Come to the Spring Dragon Meet in onana(near Knoxville TN).

There will be plenty of people to teach you the fine points of stick shifting up and down.

Oledoc2U is spot on. Using the engine to slow you down is fine and places no strain on the systems.
As to your wifes instructor, it was enough for them just to teach a newbie how to drive. But the aggressive driving that a good stick shifter can bring to bear is not standard training for a license.

Just have fun.

roadster with a stick

"the way is should be"

 

Sixth gear is overdrive and is not much use unless you are on a flat road, over 50-55 mph and do not need to accelerate, come to a reasonable hill and its down to fifth unless you are over 60 mph.
This engine has a lot of torque but you do not want the engine to slog, so keep the revs up and use the gears that the MB gods gave you.

 

I think that some of these answers have been really harsh on the first gear. Sure it doesn't last to long but it is easy to get going with it and you can go faster than 15mph with it. I does come into its own with 2 and 3 though. I hit the rev limiter at Gateway Raceway in 3rd gear in the 4th turn and was going at a fairly good clip don't know exactly how fast. I was in 4th at the flagman at about 102mph and still felt like it had plenty left.

 

I think that Chris L's assesment is pretty accurate even down to the clunking if you don't get the rpms right.

 

31 in 1st at 6K ....C&D.

PS: You can (from a stop with the clutch in), floor gas, RPMS rise to & stop at 4,200......gas pedal is all the way to the floor.....drop clutch.....sort of like a "launch control" feature. This is not the regular "rev-limiter feature....that occurs when the car is moving & it's up around 6K.

I have tested without dropping the clutch & the rpms really will not go over 4,200 when the car is at a stop.

I will never do this & drop the clutch at 4,200.....some have ....sometimes ...BOOM!!!

 

Ill try to make it im getting the hang of shifting gears a bit better i used to go 1-2-3-4-5-6 now im practicing on i jhittin 2nd 3rd 5th then 6th if i need it much faster if theres a car in front of me ill hit 2nd then 3rd stay in third depends on the speed a few more months ill be a pro at this hahaha

 

6th in this car is not an overdrive. The difference between 5th & 6th on this car is only about 500 RPM. I started a thread here recently complaining about 6th not being on overdrive.
In the XFire, you can easily cruise at 40 mph in 6th gear It don't make no dang sense.

 

What are you, a first gear hugger?


Do I sense you feel some commonality with first gear?


Yes. I checked today, you can stay in it past 15 mph, but why would you? A second gear launch works so much better, you can stay in it longer... there's no down side to skipping 1st if you're not on an incline.

 

From http://www.media.chrysler.com/dcxms/...ssfireTech.pdf:

Gear Ratios:
1st --- 4.459
2nd --- 2.614
3rd --- 1.723
4th --- 1.245
5th --- 1
6th --- 0.838
Rev --- 4.062
Final Drive --- 3.27

 

This can only be correct at one engine speed in 5th gear. The rest of the time its a ratio of one engine speed to another as its based on the gearing.
PS
I forgot my main point of my answer.
Overdrive is a gearbox ratio of less than 1:1, and this cars 6th gear is less than 1:1. Its 0.838 as in the post above. That's the definition of overdrive.
Last night I tried the max speed in first gear and I just about hit 30mph before it redlined and cut out at 6,000 rpm.

 

Why not? The car is designed to be driven, not raced. Fifth gear is great for rush hour traffic as it gives you a bit more performance and control. Sixth is good for the long flat Interstates. I never have to downshift from 6th to drive or even pass up hill.

Yet a quick snap to 4th and you are a mean machine that can pass quickly on the two lane back roads.


The six gears are like a derailer on a bicycle. Use the best gear for the conditions and purpose of what you are driving.

