My XFire has the 6-speed manual transmission. Is it okay to start off in second gear or is that hard on the clutch? I'm not talking on a regular basis but occasionally.

Bob M

 

Hi North. When I use WINTER setting on my automatic it starts in 2nd,,,don't know about manual

 

As most things on this Forum...this is my opinion and I'm sure there will be 20 more just to argue; 2nd gear starting is too hard on the clutch with such high gearing in the rear end, (my memory is 3.25). If the car had something more like a 3.73-3.90 it might be more accectable to skip 1st gear

 

If you're pointing down hill I think 2nd is fine.
Up hill, I wouldn't.
Flat - flip a coin!
I started in 2nd the majority of the time when I had the Sprintbooster in.

 

Bob, with 1st. gear being so low, and with the Crossfire not being known for having the smoothest 1-2 shift (on some trannys) I can understand why some people would want to occasionally skip 1st. gear.
As Spensley pointed out, on a down grade it probably wouldn't matter that much.
But as Parawxman mentioned, since the Crossfire has a 3.27:1 ring and pinion, it's really just too high of a gear to try launching with the tranny in 2nd.
Sure you can do it, but you would just have to "slip" the clutch a little more to accomplish it smoothly, and as we all know, the more you slip the clutch, the quicker it wears out.

 

I completely agree with parawxman. If you don't mind replacing your clutch sooner, start it in second gear.

 

I start in second alot but Long Island is pretty flat. No uphill second gear starts ever.Has anyone done a clutch recently? What should I expect to pay?

 

I've never thought of starting off in 2nd. I do however shift from 4th to 6th all the time.

 

I thought I read somewhere to expect about $1,200 for a new clutch. So I'm determined to make it last as long as possible.

That said, I skip first whenever I'm on a downhill grade. The 1-2 shift is hard to do smoothly, and the car is geared so low, that I don't notice myself letting the clutch slip when 'cheating'.

 

Sorry guys, this is my first manual. What does "slip the clutch" mean?

 

First of all why would you consider starting in 2nd, other than a very slippery road?

 

"Slipping the clutch" refers to a technique where the clutch plate only partially engages the flywheel. The reason this is done is to allow the engine to operate at a rev range that provides greater power than the rotational speed of the output shaft would allow given a particular drive gear. The net effect is to reduce the instantaneous power transferred to the drive wheels without causing the engine to stall.

Because of the speed mismatch between the flywheel and the output shaft, this technique will wear down the components of the clutch/flywheel faster.

If you're still confused, consider the situation where you are stopped at a red light on a steep hill. Once the light turns green, "slipping the clutch" is often done to prevent the car from rolling backwards, yet still provide enough forward motion without accelerating wildly into the car in front of you.

 

IndyXfire: Wish I'd learned to drive a stick in a Crossfire. I think I remember my first one being an old Toyota. I don't really know if I was using the right term (I'm not a 'gearhead - but I love my XFire). Here's what I meant.

Slipping the clutch is what you do if you are starting on an uphill grade or starting in too high a gear. To keep from chugging the engine, you hold your left foot so that the clutch is partially engaged, and the car is just starting to creep forward (or you can hold it on a hill - briefly! - with the clutch this way). Ease it out with the right amount of slip and a bit of extra gas, and off you go.

The longer you let it slip like that, the more wear you put on that very expensive clutch plate. I've always minimized clutch repair costs by engaging the clutch with minimal slip (preferably none once the car is moving).

To start in 2nd on even a slight uphill grade requires releasing the clutch pretty slowly - and with a lot of slip - to keep from killing/chugging the engine. But I've found that on a downhill, I can let it start rolling slightly, then start in 2 just like it was in 1 - probably because the Xfire has a bit more horsepower than that old Toyota.

Guess I'm not surprised that this group has strong opinions on this. Once I get to 60-80k miles, we'll see whether my habits are good or bad for the clutch. Until we get some experience with high mileage xFires, we won't really know.

Seems to me that you're saving an extra shift by 'cheating' - and since 1-2 isn't always the smoothest, it might all balance out in the end.

 

Actually, it's only 1st. gear in the "transmission" that's really low. But the final drive ratio of 3.27:1 (while not being extremely high) is still high enough to cause undo wear on the clutch if you start in 2nd. gear on a regular basis. IMO
Now if we had a final drive ratio of say....3.54 or 3.73, then second gear starts would probably even be desirable. Because 1st. gear would be practically useless.

 

Skip 1st Gear? Then why did you buy a 6 speed? Look, the power to weight ratio on your XF is key. By yourself on flat level ground, go ahead and burn your clutch a little. But if you have another body in the car with you, no matter how curvy and hot, you double the work and lugg the engine. 1st to 2nd isn't smooth in a XF because the 229 lbs of torque quickly overides the 3,300 lbs of car. Just burp 1st to get going and snap it to 2nd. Then just go.

franc rauscher in St Louis
2006 Saphire Blue Roadster; WITH A STICK!

 

I start in 2nd regularly except for quick pullouts and hills.

The gear rations in a 6 speed crossfire can best be described as "retarted". beyond a *****-out launch (which is pointless with traction control anyway), there is NO good reason for the stumpy gears. What the hell good is a 6th gear that still forced you to rev at 3,000RPM on the highway? My Spirit's 5 speed did that much (with a longer 1st gear)... and that had a higher redline!

The rear in these cars should have been MUCH longer. 2.95s or something. What good is all that low-end torque with such short gears?

 

This is starting to sound like a bit of a thread hijack, but my understanding is that German cars are geared for Autobahn passing, and so are designed for peak torque at 75mph. Hence, around 3200 rpm for the XF.

This was also the case on the A3 12V VR6, which with the stock 5MT was geared at 4200 rpm at 75mph. This got really annoying on long trips. 4200 rpm on a narrow angle V6 with 6 quarts of oil? The coolant temperature and oil temperature on this car was disturbingly high and the fuel efficiency sucked. But it could pass fairly well at autobahn speeds. Hondas with 5 speeds rev about 800rpm slower at the same speed.

I would love a taller final drive too. But what I want more than a taller final drive is a real, honest-to-goodness limited slip differential. Then I could actually use 1st gear without invoking the "gods of wheelspin."

 

^ yes, all of that.

 

One thing I learned as a sailboat owner, you can't win club races with a boat your wife likes. Everything is a comprimise.
I do love the thrill of leaving a tailgater in my dust from 75 MPH.
Thanks for the interesting info

franc rauscher
roadwter with a stick

 

I quite agree. Rear end could have be longer or 6th could have been taller. I often find myself tooling for miles in fifth 'cause there isn't much difference to go to six. Seems a wasted opportunity for mileage oer perhaps a higher top end.
Had I bought the car for "***** out" acceleration, there would be a Viper under my butt. The SRT6 was not available with manual so what fun would that be?
However, you have to admit that for the money, you get a lot from the XF.
Thanks for the reply
franc rauscher
Roadster with a stick