I'm noticing that shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, and from 3rd back to 2nd gear, isn't all that easy. It's not smooth. It's jerky and sometimes doesn't go in smoothly. Could this be a problem brewing or just my shifting technique? Has anyone else noticed this problem? I'm wondering if it's the clutch issue that I've been reading about here.

The more I think about how the gear shift should feel the more I think something is wrong with it; I believe it's in my subconscious because of the clutch failure problems I keep reading about. When I autocross and do hard up shifts and high rev downshift the car seem to shine, no time to over think how the shifts feels or is suppose to feel. I drive it like a stole it and the rewards me with respectable lap time, enjoy don't over critique the car or its drive train.

How old is the car? If it's new the gear change needs a few miles to loosen up. It also needs to warm up before it gets slick through the gate, say 10 minutes of driving.

Could be technique as you're going across the gate (bottom left to mid top), but you can eliminate that by letting someone you trust is experienced with manual shift have a go or popping the car into the dealer. Doesn't should like the symptoms of the clutch issue though.

rev match before going 3-2. Shift from 3-2, before releasing clutch, blip the throttle, before the blipped revs drop too much, release clutch. Takes a few hundred times practice before you get used to it.

Without blipping, the car will jerk.

Chaz,

Is this feeling only going from 2nd to 3rd? A clutch problem would make it hard to shift in our out of any gear, especially hard to insert into 1st or reverse. My guess is that your car needs a little break in. How many miles now? I was convinced mine was abnormal but it's loosening up very nicely with extra miles.

__________________
Gator Bite
(View My Articles : Blogs : Car : Profile)

I just hit the 920 mile mark today. Perhaps the problem is the low mileage and will work itself out after 2,000 miles. It shifts pretty easily from 3rd to 4th and from 4th back to 3rd. And 4th to 5th and 5th back to 4th is easy now, although a couple of times I think I went from 5th into 2nd by mistake. Maybe I'm paying too much attention to the 2-3 and 3-2 shift.

Yup, you need to ride it out. I was convinced that something was wrong with mine because it was tough to get into 1st and the basic shifter movement felt scratchy. I am just over 2,000 miles now and it has loosened up big time. At first I was regretting the sport shifter, now I'm loving it.

My prescription: Keep driving.....

__________________
Gator Bite
(View My Articles : Blogs : Car : Profile)