My previous 2 cars allowed me to pull up to a junction and go into 2nd gear and as long as the car was moving this allowed me to pull away. Now in the fiesta this is not the case. It is quite sluggish and juddery until the revs pick up- do you guys go down to first?

Also what is the big red think on my door for? its on the outside and quite low down?

That's what first gear is for, modern cars are geared for fuel efficiency so low speed and a high gear will cause juddering.

Not sure what the red think is, show us a picture.

My last car was a 2008 punto and this didnt have this issue? Guess ill just have to re wire my gearing brain to drop it into first! So will it go into from 2nd at like 10mph? I thought most cars hated that!

Its on the driver and passengers doors on the bottom/side looks bit like a reflector off a bike!

If the junction is closed you should be in 1st gear anyway as you have to stop & even if it's an open junction the speed on approach in 2nd gear is likely to be too high, unless it's a very rare wide open junction

 

It is a reflector - warning others behind you that your door(s) is / are open

 

Someone on here modified the reflectors to incorporate a led so that it illuminated when the doors opened - great mod too

If the junction is closed you should be in 1st gear anyway as you have to stop & even if it's an open junction the speed on approach in 2nd gear is likely to be too high, unless it's a very rare wide open junction

Intruiging as I know your old occupation!

when I learnt to drive, I was told that if the car was moving to keep it in 2nd and only go to first if the car stops as this is the getting the car moving gear. Is the first gear synchro'd? I think thats why I was told not to put it in as the cars I learnt in did not have synchro for first

You end up having to drag the clutch if you are going too slow for second.

It can be a bit juddery trying to pick up 1st when you are rolling, but there is a crossover like all speeds and gears.

I certainly use 1st when I'm still rolling, you get a feel for when to drop and when not to.

1st gear is obviously primarily intended to move the vehicle from stationary, however it is also intended to enable the vehicle to be driven at road speeds to low for 2nd gear, so it depends on the situation, but as most junctions are closed & therefore require one to stop & look prior to proceeding, then 1st gear should be engaged, with the clutch depressed, just prior to stopping, then whilst looking the clutch is taken to just biting point, so one is able to proceed as soon as it is safe without any further action of the gearstick, therefore keeping both hands on the steering wheel - where they should be & not fiddling with an unnecessary gear change

Yep, pulling away in 2nd at low speed is useless in my Tit, as per OP. The book reckons not to go into 1st above 15mph. I regularly do it at ~10.

Double synchro I believe.

1st gear is obviously primarily intended to move the vehicle from stationary, however it is also intended to enable the vehicle to be driven at road speeds to low for 2nd gear, so it depends on the situation, but as most junctions are closed & therefore require one to stop & look prior to proceeding, then 1st gear should be engaged, with the clutch depressed, just prior to stopping, then whilst looking the clutch is taken to just biting point, so one is able to proceed as soon as it is safe without any further action of the gearstick, therefore keeping both hands on the steering wheel - where they should be & not fiddling with an unnecessary gear change

I guess my old cars 2nd was better in low speed!

My punto hated being in first and the engine would sound terrible if left in it for any period of time. Guess I will just have to change how I drive to use first more at junctions!

Well . . . it was a FIAT ( Fix It Again Tomorrow ) - which are far worse than a Ford ( Fix Or Repair Daily ) :)

very true- one of the reasons I got rid was the build quality and the increasing problems that someone else now deals with.

I have not had one issue with my ford so far! Its doing its job perfectly. There are no clunks or anything that I can hear! My parents both have audis and when my dad test drove the ecoboost even he was impressed!

No car is perfect - at any price - but in my 36 years experience of all sorts of Fords I've yet to be disappointed & if we accept that nowadays all cars of the same type are built equal, then apart from the odd mechanical / electrical / electronic failure that can happen, most issues are down to either poor maintenance, inadequate servicing, or incorrect use of the vehicle

My 2009 Fiesta (1.25L) used to have no problems with dropping to second and driving in low speeds in second when taking a junction or turning into a side road for example. I've even set off in 2nd by accident once or twice and it handled it perfectly fine with no juddering

Now I have a 2015 fiesta and it's completely different as its only a 1.0L so dropping to second to take junctions it hates because of the smaller engine size so i've had to get used to dropping to first it places where I'd normally drop to 2nd.

I think it's just a case of getting used to it in most cases especially if you've crossed over from a different brand, completely different drives to what you're used to

The 1.0L will be more unsettled than a 4 cylinder under low rpm high load situations anyway, due to it not being as naturally balanced.

But you can still use 1st on it at appropriate speeds. 2nd is a really long gear on my mum's Focus, you can easily do 60 in it, I imagine the Fiesta is much the same.

The issue is the gearing on the ecoboost fiesta's. There all very long gears ( except 1st) for better fuel efficiency. It's a case of changing your driving style to suit the gearbox. The engine isn't the issue as 100 / 125 / 140 bhp is more than enough to get the car moving.

The 1.0L will be more unsettled than a 4 cylinder under low rpm high load situations anyway, due to it not being as naturally balanced.

But you can still use 1st on it at appropriate speeds. 2nd is a really long gear on my mum's Focus, you can easily do 60 in it, I imagine the Fiesta is much the same.

you are correct- yep I have gone down from 1.4 but gained about 25 ps so yep. Glad to hear its not just me!

for best fuel efficiency you should set off in first when level or uphill. when setting off downhill you should pull off in second. the reason for this is as when you take your foot off the brake the car will start to roll and very little power is needed from the engine to increase vehicle speed and less fuel is used going 2 4 5 than 1 2 3 4 5.

for best fuel efficiency you should set off in first when level or uphill. when setting off downhill you should pull off in second. the reason for this is as when you take your foot off the brake the car will start to roll and very little power is needed from the engine to increase vehicle speed and less fuel is used going 2 4 5 than 1 2 3 4 5.

Or for less fuel efficiency it's 2nd, then more 2nd, and a bit more 2nd, and 5 :)

My previous 2 cars allowed me to pull up to a junction and go into 2nd gear and as long as the car was moving this allowed me to pull away. Now in the fiesta this is not the case. It is quite sluggish and juddery until the revs pick up- do you guys go down to first?

Also what is the big red think on my door for? its on the outside and quite low down?

I drove my mates 125ps Ecoboost and he has the same,to fast for first as still moving and very slow

to try and pull off in 2nd untill it kicks in.

I've been caught-out at roundabouts several times with the 100ps Ecoboost.
Second gear is way too sluggish, so I have now altered my driving habits to suit the car.

Btw, I am now getting, on average, around 55mpg from the car.