Handruin

How does everyone feel about the clutch pedal and the location of where the clutch engages? (mostly curious about people with 10K or more miles)

I feel like my clutch doesn't grab until the pedal is mostly out (2/3 or more), and when it does grab, it's very quick. It doesn't slip or anything, but I feel like there is a lot of room in the clutch pedal compared to where it begins engaging. I can't remember if the clutch grabbed much earlier when I first bought the car, but I think it did.

I have almost 15K miles on it now, and I was curious how others feel about their clutch and about where it begins engaging in comparison to the pedal location. I didn't learn manual on this car, I've driven manual for many years before this, so I seriously hope I'm not wearing out this clutch. I rarely down shift to slow, and if I do, I rev match. Is it possible the cable/linkage could be stretching? Hopefully I'm just paranoid from reading other post regarding 6MT issues.

xizor

From my experience, all the (3) Hondas I drove engage at the near the top. You never need to put the clutch all the way to the ground. Your's sounds normal.

KingV

I'm not real experiences with clutch (my TSX is my first manual car) but compared to the other manual I have driven extensively, 2000 Z3 (what I learned on), I much prefer the TSX's clutch engagement point and gear box. I noticed that the BMW clutch had a very large amount of travel from fully in to fully out, and the gearbox itself had a much longer throw.

The TSX took me a little time to get used to, but now that I'm used to it I'm glad I don't have to lift my leg way up to engage the clutch and press my foot really far to disengage. There's a little more finesse to it, however as the shorter travel makes for a touchier clutch.

biker

That's one of the reasons you don't to have any pressure on the clutch pedal when not shifting. You might be riding the clutch and not know it - and after a while, bam - you need a new clutch.

Handruin

I definitely never rest my foot on the clutch pedal, I know this can cause the clutch to wear. Either the clutch is engaged or disengaged, I never ride it. When ever I'm done with a shift, I move my foot to the plastic fake pedal on the floor.

It sounds like what I’m seeing is normal, I just wanted to hear from other people’s experiences with the TSX.

ClutchPerformer

I think it is normal, and from what people say it's normal for Honda across the board.

Most European cars have an engagement point very close to the floor. As the clutch surface wears, it gets higher and higher so you kind of have a measure of how your clutch is doing (not sure if this is on purpose or not, but that's my experience).

fdl

I know that Audi's (last gen a4 anyways) clutch engagement is very high. So high you would think its a bad clutch.

MarkPinTx

What do you guys think is the hardest thing on a clutch? I'm a full-time manual noob. Took me a day or so to stay off the clutch between the 1-2-3 shifts and to break myself of keeping it in at intersections, but those habits are gone now (<600 miles).

I'm still pretty ginger with the launch (quite a bit of feathering, maybe normal I don't know).

I have pretty sucessfully avoided grindage (once or twice gotten a grind going into 3rd, not sure why exactly). Occasionally get buckage on the 1-2 shift and occasionally pick wrong gear on downshift and have to "rev match" in a hurry.

Any of this sound real bad? Or just normal learning of a new car?

fdl

Hey Mark, you'll get the hang of it soon. Just a couple points...


I find that you need to feather the clutch and give a little gas going in to second to avoid that buck/bogging. Maybe not always, but sometimes. Its just a feel thing.

Also, when the clutch pedal is fully depressed, there is no clutch wear. the only time there is clutch wear is inbetween fully depressed and fully out. So if you keep your clutch pedal down in an intersection, its not bad for the clutch. Its still not a good idea though because it will wear parts of the clutch pedal (springs ,etc). But its not really THAT bad, so if you forget sometimes dont beat yourself

If you are grinding gears then you are probably too fast with the clutch. Take your time and make sure the pedadl is right down to the floor when you shift. And leave it down to the floor long enough to get into gear. Dont rush....at least not yet.

