Transmission rattling
 

I've been loving my new asphalt m/t, but notice when I'm a little low in RPMs usually in 2nd & 3rd the transmission rattles quite a bit. And I'm not talking bogging speeds, I mean like 1k-2k rpm (so just before the engine bogs I guess). Its a little annoying and it mostly annoys me when my hand is resting on the shift knob, I can feel the whole shifter rattling around.

Again this only really happens in 2nd & 3rd gear it seems, and only around 1k-2k rpms. Its not a whole lot of rattline but it does rattle a bit and I find it a little annoying (and it worries me about rattles in the future if this is only happening ~1k miles)....

Should I get it serviced? Anybody else have this happen? Is this normal in m/t cars (this is my first manual)?

I also notice the car really doesn't like 1st gear low in revs either (usually in stop & go) when I'm not on the gas. If I take off the gas the engine rpms drop extremely fast and the engine starts bogging ~1-1.5k (not the usual <1k).

Am I just letting the revs drop too much? I try not to use my clutch unless I have to. I might just be a noob with the manual...

Yes 1-2k in anything that isnt idling is too low to be driving at. You make almost no power that low in the rpm band so the engine struggles to keep the car moving at the speed you are at. This causes juddering from the transmission. 2.5k-3k is a good around town cruising rpm range but you'll have to down shift to pass anything.

I'm assuming this is a first manual transmission car for you. Lower RPM doesn't necessarily mean better mpg the car is actually made to cruise at 3-4k rpm cruising at lower rpms isn't beneficial in the least and allowing your engine to bog down can cause premature wear.

^ what he said.

It usually means you're in too high of a gear for the rpm range/speed you're going.

downshift!!

Normal sounds for low rpm after clutch release.. Like ball bearings in a tin cup..
I love hearing all the mechanicals from the gear box... And the tranny is right there under the stick.. No fwd bs linkage that looses the sounds and feel of the tranny.. I'm loving all the sounds and feel you get from just simply driving...:thumbsup:

This is normal. I used to worry about this noise too. I even made a thread too. I try to keep the RPM 2000+ now.

Thanks guys! I'll just make sure to cruise at 2k+ from now on.

Normally I'm "cruising" at ~6-7k so this is rarely a problem :lol: