hi there.

still new to manual. i have noticed if i'm in first gear, moving/creeping slowing (say around my parking garage) i can feel the actual gear shift **** move a bit if i give the car gas. this doesn't seem to happen in higher gears.

Is this normal?

Thanks

 

Yes....very normal in any manual transmission vehicle. Nothing to worry about. Torque is more evident in first gear in the situation you describe. However you can sometimes feel it in the higher gears if you punch the gas and then quickly let up...again what you are feeling is normal.

Hope you are enjoying the car. I think you will find that everyone here sure does.

 

also remember that you shifter is connected directly to the tranny. that makes it give alot of feedback. feedback is good.

 

My friend rode in my car once and noticed the shift **** shaking at a stop. He laughed at me as if I drove the car rough, causing the vibration. He told me his car (Toyota Celica GT-S) doesn't do that. I have since found out that is normal too.

 

thanks for the feedback. yeah, i do find the **** shakes a bit at stop. glad to hear it's normal.
i also find that there is sometimes resistence shifting back into 1st (say from second, or if i'm shifting back into 1st to launch at a stoplight". the **** doesn't shift as smoothly into place as with other gears. hope that's normal. only have 1000Km's on it so far, so still learning the feel .

 

If you are going at a speed that is somewhat faster than 1st gear, then you will notice the resistance. As you do so, you might also hear a faint 'whine' in the gear box. I believe that is a bearing matching the engine speed or something. I'm sure someone would step in a correct if I mistaken the reason. It's all normal. :D

 

I would be careful shifting back into first gear. Your putting unnecessary wear and tear on your clutch, and tranny. If it doesn't feel good and smooth don't do it. Besides, there is not really any benefit gained by downshifting into first gear. If you are moving slow enough for first, then just use your breaks. If you want to get your speed going again, second should be fine. Just remember that breaks are far cheaper to replace than your clutch.

 

Great responses here. As for shifting down to 1st there really shouldn't be any such thing. The only time I engage in 1st gear is to get going from a stop. If you're creeping slow and need to speed up such as at a light that just turned, 2nd will get you there with no problem.

 

Do not down shift into first gear unless you know how to double clutch. I only really do this when im racing. Rest of the time pulling out in second on a turn is good enough. If you try to shift into first out of a turn like u would 2nd or 3rd, ur gonna grind the **** out of it.

I noticed someone mentioned there friend laughing cuz our gears shift but his celica doesnt... He won't be ghing as he gets eaten alive on the track. Also, i usually leave my car in neutral at lights. Leaving it in gear with your car in first while your holding down the clutch is not very wonderful for your vehicle.

 

Leaving your car in gear at a light puts stress on your throw out bearing, but I haven't ever heard of a throw out bearing actually going out. They'll out last your entire car by a good deal. So there's nothing to worry about if you hold your clutch in as opposed to putting it in neutral.

 

Most all FWD cars use cables between the shifter and transmission that isolate the shifter from the transmission. Ours doesn't since the shifter is mounted on the end of the transmission. Any vibration or movement of the transmission is seen/felt at the shifter.

 

I thought you were supposed to put it in neutral at a light because it's safer. If someone ever rear-ends you, the clutch won't accidentally engage, rolling you farther into the intersection.