Fantality4

Hey guys,

I am a 2 weeks old owner of the g37s. I love my car and every time I stall or shift forcefully, I feel very very bad. I want to decrease these mistakes as much as possible. BTW, this is my first manual car!

1. At what rpm should I be gear shifting and letting go of the clutch? I'm starting to get the hang of it and making my ride much smoother but it doesn't hurt to ask since I don't have it down perfectly yet. I feel like I let go of clutch for gear 1 at 1500-2000, gear 2 at 1500-2000, gear 3 to 6 at around 2200-2600.

2. Is it bad for the car to shift to neutral and braking at stops? Compared to down shifting all the way to gear 1 and then putting it in neutral?

3. Any tips for parking in tight spots? And then getting out of there? I find steep hills and parking the most difficult so far.

4. Should I not drive in gear 1-2 other than for just getting going? They make motor noises that 3-6 doesn't.

5. How high of rpm do you guys get to before shifting to the next gear? For every gear if possible.

6. Is it okay to skip gears up and down gearing?

Any other tips for a new g37s owner and a beginner manual driver would be appreciated as well.

canucklehead

iTrader: (9)

^ sounds like you are dealing with some common new manual driver issues. do you know anyone who is a seasoned driver with manual gearbox experience? some of your questions, while fair questions, are difficult to explain in print. it would be best for you to ride along with an experienced driver to walk you through the basics of manual shifting practices.

that said, generally you don't need to rev above ~1500 (max) while pulling away from a stop in 1st gear. you just gradually roll on the clutch for a smooth grab. as you get better you'll learn to engage 1st barely above idle for most starts (hill starts may be slightly higher).

1st gear is fairly short on our cars so it is only used for starting off. if you are in slower traffic there is nothing wrong with leaving it in 2nd, but shifting to 3rd may make sense. depends on the circumstance.

most folks would typically upshift by ~3k rpms for normal commuting. again, this all depends on the circumstance and if you need to accelerate more quickly you'll shift later.

it is ok to skip gears, and very common. when doing so just be smooth and don't rush the shift. i commonly shift 1-2-4-6, 1-3-5, etc. no problems, the engine has enough power and the gearing is spaced close enough for it not to lug the engine. if you do skip a shift you may need to shift at a slightly higher rpm. i.e. don't shift from 1st to 3rd at 2k rpm in 1st.

hope that helps. again, find a friend/colleague/family member who can give you some in-car teachings.

have fun with the G!

btw - props to you for coming over to the 6MT side! all too often these days people stay away from manuals because they are intimidated, lazy, or because a slushbox automatic has taken the place of more engaging manuals and aren't available on the particular model. once you master a stick shift you may find it difficult going back to an auto!

kickintheglass

1. On a flat surface, you can get the car going in 1st gear under 1k rpm. Upshift around 3k rpm if you want the easiest shifts, 2.5k if you want to be slightly more fuel efficient.

2. Everyone has their own methodology, but the general consensus is that because nobody can be 100% perfect on a downshift, it takes a toll on the engine and transmission. Personally, I only downshift if I need to slow down while I'm driving fast (ex. exiting a highway); otherwise, it's better to clutch in and brake.

3. Don't park next to econoboxes and SUV's. They will find you, and they will ding your door.

4. What are these noises? ICE cars inherently create noises...

5. How fast do you want to go?

6. Upshift, yes. Downshift, I prefer not to (it messes with the rhythm of heel toes).

Since buying this car 2 years ago, it's just about the most unforgiving 6MT I've driven among my friends' cars (s2000, sti, evo , gti, etc.) and they can confirm this too. Keep at it, you'll understand its quirks and be the only one to drive it smoothly.

Fantality4

Unfortunately I don't have anyone that can teach me manual.

What I do during shifting is I go up to 3k rpm, let go of accelerator, push in clutch and change gear, and as the rpm drops from 3k to the point necessary (for 5-6, 2.3k-2.5k rpm) I juggle the clutch and the accelerator. If I go higher than 3k, then I would need to wait longer before I can juggle the clutch and accelerator since it will take longer time for the rpm to drop from let's say 3.5k to 2.5k?

What speeds are 1-6 gear good for? I mainly watch the rpm right now so not really sure which gear should be in for certain speeds. For example, I know I usually shift to the 6th at 60 speed buy for 1-5 I usually just look at the rpm and shift up when I hit 3k and shift down when I hit below 2k.

Fantality4

2. Clutch in and break. So clutch in, shift to neutral, let go of clutch and break is bad?

4. It sounds like a whiny motor noise. I'll try to get a recording of it.

5. If I want to go fast, I should go over 3k rpm? How do I shift after that. Don't i have to wait for rpm to come down to shift smoothly.

