first manual car need some help
 

Hi im new to the 370z and it is my first manual car. i got the car a couple days ago. I've gotten a lot better but 2nd and 3rd gear still give me trouble. do i have to give more gas before let go of the clutch? any advice on balancing the gas and clutch would be great thanks. oh i don't know if this makes a difference the car is brand new.

First off-even experienced manual transmission drivers have probs w/ 2nd being "jerky" in the Z, ..it just 'is', in my opinion. I still get a jerky shift from 1st to 2nd and i have driven stick shifts and short shifts and speed trigger shifts-And my Z for almost 3 months:rolleyes: so its not just you! And at this point i dont care-it's a Zzzzzzz! Yay!
you have obviously mastered the basics because youre driving it...practice will make it better, enjoy "practicing" in your new Z! :tup:

OP, search for Clutch Helper Spring. It's a great mod that will make your Z even better.

When you clutch is depressed, you don't need to push down the accelerator. So it goes a little something like this:

Accel (1st)
Clutch (as the clutch goes down, your accel should not be depressed and your accel foot should be coming up if not already up by the time your clutch is depressed and engages)
Accel (2nd)
Clutch
Accel (3rd)
Clutch... lol etc.

Like the others said, it's a little tricky in the 370z. Also, the clutch spring I hear helps and practice makes less practice. :)

Practice is all you really need. You can let clutch 'slip' a little going into 2nd. It takes some getting used to.

I find shifting at a little higher rpms into second helps out a lot.

The shift from 1st to 2nd can be clunky at times. I've found that if you adjust your shifting speed to your RPMs, it becomes smoother. If you are pulling modest -- lower than 3k -- RPMs when shifting from first to second, then move the shifter in a slow and deliberate fashion into the 2nd gear position. When getting on it, shift faster and you'll feel that satisfying click.

Shifting fast when going slow is usually where the jerkiness appears .. Typically 2nd to 3rd and higher is not as finicky

"jerkyness" is the clutch engagement, so it's really all in the footwork. Shifting at a slightly higher rpm does help.

No i dont have to push the gas for the clutch to go down.
Thanks a bunch for all the advice

Not to hijack the thread, but what about with downshifting?

I've been driving a stick for 20 years, and this stick is definitely the most challenging I've come across. And while I'm getting better at driving the car, downshifting in 'sport mode' is what I'm still not 100% clear on.

I get that the car will automatically match RPMs, but I'm not sure where the benefit is in that. Does it mean I'm not supposed to brake since the engine will essentially slow me down with the downshift? I normally brake a bit...since that's what I'm used to. Thinking maybe I should just not drive in sport mode haha

The benefits are you don't have to match the revs on downshifts so it gives a perfect downshift everytime. I would not use this as your brakes however. Its more useful when coming up to a turn you have to slow down for. You drop it gear and brake (using brakes)

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Pretty much so you don't have to heel toe.. like keeping it in gear while having to slow down for turns. Not really necessary for daily driving but usually for track

Lol once I did an exhaust mod, my Sport mode hasn't turned off. :D I love down shifting in sport more now.

:iagree:

You need to get a feel for it. It is a talent to pick things up quickly, some do it faster than others, no big deal. But you have to remember it is not JUST PRACTICE, you have to get it right, and get a feel for it so you know what you're doing is the right way of shifting the car, and THEN practice getting that done, otherwise you will just practice doing it wrong, which will not do you OR the car any good.

-- Cheers