6MT problems

[Peahi]

Thats cool for you two guys who had previous bike experience. I always thought that driving the M3 manual is different from most manual transmissions and is more like driving a wound up superbike. In bikes you guys can drive with the RPMs wound up and it's all good! And of course props for the mental aspects of shifting, throttle and braking with both hands and feet, while on the lookout for road conditions and clueless drivers.

Helicopter pilots can chime in too, props to you guys.

[whats77inaname]

Originally Posted by Peahi

Are you saying you can't roll the car back on a hill? If you think so, LOL to you when you mess up. It doesn't hold forever. Hill assist is only momentary. When I come off the break at stop lights with a slight incline the car will roll backwards. You always gotta pay attention and not depend on hill assist and all the other electronic assistance. I wonder what the sensor threshold is for an incline or how it works (I will search later, lol).

This is one instance where electronic nanny can make you a worse driver. You might think you're the shit...and DSC and hill holder crap is making you feel like the man...and then BOOM!

I've been driving a manual transmission for the better part of 20 years. Every vehicle I've ever owned, save a beater car and my Vehicross have been manual, and I'm in the process of converting my Vehicross to a 5MT. So, feel free to LOL all you'd like. Hill assist is a nice thing to show my friends, but not something I utilize.

[M3PO]

My 6MT was really notchy going into 1st also. It would clunk into 1st if I was rolling slowly. The 1-2 shift almost felt like it was going to grind. My car has 59K miles. When I changed the brake fluid, I decided to change the clutch fluid too. This made the problem about 80% better.

As far as the shuddering when cold, I had this problem after I slipped the clutch a lot at the track because of inattentive shifting. It would shudder when taking off from a stop only when cold. After a few weeks, the clutch was back to normal. Just clutch material transfer onto the flywheel I think. You may have this issue because you are a new MT driver and slip the clutch a lot.

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by austinb2123

Hey guys thanks for the replies. What you are saying makes sense and makes me feel better about my car functioning normal. Just to clarify, I am only shifting to 1st gear when coming to a red light while the clutch is engaged to prepare for starting from a stopped position. I understand now that the car is providing resistance because I am moving faster than you should be in first gear. That is why it works better to switch to second and then first. I will take your advice and just use second gear from now on. However is it bad for the engine to start from a complete stop in second gear as long as you are on a flat road?

Also I like the advice to go first to third, then third to fifth, will definitely try that out.

Also, as far as the stuttering while cold, it seems like that is common for the car so that is good to know. The car only has 12k miles so it should not need a transmission fluid change, but I will ask next time it get serviced.

As for the guy who said learning on a 70k car, I agree it was not the best decision but this is the car I wanted and I had to learn sometime. However I am positive that I have not done any damage to the transmission during the learning period.

Again thanks for the replies.

When coming to a red light you don't need to downshift at all. Just slow down in whichever gear you are in until the revs drop to just above idle, then clutch in and neutral coming to a stop. Even in 6th you can slow down significantly until needing to clutch in.

Can I ask why you feel the need to put it in first or second before coming to a red light?

[soberin]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

When coming to a red light you don't need to downshift at all. Just slow down in whichever gear you are in until the revs drop to just above idle, then clutch in and neutral coming to a stop. Even in 6th you can slow down significantly until needing to clutch in.

Can I ask why you feel the need to put it in first or second before coming to a red light?

Nobody ever downshifts to first for a stop sign or red light. The above statement is correct--you must get the car in neutral just before it stalls. The only real problem with a manual in these circumstances is one of safety---I never like being in neutral very long, just in case a kid runs into the street and you have to move fast out of the way, or another car loses control and heads toward you. That's the main problem with driving a non-automatic around town.