Warren

Anyone know what causes the car to shake forward and back when shifting into first? Is it because I'm not giving it enough gas? I'm usually up around 2000-2500 rpms when shifting into first... shouldn't that be high enough? TIA!

Drew S.

I basically don't use 1st unless I'm starting from a dead stop. If the car is moving at all, 2nd is usually a better choice, because as you noted, the car lurches all over the place if you try to downshift into 1st gear.<p>Please describe the situation you are in to help us better understand what you are doing. Are you downshifting from 2nd gear and looking for more pull? After you downshift, and the car stabilizes, what RPM are you at then? That's the target you should be looking for (not necessarily 2000-2500). But, regardless, I don't recommend downshifting into 1st if you are travelling over, say 10 mph.<br>

DavidG

Are you driving a manual or tip? On a manual at least, there's almost never a good reason to shift INTO first except to get the car moving. The gearing is so low that this is pretty much the purpose of the gear. In fact, while our A4s have a synchronized first gear, this is not always the case in every car since first is usually accessed from neutral while the car is stopped.<p>If the car is moving more than a few miles per hour, try accelerating in second instead. You may need to go easy on the gas briefly to avoid lugging the engine if the RPMs are really down low.<p>Best practice with a manual is really to avoid ever getting into a situation where you slow doewn to only a couple of miles per hour and then need to accelerate away quickly. That's an automatic transmission sort of mentality. In stop and go traffic, it's better to just stop and then wait a bit for a stretch to open in front of you before proceeding again rather than constantly creeping along slowly. Easier on the clutch this way, too.<p>This is what my driving instructor taught me years ago, anyway, and has worked well for me. I do occasionally shift down from second into first while moving, but it's usually because I was distracted and found myself unprepared for another option.

MartinR

<p><p>

Warren

Oops, sorry for not clarifying... I meant starting from a dead stop... since I just learned stick a few days ago, I've been starting from a stop by:<p>1) Slowly letting out clutch until I hit the "friction point"<p>then...<p>2) Slowly press on accelerator while releasing clutch slowly (this is where I usually rev the engine up to around 2000rpm before I start slowly releasing the clutch)<p>Is there a better way to get into first than what I'm doing?<p>But basically, if I do it this way, the car tends to shake forward and back a bit before going...

Warren

Is it advisable to downshift into second, even if you are just barely rolling forward... a lot of times, I'll need to make a left and I need to wait for an oncoming car to pass before I can go so I'll just let the car slowly roll... in that case, if I shift into second, the car would start to rattle a bit which usually indicates its in too high a gear...

BB

1

Mark

Is the car really moving back and forth, or are you? It may be just that you're not 'used' to driving a stick and need more practice with the feel of the clutch. I remember when I first learned to drive stick, 1st gear was always the toughest in terms of getting a 'smooth' start. I was fine in all the other gears when the car was moving, but from dead stop or from 'hanging' on a hill, 1st gear was always rough.<p>HTH,<br>Mark

tjj

its just practice,<p>Have a friend that has driven a stick drive it with you watching.<p>from idle:<br>Push clutch and hold in<br>Move stick into first<br>Slight acceleration<br>begin releasing clutch<br>When you feel catch: give a little more acceleration and let out the clutch together.<p>watch a friend!<br>

Dan F.

Heh, that strategy would be a great idea, except around here you'd never actually get to the "move forward" bit. As soon as a decent gap opens in front of you, there's another car in it within 3 nanoseconds.<p>Dan<br>