MarkPinTx

Thanks fdl. The only thing I could point to on the rare grindage was getting cocky, which I suppose leads to shifting too fast. I am reasonably sure that I am depressing clutch all the way every time. Just must have pushed the shift a tad before in.

biker

Also, like an engine, a MT wiill need some time to break in and it will get smoother with age, as will you.

AZTSX

quick question dont u have to release the clutch slowly i mean not just drop it i hurd that releasing the clutch very quickly is like slamming on the brakes well thats what some one told me but i dk if thats true or not also if u dont hit the throttle and wait till the clutch engages to hit the gas in 1st gear that is ok correct

MarkPinTx

Good question AZ. Which is worse, the possibly excessive feathering that wuss-boy here does or dumping and bucking possibly stalling? Has to be some slippage associated with bucking/stalling.

Another odd thing is, my proficiency does not seem to increase in a linear (more accurately upward fashion). I'll have some great drives where you can call me Turbo-Hydramatic and others that remind me of being a 12 year old behind the wheel of an old Toyota pickup. On those drives, I can't seem to correct myself easily either.

fdl

If you are at the right revs, then you can dump the clutch as fast as you want. If your not at the right revs...you need to let it out slowly.


(Lets say you are in 2nd at 3500 rpm, clutch in...shift to 3rd...pause for rpms to drop to exactly what they should be at that speed in 3rd (lets say 3000 rpm) , then you can quickly let the clutch out and it will be smooth. )

DEVO

i think you are being paranoid. it sounds like the "normal" engagement point.

majormojo

I suppose it's worth saying again... What you describe sounds normal for Hondas, in my experience. I've had 3 Hondas, all with manual transmissions and they've all been that way. Also agree with domn, the 1-2 shift sometimes needs a little attention to accomplish smoothly.

AZTSX

Does anyone know the disc diameter, spline diameter, and tooth
count of the clutch ?


thx

Shorei

As to the 1st - 2nd - I have noticed that if I shift at a low rpm (it is close ratio ya kknow) the car is silky smooth. If I wind it out a bit 1st - 2nd can be a little jerky (I have driven sticks on 95 % of my cars in 41 years of driving). It may be a bit of the drive by wire throttle (any comments). If I keep the revs up at it is smoother. It's almost like the drive by wire is not keeping up with the it when shifting at hiher revs???? It takes some adjustment.

sixspeed

I know I'll need some adjustments.
I've been driving manuals for over 10 years and even in New Jersey stop-and-go traffic I was always smooth. All my cars, however, have been German.
Honda transmissions are definately on the touchy/delicate side.
I have only put 300 miles on my TSX so far. And while I have absolutely no problem driving it, I'm not at a point of feeling as comfortable as I did with my previous cars.

robert morris

Been driving manual for about 45 years. Acura clutch is "different"; had a Prelude before this & clutch was a lot easier to "read". Prelude tranny & shifting however, was real notchy/rubbery. The clutch does not have to be depressed very much; anyone out there can easily experiment & feel where the engagemenmt/di-engagement point is. There is rarely a need to rush any gear change; even expensive cars i.e. Maserati, Aston Martin, NSX all shift better with a slight hesitation between gears (you'll also get a much longer life to the transmission). Drag cars they are not!! Rmember that the TSX's engine is a rever, so use a few coming off the line and it won't bog down.

fdl

Second person in a week to confuse me with domn?? Whats going on?

Shorei

Basic normal around town driving, the car is slick and smooth shifting. Short throws, light clutch. Which makes it easier to drive a stick around town. It is so much smoother than my GSR.
(Car needs a bit more oomph - Any after market turbos available yet?)

biker

fdl=domn?

fdl

NO. So I dont understand the confusion. We are both from Toronto, and are both mods...but is that enough to confuse ppl???

Helicobacter Pylori

I'm a dumb ass manual driver; TSX is my first manual car. I learned manual on my friends VW VR6. They are quite different.

First I have trouble getting used to the late engagement of clutch. Second the drive-by-wire throttle is really "sensitive" and revy Together, I sometimes accidentally rev the engine too high while the clutch is just about to engage (1-2 gear), resulting an awkward start.

