vianzonparty

When shifting, do you have to left of the gas completely before you press the clutch pedal? Everyone keeps talking about a smooth transmission but when I have passengers, I can see thier heads move back and forth as i shift through the gears. When I let off the gas, the engine revs drop and I when I press the gas pedal, there is a delay when the engine picks up and when it reaches the desired rpm I let the clutch back in. This motion is too slow, am I missing something? I am new to driving mt.

miner

DBW and the big ratio jump between 1st & 2nd is tne major cause for head bobbing. I have now been driving my TSX for 20 months and I still get the head bobbing effect.

sauceman

You'd have to shift so slowly to prevent the head bobbing that you wouldn't be accelerating quick enough to keep up with the traffic.

Gonna have to live with it I guess..

jlukja

Maybe your passangers are just keeping rythm with the stereo?

miner

Head bobbing can be GOOD in a car

gmfreed

I never let my foot off the gas completey. I ease up on the gas and slightly press the clutch. When I shift, I only push the clutch down about a quater of the way and barely lift the gas. I have never noticed head bobbing before, but I will look the next time I have a passenger.

joerockt

It really has nothing to do with you letting off the gas, its when you depress the clutch. When you press the clutch, you disengage the tranny and remove the acceleration load from it. If your shifting in mid to high rpms (4K+ I would say) Then of course the car is going to nose dive a bit.

My suggestions? Skip 1st gear altogether. Unless you need to launch, no reason to even put it in first. Put it in 2nd, give it a bit more gas, get up to about 3K and shift to 3rd. Make sure your shifts are one fluid motion. Everything should happen at the same time. You know your shifting smooth when your car dosent dive at all. Just keep praticing.

vwong

I'll keep that in mind that when you sell your car, I'll make sure none of my friends (who maybe in the market for a used TSX) would buy your car.

dzuy

oh goodness, that's a good way to burn your clutch.

vianzonparty, my passengers heads never bobble haha, it just takes practiice - if you rode in my car - it'll feel like your in an automatic b/c i drive so smooth.

and yes, i left off the gas all the way, and uh, you're supposed to. if you want to drive smoothly, you have to shift smoothly and let the clutch in and out smoothly and you have to apply/depress the gas pedal smoothly. it's all about control.

the 1st to 2sn gear shift is always a lil notchy, but my guess is - if your passengers heads are bobbing, sounds like your car is bogging out - try applying a little earlier - i.e. when you are letting go of the clutch, you should already be applying some gas.

basic rule to learn how to drive manual - give a little, take a little.

good luck, and please dont skip 1st gear.

TSXDude

since we are on the topic, i was wondering what rpm you guys launch at for city driving? i find i have a hard time keeping up with traffic after a red light (mostly due to the slow 1-2 shift)

dzuy

launch? hmm. i blip the gas (usually around 1100, sometimes the stupid DBW pushes it to 1500) then ease off the clutch while giving gas. but most of the time i give gas and let go of the clutch simulataneously.

if you want to keep up with traffic just give more gas and take the rpms higher.

if i want to go faster - i can take it to 4500-5500 rpm, i hate it when i do that just to accelerate fast and someone thinks i'm trying to race them. dorks.

i dont have a problem with the 1-2 shift tho, and it has always boggled my mind why so many members complain about it.

TSXDude

thanks dzuy

yea, i give gas to about 1100 too, sometimes more, but people always seem to tailgate me when i'm starting at a red light. I guess i don't have a heavy foot....also.. i guess i'm paranoid about ruining the clutch. The tsx is my first mt car.

joerockt

Um, yea...Anyway Im not standing on the clutch. There is plenty of bottom to release the clutch as you would coming out of first, no difference. It just takes a little more gas thats all.

mlabrie

I learned shifting manual with this advice from an instructor. "...Shift smoothly pretending the passenger beside you is sleeping and you don't want to wake him up..."

You also want to practice finding your clutch contact point by releasing it slowly without giving gas. Taking-off slowly with this in mind, you'll succeed. As gou get better at it, the speed will come.

