How to get into second gear properly?

[zuh]

Hi,

Yes, this is serious  I have a 2017 Aygo with manual gearbox and no rev counter and I have not tamed it yet.

I am used to accelerating frankly until I am high in the revs (not the red zone) right before shifting up a gear.

On the Aygo 2, when I accelerate and immediately after press the clutch pedal to change gear, the fly wheel and clutch disc uncoupling results in jolts. I can clearly feel and hear the torque interrupting and the 2 mechanical parts being disconnected. It is as though the gearbox did not like it when you declutch while the engine is transmitting power to the drivetrain.

I tried different techniques to do 1>2:
- at low revs: smooth (unless it is too low)
- at high revs: huge jolts
- while accelerating: huge jolts
- without accelerating: smooth

The conclusion is that I have to change into second gear at a very slow pace. Sometimes, I do it so slowly that I find myself in second gear in under-rev.

 

 

Do you have the same impression?

Thanks a lot!

[FROSTYBALLS]

If you have no rev counter, how do you know you're not in the red zone?

I've had my Aygo X-play for 13 months and don't need to use high revs in order to change gear and achieve a reasonable degree of progress - and I'm not a slow driver.

Sounds as though the car is suffering from a degree of abuse. You shouldn't need to rev that much to change gear and achieve reasonable progress.

[zuh]

Thank you for your answer.

I know because I also drove an Aygo with the rev counter on the same road. So now I can tell approximatively by the speed and engine noise what the rpm are 

I really feel that the mechanics does not appreciate when you press the clutch while the car is accelerating.

[Wiz201]

The mk2 Aygo does have an indicator telling you when to shift up or down? Even my x-shift auto has this feature if I decide to take control occasionally and go manual mode.

[Cyker]

What, is it quite a jerky disengagement? It may just be the way you're driving it. My bro had the same problem in his Corolla when he just passed his test; I think he'd never driven a car with so much torque before and was just letting go of the accelerator too sharply when pushing the clutch in instead of feathering it off first. Other times he'd not let go fast enough and the engine would surge as he pushed the clutch in.

I remember finding the Aygo gear changes a bit lumpy too at first when I first drive one; Partly because the clutch engagement point is so obnoxiously high, but also because it took me a while to get used to how the engine behaved compared to my D4D.
 

[zuh]

Thank you for your answers and help.

@Wiz201, yes my car has this indicator. But it tends to encourage to shift gear on low revs.

@Cyker, thank you. Yes, this might be a huge torque in first gear as I do not have the problem when shifting up the other gears (2>3, etc). Seems I have the same problem as your brother. I think I disengage too brutally.

[fordulike]

Just to add to this. I think the clutch engages within a very small window of pedal travel, quite strongly and high up, compared with other cars I've driven.

If I'm having a lazy drive day, I sometimes find that I still have the clutch depressed slightly after a gear change. Then when I realise, I release it fully. Due to the fact that the revs have dropped right down when I do this, it makes the car buck slightly.

Of all the cars I've driven in the past 30 years, the AYGO's near the top of the list for requiring a bit of concentration for a smooth gear change.

Note: I was going to use the word j**k with the letters 'er' in the middle, instead of buck, but for some reason the language detector thought it was a rude word 

 

[rgvsean]

Maximum acceleration occurs at peak power - peak power on the Aygo is at 6000rpm (from memory bit feel free to check) just before the redline.

This may sound like I am being childish, but seriously, if entering a fast road you need to get up to speed quickly & safely. 

It's so annoying when people pull out as though in hurry........ and then don't push the throttle enough.

You can work out the speed at 6000rpm in each gear and mark it on your speedo. You will need the rolling circumference of a tyre and the gear ratios from the spec sheet. Then simply do the maths for each gear and mark it on the speedo  - although your speedo will be 10% out it will give you an idea. There are gearing calculators online to help you.

I think it can do 60 in second and near 80 in third - again from memory - it sounds horrendous when you do, but it's fine -honest.

As long as you don't enter any "pull the skin off this giant rice pudding" competitions ............ you should be ok.