[theazian]

so i just got my is 5-spd and its the first manual car ive ever owned....

i was just wondering when most of yall are shifting from 1st to 2nd.....i know 1st gear is extremely short on the is, but it seems like i cant go past 15 mph in 1st without the engine starting to struggle....


thanks....

 

[uberchuckie]

Perhaps you're letting out the clutch too fast.

What do you mean by the engine struggling? Perhaps you need more gas while you slowly let out the clutch.

 

[theazian]

Perhaps you're letting out the clutch too fast.

What do you mean by the engine struggling? Perhaps you need more gas while you slowly let out the clutch.

umm i guess struggling wasnt the right word heh....just like the engine is reving too hard, like i should be shifting to 2nd gear....

so i was wondering around what speed do most of yall shift from 1st to 2nd....thanks....

 

[mr. haison]

i think in the owner's manual it says to shift at 15mph. i'm not sure about this one so can somebody check on this. As for me, I shift at 3k rpms for the first three gears and 2500 rpms the last two. i have to say that the is300's manual tranny is one of a kind. One day I shift buttery smooth and another i'm giving myself whiplash. It's all about clutch and gas modulation. Hope this helps a bit. I'm still trying to get use to my 5 speed and i've been owning mine for almost a year. Anyways, congratulations on your is300 and hope it puts a smile on your face everytime you drive it.

 

[buister]

Shifting is an art. It takes time to master.
I normally shift to 2nd at 20mph; 25mph or higher if I'm launching the car. In normal driving, I shift up at the minimum of 3000rpm. In 1st, if you let off the gas before stepping on the clutch, it will jerk. U gotta do this simultaneously. After you push it in 2nd, step a little gas before releasing the clutch slowly. If you're in a stop-go-stop traffic, it's almost impossible to keep it smooth.
Do not shift up at low rpm. If you do this religiously, you will shorten the life of your transmission because of the vibration resonance. There is nothing wrong with shifting at high rpm except that it eats more gas.
When I do my "performance" driving, I give a puff of gas between gears to keep the rpm staying somewhat constant.

Enjoy your new car.

 

[theazian]

thanks mr. haison and buister!

yea i checked the owners manual and this is when it recommends shifting

2nd - 15 mph
3rd - 25 mph
4th - 40 mph
5th - 45 mph


i dont really agree with shifting to 5th so early....ive easily hit 80 on 4th with no problems....i usually stay in 3rd for street driving, and 4th for highway....never had a real need to go into 5th.....

 

[WestsideIS]

eh? no 5th on highway? You should use your 5th gear when crusing on the highway. Thats excessive wear and tear and not to mention worse MPG.

 

[IS300_FIEND]

I just redline every gear. j/k

Yeah you should go into 5th to save some gas.

 

[SactownIS300]

i think that you should just spend some time getting use to you car..

 

[YellowIS300]

Your engine has the torque curve around 3000-3500. Generally you should shift between 3K and 3500. Less wear on your tranny & engine. If you shift early from what I understand the vibrations cut tranny life and the engine doesnt have to work as hard if you keep it about 3K thats where the torque is. Just from what I know about the manuals. Usually I shift outta 1st 2nd and 3rd at about 3300-3500 and out of 4th @ just under 3500. Dont let the 3K range make you think you are straining the engine. Just keep it well under redline for a long lasting ride.

 

[jakesellin]

That will go away in time...mine has about 6K on it and she is just perfect!

 

[LCA575]

That will go away in time...mine has about 6K on it and she is just perfect!

Werd,

Every car is different, you should be able to feel the car want to shift.

My prelude shifted at 7K all day and my CBR would shift at 10.5K no problem.

Just listen to your car.

 

[craniac24]

thanks mr. haison and buister!

yea i checked the owners manual and this is when it recommends shifting

2nd - 15 mph
3rd - 25 mph
4th - 40 mph
5th - 45 mph


i dont really agree with shifting to 5th so early....ive easily hit 80 on 4th with no problems....i usually stay in 3rd for street driving, and 4th for highway....never had a real need to go into 5th.....

Umm....you really might want to start using 5th gear. :-?

 

[IS JOE]

And all this time I've been wishing I had a 6th gear for the highway :lol:

thanks mr. haison and buister!

yea i checked the owners manual and this is when it recommends shifting

2nd - 15 mph
3rd - 25 mph
4th - 40 mph
5th - 45 mph


i dont really agree with shifting to 5th so early....ive easily hit 80 on 4th with no problems....i usually stay in 3rd for street driving, and 4th for highway....never had a real need to go into 5th.....

Umm....you really might want to start using 5th gear. :-?

 

[IS300_7o2]

hey does anyone know if down shifting on a 5spd is bad for the IS300 cuz i bought a PLP short shifter and it says not to down shift

as quoted here :
Notice from Pro Lex Performance: Do not downshift if you are going faster than the maximum allowable speed for the next lower gear. To get on a highway or to pass slower traffic, maximum acceleration may be necessary. Make sure to observe the following maximum allowable speeds in each gear. 1st: 35 mph; 2nd: 60 mph; 3rd: 91 mph.

 

[ray127]

Downshifting is mostly used for racing and doing laps. You could hurt the transmission and clutch if you dont know how to do it correctly. You should watch those Japanese racing video, now, they know how to do it correctly with the heel-toe technique.

 

[ray127]

Now, you could use downshifting for everyday driving like if you want to use your engine to brake while going down hill. But I'd rather use my brake for sudden stops, b/c it's less expensive to replace my brake than to replace the clutch.