Hi all,

Before I get flamed for sparking the whole manual/auto debate, please, I'm not, I'm looking for tips and advice coming to 4x4ville from 170bhp 2 wheel drive land where first gear exists

1300 miles covered in the manual 2013MY 2.2 TD4 and I am actually finding it tricky to get a smooth change, particularly from first into second and occasionally into third. I don't find the box particularly forgiving for a downshift into junction, or downshift into overtake for power.

My shifts are getting better, but I'm finding they benefit from a throttle 'blip' to rev match? I always find that i get some transfer jerk, or catch the top of the clutch on release. I'm aware that the box drives in a relatively 'short' way with 1st being almost a 'rolling' gear.

I've driven new 3ltr A4 quattros, Volvo d5's with polestar and a whole range of other manuals and never had a problem with a perfect shift. I've also tested a few soft roaders and again always a nice shift.

I'm convinced its driver error, rather than anything veh related although I do find the throttle to be very sensitive.

So yes, any advice or just continue to drive and learn? I actually at the stage where it annoys me, as I have tried a couple of methods/styles but no avail and this is the first veh I've ever driven where I can't perfect the change or have no problems from the start!

Thanks,

Jimski 2013 FL2 - Black Edition Auto
2013 FL2 - Black Edition Manual GONE!
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Try taking off your clownshoes and trying again or grease the gear cables At work
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like yourself Jimski I have driven numerous manual cars over the years and my 27 year old Golf GTi has always been the best, until that is my FL2 came along !! ( I think my Disco 2 was one of the worst )

in fact I find myself going up and down the gears in my FL2 just for the hell of it, it's just so smooth !!

I feel from your post there may be a mechanical issue somewhere with your gearchange, or perhaps it's just "tight" as it's only done 1300mls ?

I say this because there certainly is no secret to achieve smooth gear changes, and there is no need to give a rev match blip or such like.

Iain

Agreed my fl2 had an excellent shift, it did get stiff at one time so I greased the link cables...... smooth again At work
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"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Like you I always had to rev match or even double de clutch to get a seamless change, if I changed normally it would catch especially from 2 to 3 and I sometimes got a judder from 1 to 2. I also had a stiff clutch after a long journey so mentioned this to dealer, they replaced slave cyclinder, release bearing and clutch and now I have no issues and box is so smooth. Mine was faulty from 3000 miles when I got it. You may have a fault, you could try doing a long motorway journey and when exiting see if it is hard to press the clutch pedal down, if it is then that could be your fault.

Grease the cables first though as that is an easy fix.

My first FL2 was a TD4e manual and it was a very smooth box and meant getting use to it came very quickly, what you are experiencing is not the norm in my opinion.

Bought my new Freely Manual in 2010.

Gear changes have always been smooth.
as Iain Cooper said: Changing gears just for the hell of it

I, too, find the FL2's change very good. My driving style in the FL2 tends to be fairly relaxed though, and I can imagine racing-style changes might be harder to do smoothly. First to second is the only one which requires a 'knack', because there's a slight delay before the power comes in so it pays to take a little more time over that change. Overall I find the FL2 change to be one of the best I've used, and better than the Forester I had before it.

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Jim,

Really funny you should bring this topic up ... what you describe is almost exactly what I feel about my FL2 and I've driven a number of manuals from teenie wee cars upto HGV's over the years.

I find downshifting from high speed to 3rd ( for roundabouts etc ) a little tricky ... and its not the gearlever selection mechanism. The stick slots into all the gears absolutely fine without resistance ... its the clutch and its bite progression.

Its almost like the clutch is quite grabby. I find when you let the clutch pedal up slowly and steadily, in any other car, the bite comes smoothly and progressively. In the FL2 it starts that way and you can feel the bite point and the revs begin to match, but just when your getting to the final stages of full bite, it grabs hard. The best way I can think of is like hold 2 magnets. You can move them together and feel them begin to pull, but you never quite manage to stop them snapping together just at that last point. that's what my clutch is like I feel.

So when your down shifting to 3rd, your speed is dropping, clutch in, gear to 3rd, begin to let it up and let the plates bite and you feel them matching up fine with the engine beginning to take a braking effect, then it grabs, full engine braking kicks in and your lurched forward a bit, and you think " why did that go wrong? I was trying to be so smooth"

The other thing I notice is going from 1st to 2nd. I begin to let the clutch up, and feel like its fully bitten and continue to lif the pedal up normally, and it seems to do a second bite. Almost like I had been riding the clutch.... but the car pulls hard with no slipping ... its wierd.

I've actually found, a bit like npinks says, that being a bit more blunt on it is sometimes better. I.e. rather than trying to be too smooth, just bringing up the clutch and not worrying about its biting point ... the car seems to figure it out itself. ???

Its s a skill that has to be mastered and those that cant have an Auto.

My manual was fine, the only reason I went down the auto route is its a better drive.

Had a manual then an auto, now back to a manual easy enough to seamlessly change even without using the clutch.

Come down through all the gears one by one ???.
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Not a lot to add, but I too find that this is the smoothest manual box I've ever driven (and I must have driven getting on for a hundred). A bit of a clunk from first to second, but that's down to having a wide ratio gap and my clutch skills being a bit rubbish (I prefer autos). One thing no-one has mentioned - I believe the ecu actually clicks in to govern the revs when you change - certainly I've never found it easy to double declutch, as I would on other cars. Maybe there's a problem with the software?