That being said, I too find the TSX touchy to launch compare to other cars.

iamhomin

Actually, there's a way to shift smoothely from 1 to 2.

Rev your first gear until 5-6k rpm, then the transition would be smoothe and fast.

dzuy

that is a good way to learn how to drive stick - slowly let go of the clutch w/o giving gas - you'll feel the friction point, then you'll be forced to learn how to let go of the clutch slowly to make the car move forward, that's how i learned too actually.

the tsx is "harder" to launch b/c of that damn DBW, sometimes there is a slight delat between when you press the gas pedal and when it actually moves - i've learned how to blip the throttle pretty well and can control the launch sooooooooooooooooooo easily, i dont even think about it when i drive anymore - that's why i guess i cant understand how people are having such a hard time.

as with anything, practice makes perfect.

dzuy

you're kidding right?

i hope so anyway. that's a waste of gas and more excess wear on the tranny than neccessary.

i can shift 1st to 2nd at 1500 rpm and it still won make the car jerk



1. let go of gas
2. press in clutch
3. shift 1st to 2nd
4. ease off clutch, give some gas

smoooth like buuuuuttter.

ianS

I found out TSX is jerky when shifting 1st to 2nd on high rpm too, maybe I am not fast enough. So I usually shift below 2000rpm to the 2nd and rev it up from there.

vianzonparty

Everyone's got all good tips on this issue. I think that when you give it gas and slowly let the clutch back in that if you don't do it in time, the engine revs up. It's like the engineers put a delay so if the clutch doesn't bite in time, the engine computer still thinks the clutch is set and picks up the revs. I guess I just need more practice and trial and error with other techniques. On another note, does anyone know if you can take the oil filter off when the car is on level ground, wheel still on and turned to the right?

dzuy

no you cant take the oil filter when the car is on the ground unless you're a super slim man.

seriously tho, you have to jack the car up, there is some metal (i think there is an arrow pointing to it) of the jack point of the car. be careful tho, if you dont know what you're doin - you can really mess up your car.

anyway, to change your oil - you have to remove this cover that's held on by a 10mm? (i think 10mm) bolt.

the filter is near the downpipe of the header just above the axle. my dad is a better tech than me, he can take off the filter w/o spilling oil - everytime i do it, oil runs down my arm and it really pisses me off. haha

the oem honda filter is one of those teeny ones, i bought a tool that clamps to the filter and it has a hole to place a socket wrench on, makes taking off the filter a breeze.

and filters get put on hand tight - and another 1/4 turn. and dont forget to lube the gasket of the new oil filter w/ some oil

and dont forget to change the washer on the drain plug - it's a crush washer so it's only rated for one use. you can buy the washer from honda for cheaper than acura - or sometimes they just hook you up when you buy the filter from them

:troutslap i wish we still had a rep system b/c i would get tons of rep for all my informative posts

nagidizy

I've been a'drivin' a stick since the ol' days, when the men were made outta iron and the rigs was made out of wood ... and I can tell y'all that them folks a'ridin' with me don't bob they heads a-tall. When I drives, I likes to jerk they whole body back and forth like a mule with her head stuck 'tween two fence rails ...

Actually a good test is to have your lady friend place a large diameter open container of acid in her lap while she's a sittin' on the passenger seat (16" bowl works well). Make sure it's filled close to the brim, and there ain't no lid on the durn thing. Now start up through therm ol' gears and shift real softly like, so as to not spill none of that there acid. Then, all at once like, just floor it and watch the fun begin.

Now if that ain't twisted, I'm a snake in a gopher hole! Boy, howdy.

mlabrie

I am not impress of that DBW. Can you describe us more about "blip the throttle"?

Thanks dzuy

dzuy

blip the throttle - give a little gas.

it's all about control.

Dan Martin

You're one twisted dude.... and I like it!!

nagidizy

And I must say your avatar is mighty fine! It reminds me of my first wife, Irene, except she she wurn't quite as purty ...