| Cobey |
Sat May 08, 2004 12:07 pm |
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Okay, I am going to go look at an auto-stick SB this afternoon. It's been a long time since I drive on like this, so I need a bit of a refresher.
What is the proper shifting technique for an auto-stick?
TIA! |
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| Bruce |
Sat May 08, 2004 12:28 pm |
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| remove your hand from the shifter to engage the clutch. Don't hold your hand on the shifter while driving. |
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| Bookwus |
Sat May 08, 2004 1:57 pm |
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Hiya Cobey,
Like Bruce mentioned do not rest your hand on the shift knob. It will close the electrical contact in the shifter and disengage your clutch. Not a good thing unless you are changing gears.
And as to the shifting.......reverse is top left in a standard "H" shift pattern. And, like a manual, it's accessed by pushing down on the shifter. Low Range is located at bottom right. First Range is top left and Second Range is bottom left. When shifting, simply pull up on the gas pedal, shift, and resume acceleration.
VW says that you can use First Range to do all of your "around town" driving. Second Range is for speeds above 45 mph out on the highway. And Low Range is for starting out on hills, etc. So, you could simply start off in First Range and leave it there, or shift to Second Range if speed needs to be increased.
And there is another alternative....you can shift through the gears. Starting in Low, going to First, and then to Second. This is how I usually shift. Shift up from Low Range at 32 mph and shift up from First Range at 46mph. Downshifting is a skill best learned with experience.
Let us know how your test drive goes. One can tell a great deal about an AutoStick simply be driving it.
Mike
1970 AS Bug |
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| Cobey |
Sat May 08, 2004 6:51 pm |
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Okay, that was bad. No matter what gear you tried to put it in, you got some good grinding. :( The owner got it to go once, while we were pushing it out of the drive.
I'm not familiar with the system, so is there anything simple to check? I noted several vaccum lines disconected, and a bunch of other small things, but not sure just what might cause it to not go into gear without grinding. |
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| Bookwus |
Mon May 10, 2004 10:15 pm |
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Hiya Cobey,
Disconnected vacuum lines are always a bad sign on an AutoStick.
As for the gear grinding.......this is most likely to be an electrical problem. You see, when you shift gears you close a set of points inside the shift lever. This sends a zap of juice back to the control valve which, in turn, activates the clutch servo and the clutch is disengaged for shifting. Someplace between the shifter and the control valve the car has a problem.
If I were a betting man (and I've been known to take a few wagers) I'd bet that the problem lies in the solenoid which is attached to the control valve IF it's not just a simple case of a disconnection or a frayed wire.
Of course, there is a slim possiblity that the clutch just needs adjusting. To tell the truth, all of the above are pretty easy fixes.
In any event, let us know how you make out.
Mike
1970 AS Bug |
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| Cobey |
Mon May 10, 2004 10:40 pm |
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| Interesting. I thought the clutch was operated by the servo, which is vacuum controlled. Just noticed there is a fuse on that line, and I know the radio was recently ripped out. Wonder if they are related. |
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