So the g37 is one of the harder 6mt to drive? And I'm learning on it? I love it lol

JSolo

iTrader: (14)

You can shift any time before redline. Higher rpms require more precise timing as rpm difference between gears increases.

Taking off, I feed enough throttle enough to keep it from stalling as I'm letting the clutch out. Some folks learn by keeping throttle at a constant rpm and slowly feeding the clutch. I suppose this works but will burn the clutch out sooner. Once clutch is fully out, throttle is progressively applied. I generally won't 'stomp' on it until rpm's ~2500 or higher to keep the engine from lugging.

kickintheglass

I think after you drive for a while, you'll develop your own habits for everyday scenarios. Generally speaking, staying in gear (especially 1-4) will slow the car down. What you don't want to do is shift the car to neutral at higher speeds and brake. This will cause excessive wear on your brakes and increase your risk of an accident because power isn't available immediately.

ctng37

2. Coasting in neutral is illegal in some places. I typically brake until the rpms go to about 1k before I put it in neutral. Downshifting by either rev matching or heel and toe is an option. I personally downshift rev match when I am decelerating from a high speed or when I am slowing down to make a turn so I can be on the gas when I'm out the corner. Heel and toe is a racing technique and you do not really need to know it. I do it for fun on occasions .

5. When you want to accelerate faster, you would drive up to a higher rpm. The car makes more power as you increase in rpm so you would accelerate faster. You can shift at any time under the redline of the car. Yes, the rpm should decrease when shifting into a higher gear but the rpm should drop enough in the time you are changing gear. I hold the clutch at the bite point then release all the way to make it smoother.

Congrats on the car man. This is my first manual car also and I love it. Driving manual takes time and you get better as you go on. I was terrible starting off but have gotten much better.

telcoman

Try shifting from between 3k-3.5 RPM. You may notice smoother shifts.
When starting out in 1st try to keep the RPM at 1k until clutch is fully engaged.

A very poor practice. Not only is it dangerous but having the ability to use the engine to assist in braking/slowing down your vehicle is one of the major advantages of having a manual shift vehicle especially in heavy rain and snow and ice.
Another advantage is not having to replace brake pads and rotors as often as those driving automatics.
The OEM brakes on my previous 06 G35 manual were first replaced at 86k miles.
I am still on my original OEM brakes at 83k on my current 2012.

When starting out on a hill, use the emergency brake to hold the vehicle while stopped at a light and in neutral. As the light begins to change, press in clutch, shift into first, and as you begin to let out the clutch release the emergency brake. Takes a little practice.

Good luck

Telcoman

JSolo

iTrader: (14)

Last I checked, replacing brake pads is far cheaper than a clutch or transmission......

Randy Johnson

iTrader: (1)

Wow shifting at 1500 rpms. I think you bought the wrong car. My tach goes up to 7k. I'd say shift anywhere from at least 2500 up to 7000k depending on your mood or driving style.

telcoman

True but a stick shift vehicle if properly driven and the use of downshifting to assist braking the vehicle will allow close to 100k miles on brake pads and close to 200k on a clutch.
Riding the clutch, and vehicle abuse may result in transmission damage as well as frequent clutch replacements
Many owners of automatic transmission vehicles have to replace brake pads and rotors with as few as 20k miles because they do not have the ability to utilize downshifting to assist in slowing down their vehicle causing excessive brake pad wear.
An Infiniti is not a good first choice to learn how to shift a manual transmission vehicle.
Learn on a Honda Civic first

Telcoman

Kris9884

iTrader: (3)

This is my first auto car so I won't comment on when to shift but don't let these guys scare ya, if you're coasting to a stop, feel free to be in neutral and use the brakes. That's what they're there for and pads are far cheaper than the gas and clutch it takes to downshift and let the motor slow you down. As stated before though, downshifting is very useful to slow down on large hills or inclement weather days. You'll just learn as you go what the car likes and what feels right.

My only other tip that's pretty common on almost any manual car is pretty much never downshift to 1st unless you're at a complete stop.

Maelstrom

Gas? You know the fuel injectors shut off when you are engine braking, right? This quickly makes up for any small *blip* of the gas pedal you do to rev-match.

Video is titled "5 Things You Should Never Do In An Automatic Transmission Vehicle" but the first tip of not coasting in neutral also applies to manual transmissions:

Kris9884

iTrader: (3)

I should have worded that differently. It doesn't really save gas per se, in fact downshifting and neutral cruising/slow down are nearly identical in consumption. I'm just saying slowing to a stop while in neutral is completely safe for the sake of the transmission and clutch. I agree, if someone isn't stopping and about to rear end you, being in gear to try and move would be handy. Popping the gear out and cruising to a stop is just a bad habit I formed over the years with my turbo SC300, having a stage 4 clutch in stop and go kinda sucks..