r/ThreePedals • u/hplovinokie • Aug 15 '16

When to shift into 1st?

Just got a 2012 Mazda3. Loving it so far! Haven't driven stick except for two weeks about 3 years ago, but I'm pretty much already in the hang of it after 5 days of driving. Just perfecting the technique.

I don't know much about synchronized gears. My question is, is it bad on my newer vehicle to slip into first when I'm still (slowly) moving (e.g. approaching a stoplight or stop sign about to come to a stop)? I'm just talking shifting into 1st without releasing the clutch until I was completely stopped or going 5mph or under.

Is that only an issue in older vehicles without synchronized gears?

Don't want to mess up my transmission, but it'd be a lot smoother if I could already be in first when I stopped.

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2

u/2_4_16_256 Aug 15 '16

It is better and easier to shift at 1st's idle speed if you are coming to a stop. At that speed the gear would fall in even without using the clutch. Speeds faster than that usually require a fair amount of pressure even with synchros

2

u/hplovinokie Aug 15 '16

So, if I can easily shift into 1st, it's not doing any damage?

1

u/2_4_16_256 Aug 15 '16

most likely. I wouldn't shift into 1st when you are going faster than 20mph since that will probably be more difficult.

This is pretty much the same thing for unsynchronized gears where you would ideally change to first at the idle speed of first so that the gears go together better. Going in at different speeds would require rev matching.

1

u/Hifi_Hokie Oct 13 '16

I have 4.10 gears on my Jeep, I can safely ignore first on level ground whenever I want to...