new 2003 owner needs help

[svt03]

This is my first manual trasmission mustang, so I'm not that experienced of a driver what do guys think are the best rpms to shift at starting of course with first gear. any help would be appreciated thanks in advance by the way it is a tourch red convertible

 

[bassin247]

There is a shift light.. USE IT!

 

[toofast4u]

It depends on how you are driving. If your driving like a normal person just follow the shift light. If you want to race I would suggest you shift a 5k until you can do it accurately then migrate up to 6,250. My normal is usually the later.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[blown03cobra]

best way i think,,,,, go drive your car barefoot, with the windows and radio off........... your "naked foot" and ears will let you know when you should shift under normal driving conditions........ those damn shiftlights are gay, dont use them or you will never get over 1200 RPM's :thumbsup:

 

[Black Cobra]

There is supposed to be a shift light on the dash. For starters, just shift when that light comes on. Don't pop the clutch. Instead, let the clutch out smoothly. Note what RPMs and mph that the light is coming on at. You should get the hang of it in no time. After that and engine break-in, you can get more aggressive with it.

I normally shift between 2000 and 2500 rpms for everyday in city driving. Even though the '03 is geared different, I don't see this changing.

I wouldn't do any downshifting for awhile. Downshifting can be used to help slow the car, shift the f/r weight distribution, and raise the engines rpms. Downshifting could be considered aggressive driving and you should experiment with it at low speeds at first and only go down 1 gear at a time. You will notice that matching up the right rpm with the speed you are traveling to the gear you are downshifting to will result in a smooth transition. Too low of an RPM could result in locking up the drive wheels. Too much RPM could result in the car lunging foward.