Is it normal for a stick shift car to feel jerky when shifting?

Should it feel as smooth as an automatic? What could cause jerky shifts?

Is it normal for a stick shift car to feel jerky when shifting?
Well, it's not going to feel as smooth as an automatic, you will probably notice a and small jerk when you shift gears. However, it's all about the clutch and keeping the power band smooth. Try to give enough gas that it won't kill, but not too much so that it will jerk or spin the tires (this might be causing your problem) I know this much easier said then done, but if your doing all this, maybe you could take you vehicle to a car shop and they could have a look at it.





Best of Luck,


Harder.Better.Faster.Stronger.
Reply:That business about a standard not being as smooth as an automatic is a bunch of hooey. Assuming no mechanical problems, a standard is as smooth or as jerky as the driver. It is definitely possible to accelerate smoothly, and have shifts as smooth as silk, detectable only by ear. If you are accelerating briskly, they will not be quite as smooth, obviously, and if you are booting it to get into a hole in highway traffic, (or racing like a juvenile reprobate), there will be almost a snap to the gear changes if done properly. I learned to drive 43 years ago, my first vehicle was a 1963 Volks van, 4-on-the-floor, then a 1958 Chev, 3-on-the-tree, a 1963 Mercedes 4-on-the-tree, 1973 Ford, 4-on-the-floor, and a 1976 Mercury, 4-on-the-floor. I have driven standard pick-ups, and Jeeps as well. With over 600,000 miles on standard, and another 900,000 or so on automatic, I know a little about driving.
Reply:How smooth or how jerky all depends on how smoothly you let out the clutch. But in general it will NOT be as smooth as automatic.





On automatics, one clutch engages as another disengages.





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What would cause a jerky shifts? You.





I've been driving a manual shift since 1982. I'm on my 4 manual shift car - so I have some experience here. When I'm driving by myself I shift hard and fast. When I'm with my wife (or mom) I shift ever so gently that it almost seems like an automatic.








Good Luck...
Reply:Well.....The way i learned to drive a shift stick was the guy told me....1st is to get the car moving....2nd is to gain speed...3rd is to gain more speed when the RPM meter says 3 or 4....and 4th is to prepare it to shift to a 5th gear where the car should stay if on the freeway. and when you slow down...put it in nutral and judje what gear it should be in next now knowing what the gears are mainly used for........I cought on real quick with his teachings...and now i drive stick like a pro!!!...NO JERKING!!! hahaha...
Reply:Either it's rubbing in certain areas, or you're not good at shifting. It's very easy to learn a manual, but it's very hard to get good at it. Assuming it's you and not the car, with a lot of practice you can get it automatic smooth.
Reply:The smoothness of you letting in and and out the clutch pedal as well as how you "see-saw" it with the accelerator...
Reply:Sounds to me like your releasing the CLUTCH too fast %26amp; ACCERATING too slow... not getting enough gas to make it run smoothly
Reply:Your letting out the clutch to fast and the R P M aren't matching the speed of the car.