passes. I don't care what my SO says about my driving when he gets here. He dosen't like it he can get his own truck.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

If it is a "California stop", or a rolling stop, then you can shift into first, but you have to time it right, just as you take your foot off the brake, and push on the gas. That would be better than lugging the engine in second gear. If you already came to complete stop, why didn't you shift into first?

Edited March 18, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[Ban Hammer 12,921]

if under 10 mph, going to 1st gear does not cause the car to shake.

and being in a high gear at too low a speed still isn't good for the car.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

This depends on your car. My husband can sometimes shift from a 1mph roll into 2nd without a lot of problem in his Subaru. That would kill my Mazda, no doubt.

As for me, I never look at the speed when making a decision to shift. It is all about what the tach says, IMO. I won't drive a stick without one.

Also, I go into neutral a lot of if I know I have to stop. Makes downshifting a hell of a lot lazier. I can't really think of a lot of times where I have had to shift from 2nd to 1st.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Wacken

[Damian P 92]

if under 10 mph, going to 1st gear does not cause the car to shake.

We're only going on what Nessa has told us, Charles........

"So he insists that if you're driving under 10mph you should downshift to 1st. Have you ever tried downshifting to first gear while moving and taking your foot off the clutch pedal? (I''m talking about doing the right way, taking your foot off of it very slowly while applying the break). The RPM goes up to 3000 at least and the car does the shaking thingy.."

.............

[Saddle Bronc 124]

1. I did when I first got a manual-shift car (1995, VW Jetta), but found that downshifting fifth-to-third worked fine when doing turn; I've also started with my car in second (actually a good idea when you're stuck in mud/snow, rather than first)
2. Downshift to first only when you stop completely (actually, when you're coasting to stop)
3. Charles is wrong here

(on my more-recent Aveo, I downshift only to third when moving; and Charles' idea of "you need to go over 10 mph to be in higher gear than first" is dead-wrong, I actually drove my Jetta in fifth gear at speeds as low as 15 mph. I got over 2.25 lakh miles on the car, and never had to replace the entire gearbox--though I did need to replace one shifter-and-tierods, and the original clutch-cable was on last-legs by the time the car was sold.)

[almaty 19]

i have always driven a stick..and have one in my truck, currently, and i downshift to first while still going/.....

[Donna A 4]

this is so strange but around a week ago i was asking my husband the same question.

when my dad taught me to drive we waited til we stopped to put it in first...no downshifting. but my ex sister in law used to down shift all the time. she never had transmission problems but they were always replacing the clutch.

so yes i feel all that extra shifting wears out parts quicker resulting in problems.

[Nessa 23]

if under 10 mph, going to 1st gear does not cause the car to shake.

i guess i'll have to show you...

[almaty 19]

brother charles is correct...

[Ban Hammer 12,921]

1. I did when I first got a manual-shift car (1995, VW Jetta), but found that downshifting fifth-to-third worked fine when doing turn; I've also started with my car in second (actually a good idea when you're stuck in mud/snow, rather than first)
2. Downshift to first only when you stop completely (actually, when you're coasting to stop)
3. Charles is wrong here

(on my more-recent Aveo, I downshift only to third when moving; and Charles' idea of "you need to go over 10 mph to be in higher gear than first" is dead-wrong, I actually drove my Jetta in fifth gear at speeds as low as 15 mph. I got over 2.25 lakh miles on the car, and never had to replace the entire gearbox--though I did need to replace one shifter-and-tierods, and the original clutch-cable was on last-legs by the time the car was sold.)

not according to a guy here at the office who's an auto mechanic. lugging an engine is very bad for the engine, and downshifting to 1st can be done as long as the rpm does not go high. also, as the engine idles at 800-1000 rpm, it's best to shift down when the rpm is 1200-1300 or less due to lugging the engine.

if under 10 mph, going to 1st gear does not cause the car to shake.

i guess i'll have to show you...

i think it's not 10 mph that you may do that, as i upshift it from 1st to 2nd at 15 mph. i've downshifted it many times to 1st when under 10 mph and never had an issue.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

not according to a guy here at the office who's an auto mechanic. lugging an engine is very bad for the engine, and downshifting to 1st can be done as long as the rpm does not go high. also, as the engine idles at 800-1000 rpm, it's best to shift down when the rpm is 1200-1300 or less due to lugging the engine.

Personal experience trumps hearsay!