shorki_07

Well all my friends say I have been shifting too hard and that the car jerks a lot LOT LOT when I am dring the A4 ... now I did nto have that problem at all when I drive my integra at home (Barbados). I am tryign to get used to the clutch as everyone tells me .. but its hard to !
Seems liek the clutch goes down like 6 ft ... but only needs to be pushed down like 3 inches to shift. And when shifting and releasing the clutch thats where the jerk happens .... mostly in 1st 2nd and a little in 3rd.
MAybe I am revving too high ??? Maybe I am comign off the clutch too fast ? i have tried slowly but that ends up with me "riding the clutch" .... any suggestiong or comments?
Maybe my clutch needs to be adjusted ? I was told its a hydraulic clutch so there is a difference in driving styles ... sould I have it adjusted if anything ?

PLEASE HELP ! My takes offs r suffering due to this !

larryV

let off the clutch quickly for the first half then real slow and smooth the last half since the engagement point is way up high. It's even trickier to do in my car since it seems the clutch spring is heavier and requires more pedal effort.

I drive a friend's civic sometimes and I've stalled it a few times because my left foot is so trained to work the clutch in my s4.

You'll get used to it.

BIG NIPPER

I drive my friends Civic SI and it is completely different. The clutch is so much stiffer. Just give it some time and you should be good.

-Eric

Hawaiiannights

but really sucks in traffic

Al Pollack

Try pushing your front seat back a little. I t could be that your left foot is too close to the top end of the clutch pedal. That is, when you let out the clutch and step on the gas, you're making a movement that doesn't feel "natural". Also, you may want to try and tilting your seat back a little. You may be sitting too upright. How the upper half of your body sits in your car, does have an effect on how your legs will feel "working the pedals"...


Al
99.5 1.8tqtsc "Bullwinkle"

TimA4

and still am having trouble getting used to this engagement point. l also drive a '93 VR6 Passat regularly which grabs very low (it's a cable system I believe). Going back and forth makes me feel like a learner every time!!

jackaroe

getting used to it, and every once in a while after six mos. of owning my 2.8 i'll stall it. mortifying. your description of clutch travel and the narrow engagement band sounds like mine. getting these cars going fast takes a different technique than others i've driven. you have to balance quickly getting to the zone w/out overshooting, while keeping the revs high - then gently accelerating thru the clutch engagement point. use the wrong technique and the car will let you know it - the clutch will spin and the car will buck. it's a challenge and perhaps not optimal by some people's standards, but you get used to it.

RickM

As others have already observed, most of what you're describing goes to simply getting used to the engagement point and the subtlties of the A4 clutch. This is especially true in 1st gear from dead stop. In time you'll smooth it out.

But I also wanna mention that the A4 has a pretty heavy flywheel, and that "jerky" shifts going into 2nd and 3rd might also be attributable to the fact that you aren't matching rpm's well enough. Many others have noted before, and I agree, that if you want really smooth shifts in the A4 during moderate/fast acceleration you really have to be careful to match revs by waiting (more than in other cars I've driven) to engage the clutch on upshift until the revs match up well. If the revs aren't matched, it ain't gonna be smooth. Just an idea.

HJB

one of the most annoying features of this turbo design.

Andy K

Buy a GM Sierra 2500, and the clutch in that will train you well, my son, in the ways of late engagement!