Okay, I've had my Fit Sport M/T for about a month now, and my wife is starting to get annoyed with my shifting abilities. When I bought the car, my 1-2-3 shifting left something to be desired (my wife looked like she's going to head-butt the dash every time I shifted), but I figured it was just because I hadn't driven a stick in a few years. After a month, my shifting still hasn't really improved any. I've tried shifting at different RPMs...everything from 2500 up to redline. I've also tried lifting off the gas shortly before pressing on the clutch, which does stop the problem I was having with the RPMs increasing during shifting.

Can anybody shed some light on what I'm doing wrong? I've never had this problem with any other car I've driven and no matter what I try, it's still horrible.

 

+You may be letting off the gas to soon. If when lifting your foot off the gas to shift you feel the car slow and thrust your wives head forward then that's to soon. You should not feel the momentum of the car change much at all, other than your not accelerating anymore.
You may be trying to hard and over thinking the process,,,my advice is to leave the hunny at home and go drive yourself around shiftin untill you get the bumps out. Relax and just have fun it will come to you with time. I call it getting big TITS (time in the seat),,,good luck and just drive it!!!

 

What about the clutch? How do you work the clutch? I noticed, when I first drove the car, that my best shifts were when I put the clutch in, shifted, then letthe clutch out slowy(ish) and pausing for a second in the middle of the clutch's travel, then letting it come all the way up.

 

I have not had an MT in a while...but I drive them still often enough...and have driven a silly amount but most of them are older or "classic" vehicles and I thought/thinking that the fit is just way tighter and more sensitive then my other experiences.

so I keep messing around...one way that I have found that helps most of the time (but I actually dont enjoy it in everyday driving) is to put the clutch all in and shift quick, let clutch out quickish but right before I let it up @ about 3/4's to 80% (damn right I just mixed it up...see if you are paying attention ) I start in with the gas. I have found I need to completely let off the gas in the Fit till right at the end. The gas pedal is uber sensitive in this car and its one of my qualms.

The faster I go the better I have noticed except for first and sometimes second...when slow shifting seems like the only way to go sometimes...

If " saiko " is around...dont forget me buddy...I really do need to check the clutch out soon! No pressure or anything...hahaaaaaa

 

I am really sensitive to my GF after our accident so I am always trying to make our trips comfy for her...but...(she doesnt complain...she loves the ride and thinks the Fit ROCKS! yeah for me )...just out of the corner of my eye I see her head bobble from time to time with the occasional airbag looking head banging...HAAHAAAAAHAAAA
I really hope I dont trash the clutch on this car...it just doesnt give me confidence...
on the other hand I finally got to rev the CRAP out of it @ WOT and just about redline through first and second dropping off into third and the fit grummbled on the pavement and broke traction on the shift to second I was actually impressed and it was relatively smooth too!

Im @ 1400mi now so thats why it took me so long to really goose the throttle...even then I dont think I should do that a bunch........yet

 

How could not get better in that long lol. When i learned how to drive a stick i was pretty smooth by the end of the day..I agree with grouser, just go out and shift all day!! You WILL improve!! Good luck man.

Tyler

 

I've driven MTs my whole adult life and believe that the "drive by wire" throttle makes the Fit's gas/clutch exchange different than most MTs of the past. Anyway I've owned the fit about a month and a half and have gotten used to it. For awhile i was getting angry at myself that i had not adapted quicker. Now that I'm used to the fit it's much smoother. Be patient and relax with the fit!

 

usually I just hold the accelerator at the same speed when changing gears. That does mean sometimes the rpm can go up a little. Might sound funny but for me it drives a little more smoother that way.

 

I just thought of this.....I really dont drive right now...since the accident I cant really go anywhere and the driving I do is very short most of the time

the last two weeks I have only driven ...maybe 4 times...so that could be killing my adjustment period when including what I said previously...hmmmm.

errrr just thought that maybe my standards of smooth are really high/different too?
I am smoother in this car then when my buddies drive me around in their MT's
hmmmmm.....more pondering...

 

I might have been over-exaggerating a little bit...on my 1-2 and 2-3 shifts, her head moves forward a few inches. I wouldn't be concerned with it, except for the fact that in my old cars and in some of the cars I test-drove before I bought my Fit, this didn't happen. I'm beginning to think the clutch and/or gas in the Fit is just a lot more sensitive than it was in the other cars.

I guess I'll just keep on practicing.

