my 2002 Camaro SS special edition had the same POS solenoid.. my DEALER at delivery included a skip-shift eliminator in the glove box and said theyd install it for free if I came to hate the 1-4 thing.. yeah I installed it that night myself..

-Christopher

 

I tried the 1st gear to 3rd gear this morning and it was worse for me than just starting off in 2nd. That 1st gear is just too low.

I think I'm going to start off trying a programmer and then maybe a supercharger.

 

I am running a stock Rubicon (4.10's and 32's) and I always start off in 1st when I am completely stopped. If I am at a very slow roll I will start in 2nd, but otherwise there is just too much "clutching it" to take off in 2nd for my likings. I do agree that 1st gear is slow as hell and requires a quick shift, but to me that is better than burning up a clutch. I cant imagine trying to take off in 2nd with 35's and stock gears.

 

Taking off with 35's with the stock 4:10 gears isn't bad at all and I'm really not on the clutch that long, it's just I would like more pep....I mean, as I'm letting out the clutch, no matter how much I push down on the go-pedal, the RPM's aren't going up as fast as I need (when trying to get out in heavy, fast moving traffic) until I hit that magical 1800 mark. It works fine in 1st gear....I can spin the tires, but there's not enough low-end torque in 2nd to get a good jump. Again, it'll do it just fine, but it's not gonna throw your head back like it does in 1st gear. Just figuring a little more torque would resolve this issue. I don't know how much more torque it'd take....if a programmer would do it or what. A supercharger would, but I'm not ready to get one yet.

 

The "lag" completely went away with my programmer install.

 

Cool.....good to know....I just gotta wait till after Christmas before I buy one. I don't know what Santa has in store for me!

 

This subject of starting off in 2nd versus 1st seems to come up every few months, and, programmers aside, I just don't get it.
A (possible) problem, as I see it, is one of safety. If you're in the habit of starting off in 2nd, and one day you find yourself at a 4-way stop intersection and nose into the intersection and someone blows the stop sign, I'm thinking you have a better chance of getting out of the way in 1st gear compared to 2nd. You can easily get up to 20+ mph if you have to in 1st, so what's the problem? Add 35" tires to the equation and it's even worse in 2nd.
I have a much harder time shifting from 4th to 5th than getting through those first 4 gears. And, as others have pointed out, it's gotta be easier on the clutch to start in 1st.

 

that tranny is working harder and lugging the transmission and engine wouldn't want to but these vehicles used ! I use all 6 speeds and yeh it can be even harder up hill you come out of first and by the time you grab 2nd gear your vehicle is almost at a stop anyway but its still better than skipping any that's just bad driving skills in my opinion( not bashing anyone but its not good on any thing a motorcycle a car a jeep or a truck why did you get 410s its not for speed its for low torkb I have 410s and six speed I may not like all the shifting involved but its part of owning a rubicon 6 speed I like it I don't worry if im holding up traffic people will want you to do 90 in a 30 mph zone anyway let them wait I drive a jeep not a sports car and if you want that shift selectionyou should have got 3.21 gearing

 

Bottom line no matter what the situation the longer time the clutch is engaging and disengaging it is wearing. Once you are off the clutch and it has clamped down there is little if any wear occuring. So when you start in second and have a longer engaging period as well as some extra engine RPMs you are going to have more wear and a shorter lifespan. Is it hurting the motor, trans or gears? No, unless you are reving it up and dropping the clutch. The question is how long do you want your clutch to last? To me, if you drive a clutch properly it can easily last the life of a vehicle. I read posts of people having to replace their clutches with under 100K on their vehicles and I cringe. Yes it is a wear item but all you have to do is remember a few easy things and it can last a very long time.
1. Minimal disengage and engaging times.
2. Don't ride clutch....see item 1.
3. Don't sit with clutch disengaged. When at a stop in traffic or light place trans in neutral and get your foot off that pedal. Sitting idling with clutch pedal depressed and still allow clutch wear and is hard on the pilot bearing.

Good luck with continuing to start in 2nd. I understand you not liking it reving out so quickly but it is a jeep not a race car....though I drive mine like one very frequently....lol. You can try a programmer but as some have already said you are just covering a gearing issue. I have 37s and 4.88 gears in my JK and I can start off in first easier than when it was stock with 3.73s. 1-2 gear shifts are fast but so what? It is a manual, 1st is just a launch gear, once the momentum is going 2nd takes over just fine.

 

I'm not into the clutch much longer than when I start off in 1st, so I'm not worried about that. What I'm trying to do is find more low-end power. It's the same as if I'm rolling, in 2nd gear, at low RPM's, and mash the go-pedal and there's not a lot of pep until I hit that 1800 RPM mark. Doing the same in 1st gear.....let out the clutch, let the engine idle it down the road, but when I mash the pedal, there's good power all through the low (below 1800) RPM's. I understand about it being a factor of 1st gear vs 2nd and lower gears having more low-end power and all.......I guess I'm confused at why don't I get any pep in 2nd gear until I break that 1800 RPM? And it's instant...not like it builds up to it.