Z-Lover

iTrader: (6)

i've been driving my stick Z for 10 months now...everything else is just fine besides the "first to second shift", i get dat damn jerky motion every time i shift from first to second.....ok, i shift mostly around 3k rpm....sometime a bit under , sometimes a bit higher...

second to third, third to forth, forth to fifth and etc are all pretty smooth..no jerky motion wutsoever....

can anyone tell me what did i do wrong? what's the proper way of shifting from first to second???

anyone get the same kinda jerky motion that i get?

please help!!!!!!

GHOST1207

iTrader: (23)

Sometimes it's jerky, and sometimes it's smooth. Almost as if it has a mind of it's own. I shift at around 2500 and let the clutch slower than usual.

Edit: It's my first manual car too.

Z-Lover

iTrader: (6)

yeah..that's exactly what i am getting...it's like a 50 / 50 chance of getting either a smooth shift or a jerky motion.......

GHOST1207

iTrader: (23)

Yeah it's one common complaint you'll hear most Z owners complain about.

Z-Lover

iTrader: (6)

so there's nothing we can do to get a smooth shift every single time?

i thought i get these jerky motions from 1st to 2nd becasue my driving skills sucks big time...then i found out i can shift very smoothly in all other gears....so i guess it's not my driving skills that cause the motion,.

GHOST1207

iTrader: (23)

Well it depends, does it jerk really hard or just enough for you to feel the shift? When I first started learning to drive it, it used to buck real hard, but now sometimes it's smooth and every once in a while I can feel it. Just watch your tach and remember where the rpm is once you're in second, then the next time you shift from first to second, watch your tach and try to let out the clutch when it reaches that mark. I'm not really good at explaining things, so let me know if I'm confusing you.

dyss

iTrader: (14)

i dont notice "jerky" anything... i've been driving the Z for almost 2 years now

quiksilverx181

iTrader: (2)

I notice this as well. When i first got my car, as a brand new MT driver, it used to buck real hard, but now i can shift it with "minimal" jerkiness.

Its also a bit tough putting it in 2nd from first.

TreeFiddyZee

iTrader: (19)

I've been driving manuals for 25+ years now and it's pretty common. It has to do with physics more than the car. You're driving a heavy car that isn't really going very fast when you shift from 1st to 2nd. Since the car is so heavy it is basically wanting to slow down when you shift from 1st to 2nd. The fact that you have a pretty high torque engine can cause the "jerky" reaction.
Try letting the engine rev just a tiny amount when you push the clutch in and let the clutch out smoother.

Uchiha_

I used to happen to me too at first. Don't press down all the way down on the clutch when u shift to 2nd.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

Could not agree more. First to second gear is finicky. I do best when I don't think about it just shift.

Z04

iTrader: (15)

operator error

jray8

A "1st to 2nd shift" thread is born once a month, lol. It's a very disturbing problem, but you just gotta deal with it. Shifting at a lower rpm, easing out the clutch, all seem to help.

blastoff99

iTrader: (5)

Yep. I've been driving cars with manual transmissions for a very long time and this is the only one that's given me trouble. The more i think about it, the worse it gets, and it doesn't help when my passenger gives me grief about it.

OP, you might want to try shifting a little later. I find that I make smoother shifts when I start out with a few more revs.

0jiggy0

iTrader: (13)

+1 on the slow physics thing. In first when i take off a bit faster then trying to drive it like a gramma it goes smoother. Not to the point where it looks like im tryin to take off like a race car. Tho sometimes i think people think that...

HOMiEZ

iTrader: (1)

this issue can be resolved by getting the car up to speed at around 13-16 mph then shift to second. the shift should be a little slower than shifting into higher gears. as in pressing the clutch in all the way then taking your time to shift to second, then letting the clutch out when the rpm drops to around 2500rpm.

foreveryoung

I don't like he feeling of headlights quickly appearing in the rear view as the car slows down while shifting 1-2.I generally shift out of 1 at 3000 Rpm and out of 2 at around 32-3300 and it still feels slow.In my opinion,the cars should have been built with a slightly taller 1st gear.I can't imagine a 6 spd car with a 4.08 rear axle.1st gear must be like bull low in a dump truck

jasabeast

iTrader: (3)

Yeah my 06 does it every once in a while... just take your time with it and dont think about it

DIGItonium

iTrader: (1)

Try to "slightly" maintain the revs between shifts (i.e., don't release the gas pedal completely). Quickly and fully press down the clutch pedal, shift like normal, and release clutch pedal like normal (not drop it). Again, make sure you slightly maintain revs when you release the clutch pedal.

I'm not THAT good compared to the veterans, but I'm offering ideas on what I've done to reduce the herky jerky engagement. You don't need to drive hard or fast for smooth engagements.

The 370Z is very interesting. I tapped the throttle in neutral, and it maintains the revs for roughly half a second before dropping to idle.

kyx4n

its fine.. if you really want it to be smooth, just hold the clutch in slightly longer so the revs drop... if you shift at 3000 revs, then let it drop to around 2500 then you can almost drop the clutch and it should be quite smooth..