Red_Rocket

I have had the car for a week now. I find the shifting from first to second very tricky.

I had been driving a 5 sp Hondas for 16 years and I drove both the 2004 Accord and TSX and found their clutches much easier to drive smoothly.

We went with the TL for obvious reasons, now I want to work on getting the 1-2 shift smooth. I have been trying slow clutch releases, but still not smooth.

My best approach so far is a partial press of the clutch.

I would appreciate any coaching from those who feel they have mastered the 1-2 shift smoothly.

Thanks in advance.

Tripp11

I think the main thing giving everyone problems with shifting the 6MT is how the drive-by-wire gas pedal is hinged on the bottom. I know this gave me fits for the first few days. Plus, the clutch pedal is just in a higher position than I was accustomed to with my other manuals.

My solution was to drive the car for quite awhile without any other interior noise (i.e. the radio) so I could hear the engine revs and the clutch engaging. After doing this for quite sometime, now I have correlated the sound, feel, and tach numbers to shift crisply and smoothly.

So, maybe driving around without the radio on would help?

I'll admit, like you, I've driven manuals all my life and this particular 6MT made me look like a novice.

vtechbrain

Try shifting it like a truck, Fully depress the clutch, give it a quick stab of gas, then give it gas again and slowly disengage the clutch the second time. Dont worry, after a K or 2 the clutch will wear out its clumsiness and you will become acostumed to matching the revs appropriately. My 6 speed shifts like a civic now, butter smooth!. I think the jerkiness we all expirience in the beginning is due to the fact that the clutch material is pretty aggresive as far as friction goes so it take a little wear for the clutch and the plate to operate at maximum smoothness.

Pug

I try to wind the engine to around 3200RPM and this helps smooth the 1st to 2nd transition. There is another post somewhere about the drive-by-wire adjusting to shifts when you wind it past 3000RPM. It's not as noticable past 2nd gear in my experience.

POnca

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tripp11
[B]IMy solution was to drive the car for quite awhile without any other interior noise (i.e. the radio) so I could hear the engine revs and the clutch engaging.

How do I know that clutch is really engaging and what is the best way to practice this technique? Do I use same technique for both 1st and 2nd? I guess I have to realease clutch slowly to find the exact engaging point, however if I release slowly, I'm having hard time when I start on the hill.

Tripp11

Best way to practice any technique is to do exactly that, practice. I would just drive the car during your free time. However, if you're not feeling comfortable driving your 6MT in traffic or at a stop on hills when traffic is behind you, then start practicing in a parking lot at night or on weekends. This is where I actually learned to drive a manual when I was 13 with my father.

I guess when I suggested turning off the radio I was stressing the importance of actually hearing the engine rev and matching that sound with the feel you get in the wheel, shifter and gas pedal along with visually seeing what the RPM's are doing.

Working a manual tranny is quite a symphony between your both your feet and your right hand; however, a beautiful one once mastered. My advice is just to practice, practice, practice.

If the hills are giving you problems and you're over-revving the engine and dumping the clutch to take off and not hit the car behind you, then try taking your right hand off the shifter and feather the parking break while you pull away. Perhaps this might help a bit if you are nervous about rolling backwards and have your right foot on the gas.

spdntckt

if you rev 1st gear above around 3k, then the computer will auto-rev match for you on the upshift.. watch the revvs fall until they stop. pretty cool actually..

TimC

I discovered that it is critical to release of clutch with your heal on the floor and using the ankle joint to modulate the release, NOT the whole leg which is like using a hammer to kill a mosquito

Red_Rocket

This is a useful suggestion. It implicitly admits that this clutch is not easy to drive smoothly and it is definitely not linear nor progressive as we expect from ACURA.

I have just under 1000 miles now and clutch is still very abrupt. I am skeptical that it will get more progressive with use. Most automotive editors agree and specifically critisized the clutch.

I will try your technique. It will be a big adjustment, but using the hammer hasn't been working consitently enough yet either. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

Thanks for breaking my paradigm of how to use this clutch.

mdao

yeah, it's the way to go, I can change gear very fast with those techniques, it's really help to rev the first past 3500RPM, as the TL does rev match for you, otherwise you have to rev matched yourself.

BTW the friction point is so small, and hence you have to be very precise

AirlineMuseum.c

heel on the floor is how I've always driven a manual.. maybe that's why on my test drive I never had all the problems people are talking about. It makes sense too. You have much more precise control over your foot by anchoring the heel to a fixed point (the floor) relative to what you are trying to work with the foot. To test this theory, try the following:
Sit as far back from your keyboard as you can, so that your arms are completely outstretched but your fingers can still reach the keys. Without resting your wrists on anything in front of the keyboard so they are floating in the air, try typing. You may be ok at it, but it still feels a bit awkward, and you're more likely to hit the wrong keys. Also, the longer you do it, as your arms tire, the less accurate you will be. Now in the same position, put your wrists down and continue typing. It should feel much smoother. Same thing as your leg on the clutch pedal. You are much less likely to be accurate - in other words less ability to be accurate while holding the clutch right at the sweet spot when you give it gas, etc.

93SHOcar

Thanks to all for the advice. I picked my 6 spd w/ Nav on Friday. Having driven all types of vehicles w/ clutches for almost 30 years, the variability of results with my new TL has been frustrating to say the least.

I guess what really gets me is that I will have ten perfect releases in a row so I feel that things are now making sense. Then, I will experience this surging or oscillation and I feel that I am right back to square one.

I will give the "total silence" approach a try as well as the heel on the floor.

Thanks and any additional advice would always be appreciated!

spidey07

So THATs what I'm noticing. I can shift pretty smoothly and lots of times the 1-2 shift is incredibly smooth with nothing but pull. I've also noticed letting off the gas and maybe coasting a little the throttle will stay at about 2.5-3K for a second or two.

I was wondering if the electronic throttle was doing something. Guess it is!

Once you get the hang of the tranny shifts are real quick and real smooth. I love running up to about 5K with half throttle and running throgh the gears. Nothing but torque.

One technique a buddy tought me long ago is to pretend you have eggs under the peddles...you're not trying to slam anything, just change gears.