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can u skip gears
i was wondering if you are able to skip gears while down shifting? i am a new driver so i need some help. also with a stick shift what is the best way to slow down to come to a stop??
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Quote: | Im with ox. You need to match the gear with car speed. Usually, if making a sharp turn, like turning a corner, you exit out of the turn in second. It doesnt matter if you were in 3rd, 4th, or 5th as you were going down the street in the first place. When slowing to a stop, I usually keep it in whatever gear I was in, and let out the clutch and go to neutral as I almost stop, maybe 5 mph. If I full stop, I start in 1st, but if the light changes, I start off in second. | I agree... do try the downshifting sometimes though...one of the fun things about driving a stick shift among others.
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GM has a ghastly thing called Skip Shift where at certain speeds you have to go from 1st-4th on it's LSx engined cars. It's not bad to skip gears in either direction.
| | Reply » can u skip gears |
Quote: | Yes, you can skip gears while upshifting. But I read (and now would be a good time to tell me if it's not true) that it puts a burden on the gearbox, and that if you're going to skip gears, lets say, 4 to 6th, you should clutch it, row to 5, then row to 6 before engaging, as opposed to just rowing 4-6 directly. | Not a burden on the gearbox as a whole, but a burden on the synchronizers. During downshifting, you can avoid the added stress by double-clutching and easing the shifting into gear rather than forcing it (a reasonably accurate double-clutch rev match should make the shifter glide into gear almost effortlessly as the dog collar meshes with the gear in question without any synchro lag). Think about it: it's routine to skip gears when downshifting, so why shouldn't it be acceptable to do so in reverse order?
There is no need or benefit to double clutching when upshifting, and there is no added stress on the trans or the synchros. Just take your time (but not TOO much time) when manipulating the shift lever, to give the synchros and the rest of the trans a chance to decelerate to the new speed.
One thing about it, though, is that the transmission is (supposed to be) geared the way it is to provide optimal acceleration and best take advantage of the engine's power curve. During acceleration, you will get the best acceleration and fuel economy by going through the gears sequentially. There's really no good reason to skip gears: clutch wear is not an issue, because during normal driving you should be rev-matching your upshifts (which will also provide you with the smoothest ride). The clutch only wears when it slips, and it only slips when the engine and the rest of the drivetrain are turning at different speeds and the disc and flywheel are in contact with one another.
I double clutch most of my downshifts - both for fun, and to reduce wear on my aging transmission. There are certain downshifts where I always recommend a double-clutch regardless of transmission age, like 5-2 or 6-2.
Quote: | As for braking, some engine braking is okay. For example, if you're going 40mph in 4th and there's a stop light, you can brake for awhile without clutching it. However, at a certain point you're going to need to clutch it (or else it stalls). What you shouldn't do is do excessive engine braking at high rpms all the time, like going 4-3-2-1 just for a stoplight. | There's nothing wrong with engine braking (using the engine's compression and inertia to slow the car through the drivetrain) at any RPM or speed. It is certainly less stressful on the drivetrain than acceleration.
I should note that some people have the wrong impression about engine braking: releasing the throttle while the clutch is engaged and the transmission is in gear will automatically result in engine braking. Slipping/riding the clutch into a lower gear is not called engine braking (or downshifting for that matter) - it's simply called destroying the clutch. I see a lot of people do this, even people who are relatively experienced and technically should know better (but probably never learned how to properly downshift in the first place - you'll usually pick up on the bad habits of whoever trained you).
I, fortunately, had nobody in the family who could teach me (for a variety of reasons), so I downloaded a guide written by a PCA instructor and taught myself.  This particular guide emphasized learning the mechanics of the transmission itself so that the driver could understand what was happening inside the gearbox whenever various levers or pedals were pushed or manipulated. I swear by that method to this day. Visualizing the synchros spooling or thinking of the clutch disc meeting the flywheel made it much easier for me to understand why things should be done a certain way. I remember the arguments I got into with friends who thought that rev-matching (as I did) was the WRONG way to downshift ("Why do you always drive like you're on a track?"  ), and that slipping the clutch (because their dad taught them that) was the RIGHT way, and there was no way I could be right and their dads could be wrong.
Of course, there are various circumstances where an aggressive downshift merely for the sake of engine braking is a waste of fuel. On the street, I will only downshift aggressively (usually into 2nd) when approaching a corner. When approaching stoplights, depending upon the situation, I will either take it down just a gear or two (more for the power if I need it than for engine braking) or just leave it in the current gear until engine speeds force me into neutral or down a gear or two. I will never coast in neutral unless I am traveling at very slow speeds preparing to stop (<25 mph) or in a situation where I cannot accelerate or turn out of trouble if need be (heavy traffic). Ideally, the transmission should be in gear and the clutch should be engaged as long as possible.
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Man, I really need to practice. Wish I had a car to do so 
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Here's an opinion from someone living in a country where everyone learns to drive and passes the tough license exam on a MT car:
As a general rule, use 2nd for slowing down when coming to a stop (for the last approx. 5 car lengths, engaging the clutch at approx. 20-25 mph), but never use 1st.
Skip shifting i.e. from 4th to 2nd in such situations is usually fine, just mind the required force at the shifter while selecting the gear: The more force is needed, the more stress is put on the synchronizers. You'll note that this effect is RPM/speed dependent.
Engine braking is NOT a waste as long as you're not overreving the engine (the latter risk is higher when skipping gears while downshifting). No additional fuel is used, but it saves brake pads in the long term, especially while driving downhill. This also applies to slushboxes BTW.
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can u skip gears