Shifted from 3rd to 2nd at high RPM's

[RiCANACCORD]

Ok guys here is what happened:

I was making a right in an intersection, and there was a civic hb on my back. I noticed it in the rearview mirror, but I didn't care at all. So right after I make the right I see there is no one in front of me so I floored it like 3/4 of the pedal to reach 40 MPH and the civic thinks that I wanted to race, so then he floored it too, and I said: "well I said I wasn't going to race again, but let's try it and see if this car can beat the civic". Then I shifted to 3rd and I was in front of the civic by half car, and then I was going to shift to 4th, but erroneously I shifted back to 2nd. My car was in really highs RPM in 3rd so imagine how it sounded when I shifted back to second. I was like OMG! Damn! and I pressed the clutch and brake but saw no response so I shifted to third. I foolishly tried to catch him, but he was like 5 cars away so I knew I lost.

Just in case I learned to drive a stick a few weeks ago, and I was feeling comfortable with it so that is why I wanted to try, but I regret doing this.


Also there were no cars in that avenue, other than the civic and myself.

So my question is if something in the motor could had get damaged by shifting from 3rd to 2nd at high rpms. It took me 3 seconds to say damn I fucked my car, and then shift from 2nd to third again. I paid $500 to rebuild the head and put new valves and springs so I'm really scared.

When I stopped in the next light I little smoke came out of the engine bay, which scared me the most. But it stopped fairly quick. Another thing that worried me is that it did not limited the revolutions, and the car is fuel injected, and is 1993. So I could predict that either the car wasn't on the redline yet or that it does not have a limiter. I don't know if it has or not a rev limiter because I haven't reved it in Neutral. Guys to be honest this was the first time I've drove it fast. Well any help would be highly appreciated. Thanks.

The car runs smooth and nothing sounds wrong, so I could say everything is ok. Now I need a second opinion. THe car has no tachometer, just in case.

[Spiderldr]

in my completley unprofessional opinion,

First off, manuals without Tachs are just retarded.

Without knowing where the redline is on your vehicle, you could have been pushing it way to hard to begin with. So, yeah, a head and valve job would probably fix a lot of things. But who knows, your bottom end might have been stressed, for sure it didnt help the cylinder walls, and I'm sure it wasn't good for the tranny. But I think the Head valve job you got would have covered most of the immeadiate problems.

[3rdgenhatchDX]

i'd check your caps too, your rad. cap and your oil cap., my 96 neon didn't have a tach either, but it wasn't the 1st time i drove a stick. be more careful and aware of your abilities when you drive and "race" because it could be your death wish, or your cars.
I've got one of these i'll sell your for $30
http://www.pwa-par.org/newproducts/SunSuperTach.jpg

[RiCANACCORD]

I agree Spider, but since I use it to go from point a to point b I don't really push it that hard. But obviously a tach would help.

3rd gen hatch thanks for the advice I will definitely think it twice again before "racing" someone again. About the tachometer, as I said above I think I will save money with that since I shift like at 3-4k RPM's. Obviously my guess since I don't know it for sure.

[Bglad420]

Saw the title, had to laugh sorry........




I've done the same thing before....you feel like such a retard.....

[Ichiban]

heheheh!

i've had a few junker hondas and my friends and i have tried to kill them in a variety of ways, including what you just did. i've never had one die that way, its usually that they overheat and barf out the headgasket and bake the head. if it's still alive now, i wouldn't worry about it. do get a tach though.

[gfrg88]

i think its worse when you shift from second to first

btw dont eat and drive a stick people

[3rdgenhatchDX]

well i also should have said, when you shift from 3rd to 4th you shouldn't have to work for it, (i believe you have a cb7 and not that it matters what car it is i'm just saying i've driven them before,) but when you go from 3rd to 4th you should just pull the stick straight back, not have to pull into neutral and then pull back it should be a fluid motion, however 2nd to 3rd and 4th to 5th you do have to work for it, have you seen the civic lately? did he let you know you were ?

[Sabz5150]

Since you said you just learned to drive a manual, let me put in my two cents.

