How to drive a manual Z smoothly?
 

I just bought a 09 Z and no matter how slow I release the clutch, 1 to 2nd for me is always "rough" also there is this clunky noise everytime I shift even though I alwyas depress the clutch all the way in. How do you guys drive the Z smoothly? Please share your ways of driving, thanks

slow and easy. takes a lot of practice. i still lurch from time to time and i'm creepin towards 10k. i usually just blip the throttle at first and feather the clutch as much as possible

As stated, time is the answer. Every car has a different point of contact when letting the clutch go so you have to train yourself where that spot is and as stated, time!

I've got the engagement down well but releasing it, I kind of nodge the car so now I'm working on that.

I found turning the SynchroRev Match off made for smoother upshifts, but I missed it on the downshifts, so I ended up turning it back on. Like Vipor says, practice makes perfect.

Though I still maitain, for a $40,000 car, I expected a better gearbox.

But is this a problem with the gear box or simply that sport's car clutches are sensitive in general?

I have just learned to drive manual, about a month ago and then bought MT 370z a few days ago. I am getting better, but I find that ever-so-gentle clutch release helps me.

it's pretty easy to drive a manual z smoothly if you have driven a manual transmission german car (i.e. they are tougher to drive smoothly, imo) :)

^ I'm gonna disagree on that one. I've driven an E92 335i 6MT several times and it seems a lot more refined and easier to shift smoothly than the Z.

I agree with all the other guys on here that it just takes time to find that "sweet spot".

How about the "clunky" sound when I shift? Is it normal for the Z or am I doing something wrong?
BTW, this is my first manual car, is releasing the clutch to the point of contact and hold it there before give it gas really bad for the clutch's life? Or do I have to give it gas first and slowly release the clutch out to get the car moving? Thanks again for the answers guys

Neither really. Every car is different and it takes some time to learn it's idiosyncrasies. I've had 57 cars and all have been different. Some are harder to drive smoothly. I'd put the 370 in that category.

Shift slow when you go slow and shift fast when you go fast :p

Try releasing the gas pedal a little earlier. I found this to be my problem. It was all about timing because I was used to a car with a mechanical linkage and not throttle by wire. It seems that there is a slight delay and not releasing the gas sooner keeps the tranny loaded. This is what caused the clunking for me in my 1-2 shift.

So release the gas pedal, then clutch in, give gas, clutch out ?

Practice and timing is the key.

Yeah, it's all about timing. I've never had a smoothness problem engaging the clutch (letting the pedal out). I've only had the clunk when pushing the clutch pedal in. Just play with your timing and you'll figure it out.

I can drive my German car as if it is automatic. The Z? I am about ready to give up even though I have almost 700,000+ miles for experience. :) :)

Good point. You can't always release the cluth slow, especiallly when you are pressing on, if you do then this will be rough. Practice!

i probably can't drive the z super fast and smooth but I can drive it at normal acceleration speed very smooth -- as smooth as an automatic :)

had mine since last june i took me about a month and a half or close to 2 to get 1-2 mistake free, it will all come with time , Good Luck!

practice and modifying the clutch travel helps a lot also

The Z, so far, has been one of the easier manuals to drive smoothly for me. My 72 Bug is nearly impossible to get a "perfect" take-off from 1st -> 4th. Even my tC was a little clunkier in lower gears, IIRC.

The clutch in the Z is real sensitive, but I'm getting better. When the tranny is cold shift slowly from 1st to 2nd as it comes up to tempature you can shift faster. I drove my 97 WS6 on Sunday and the clutch engagement was so much easier:ugh2:. It uses a pull type pressure plate, the T-56 tranny felt more solid, but the clutch pedal required more effort

Put a cup of tofu filled nearly to the edge in your cupholder than drive around and it'll get you driving smoothly in no time.

Ok on a serious note as everyone said like every car, it'll take time for you to adjust to how your car likes it. The biggest tip I gave to my bud who owns a Z is to not FORCE your shifts, but try to SMOOTHLY TRANSITION the shifter into the gears. The car knows you want to go into a higher/lower gear, just feel it and work with it and it shall be smooth for you. With patience and practice, you'll learn how to make your car feel smooth as an automatic, yet still deliver the sportiness of the Z legacy.

I know the Z is extremely fun to drive, and you'll like slamming the gearbox, but there is a time when someone is filling in that ever so vital 2nd seat in your ride. Make sure to treat your baby right so she can treat your special guest to a righteous smooth ride.

