What you could have been hearing is someone who doesn't know how to properly operate a manual transmission. Many times, I hear people when backing out or heading out of a parking slot in a parking lot, continually rev their engine while slipping the clutch as though they're afraid that if they just use minimum engine speed and get the clutch out, they'll stall the engine. I actually see this more often than one might think. I'm sure some of the people who do this are subconsciously trying to draw attention to themselves and the fact that they are driving a manual. But I would bet the majority do it because either that is how they learned or they "discovered" a technique that keeps them from making a mistake (read that as embarrassing themselves).

I find that if I happen to come to a light on a slight incline next to one of these folks, they are also the ones who tend to hold their car on the incline with the clutch instead of the brake. Very bad, indeed.

 

Have to agree with those who said adjusting their seating position solved the issue. 20+ years of driving nothing but a manual and I thought I was never going to get smooth shifts. Part of me reasoned that I just was getting the feel by jumping back and forth between my 06 TL and my 94 Integra that I just couldn't give up. Finally after about 4 years of looking for that ideal seating position I found it, and things have been smooth since.

 

I analysed my driving and have come to the following conclusion: Jerky low-gear shifting is caused by a combination of of the ultra-heavy dual-mass flywheel and the lag of the wireless throttle system. These two things causing the revs to drop too slow in lower gears.

I realized that I shift this car ultra slow in order to allow enough time for the revs to drop between 1st & 2nd. That is I give a decent pause between putting it into the next gear and letting out the clutch. As long as I do this, my driving is smooth as silk. I also use a slightly shorter pause between 2nd & 3rd. The rest i think I can shift normal.

A mentioned above, it's very VERY different drive compared to my 94 Civic with Integra R swap. At this point I can drive either car smooth without much thought.

 

+1.

The two culprits at play are the slow dropping rpms and the relatively short engagement point of the clutch. When combined, one has very little room for error in executing smooth shifts. Solution, you ask? Wait a second before you disengage your clutch after shifting into the next gear. Specifically, when driving in first gear, engage the clutch, slap the shifter in second, and given the rpms a second to drop before disengaging the clutch and applying a little gas. You will notice that the car shifts much smoother and does not jerk. Needless to say, this method results in slower shifting, and will likely frustrate drivers like myself who are used to rowing through gears in prior cars. But that's the way the cookie crumbles...

 

I usually glaze over the 6 speed threads so this has probably been said. THis is my first 6-speed and I realized afters months of jerky 1-2 that I was just revving out 1st gear too long and if I shifted at 2,000-2500 max everything was very smooth. You wait till 3k+ (unless you are flooring it) it can get kinda rough. Its difficult to do this as the TL climbs to 2,000 really quick but it really does work for me at least.

 

[quote=SouthernBoy;12855484]If I had to answer which TL clutch anomaly probably causes people the most problems, it would probably be the fact that there is not much takeup from the point of initial engagement to the point where sufficient pressure is exerted on the friction disk to start moving the car. Most people are accustomed to more pedal travel (takeup) during this phase of releasing the clutch. But the TL can be somewhat unforgiving in this area. Add to the a fairly small V6 engine without a lot of torque right off idle and it's easy to see how someone would be prone to overreving or bucking and jerking the car when starting off.

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+1 I definatly agree, the clutch takeuo point on my TL is very small compared to the other cars that I have driven. You basically have to stop moving your foot when the clutch starts to grab. Other than that though it is very easy to become smooth with that clutch. Aside from the 1-2 shift, which is cured by the right amount of gas as you are releasing the clutch, you cannot expect a smooth 1-2 when you only use the clutch. Just DON'T ride your clutch, otherwise.

 

So who here downshifts when coming to a full stop? I just go to neutral. Is it ok for the clutch?

 

I found that it's better to give it slightly more gas in 1st and 2nd gears, and let out the clutch a tiny bit slower than you would normally. I think it's just a naturally aggressive car.

 

Better to coast down in top gear until you get to ~1,000rpm. Then go to neutral before the injectors kick back on and the car starts bucking. This will save gas and put less wear on EVERYTHING transmission related.

If your slowing for a turn were you won't stop, that's a different story. Slow in top gear with or without brakes. Once you let off the brakes and begin making the turn, double clutch into the desired gear and accelerate out of the turn. This frees up your feet so you don't have to heel-toe and you can just work on your double-clutch (rev-matching) skills. This will get you maximum efficiency & longevity with the least amount of effort on your part.

 

+1

 

^1k or 1.5K before injector kicks in?

 

I don't know exactly. I know on the mid 90's Civics the shop manual says it depends on which motor/ecu you had. I think they were between 870rpm & 950rpm or something like that. With a more modern car it probably varies depending on conditions.