Just bought 2003 Protege5

[SonicPenguin]

Hello everyone, I just bought a 2003 Protege5 with a manual transmission. A fun car to drive but I'm having an issue coasting in gear while at low speeds, usually in 1st or 2nd. If I'm under 10mph in 1st i'll get a feeling of the clutch slipping then regaining power.

I'd like to control the bobbing of my head to the music instead of what the car wants.

I saw the EGR cleaning thread about idle, I'm planning to clean this as a first response since it looks simple.

Thanks in advance for helpful advice.

 

[TWISFM]

hmm... need pics of your car to diagnose your problem...

 

[el_Don]

Are you easy-ing off the clutch or completely taking your foot off the pedal?

 

[detroitcity]

Hello everyone, I just bought a 2003 Protege5 with a manual transmission. A fun car to drive but I'm having an issue coasting in gear while at low speeds, usually in 1st or 2nd. If I'm under 10mph in 1st i'll get a feeling of the clutch slipping then regaining power.

I'd like to control the bobbing of my head to the music instead of what the car wants.

I saw the EGR cleaning thread about idle, I'm planning to clean this as a first response since it looks simple.

Thanks in advance for helpful advice.

Just a question... not trying to be a smartass.

How much experience do you have driving a stick shift?

Quite often in first gear at low speeds, when playing with the gas pedal there is a tendency for the car to buck a little bit, maybe feel a bit rough.

This can be compensated for by just learning how to feather the throttle.

It's unlikely that your clutch will slip only while coasting and not slip at higher speeds.

Just a thought.

 

[br289165]

Right 1st gear is pretty stiff

Just a question... not trying to be a smartass.

How much experience do you have driving a stick shift?

Quite often in first gear at low speeds, when playing with the gas pedal there is a tendency for the car to buck a little bit, maybe feel a bit rough.

This can be compensated for by just learning how to feather the throttle.

It's unlikely that your clutch will slip only while coasting and not slip at higher speeds.

Just a thought.

 

[Protege03ak46]

have this exact problem. im very new, first car, first manual. only got about 6 months experience. my mom yells at me every time it happens. i just shake my head and laugh

 

[el_Don]

Yea, you gotta get "the feel" for the clutch. When you're driving at a slow speed like that, you have to have one foot on the clutch and one on the gas and keep it balanced. You're going to have to pay much more attention to the car when you're going at that speed because giving too much gas will cause the car to rev which will freak you out and make your left foot twitch which then causes the car to launch, which is not good. And giving too little gas can cause the car to stall out. Listen to the car and try to drive by ear. (hear ya)

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

Welcome and congrats on the car. You should post some pics!

 

[ToNeZ90]

Yeah this is my first manual car....ya gotta learn to control it, and ya gotta learn the behavior of ur car. its the same on my car. it wants to tear through that 1st gear to get to 2nd gear, so i get a sudden jolt of speed even when feathering the gas. i compensate with clutch control. try to not ride in first that much and experiment a little in 2nd gear. first gear usually needs a lot of clutch handling on mine. i dont know if its the same on everyone elses.

My second gear likes to bob forward when its hovering just under 2k rpm to just over 2k rpm. so when its around there i just shift it into 3rd if i'm not gonna go any slower or faster. makes it smoother.

But yeah i just use more clutch wen i'm in a parking lot so i wont jolt every time i tap the gas.

Anyone correct me if i made a AMATUR mistake in this post(stooges)

 

[el_Don]

If you're hovering around 2K rpms and shift to 3rd, you might stall. The engine is a fairly high revving engine. Normally, I try to shift at 3K to 3.5K. There are some people here who like to beat the snot out of their car and shift around 5 - 6 K every time. Their fine. I'm not saying that it's wrong, but don't be afraid to rev the car up, it'll be fine. It won't bite.

 

[ToNeZ90]

oops see thats what i meant about making a mistake lol, if i do shift into 3rd at slow speeds i make sure to hit at least 2400rpm so the engine has a little power and wont stall.


Dont mean to change subject but i got a quick question....

Usually in wen shifting up from gears 1st, 2nd, and 3rd i hear a small low-sounding boom instantly wen i put the shifter into the next gear and take my foot off the clutch. usually happens around 3.5k. i shift pretty fast, almost like an automatic. any guesses as to what it might be?

