i did a search, but didnt come up with much. please help. 1st gear always seems so short.

 

what you mean? on the roll? instead of using first you want to use 2nd gear? 1st gear already boggs up by itself...2nd is worse from start...but i dont think it will ruin your motor...

 

i meant from a stop. starting in second feels fine. was wondering if it messed with the clutch or synchros, etc?

 

Why again do you wanna start in second? Our cars have Hardly any torque low-end... but it won't mess anything up if you do... just dont do it going uphill... or youll rattle it to death

 

yeah, a car like the S isn't made to be frequently started in 2nd gear. The drivetrain components aren't exactly heavy duty. My GF's father has a truck that he starts in 2nd gear, but it's a freeggin' diesil dodge, those things can handle damn near anything...

 

its fine was a downhill, especially if the car starts moving on its one from gravity

 

bobatimez - I wouldn't recommend making a habit out of the 2nd gear start. You "can" do it, you can even take off in 3rd if you really want to. However, you will have to slip the clutch much more on takeoff, leading to increased wear and decreased clutch life. Because of the massive labor involved, a clutch replacement is quite expensive.

Just out of curiosity, how is 1st gear short? It tops out at over 40mph if you redline it. Are you new to driving a manual transmission? Honestly, I do not understand your desire to avoid having to make a 1-2 shift.


FjS2000 - some trucks, particularly heavy-duty ones intended for hauling, have a super low 1st gear (often called a granny gear) to help get the load moving. This is probably why they start out in 2nd in the big diesel truck.

 

I'll echo what others are saying: you can start in 2nd, but it requires more slipping of the clutch. And I'll also echo that you shouldn't make a habit of it.

Save the clutch and some annoyance by starting it in first.

 

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My son learned to drive when he was in his 20's. Some idiot told him to always start off in 2nd gear because it would be smoother. This was right after he had a clutch job done on his truck. That clutch went from brand new to sitting in a parking lot in gear and going nowhere while the engine revved to max - all in ONE YEAR. Granted, this is an extreme example but you get the picture. You really need to understand the dynamics of power transfer in a vehicle drivetrain.