wow, ive TOTALLY been babying my car then. i usually shift around 2800-3000 rpms. This is mostly because the speed limit here in town is 31mph.....and thats on the fast roads. (24mph or slower on base and smaller roads) If i have to shift above 3500 rpms im going too fast......either that or ill be in 2nd or 3rd gear the whole way home.

i dont like staying in a low gear for too long....i fell like im doing something wrong. traffic can be bad where 2nd might be the highest gear i can get into.....and its not backed up traffic, its just that everyone drives so slow.

im gonna start driving it faster now....if i can find the room.

 

I know its not really related - but do you guys think the fd has a TERRIBLY rough transmission compared with other cars...say a BMW M3? My brother let me test drive his and the shifter on his seriously feels as smooth as an arcade game...On my 7 I need to shift quickly after 3k rpm before it drops when going 1st -> 2nd gear, or else it resists back (dont really know how to describe it)

 

I know what you mean on the push-back... typically I only feel that when trying to downshift into 1st gear at any speed other than a slow roll..


Do you have difficulty shifting into any other gear? or is it just the transition from first to second? and does it grind unnecessarily?

 

i get the from 1st to 2nd feeling too some if not most of the time.. when i shift around 4k rpm it seems to go in smooth. doesnt grind but it just feels a little notchy

 

ya, and its worse when the car's cold. Something that kind of works to avoid it at cold temps is to wait maybe 2-3 seconds after pushing in the clutch to shift - to let those rpms drop really low. Seems like the sweet spots for shifting are around 3.5k and then something really low like 1.5k.

 

Mostly just going into 2nd, but also when going down to 1st like you said. I have the common '5th gear grind', but 1st to 2nd or any other shift doesn't grind like the 5th gear does - they just feel 'notchy', like someone described. I'm thinking about trying the transmission fluid many people here have talked about, I think its called 'redline'.

 

Wow, lots of good information here----glad I read this post as well, i've been driving all wrong... I've been scared to take it anything past 6, since I've bought it about a month ago, it's only been redlined a few times...

I feel more educated, BRING ON THE 8's!!!!


How about downshifting? e.g. in 4th gear at ~5k>>traffic slower ahead>>safe(i.e. engine wise) to drop down back to 3rd without touching the brakes?

*flamesuit on*

 

shift when you hit 5 digits..

 

i think it's a valid question

i read a lot of people saying redlining it often is good for the engine but honestly i question the validity. yes some redlining is good for the engine however it seems a lot of people here are advocating it every time the car is out. i am not so confident that kind of engine treatment is conducive to keeping the engine running reliably for a long time.

 

I engine brake a lot (which is what you're talking about) but i don't do it that high. Usually around 2500-3500rpm.

 

yeah im no expert rotary mechanic but shifting at 8000+ every time still seems a little much for me. maybe im just not used to the idea yet. i have been driving the car more accordingly to everyones comments on this thread. lol seems like a good amount of people on this forum were driving there 7s like me shifting around 3 grand trying not to stress the engine. good thing i posted on the subject

 

call me a noob, but can't you just stop at a deserted stoplight or stop sign and rev on neutral? however, where's the fun in that =).

 

good question....something safer to do when there's worry of cops or traffic, any thoughts?

 

+1. This is pretty bad. The car is meant to be driven so rev it to whatever is on your tach. I can't believe some of the responses in this thread...2500 shifting...wtf???


Just don't "drive it like you stole it" and you'll be fine.

 

Is this your first stick-shift car? That would explain a lot...


Anyways, don't even drop down to 3rd, just let the engine break slow you down completely until you feel the car starting to hesitate. At that point either shift to 1-2 or just toss it in neutral. Makes driving much easier. G/L to you. You have a LOT to learn.

 

Actually if you look at your driver's regulations most likely they will tell you downshifting is recommended from 4th to 3rd in most cases, or 4th to 2nd. They even teach it in driving courses nowadays (not that it makes much sense but that's what they're doing these days)

 

From some of the responses in this thread, you'd think this is a lincoln town car forum. Some of you guys need to put your ******* foot down and drive your cars....remember, it is a SPORTS CAR, it likes going fast.


I think the problem is that everyone, especially those who have already had to endure a rebuild, are so scared of popping another motor that they don't even enjoy the time they spend in their cars because of the excessive worrying about shift points and whatnot, so they fabricate all these "good ideas" that they think will help lengthen the life of the motor. Maybe a little, but all you are doing is killing the quality of your ride...meaning, you are not enjoying it because you butt is puckered the entire time thinking the motor is going to blow.

I don't care how much money and effort you put into your last build....do you really think it's going to last forever? I think some of you guys think that just because you put the best parts on the car and did everything by the book that your motor is now going to last forever....it won't. Sure, quality builds last longer than half assed builds, but really, even with a quality build, statistically speaking we are all playing on a short time line for a rebuilt motor (60-80k). Even a quality build can pop early even if every precaution was taken, sometimes **** just happens and you can't do anything to stop it.

Just enjoy it while you have it. I don't think there is any real right or wrong answer, other than either shifting at 2k all the time isn't good because of carbon build-up, and redlining it all the time will shorten the life of you motor.

I just hate seeing so many people that own a car they love and are passionate about, but from their words it seems they rarely get to enjoy the ride because they purposely and constantly baby it because they are scared of it chucking a seal.