Max wrote:Also, does anyone has experienced problems downshifting? Like when you're in 1st, then you pass to 2nd and if for any reason you want to downshift to 1st again, the stick gets REALLY hard like if something is blocking you from downshifting. I's really annoying on speed bumps where you have to be in 1st. I need to almost come to a complete stop before it lets me downshift. What could this be?
That's the way it's meant to be... something about synchromesh (or lack thereof) which I can't explain
Surely someone'll be able to explain it properly, but what you can do is synchronise the engine speed with the shaft's speed so that 1st will kick in.
Typically 1st won't go in above 20kms/h or something like that because of differences in engine and wheel speed and 1st and Reverse typically don't synchronise on their own... but it is possible and actually reasonably easy to do by adapting your driving style.
On the Charade and the Terios I manage to do this at 50kms/h with no problem (and no real reason) by revving the car to the RPM range it would be in if it were in 1st, before letting the clutch go.
So theory is... if you're down-shifting, rev it a bit before letting the clutch go... if you're up-shifting let the revs fall with the clutch down before letting the clutch go.
It's actually quite simple. I'm just bad at exlpaining that's all
Hmmm...
attempting to explain... drive in 2nd through the speed bump... say you're on 1000rpm, tap the gas taking it up to 3000 or 3500 with the clutch down and as the revs drop try to ease 1st in... when it's in synch it'll go in smooth as always... (you can feel it when it's in sink if you have the stick leaning into 1st, with little pressure... when you feel no resistence - or less resistence - that's when it'll slip in). Give it a bit of practice until you get the right feel for it. Don't fight the gear-stick, if it doesn't want to go, don't push it too hard as you're waiting for the right revs to be reached... you should be able to just feel it...
Typically it's Reverse that grinds a bit on some cars... the solution there is to (while stopped) get a synchronised gear in (eg: 3rd) and then slip it into Reverse and voila!
If you need further help let me know... I'll just borrow dad's car and get him to film it
(mine's an auto remember?)
It's actually pretty similar to what you should be doing when down-shifting through a winding road to maintain speed control... you tap the gas so that when the gear kicks in, it's already in the right rev-range avoiding too much loss of speed and avoiding having your passengers curse at you for throwing them around with your gear-shifting.
Cheers,
Luis
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