Uh oh - First shift error

[ChrisXoxide]

1900 Miles, made the first stupid shifting error.

I was driving hard, 5krpm 1st, shift to 2nd, 5k rpm 2nd , shift to third, about... 5k I think rpm third, and downshifted by mistake to 2nd I believe. My wheels chirped a bunch but I think I reacted within a split second and dropped the clutch back down, and put it to fourth.

I don't know what rev I must have pushed the engine to, but I'm wondering if there is any chance I injured the engine on this mistake? I don't even know how I screwed up, just a stupid error.

The car ran fine afterwards, I'm having no problems. Going like 50mph I think I can hear a soft rotating/rubbing sound from my tires, but maybe that is just my paranoia. I get so paranoid that something is wrong after I do something bad in the car, I'll think I hear rattleing and whatnot, but I think thats really just me being nervous.

Ok - input everyone? Any chance of engine injury or what? How about the light rubbing sound I think I'm hearing in my front wheel wells? (By the way, for some reason when I make a sharp U turn, my tires rub in the front. Or make a "rubbing" sound. They are stock wheels/tires though, and the car is not lowered.

 

[carguy07]

I doubt you hurt anything. The tires would have needed to hook up to over rev a ton. Bent pushrods would be my guess if anything happened. Want to convert to roller rockers? Good time now...KW

 

[Joel]

I've done it twice, made me cringe for days after, saw the tacho go to almost 7k, and for sure I thought I had done damage, but everything seemed to be fine. This year I bought the modified Woodhouse shifter and did away with the stock ball on a stick lever. Fitted an older 97 gearknob. The combination of the gearknob, a Rich Detert lever and the Woodhousse shifter has transformed my ability to change gear!

 

[CincyKen]

Your not alone!

I did the same thing with about 900 miles on my GTS ACR. I was on it pretty good and went from 3rd gear to 2nd instead of 4th.! I thought I might have destroyed someting . But now all seems OK........I have taught myself to push the shifter away from me when going from 3rd to 4th.
You have to get used to your arm being higher and resting on the center console..........it throws you off.
Now stop worrying....get back in the Viper and give it hell. Just push the shifter away from you when going from 3rd to 4th.
Cincy Ken

 

[GTSnake]

Re: Your not alone!

You didn't do any damage. The rev limiter would keep you from doing anything stupid.

 

[carguy07]

Re: Your not alone!

Rev limiter only saves you from over reving when you are on the gas. Drop a gear when you shouldn't and you definitely can grenade.

 

[KenH]

Re: Your not alone!

Been there, done that, sweated bullets for a while but there was no apparent damage. Since then, I have changed my grip on the shifter. When I go from 3rd to 4th, I rotate my hand so that the thumb is down which kicks my elbow out and the shift to 4th is much more sure than it was before. I learned that technique here on the board from others after my 'incident' and I find it works much better.

--- Ken

 

[BIGBADCJ]

Re: Your not alone!

i went 1,2,1 the other night, gotta love warranty work that was after i got done with a tall glass of coolant

 

[SNKEBIT]

Re: Your not alone!

did that the 2nd time I drove it didn't seem to hurt anything been beatin' mopars all my life, they can take it

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Re: Your not alone!

I've done the 2,3,2 thing twice with no damage.

 

[snowmann]

Re: Your not alone!

You won't hurt your car even if you do that a hundred times.

 

[Gene's98GTS]

Re: Your not alone!

If I install 1.7 roller rockers and miss a shift - will this increase the likelihood of engine damage?

 

[ChrisXoxide]

Re: Your not alone!

Wow. Thanks a ton for the supportive, and mostly "comforting" responses.

Its funny, since this happened (2 days ago) I haven't even driven the car yet until I checked back on this thread just now. I'm going to go jump in the car for a ride now.

I was THAT paranoid. I was gunna wait for responses, incase I needed to get it looked at. =D LOL

 

[ACR Joe]

Did the same thing twice in one day. It really made me sick but no damage. I now use the thumb down technique and shift into 4th just a bit slower - engage the clutch a bit slower as well. If I screw up again, I'll catch it in time. I sincerely doubt you did any damage. Go for a cruise down Columbus Blvd. and check out all the hotties checkin' you out in your ride. That'll get your mind off the missed shift.

 

[Tiepilot]

Chris you need to get into the habit of shifting from 3rd to 4th by shifting as ACR Joe mentioned.

It's odd feeling the first few times but becomes second nature and you don't even realize your doing it. You'll never miss 4th again and cram it into 2nd.

 

[SNKEBIT]

yeah, what Joe said

 

[MannyC]

Do all Vipers have Rev limiters? Do the early Gen I's have them? And speaking of Rev limiters, if you have the car in 3rd gear and have it floored and never shift, will the engine just bang off the rev limiter over and over with no damage whatsoever?

I ask because at my last (and first ever) track event with my 94 Viper, I was bringing it to redline quite a few times, but never hit a rev limiter. In my Vette, I would hear the WEENG WEEENG WEENG pitch of the engine as it bounced off the rev limiter letting me know it would not rev any higher and needed a shift.

 

[Viperzilla]

In some cars, the fuel cut off is past the redline. Gen 1s should have them if my 91 Mazda 323 hatch has it. I wouldn't say it wouldn't cause damage. I remember the story of the kid in his Eclipse trying to get a Viper owner's attention by revving his engine out of gear. After about 30-60 secs. his engine blew leaving him and his ********** g/f stranded.

 

[Magicboy2]

Incidentially, I've found that my short throw kit helps me shift much quicker and more accurately, not to mention while looking cooler as well.

 

[HOLD TYTE]

Thank god you were in a viper. My friend made the same mistake on a 2002 porsche tt X-50.. kaboom! He was trying to keep up with me in the mighty viper!!

I've missed two shifts like that and everything is A - OK!!

 

[SapphireGTS]

Dude. Mellow out I do that for fun sometimes. It doesnt hurt anything except for your tires.

Its a good way to surprise the unsuspecting motorcyclist that is on your A$$ proving that he is faster.

 

[CMilViper]

Just went from 1-2-1 tonight chirping the tires for a second. Boy I hate that feeling.
Sounds like my valvetrain is even louder than before, but hopefully I am just being paranoid also.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Sorry, to jump in ,but a statement that it won't hurt the car if you do it a hundred times is way too bold. This is one of the main reasons we have seen cars in for repairs. Nice little divits on the top of the pistons, and it doesn't matter what kind of vehicle you drive,a downshift with high revs is not a good thing. In all likelyhood you are okay, but this is something any conscientious owner should avoid and it normally occurs( with problems) while racing - not street use. Racing, the downshift is much more dramatic and things do occur,as then folks are usually at the top of the rev limiter when they go down two.

 

[BadVenm]

This looks like you posted the same thing under a diffrent title.

I will restate what I stated in the other post.

Been there done that.

I had the car looked over at my dealership. Had the valve covers pulled, ran the valves etc... Motor checked out okay.

BUT..... I hurt my rear end two ways. One my spring came unseated from it's mount on the shock and rubbed badly until it was fixed. I moved or shifted something in the rear end. It was a crush collor, or shim, or something they said. My rear end had to be taken apart and rebuilt. A $2,000.00 driver error. I was smoking a new 300Z for the 3rd time and I went redline 1st to 2nd, redline 2nd back to 1st. Wheel hop, chirping all that good stuff. Things WILL get torn up. My RT however carries more HP and Trq than most so that may have helped me tear mine up when it happened.

All in good clean fun!

Hope all is well with yours.