Sounds like you would be happy with a four speed. Find a Vega and pull the Muncie out. Who knows, it might fit?
And it sure had a better first gear.

roadster with a stick

 

I've been using 1st less and less, I could live without but I'm sure by clutch and wallet are happy about it. I only really use it from an uphill stop, in stop and go traffic and for snappy launches. 2nd does a better job if I'm starting up into a turn, starting from a roll or on a level/ downhill road.
I've found that I get better results when I don't downshift unless I'm going to bog the engine (in 6th 50-70). The car seems to have more passing power when I stay in gear (ie 3rd gear around 35mph) and let the gear see the whole RPM range, theres a little more area under the acceleration curve.
I'm considering using an SRT rear with its numerically lower gear ratio, I think I would be happier with it.

 

You are quite right. Third is the awesome gear in the Crossie. One can do the entire Dragon in third very well.

I also find in stop and go rubberbanding traffic that the engine handles the lugging OK and the top end (about 85 MPH comfortably) is more than enough for that situation. One can keep the left foot at rest.

The biggest problem I have is that after so many years of driving a four speed, as I leave heavy traffic it is not uncommon for me to notice some 20 miles down the road, that I haven't put it in 6th. The torque curve in this engine is so level, one does not feel it drop off at the higher RPMS.

Cool.

 

Same here... I hardly use first. I only use first from a complete stop. 2nd if I am on a roll or downward hill. And I also noticed 3rd gear is very powerful! When I hit 3rd the car moves. Fifth gear is another mover for me. 4th gear almost seems useless And 6th gear is only good for doing 100+ MPH

Now when I am driving normal I will go through each of the gears. But when I get on the car it is 3rd and 5th!

 

Just out of curiosity how is the brake/accelerator pedal alignment in the manual XF's? I was surprised how much variance is in my AT. I have to actually pull my leg back to get my foot on the brake instead of simply pivoting my foot. One of the very few complaints I have with my car. Sorry if this is off topic in this thread.

 

It is not off topic. Try double clutching with the pedals the way they are.

Please, those of you who don't....Don't start.

I find myself wanting to add something to the accelerator pedal to"level" the face off with the Brake pedal. Brakes being an obvious choice to use in an emergency one would think it would be arranged to facilitate use.

As for shifting, during aggressivedriving the Brake pedal ought to be more accessable to the right foot.

I agree with you 100%

 

Your cars computer won't accept that gear ratio, and by 3rd. gear it would put you into "limp" mode, (Unless you have an 04-6 speed). Then you could probably get away with it just by disconnecting the main line going into your TC. (But you will still lose your anti-locks).
On later model 6 speeds, (when disconnecting the TC) other nasty things happen like losing your brake lights, and I forget what else.

 

Drove mine daily for 5+ years and never even thought about that before. Not something I have ever noticed. Strange!

 

[quote=Rapp's]
You will need to shift to 2nd around 14-16mph unless you can take the screaming of rpms and the looks of drivers next to you wondering why your making all that noise and not going faster than a child on a tricycle. If you don't lose the forward motion that came from 1st get into 2nd then it's an more enjoyable experience. If you do lose forward motion open the door, put your foot on the pavement and like a scooter push and lift your foot until you can shift into 2nd. The manual was not designed for any kind of "spirited" driving it's easier to accept this now than fix a transmission later.

First of all my manual is at 3100 rpm at 15 mph, hardly screaming, there is 2900 rpm left and 31 mph is accurate- I checked yesterday. I don't know how you lose so much forward motion from 1st to 2nd as it coasts rather well - you are making it sound like a Yugo. I drive it like I stole it some ( Spirited ) and I don't seem to come up with anything like your cars shifter. Even when I drive it like the grandpa I am I don't see it like you do at all. That little pedal on the right makes it go faster and makes first gear a little more fun.
https://www.crossfireforum.org/galle...hp/photo/44748 My car at Gateway on the track starting in first gear, at least I hope so I'm not on my computer at the present and this one won't allow me to run videos.

 

It immediately struck out to me as I have also have a '93 and '02 MX-5. I can heel/toe in both as all the pedals are perfectly matched. In my slushbox X-Fire it's not that big of a deal but I was curious if the manual had a better pedal position.