 

i think one reason is that the 1st to 2nd gear RPM difference is HUGE! go rev high and go from 1-2! the drop is insane! i don't own a Fit yet but watching videos, it caught my eye. Could someone with a fit try to hold off depressing the clutch on 1-2 shifts longer and seeing if it helps?

 

tried that, and many times it helps....unfortunately that kills my docile nature trying to be thrifty with the gas and comfy casual ride...
but thats pretty slick...that you noticed and you dont drive a Fit!!!

Hurry and get one! I can only Imagine how helpful you would be with one...
k everyone....lets pitch in to get him a Fit

 

Maybe you should feather the clutch a bit more.

Generally speaking, any issues regarding shifting smoothly can be solved by the good ol' left foot.

 

generally speaking, all smoothness issues can be resolved with a little attention to momentum. Here is the scenario, you are powering through second gear. You reach your shift point, lift off the throttle, depress the clutch , select third gear, and release the clutch. Follow the momentum here with me, accelerating all through second, sudden stop in acceleration at the shift, then resumed acceleration. so if you graphed it it would look like a flat spot cut in a hill side sharply. to make it smoother, try to roll gently out of the throttle at the top of second and more gently back in to the throttle in third. Shift timing is also very critical, too short and you wil get a lurch speeding the car up, too long and you wil get a lurch slowing the car down. This is all nice theory but practice is everything so here is a little exercise for you to try. get a clear plastic cup that will fit in your cup holder tightly. Fill it half way with water. Now you have a momentum gauge. You goal is to make the water move as smoothly as possible. Now it will move, quite high up the side if you are driving quickly but what you must do is make that movement smooth. Once you have shifting smoothed out, both up and down, work on braking with the same excercise. Then work on cornering so the water flows smoothly around the glass in circular motions. This is called the water glass technique, made famous by Initial D but a quite real high performace driving method. Give it a try and I promise you will notice a marked improvment in your driving.

 

shifting basics for normal acceleration:

1) never 'modulate' the gas pedal. just pressdown and hold at your preferred
throttle angle, dont move (feather) it back and forth, and let the rpm build up.

2) when you're around 3.5k rpm, slowly roll off gas.

3) while you roll off gas, clutch-in (depress), shift 1-2.

4) slighly give throttle enough to keep the flywheel momentum. easier to control
small pedal movements if you use the ball of your foot.

5) slowly engage clutch (clutch-out 1/2 way). there should be no clutch slip.

6) apply more throttle while you completely remove your foot off the clutch
pedal. there should be no clutch slip.

the Fit is an easy car to do seamless shifts even with the a/c on.

shift between 2-3 comes real fast on this car since the ratios are
close. just transition faster than you do 1-2.

pratice until you get it.

 

I've had the fit for maybe 6-7 months... my second car, first stick. I found when driving, I push the clutch in just barely and shift, the shift is a lot shorter (time wise), and the loss of momentum is less. Short shifter might help too.

Oh and accelerating fast doesn't help either...

 

Hahaha same happens to me!!! hahaha

 

hey couple question my MT driving is not that great only about 4hrs.
do i have to let the clutch out 1/2 and hold for like 2-4s from 2-3 and 3-4 etc. or only from 1-2?
my fit is a AT but good to know if i ever get a MT car

 

I think most of the above is very usefull advice I am really impressed

With regards to "general" technique though I would stay away from some explinations that have the rpms in it...because most driving varies a bit and it had more to do with relative rpms and general clutch and throttle modulation...

Nice to see ya "saiko" HAHAAAAAA...I was sooo wondering when you would find this thread

Back to the "unbelievable" part of my post...
I ordered a set of "Piloti's" as my old set of driving shoes are toast...and I am destroying my "nice occasion" loafers in this car because I have always done better when I can feel things abit.
Soooo I went outside to move my car right a minute ago and I just was in bare feet...usually that sucks....but I was uber smooth (comparatively)
I have the "Exxon Valdez" for feet 14-15's and most shoes for me give me little to no feedback...and the Fit is really sensitive and tight (much, much more than any other car I have driven)
....and VIOLA I was able to feel a bunch more feedback...all things the same....
BUT...I still need to check out my car for other clutch related things

 

Most of the time from a dead or just about dead stop I wouldnt think you shouldnt or wouldnt need to be on the clutch for more than about 1sec starting in first, and only about 1/2 sec to 3/4 sec for 1-2 the rest is about 1/2 sec and less...of course it all depends on what you are doing... I'd say this is for regular city driving pulling from a light....

in first I dont modulate the throttle nearly (if at all) compared to the clutch... I think someone else said that too...