I find things go much more smoothly if I gradually bring the revs to 3000+ in 1st gear, then shift to 2nd. But as someone else said, it's all about learning the clutch, feathering a bit when necessary, I just turned 2k miles and it gets easier every day. You should have driven my '84 Alfa GTV6. Twin-plate clutch was a bitch.

i have the same problem. driving my friends 8th gen si is easier than my z. but im getting a little bit better though

just keep on learning

haha

its not that hard

Practice Practice Practice... And always pay close attention to your driving. You will get it after a short while....

same here. Starting off and shifting into 2nd, the car shifts better at higher revs. The drivetrain is stout enough that the Z doesn't need to be babied.

get a AT.

I learned how to drive stick on my Z...not the easiest way to go about learning how to drive a MT.

but do you realize there is a difference between DRIVING a MT car and just making it move... driving MT is like learning a musical instrument. takes years not months to master.

I bet you once had to learn how to drive stick. So AT for me is a NO. I have been driving AT all my life

I actually tried and learned how to make smoother engagements in the 370Z. Of the 6 years of owning the 350Z, I never really figured out how to make smooth engagements especially with the 1st-2nd shift. It has been a pain with the clunky gearbox and inconsistent clutch action.

The Z tends to shudder when shifting from 1st to 2nd with low RPM, so it tends to be more happy beyond 2.5k RPM. Sharabivas hits the spot in regards to shift speed (when driving slow, shift slow or get the dreaded clunk; when driving faster with higher revs, you can shift faster).

I also notice the foot action of the clutch pedal seems to affects smoothness when letting out the clutch. My heel is on the floor when starting in 1st to make it easy to pivot my foot, and off the floor when pressing down the clutch pedal for other gears. When my heel is off the floor, I can use my whole leg to press down the clutch pedal. Then I can release and slowly pivot my foot away as I release the clutch pedal. Also, I notice engagements are smoother when pressing down the clutch pedal quicker than usual between shifts and casually releasing it.

^^ put a few washers behind the clutch pedal so you dont have to use your whole leg to press the clutch. i threw some washers behind to occupy the extra clutch travel to about where it starts to grab, that way all i need to do is pivot my foot when shifting.

someone said this clutch is sensitive, not at all! my celica's ACT clutch was way more sensitive than this and it grabbed within an inch of lifting the peddle after being fully depressed.

I disagree!! All the german cars I've had have been more refined and easier to shift!
The "Friction Zone" on The Z requires that you hold the clutch a pinch longer then most cars! What your experiencing is driveline lash like you'd find with a pick up truck!
As stated throghout this thread, Practice makes Perfect! There are a number of refinement issues with our cars...like the seat quality, the rear road noise, lack of adaptive xenons (Mazdas have those), the fact that we still have a power steering pump vs mechanical steering, shifter vibration, harsh rear suspension, and driveline lash!!!
But when you look at the price then you understand why.

I always lol at people talking about MT like this.

I guess that has something to do with places like america being filled with AT.

pretty much everybody here drives MT so we drive MT from the beginning.

Is there a big difference between the MT of the 350 and 370 since I test drove one with MT and I found it quite smooth to ride

first to second you cant let go of the clutch quickly. second to third, up to 6th you can quickly let off the clutch.

I'd have to say this is one of the worst driving MTs / clutches for me. Like any car I've ever driven or changed to, the clutch is always a bit different but by the time I had driven it enough to clutch 20-30 times, it all became mechanical (in the back of my mind) afterwards. But this car...ummm...been driving it a bit over a month and about 500 miles and still getting surprised by the clutch / shifting from time-to-time.

Just read your post and I'd say that's one of the same things I've noticed. Most cars I've driven, you can pretty much let the clutch out fast on the shift to 2nd (and giving gas). But not the Z. You still have to feather / tease it out. Mind you, I have a Nissan truck and it's not like this so it's not necessarily a Nissan problem.

This is gonna sound weird...but, I had the same exact problem when I got mine back in December. In fact, I think I posted something about it. Anyway, while it's certainly gotten better, I think the other thing that really helped me out was adjusting my seat to a different position, which changed where my feet were at. Silly as it sounds, it actually helped my shifting to be more fluid.

I moved the seat forward just a bit and raised the back of the seat so it's not quite as reclined. I now have no issues...I knew the whole time it was probably my "fault", but this just confirmed it for me.

well, kevr6. maybe this just applies to me
i could not drive smoothly the german cars that i have had the very first time I drove them but I could drive the 370z smoothly the very first time behind the wheel.

of course, maybe I am just a much better driver now than when I drove those german cars -- i probably could drive them all smoothly today :)