On cars with manual transmissions, when in low gear (typically 1 or 2), why does accelerating and then taking your foot off the gas make the car lurch forward with that uneven, jerking motion?

Question

Why wouldn’t the car just decelerate smoothly when you take your foot off the gas? And why does it often continue even if you step on the gas again?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

if you are proficient you can minimize that shifting jerkiness to a smoother ride, especially on a nicer sedan. It’s all about shifting well before the top rpm range and quickly moving to the correct gear before reengaging the clutch with enough gas to spin up to match the speed you’re going.