Don't force the shifter.

When you go from 3rd to 4th, there's nothing you need to do besides just gliding the shifter straight down. Don't grab onto it and jam it into gear, that's the quick way to mis-shift. You're going to automatically yank it towards you (since you are sitting to the left of it).

Just set your hand on the knob lightly and slide it straight down.

Fifth gear is the only gear you need to direct the shifter towards. First to second is straight down, second to third is just as easy b/c the shifter will pop right to the center. Third to fourth, read above. It's more of an art than a science. Before you know it, it'll be second nature.

[onliLX-i]

To answer your question about RPM limiters, yes your car has one. But even if the computer shuts off gas to the injectors the enging can still be spun to whatever rpm you force it to. My brother shifted into first instead of third in his Saturn and blew up the valve train. If your car drives, does not leak, and sounds good it's ok.

[3rdgenhatchDX]

Before you know it, it'll be second nature.

and don't let it get you down, you'll make it, i learned within a week.

[RiCANACCORD]

thanks for the replies!

[buds302]

i think its worse when you shift from second to first
btw dont eat and drive a stick people

I DONE THAT!!! i was in VA beach and i was at a red light....well this somewhat nice lookin car pulled up next to me. it was a cavalier or sumthin. but it was all painted up and all. anyway...im in my 3gee. i launch at about 4500. not too much tire spin but it was ok. i get up to 6500 and shift. i shift hard too. and then at about 6500 in second and about 50 mph...i go from second, back into first. i didnt notice i done it until i let the clutch out and tach needle burys itself..... way over rev!!! well i fried my clutch completely! it was no more! i limped the car 200 miles back here to my house and already knew with out thinkin that i had to replace the clutch. the motor seemed fine. nuthin sounded wrong at all. well i tear my ride apart and when i separate the clutch from the flywheel...two metal pieces the size of the clutch just hit the floor. that was on the pressure plate side.. there was no more material at all left on it. ok thats my story.

now as for the rev limiter thing.. a rev limiter is only gonna stop you from pushin the engine over its limit via the gas pedal. its not however gonna limit the car from pushin it over the limit. its like reversing an electric motor. there is so much forward motion that it takes alot of energy to slow down. all that energy is transfered through your clutch and your clutch and motor take a beating for it. theres nuthin you can do if you downshift instead of upshift. just sit back and hop you didnt tear your motor up. a clutch is a small price to pay for doin wrong like that.

[3rdgenhatchDX]

PERFECT!!!

Not trying to be an ass, just thought this was cool

[FyreDaug]

Your fine, you say you recently rebuilt the head so it would probably be fine. You would have heard some noise if you did some damage, from valve float. Motor is moving too fast and piston gets to TDC before the valve actually closes. Dont worry about, try not to do it again though. I cant say youll be fine everytime.

[halxi]

isnt this generally what the rev limiter is for?

to prevent the motor from over revving and causing damage.

[Deadhead]

the rev limiter as stated above is to keep you from over revving via the gas pedal. Think about the mechanical side of it. If you drop the clutch going from 3rd to 2nd at high rpms, the clutch is going to turn the crankshaft at a real high speed.

The ecu may cut fuel, but what good is that going to do? it's being forced to rev that high from the tranny. I don't know of an ecu that will plain STOP the engine from moving...

so yeah, i've done that once too, but it was the first week of driving a stick and it was at lower rpms. I shifted from 3rd at 4k into second and it went up to the redline.... So i was ok, except for the nice jolt forward :P

[onliLX-i]

Even a fast car will feel slow if the driver suchs at shifting. And a slow car can feel fast if the driver is a pro at shifting.

[Busted_Blue]

yea it can do some damage. friend downshift from 4th redline to 3rd..

quoted from my roomate:

I call this :
engine in a bucket


a hole in my heart:

[onliLX-i]

F#@% That!

[spnrx]

fuck my thingie timed out! I had a long ass post but I feel your pain! I burned out a clutch in my friend's mom's truck. It was horrid. I'm still timid to attempt 5spd again.