I also have two other concerns, hoping you experts out there can give me some suggestion. First, the parking lot behind my apartment has little space and tight corner to maneuver. To back up my car really slowly, I often engage in half clutch and half brake. Is that a terrible thing to do?

Second, I noticed that I don't need to stomp the clutch all the way to shift gears. Wrong again?

I'm killing my tranny :'(

Shorei

1.Go to a deserted road or empty parking lot.
2. Put your right foot behind your back (don't use it)
3. Practise releasing the clutch with no gas given until you adjust to the TSX clutch feel
4. When comfortable, start using the accelerator again.
I have driven cars with 3 on the tree, 2 ton trucks with a huge stick on the floor, I could up and down shift my '79 accord from 5th to 1st without using the clutch at all (sync revs with gears) and driven cars that did not have a synchronizer in first gear as cars have today. (had to be stopped dead before going into 1st) My TSX is a breeze - you'll get accustomed to it.
Drive gently, shift in short intervals - winding this car out before shifting is a bit tricky and it gets sticky and needs a different touch than normal driving. Maybe you don't shift soon enough. Some cars should be wound out more some less. For normal, the TSX should have short intervals between shifts for smoothness.

biker

If the car has enough momentum to coast on its own use the brake only, take the car out of gear. Or get it going in reverse, depress the clutch all the way and then use the brake to control speed. Using the clutch and brake at the same time is not a good idea.
With the high engagement point of the clutch you can get away with not having to push the clutch in all the way to accomplish a shift but without pushing it down all the way you are always left wondering how close you really are to the engagement point and un-necessary wear.
The latter issue will sort itself out with time and practice - I'd work on the former issue since that could cause premature wear.

majormojo

Yes domn, it is.

Sorry. :'(

majormojo

I have to congratulate you for having the wisdom to learn to drive stick on someone else's car. :P

MarkPinTx

Perhaps herein lies the problem. In first, to even get to the recommended 12mph shift point, one has to wind up to about 2500. If you shift to 2nd and maintain revs, not smooth. If you let it drop off a bit further, smoooth.

One other oddity. I have tried shifting/clutching in first with no gas. It's a breeze at cold idle or 1500. Bit more difficult at warm idle 6-800 rpm. But when you do it at warm idle, the car DOESNT MOVE or crawls. First is unbelievably low.

Shorei

It is supposed to crawl at idle - doing that (releasing clutch with no gas) gets one used to the engage point of the clutch. Probably the best way to teach a person new stick. The trannie is close ratio so short interval shifts suits the car. The computer is supposed to keep the revs up for you when you shift. If you drop the revs too much it can balk a bit. As I said the only time I had any problem whith this car's shifting was when I got on it, wound it out to close to red line and shifted, But with practise, I can get that smooth as well. I had a major bog one time and again I think it may be the drive by wire throttle not keeping up. If I used more gas (winding it out) it got smoother.
The claim is that system (wire) is more precise - I prefer direct connect - I would be leary of steering or braking by wire.

MarkPinTx

I mean literally though, the car doesnt go anywhere or just . . . . barely . . . . moves, depending on whether the idle is more toward 800 or 500. One would think it would stall.

It's startling how slow one can go in 1st. But it is a useful exercise.

Shorei

One thread here mentioned reving to 2500 rpm before releasing the clutch - for average driving that is not the way to do it. the gas and the clutch are to work in conjuction with each other. Gas and clutch together not a bunch of gas first and then clutch. Even for heaving footing and quick starts.
By the time my rpm approaches 2K I am already moving.

AND as to high engage point .
when using no gas, my clutch starts to grab just about an inch or so off the floor.

ClutchPerformer

You both have giant post counts...

ks112

when your backin up slow you have to ride the clutch a lil bit. It's almost impossibel say to back up into a spot or parallel park with the clutch all the way out.