Why are you going back and forth from neutral to first anyway? Keep it in gear at all times.

 

hey...i think you described the symptoms very well.

I just feel like its inconsistent. i could be giving the car the same amount of gas at the engagement point of the clutch, and the result would be different.

i guess MAF or clutch line bleeding might be the problem..

and i did the same thing in my m3 as well( cdv removal)...
amazing mod...

 

stop signs, redlights, traffic...

 

Are you one of those guys that sits at a light with your car in neutral? If so, why and why would you unnecessarily abuse the 1st gear synco's?

Also. having air in the clutch system will not create an inconsistancy in the operation of the clutch. It will lower pedal engagement, but that will remain consistant. It has been a long standing practice to deliberatly indroduce air into the system in order to adjust an otherwise unadjustable clutch pedal. If your clutch disengages in one gear, it will do so in 1st gear.

In a cable controlled tranny, it is common to have to use more effort to get it into first gear, especially when cold. If all other gears are fine, it is extrememly unlikely it is anything other that the cables or first ger syncro's. Or, it may be normal and you are too focused on it. If the problem is that your pedal engagment is too low, then you may very well have air in the line.

 

I guess another way to describe it is that upon intital take off, I bog the engine down slightly, get a couple of sputters, and then it takes off smoothly. I know this is my driving and not a symptom of the car. I always tend to not want to over-rev the engine and make it sound like I cannot drive. After almost two years of ownership of the Turbo, I still do this. Is it possible the clutch feel is different since the car is AWD, and this is my first time having a stick AWD car?

 

Jim, do you mean when sitting still you keep your car in gear with the clutch in? As opposed to neutral and clutch out? I thought that holding the clutch in was hard on the first journal and not good? Please educate me!

 

A dragging clutch will tend to heat up and get grabby. The hotter it gets the weirder it will feel. If you experiecning this symptom I would definitely have it looked at. You don't want a bad clucth dmaging your tranny. Again the dealer may claim that you are abusing or riding the clutch. The result is exactly the same: burnt clutch and flywheel mating surfaces.

Note that I am not speaking about the clutch delay feature in the BMW. My car had a defective ??? and the clutch would not always fully disengage. This made it difficult and sometimes almost impossible to put the car into first.

BTW are you guys serious about leaving the car in first at a light? In 20 years of driving stick I have never heard of this, not have I ever damaged the first gear syncros. I just give it a sec to slow down or stop before engaging the gear.

Won't sitting on the clutch pedal weaken the springs over time?

 

I have also been given the advice not to leave the car in first at a light...wear on the clutch. It is just easier to put the car in neutral and let the clutch out! Can't see how this will ever damage the synchros.

 

Every time the car is running and the clutch is engaged (idling with car in neutral and pedal out), all transmision gears are moving. You must engage the sycros each time you put it in gear. Keeping the pedal in and the car in gear DOES NOT increase wear of the clutch. You are simply using the throwout bearing to keep the fingers of the plate pushed in which keeps the disc from engaging the flywheel. The throwout bearing is designed like a wheel bearing and will last hundreds of thousands of miles. In many countries, it is against the law to keep you car in neutral while engine is running. This is for safety reasons.

 

So say you...here are what others say:

http://www.aaautocare.com/CLUTCH.htm ..."3.While waiting at a traffic light, shift into neutral and apply the parking brake."

http://www.10w40.com/individual/100186.asp ..."But, if the light looks like it will be a while, or for any other reason you don't think you will be moving, you should shift into neutral, and while still holding the brake pedal down with your right foot, let the clutch out. "

http://www.whtc.com/Shared/Auto/tuto...earnstick.html... "When at a stoplight, don't get in the habit of holding the clutch in for more than a few seconds or you will have other problems down the line. Instead, put the car in neutral while stopped for any period of time."

http://www.standardshift.com/faq.html ..."For safety reasons, you shouldn't keep the gar in gear while waiting at a light. If a car hits you from behind, you foot will be off the clutch, which means your car would jump forward and possibly end up in the middle of an intersection."


http://www.insightcentral.net/_files...river-card.pdf

All of which recommend putting the car in neutral for a long stop light.

 

You can find all sorts of reasons on the web. Do a google of "keep your car in gear at stop light" and see how many HUNDREDS of web sites you find stating it is safer to keep your car in gear. Anything from government bodies recommending it, to Universities, to safety groups, and on and on. As for the mechanical reason, there is NO reason NOT to keep it in gear. None, whatsoever. Unless you like keeping your tranny fluid heating up while sitting at a light, or like the fact that you are uncessarily using your 1st gear synco and using it at the worse time...that being a stopped car.

So you see...using the info you find on the web, you can try to sell any side of an arguement you want. You could probably find a website that states that woman love men with a small dick, too. Would you beleive that? Again, there is NO mechanical reason to take your car out of gear at a stop light.

 

again, m3 cab, you couldnt have said it better. i feel like if you try not to overreve the engine and make it sound like you cant drive, its really easy to have the engine sputter for a quick second or two...

1999porsche, i have heard from many people many times that leaving your car in 1st, clutch in, at a light, or standstill isnt the best thing to do.

 

Did you ask them exactly why that is bad?

 

I know, I think it is more of my foot/pedal coodination which is not exact when engaging for take off. I think I do it more when on a flat surface, opposed to a hill. I think I tend to over-rev (few 100 rpms) when on a steep hill, so I won't stall the car out or drift back.

I always tend to keep the car in first when I get to a short stop light. I think that is more habit then anything. I have been driving a stick for 18 years and have never had a problem with the tranny. Maybe someone else can chime in on this.

 

Sometimes you can focus on a problem so much that you make it worse. You might try getting into the habit of when you come to a stop, engage the pedal to the floor with your HEEL solidly on the floor when you get to the bottom of the pedal stroke. (the tip of your foot is the only part on the pedal) This will allow you to engage the clutch by NOT lifting your foot off the pedal but simply pivoting your foot on your heel until the clutch is fully engaged. This allows for a more controled release. I have a competition clutch in many of my cars which is either on or off with nothing in between and, compared to the stock clutch, it took awhile to get used to it and shift smoothly. Power assisted clutches make it difficult at times because it is an artificial feel to the mechanics of the clutch.

Try not to think about letting the clutch out and soon you'll get the hang of it.

One thing I don;t think anyone asked: Do you have a light weight flywheel?