Getting accustomed to the clutch on the Spark manual

[shilvest 0]

I had a friend critique my driving yesterday. He also drove the car around himself. He complained about the gear ratio and how he was forced to shift to a higher gear at speeds lower than what he would normally shift during when driving his old honda. He doesn't think this is the best car for beginners.

In summary, he said:

- my transitions were very smooth and the lurches at second gear that I spazzed about were normal and hardly noticeable. I did notice how much smoother my transitions were after adding the weight of a full tank of gas and 2 additional people.

- the burning smell was not a burning clutch but rather a "the car is on and the engine is running" type of scent. He rarely caught a whiff of the scent and another passenger was never smelled it. They concluded that I have a very sensitive nose. The smell was pretty strong when I turned the AC on while sitting idle in neutral at the end of a 30 minute drive, so I imagine it is a normal car smell and not the clutch.

- gas then clutch every time

- I don't apply enough gas in first gear, so my acceleration is poor. I also don't apply enough gas when reversing. He reved to about 2000 rpms where as I remained between 1000 and 1500 rpms.

- my transition from 1st to 2nd gear isn't the fastest, but it is ok

[Dusty Bones 8]

I forgot to mention that I can smell what I can only guess is my clutch *burning* on occasion. When I first began practicing hill starts, I could smell something funky coming from the car. The same smell was present if I rev'ed too long regardless of the state of the clutch.

Now I only smell it when I hold the biting point too long during a hill start while reving high or when I use clutch control in 1st or 2nd gear to creep into a parking spot. I usually enter panic mode when ever I smell it and automatically wonder if I should take it to a shop to make sure the clutch is not slipping or doesn't have extreme wear from the previous owner (or me!!).

Change brands of gas or don't use off brand gas like speedway. Even BP gas made mine smell like that. Switched to shell and no more.

[shilvest 0]

Change brands of gas or don't use off brand gas like speedway. Even BP gas made mine smell like that. Switched to shell and no more.

i think you are 100% correct. the dealer filled my tank before my car left the lot. the smell went away a little bit after my first fill-up. i guess the dealer filled the car with cheap/ off brand gas (which is insane because i purchased the car from a BMW dealer)

[neutrino 1]

On 3/3/2016 at 7:34 PM, neutrino said:

I just bought a new 2015 this weekend. What an incredible car. I really can't get over how awesome it is, for what it's supposed to be. I was going to look at the Spark, then the Mirage, and pick one. I didn't even make it to the mitsu dealer. Man, this car, just wow.

The only thing bugging me is this manual trans. I'm glad this thread is here. I have also been experimenting with shifting styles. 1 and 2 are so awkward while 3 and 4 are so smooth. The bite point is high in mine, with little pedal feedback. I have to be so slow in every movement, depressing and releasing, with a subtle throttle. Depressing the clutch quickly in lower gears is impossible, car looses speed and if you don't come off the throttle quick enough, its revving no matter what you do. It really makes you have to think and pay attention, something I'm not used to doing to much in a manual. Perhaps she will warm up after time, its only been 200 miles. I was debating taking this back and getting the CVT, but too late now.

I used to be a Tracker/Sidekick guy and the Spark feels like its spiritual successor, minus the boxed frame, 4wd and soft top (I liked the tintops better anyway). I wish I could remember how those shifted, so many cars ago...

 

My 5,000 mile update...

 

 It's getting cooler out, and some mornings, first gear will not engage, on the first try. I live on a small incline, maybe less than 10 degrees, and when its cold, or humid, or it's sat for 2 days, first gear will shudder and the engine will jump violently. It feels like the engine's going to come out of the compartment. If I let off, try to engage again, it may grab and take off. It will do this for 2 or 3 more shifts from stop until it warms up.

 

Once every couple weeks, the car will stall at a stop sign with the clutch depressed, and coincidentally, usually stopped on an incline.

 

A warm clutch will work OK, but it's definitely the worst gearbox I've ever driven. Sometimes, as I noticed earlier and I posted above, while in gear, If I depress the clutch rapidly, the car will buck and loose momentum, not coast as one may think it should do. Sometimes, reverse is hard to find. There's no rhyme or reason as to why these things happen. And the linkage is so darn loud.

 

I don't know if its hydraulics based, electronics based, or bad parts based. I'm not looking forward to taking this to a dealer and hearing  "its your fault/what do you expect/we can't reproduce it/not covered -wear part."

 

I haven't even had my first oil change yet.

I've found a thread on another less active forum about this issue, but no one has posted if they ever got this resolved.

 

http://chevysparkclub.geothunder.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=51&sid=65d3941a9113cc5d9551787af6bb32ed

 

Edit: its been discussed here as well:
 

 

Edited October 19, 2016 by neutrino

[kolij89 0]

On 8/1/2014 at 2:05 AM, parakalien said:

I've had my 2014 LS for around a week and haven't had any issues with the clutch. My previous vehicle was a Honda cbr250r motorcycle.

 

I also had the same one but 2015 and now I am adding speakers on my motorcycle. You should also check it out at https://happywrench.com/2019/08/08/the-best-motorcycle-fairing-speakers/