Shifting to First Gear not Smooth.

[yokona]

I don't know it there is already a thread for this. Sometimes, not all the time It's hard to shift to first gear, it's like it's not pushing through properly, i have to put it back to neutral and then try it again. is it because it's new, or is there a problem with my Clutch?

[Delete]

That only happens if your moving to fast for 1 gear or you are moving slow enough for 1st but foot isnt deep enough. Give us a scenario

[Cab0oze]

Have the exact same problem in my 08 speed3. Sometimes I cant get all the way into first gear and have to put it back in neutral and try again (when I am below 5km/hr) it is annoying as hell

[xxSlidewaysxx]

I'd say this is normal for a standard. I don't have a full tech explanation but ALL my standards and even some friends cars and trucks did this. Just gear alignment.... one of the joys of the clutch life.

[bluemazda3]

yeah it happens to me too..

[Rob23]

1st gear is sensitive, mostly meant to get moving from a stop. if your rolling slow enough you can down shift into 1st but you have to be smooth with it, match the revs. if it doesn't want to go into first then your going too fast, its a safety feature so you don't jam it into 1st while going too fast.

[rzapata]

Hmmm, seems like a common thing.. Good to know everybody else experiences this or else I would freak out and would think that there's something wrong with the car.. :)

[yokona]

mostly coming from full stop. like in red lights. i don't want to force it so i sometimes i put in second gear (i don't know if it's a bad thing). I can shift to all the gears smoothly, except for the first gear, and sometimes reverse (which doesn't really bother me).

so i just have to tell the dealer to adjust the gear alignment?

[ovie8]

Happens to me as well...from what i've read in another thread...its a pretty normal thing.

[zakman]

this has happened to me since day one of taking it off the lot and still does not at 70,000. i just have come to ignore it. nothing the mechanics at the dealer say matters much.

[Noisy Crow]

Most cars don't have a syncro on 1st gear... making downshifting into first while the car is moving is very tricky. Even on cars with 1st gear syncro you have to be going quite slow to get things to mesh.....

[Flagrum_3]

1st gear is sensitive, mostly meant to get moving from a stop. if your rolling slow enough you can down shift into 1st but you have to be smooth with it, match the revs. if it doesn't want to go into first then your going too fast, its a safety feature so you don't jam it into 1st while going too fast.

+1,

I ususally when coming to a stop (Redlight for instance), be slowing in 3rd, then brake till near stop, then depress clutch and put it 2nd then into 1st, then back to neutral from approx 10-5 kph.I find in doing this, I never have a problem getting it into 1st to get going again.As for bringing it into first for actual stopping; a good blip of the throttle and 'easing' the shifter into first, then slowly releasing the clutch will get you into there pretty smooth, but at a reasonably slow speed.

_3

[RTEnthusiast]

Mine does this in reverse. Sometimes it only drops halfway into reverse, and if I let off the clutch it grinds a bit and acts like it's in neutral. Back to neutral, and stick it into R again with some force and it usually works.

[rzapata]

Mine does this in reverse. Sometimes it only drops halfway into reverse, and if I let off the clutch it grinds a bit and acts like it's in neutral. Back to neutral, and stick it into R again with some force and it usually works.

Hmmm, this happens to me if I do not press on the clutch fully... Mind you, I tried it on the 2010 speed3 that I test drove it also does that... Maybe it's a normal thing, not sure...

[Noisy Crow]

Reverse has no syncros at all... and in addition to getting the dog teeth on the sliding collar to mesh with the gears, there is an idler gear that has to line up as well.

[yokona]

I'm just concerned but since almost everyone has experienced it at some point, i guess it's normal? It's an amazing car, so this minor problem will be overlooked!:cool

Thanks alot guys!

[Zuluwun]

I never downshift to 1st for this reason. I find it impossible to be smooth in any sense of the word. The lowest I go is 2nd before coasting to a stop.

[sol_searchin]

You shouldn't be throwing it in first unless your at a dead stop, 2nd is long enough to keep you going

[rzapata]

You shouldn't be throwing it in first unless your at a dead stop, 2nd is long enough to keep you going

+1 Totally agree.. Plus, it would be difficult to push it in first gear anyway if you're coasting to a complete stop...

[SomeGuy]

You can rev match down shift into first from like 5-10km/h and lower...but don't bother, there's no reason to.