[Elantra GT] manual transmission on 2006 elantra gt

[Brian Nystrom]

Kevan Hunter wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I just bought a 2006 Elantra GT with a manual transmission. I have 
> driven a few cars with a manual transmission but never owned one. I have 
> had the car for a week and am still getting the hang of this transmission.
>
> Most of the time I am smooth when shifting from 3rd to 4th and to 5th, 
> but I find it harder to get into 1st and go from 1st to 2nd without 
> shaking the car.
>
> How high should the rev's be when i start to let the clutch out? And how 
> high when the clutch is out? Similarly, for shifting from 1st to 2nd, 
> when should I shift, and how long should it take me?
>
> When going from 3rd to 4th, I usually keep an eye on the tachometer, 
> then let off the gas and push the clutch in when the revs are at 3000, 
> and the revs have dropped to 2000 by the time my foot is off the clutch 
> and I am in 4th. But in lower gears this seems much more difficult to 
> do. In 1st the revs are often over 3000 before I have a chance to shift 
> up to 2nd, and I need to let them drop to around 1500 as I'm letting out 
> the clutch.
>
> Are there any pointers that other elantra owners can give me?
>
> thanks in advance,
> -ksh
There is no "perfect", "ideal" or "magic" combination of revs and clutch 
pressure, it's all a matter of feel. It will vary with your speed, the 
terrain (level, up or downhill start) and how rapidly you're 
accelerating. It sounds like you just need more practice to develop the 
right touch. If you're jerking the car, it generally means that you're 
letting the clutch out too fast.

There's also one thing about the Elantra clutch that can make driving it 
harder: there's a small valve in the slave cylinder that restricts the 
fluid flow when the clutch is released. While the intent of it is to 
help prevent stalling the car if the clutch is released too fast, what 
it ultimately does is create a very inconsistent feel and inconsistent 
engagement. People who are experienced manual transmission drivers 
generally hate this "feature". Fortunately, it's easy to remove and the 
improvement in clutch feel without it is pretty dramatic. Go to the 
Elantra Club site (http://elantraclub.com/) and look in the DIY section 
for instructions on performing a "clutchvalvectomy".

-- 
Regards

Brian