 

[el_Don]

A boom? I've never heard a boom before. Are you making sure to push down the clutch pedal completely? Maybe the sound is something in your trunk moving around due to the shifting. Also, when your shifting, you don't have to smash it into gear, walk it in and be smooth about it. If you want to be like an automatic, be smooth. I can't tell you what noise you're hearing though.

 

[SonicPenguin]

Sounds like this symptom will be chalked up to my driving ability. Its only parking lots that are the problem though, just so happens to be an area with a high density of people to see me looking ridiculous. I can treat the symptom with clutch play but it just seemed that i shouldn't get the rocking when I'm in 1st gear going 1st gear speeds.

I've driven a few different stick shift cars and haven't had this experience with them, but I'm no expert and I have a short memory.

Here is a pic to ease the mobs that are forming, plan on getting rid of the roof rack to get rid of the soccer mom look, everything is stock as far as I know.

 

[ToNeZ90]

nah, my car is empty except for cds in the front. it shifts smooth and all, it usually feels like the gear is pulling the shifter into place. barely any resistance when ii hear the sound. its very low sounding, and its very "quiet" as in barely hear it. definately able to hear it wen radio is off.

 

[el_Don]

nah, my car is empty except for cds in the front. it shifts smooth and all, it usually feels like the gear is pulling the shifter into place. barely any resistance when ii hear the sound. its very low sounding, and its very "quiet" as in barely hear it. definately able to hear it wen radio is off.

I guess it's just the linkage connecting. I don't know. And just to be sure because you're new, when you shift into other gear, you simultaneously press on the gas and take your foot off the clutch right?

Just one pic? Just from one angle? Understand, we have seen these cars over and over again. We know exactly what we're going to see and yet we still demand pictures. More pics please, but looks clean.

 

[ToNeZ90]

yessir always do it 1-4th. 5th is still kinda wierd so i just take my time with that gear. And just an extra to the last post when i get some resistance but not a lot it wont make the sound. but yes, blalancing is always a must with me, unless i am gunning it. lol even then i sometimes hear it once from 2nd to 3rd shift. gives a nice power kick to the car too when it happens while gunning it.

i have let my more experianced friend drive it and do what i do and it doesnt do it......Maybe its a "sweet spot" ?(dunno)

 

[detroitcity]

Sounds like this symptom will be chalked up to my driving ability. Its only parking lots that are the problem though, just so happens to be an area with a high density of people to see me looking ridiculous. I can treat the symptom with clutch play but it just seemed that i shouldn't get the rocking when I'm in 1st gear going 1st gear speeds.

I've driven a few different stick shift cars and haven't had this experience with them, but I'm no expert and I have a short memory.

Here is a pic to ease the mobs that are forming, plan on getting rid of the roof rack to get rid of the soccer mom look, everything is stock as far as I know.

You'll get it down soon enough. There is something a little tricky about first gear on this car.

 

[ToNeZ90]

Sounds like this symptom will be chalked up to my driving ability. Its only parking lots that are the problem though, just so happens to be an area with a high density of people to see me looking ridiculous. I can treat the symptom with clutch play but it just seemed that i shouldn't get the rocking when I'm in 1st gear going 1st gear speeds.

I've driven a few different stick shift cars and haven't had this experience with them, but I'm no expert and I have a short memory.

Here is a pic to ease the mobs that are forming, plan on getting rid of the roof rack to get rid of the soccer mom look, everything is stock as far as I know.

Hey whats wrong with the soccer mom look lol it helps keeps cops off of ya. mines in red but i like the blue ones like urs too.

 

[SocialStealth]

Nice car, how many miles on her?

And I believe the boom may be from too little gas/ taking your foot off the clutch too fast. The bobbing is normal. You'll have to feather the clutch to get around it. Feathering is when you push the clutch down about half way and let it up a little until it catches then depress it again and keep doing that again and again while giving it gas. Its how you drive in first gear if you have to go THAT slow.

 

[SonicPenguin]

miles is ~78k

I had the following replaced: the main intake hose from the air filter (about to crack), timing belts, swapped the MT fluid and an oil change. I still think this idle thing is abnormal and after this maintenance there seems to be a reduction in the odd idle.

I'm still going to clean out the EGR valve, inspect the spark plugs (dealer wanted $80 to change them, $20 a plug, I THINK NOT!) and possibly Seafoam to clean out the injectors. I've heard mixed opinions about the Seafoam, anyone else suggest something to clean out the injectors?

Dealer also suggested coolant flush, front brake rotor resurfacing and pads, motor mount #2 and #3 being replaced.