Mat

Is it just me, or is this car more "jumpy" than, say, a G35 coupe, when you put it on first and let it go at like 3mph with no gas?

It seems like mine is "jumping" rather than going forward smoothly, at least more than other cars I've driven.

mysql101

You need to feather the clutch or it will be very jerkey when in 1st and 2nd gears.

Mat

What do you mean by feather? Have it pushed half an inch down? I thought it was bad to "ride the clutch".

Rupes

Yes, please do explain, I just got my car today, and have been driving stick shifts all my life, this one does seem to jump a bit, makes me feel like an novice stick shift drier.

I was going to make a new post, but this ties in with it a lot. I just noticed I jerk around a lot going from first to second, this normal? I have been able to get it to shift smoothly but I can't reproduce them every time.

-Rupes

mysql101

yeah, lift off on the clutch slowly until the rpms are higher. You'll only be doing it for 1-2 secs as the rpms rev up. If you're smooth in the transition, you can do it in a shorter amount of time.

Mat

The issue I mentioned applied to running in 1st with no gas. Thats what feels jumpy.

For the 1st-2nd shift, I find it harder than other cars I've driven, but usually I intentionally take more time to shift (wait til the RPMs get down a bit) to make it smooth. If I go usual speed, then the RPMs will be too high. You can also go normal speed and apply more gas as you release the clutch.

Feras

iTrader: (1)

shift into second at 7-9000 rpm and its smooth...kinda tells ya what the car is expecting you to do. She wants to be revved she begs for it.

Yanje

Yeh i know aye... when u try to drive it normally.... it keeps jerking
when ya step on it...... it somehow feels so much smoother
its made to be reved like a b*tch

Spin9k

After 10 months w/the RX-8 (but 30 yrs of previous no brainer smooth stick shift driving), I've gotten somewhat used to this frustration, but I agree w/your comments. I can shift my 5 spd 10 yr old car smooth like butter wo/even trying... passenger would think it was an auto... it's so easy I notice it as I switch back and forth almost daily between it and the 8.

On the other hand, the RX-8 has to be treated carefully, as you mentioned, taking a little time when shifting and 'egg under the foot' on the gas to get anything like smooth shifting.

I attribute it to the way-geared down rotary due to it's wide-rpm range. Or perhaps over miles it will smooth out? Or maybe it's just this particualr xmission? Frustrating though as I like to shift seemlessly and this car makes me feel like I'm learning all over again. :o

The price we pay for so much fun... comes w/the territory :D

ArvinC

It took me a while to get "smooth" with the car as well. As MSFeras and others have said, the car really comes into its own in the upper rev band. Shifts done up in the 6,000+ revs range are incredibly quick and positive...almost no sensation of switching gears when you just row through them during spirited driving, just the sensation of getting more and more power. :D

However, at lower RPMs, as JasonHamilton stated, feathering the clutch during shifting definately smoothens out the process. It's almost as if you start back on the gas a bit too soon before letting the clutch out...will become second nature in time. If you "wait" for the revs to die down before shifting (at any RPM speed), you'll get the jumpiness you're talking about. Our cars loose revs to quickly to wait for the next shift.

Arvin

gingersrus

Not sure if this is what y'all are talking about, but I have noticed when I back down my driveway (trans in reverse, clutch all the way in) it sounds and feels sort of jumpy - not the best word, hard to describe. I am on a steep hill so no gas is needed once I back out of my garage. I coast on down my driveway until I get to the street, then let out the clutch. It's the coasting that seems different from what I have been used to.

I am pretty much used to it by now, but when I first bought the car it bothered me and even worried me just a bit. Not like the sound/feel of any other MT car I have driven.

Slickvic

This is not "strange", but rather a characteristic of the rotary engine. In the RX-7 forums I have heard it referred to as "Rubber-banding". There is nothing to be alarmed or concerned about. JasonHamilton has the best advise to address this. "lift off on the clutch slowly until the rpms are higher"

Feras

iTrader: (1)

they like it hard hehe

PhineasFellOff

I also have a Honda vtec engine manual car. It's pretty similar. I was surprised by the comments because my Honda feels a lot like my RX8. In fact, since getting and driving my RX8, my shifting has improved with my Honda. And yes, coasting in low gears feels similar for the two cars.

crumpmd

I don't think moving off with the engine at idle is what the car is designed for. Clearly it jumps or rubber bands when you do this. I have experienced it in deep traffic moving a few feet at a time. When the revs drop back to idle and the clutch is still out it jerks along. Not real happy. Have you noticed that when it has no load, such as going down a slight incline there is no jerking, and when the engine is loaded again it starts jerking again. It is not a defect it is consistant with the rotary engine and gearing.
I don't do it any more I give it some revs, move a little and push in the clutch.
Buy the way I got a new low the other day. 10.8mpg. On about a half a tank with mostly closed course driving. Also some idling time in there. It really sucks down the gas at 8000 rpm. If you keep it in the power zone 6000-8000rpm all the time it is a lot of fun to drive, but you can see the gas gauge moving!

I am wondering if Mat's first language is english. Strange spelling

BigWorm

definitely feather the clutch in the lower gears...or yes it will be very jumpy.

Mat

Bingo - it's not! Where did you see the spelling errors?

But anyways, althought it is harder to shift smoothly, it feels much more rewarding when you get it perfectly and think to yourself "Man, was that smooth or what?"

Harder to tame, but this is truly a great car! I guess I have quite some time on my hands to master it

Riccio

True that it's harder to shift "smoothly" at the lower RPMs.

I get out of the 8, and my other MT cars are very easy to shift smoothly in comparison. BUT - they are no way as entertaining of a drive!

beachdog

When you are moving at very low speed in 1st (ie bumper to bumper traffic) you have to be very smooth on the gas. Plain and simple. The gas pedal is very lightly sprung, the engine revs quickly and the gear ratio is high - all contribute to the potential for jerky movement. Go back to the egg between your foot and the pedal and it will roll along quite smoothly.

Hard 8

The M reflash essentially cured this problem in my car, or at least reduced it by maybe 95%. Huge improvement.

greyhound

I'm glad to hear that it isn't just me! I posted almost this exact same thread in the "Tech Garage" area, but most of the responses there made it sound like my driving was the problem. I've driven MANY other stickshift cars and the RX-8 is the hardest one to drive smoothly under 10 mph. I actually went to a dealership and pretended to be interested in buying a car to test drive another one to see if there was something wrong with mine. (The test drive car actually seemed a little worse!)

But you know what? Who cares! This car is BY FAR the most fun car I've ever driven!

Racer X-8

No spelling errors, as long as "straing" rhymes with "boing". Bingo ~ boing?

Erm, I'm confusing myself. And getting dizzy.

Uh, blip the gas and start releasing the clutch before it returns to idle. That helps.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

guys one trick i have learned (concerning shifting) is that if you have a model with the dsc/tcs then turning it off helps tremendously with shifting smoothness. It seems that (if i remember correctly) the ecu is actually cutting fuel at certain points causing some minute hesitations between shifts. Turning the dsc system off complety stops that. The later flash L or M does help some with that also. The best bet though is to put a cz unit in and drive it like it is meant to be driven!