saxguy

Is there an electronic lockout for shifting back into first gear? I sometimes can't downshift into first if traffic really starts to get slow.

Bracketracer

How many miles do you have on the car? At what speed are you trying to get back into 1st?
If the speed is too high, there is a probability of placing undue wear on the inside of the first gear synchroniser cone. Try double-clutching down from 2nd to 1st, it will really save on wear in the long run. I know this first-hand from rebuilding my transmission at 175,000 miles and reusing the synchro rings since there was hardly any sort of wear to be concerned about.
Sorry for the lengthy digression, as an answer to your first question: there is no electronic lockout.<p>Jason Dale
Lamborghini technician
Exotic Imports
SLC, Utah
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/Launch1.jpg">

saxguy

Thanks, I'll try it

MichaelTT

Matching engine rpm with gear box is also a key...it is called 'rev matching' as one term...goes this way...you are in 2nd gear going at 3000 rpm and slowing down and decide to do a 2 to 1 shift...what rpm SHOULD you be doing in 1st to match same speed but in 2nd. Example...2nd doing 3000 rpm could equate to 4200+ rpm in 1st at the same speed...so when you do a 2 to 1 down shift double clutch and 'blib' accelerator so when you actually move shifter there is a rpm to speed to gear match that doesn't push the syncro and thus a smooth/easy down shift.
Sounds like a lot but once learned is a piece of cake and fun to boot!

Bracketracer

....after quite a bit of practice, the double-clutch and/or heel and toe downshift is immensly satisfying when done well. It has really become a lost art, but before the introduction of the modern-day fully-synchronized gearbox, this was a neccesity in order to shift. I find myself in different cars every day and it's a rewarding challenge to acheive the imperceptable downshift heading into corners:-)<p>Jason Dale
Lamborghini technician
Exotic Imports
SLC, Utah
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/Launch1.jpg">

saxguy

Why not just attempt to rev match, or get closer anyway, while the clutch pedal is depressed?

Larrytt

You can't safely downshift into first gear, even with a double clutch at a high speed. I used to do it auto-x'ing from about 25-30 going around a pylon, but I always heard all sort so crap being ground. I double clutched and it still did it. I matched rpms and it still did it.

I later found out that Germans have a lock-out of some sort in the tranny to stop this sort of thing. The way a German Engineer regards 1st gear is thus: It is used to get the car moving so that you can shift into the other gears! That is its only purpose in life.

The TT can be downshifted into first from second in traffic under 15-20mph. Be very careful and DON'T GRIND the GEAR!

Larrytt

Undo wear on the throw-out bearing and it is not the proper way to drive a manual tansmission.

Bracketracer

....With the clutch pedal depressed when attempting to rev-match, you are only accomplishing half the job. Using this technique, the transmission's input shaft will continue to spin at it's original RPM. Using the double-clutch or traditional heel and toe method, while in the middle of your downshift, the stick is held in the neutral position for a split-second, the clutch is released(engaging the input shaft), accelerator "blipped" which speeds up the input shaft speed, clutch is then depressed again and you hit the lower gear. When done perfectly(weeks/months/years of practice), you have effectively done the synchronizers job for it, since the only thing that the synchro does is slow down the input shaft.<p>Jason Dale
Lamborghini technician
Exotic Imports
SLC, Utah
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/Launch1.jpg">

Edwin

you depress clutch 2x more than normal?

also, for double clutching when rev-matching,

after in neutral, do you:

1) 'blip'... depress clutch when RPM is matched to gear ...then downshift, or
2) blip... press clutch in... then throw into gear when RPM is correctly matched, or
3) it doesn't matter as long as you engage the clutch at the proper RPM?

sorry for the questions, but I'm trying to learn as much as possible concerning the internal details. Thanks!