Downshifting to 2nd or 1st while moving (technique)

Vaughanabe13

I apologize if this is the wrong forum....I didn't see a section for non-track driving technique.

Anyway, I think I've gotten pretty decent driving the Z in 90% of situations (this is my first manual I've owned). However, there is one situation that I feel like I never handle correctly.

Say I'm approaching a yield right turn in 4th gear, 35MPH or so. I need to slow down a lot to check for traffic. I see a car and decide I need to slow down and possibly stop. So I clutch in and brake and either keep the clutch in or go into neutral if it's a longer brake.

Now let's say I underestimated how fast the oncoming car was going and the car has already passed me, and now I'm free to drive through the yield turn. Now obviously I need to engage a gear and I'm going probably 10-15 MPH in neutral/clutch disengaged. It seems just a tad bit too fast to switch into first, because prior experience tells me going into first will throw me forward from the sudden braking under load. So I try to engage 2nd. Here's where it gets tricky. The car really lugs and feels like it's going to stall as I engage 2nd. The RPM has already fallen despite the efforts of synchro rev. I have to give it significant gas in 2nd to prevent stalling and it takes a few seconds to get my RPM back up and get back into the power band.

So how should I have handled this situation? Just hit first and accept the jolt to prevent the lugging in 2nd? Or should I have blipped the throttle manually or done something before/after switching to second?

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2009 Nissan 370Z Touring, w/sport, 6MT, chicane yellow/black.

The Dimer

That happens to me all the time! Usually I throw it into second and let the car engine brake . If I have to come to a complete stop I push the clutch in and stop. If I can go, I'm already in second and I can just start moving. It doesn't seem to lug for me if it's already in gear.

Nick911sc

There's no need to be shifting into first while the car is in motion. 2nd gear can handle pretty low speeds. If you're going 10-15 MPH coming to a stop you should be in second gear. It almost sounds like you are dis engaging the clutch too soon if you're out of gear rolling at 15 mph...If I understand correctly you're approaching a yield sign, so why are you disengaging the clutch? Keep going forward and then go about your business. But otherwise if you've disengaged the clutch you'll need to revmatch in order to stop the car from bogging down.

Pelican170

You should never really be shifting into 1st. The only time i do it is if in literally rolling to a stop sign or in a parking lot... rolling. The rest can be done in 2nd gear... and 35 mph in 4th??? damn lol, 4th does like 110 mph in these cars...

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Vaughanabe13

I just used the yield sign thing as an example of a time where I think I am going to stop but then it turns out that I need to keep going. Perhaps I anticipate too much and take the car out of gear too soon so that's definitely something to work on. But my question is more about what to do once I'm already in that situation.

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2009 Nissan 370Z Touring, w/sport, 6MT, chicane yellow/black.

Nick911sc

SynchroRev should match the revs for you going back into gear. If not depending on your speed, blip the throttle and put it back into gear... But if you do it incorretly or at a high speed make sure you have VDC on to cut the throttle or else you're going to clutch kick into oncoming traffic or something lol

Practice Practice Practice

vividracing

I was always taught to avoid leaving the car in neutral while rolling. In the scenario you described, here's my technique.

Heel-toe to brake while rev-matching for 2nd gear.
Place car in 2nd gear, let clutch out. Engine braking + pedal braking slows you down.
When you see your opening, hit the gas.

Look up Ayrton Senna in car footage if you want to learn some awesome foot work

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ESPdrunx

I have a similar issue when going up hill in traffic while in second. once traffic slows down significantly, i either give it more gas in second (to avoid stalling) or completely stop and shift into first and go from there. I feel resistance if i try to shift to first while the car is moving at all so i never shift into first unless i am at a complete stop. Do you guys ever shift into first when the z is in motion?

Nick911sc

You feel resistance because there is a gate locking you out. Not to say you can't downshift into 1st, with proper rev matching you can in theory... But it's never advised in a manual transmission car.. use 1st to get going and don't go back in once you're going, 2nd is good until pretty low speeds.

If I'm on a hill and traffic is that slow where it's almost a stop.. I just clutch in while the car has the smallest forward momentum, blip the throttle in first gear just a tiny hair as if I was starting from a stop and engage the clutch normally. Shouldn't really be a problem. But I wouldn't really call this going back into first in motion, for all intent and purposes it's as if the car was at a complete stop.

Vaughanabe13

It seems like SRM doesn't rev up enough by itself so I'll have to blip it more.

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2009 Nissan 370Z Touring, w/sport, 6MT, chicane yellow/black.

ZMan8

I keep it in fourth sometimes while cruising 35 mph. It's better on gas that way.

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2010 370Z 40 Anniv., 6 MT | Fast Intentions | Swift Springs | SPC | Z1Motorsports | JWM | Redline Oils | 35% Window Tint
2015 Mazda6 | 370ZChicago: Chicago Area Cars & Coffee

vividracing

What RPMs are you guys at, in 4th gear @ 35mph?

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The Dimer

If I remember correctly, 2K-ish. I don't drive my car every day.

Pelican170

I guess but I just think thats way too slow for 4th...

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Fast Intentions CF Exhaust - Fast Intentions HFC's - HPS Tubes w/ AFE Dry Flow Filter's

TerribleONE

+1 on not going to first while your already moving... if revmatched perfectly it will go into 1st but normally the gate will stay closed.

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