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Hey all,
I just purchased a 6-Speed E46 M3 not too long ago, and being a former automatic transmission driver, Im having difficulty fully understanding how to drive this 6 speed car. I can drive the 6-speed around town with no problem but my driving doesn't seem up to par.
So heres what I usually do.
I engage it in 1st gear and accelerate to about 3000RPM and engages to 2nd gear at around 2000RPM. Then I rev to about 3500RPM iin 2nd gear and engages to 3rd at 2500RPM. And 4th gear+ I rev up to 4000RPM and engages to next gear at around 3000RPM.
Some times when I go from 1st to 2nd, car jerks a bit and the gearbox feels rough when I put it in 2nd gear. But when i just put it in 2nd gear from neutral with clutch in for test, its smooth. I think its me not engaging 2nd at a right RPM. It usually happens from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. Rest of the higher gears, I can change smoothly.
you are probably taking too much time switching between switching gears.
for example, if you are pushing the clutch all the way to the floor, but the clutch engages/disengages when the pedal is pressed halfway in... then you may need to be lighter on the clutch.
It's all about the timing. Shifting where you are isn't bogging the car down at all, so the jerking as le roi pointed out is most likely do to slow shifting on your part. As was suggested find the engagement point of the clutch and do your best to work on the timing. After that...
If anything you are over-revving which dores not hurt anything but gas mileage. You just need to get used to the timing and rythm of shifting again. You also need to adjust to each car, but that is usually very quick.
Do you ski? The rythm is simlar to making turns when downhill skiing. Maybe that is a bad analogy, but that analogy realy helped me understand how to ski.
Some people never really get the hang of it, and you will always make mistakes. I have driven manual transmission cars for 30 years, I took lessons from a race car driver at one time (but that really has little to do with street driving), however I still make mistakes once in a while and bounce a bit, grind a gear (usually shifting to fast and did not push the clutch in far enough) or something similar. Introduce me to the perfect manual transmission driver who never makes any mistakes, and I will introduce you to a liar.
hmm since you own a E46 M3 you might want to look at a performance driving school and get a few lessons on how to drive standard and the benifit is also learn how to drive the car to it's full potential in a safe controlled environment by a trained instructor
Practice. Everytime time you change gears, see what the rpm is right after you change. Thats the rpm you need to raise it at before letting the clutch go. It depends on the car but to me I think you are over revving.
Before too long you won't have to look at the RPM gauge or listen to the engine before changing. You'll just be able to feel it.
Hey all,
I just purchased a 6-Speed E46 M3 not too long ago, and being a former automatic transmission driver, Im having difficulty fully understanding how to drive this 6 speed car. I can drive the 6-speed around town with no problem but my driving doesn't seem up to par.
So heres what I usually do.
I engage it in 1st gear and accelerate to about 3000RPM and engages to 2nd gear at around 2000RPM. Then I rev to about 3500RPM iin 2nd gear and engages to 3rd at 2500RPM. And 4th gear+ I rev up to 4000RPM and engages to next gear at around 3000RPM.
Some times when I go from 1st to 2nd, car jerks a bit and the gearbox feels rough when I put it in 2nd gear. But when i just put it in 2nd gear from neutral with clutch in for test, its smooth. I think its me not engaging 2nd at a right RPM. It usually happens from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. Rest of the higher gears, I can change smoothly.
Any advice would be appreciated.
thanks
Dan
More seat time is what you need. Shifting is not something you have to think about it just comes natural with lots of practice.
Come back in another month and tell us how smooth your car drives.
also the OP has the right tranny for that car it would of lost alot of it's fun factor is it was slushbox auto
No slushbox on the E46 M3. You either got the 6 speed manual or the 6 speed SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox). The SMG could be put into automatic mode, but even that was better to drive as a clutchless manual changing gears yourself than putting it in "auto". FWIW, the SMG cars were supposedly a little quicker on the track.
The lower ratios on any car magnify imperfections in your shifts more than the upper ratios. It's a matter of time before you smooth out the shift. After you get going for a while, you'll be fine. Nice car.
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