A Week of A/T Manual Shifting Mode

[cdo221]

Question: What's the appropriate way to downshift when coming to a stop (letting the car automatically downshift when the RPMs get too low or manually downshifting before the car does it)? I've been letting the car downshift by itself for the smoothest deceleration to a stop but is this bad for the transmission or anything? This is my first "paddle shifter" A/T car so I'mnew to manually shifting an automatic transmission - I need to get used to not having neutral readily available.

[CircuitJerk]

Originally Posted by cdo221

Question: What's the appropriate way to downshift when coming to a stop (letting the car automatically downshift when the RPMs get too low or manually downshifting before the car does it)? I've been letting the car downshift by itself for the smoothest deceleration to a stop but is this bad for the transmission or anything? This is my first "paddle shifter" A/T car so I'mnew to manually shifting an automatic transmission - I need to get used to not having neutral readily available.

No harm in letting it do it for you.
Only reason you'd want to intervene is if you think you're in a situation where you might need to accelerate quickly.
That said, if I'm just freewheeling and a situation calls for it, I will reach over and slap the stick back over to auto mode and mash the pedal...
So many options!

[dun3]

^ this

[ScionFrsFan]

Sometimes I feel like there is to many ways to drive this car.

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by ScionFrsFan

Sometimes I feel like there is to many ways to drive this car.

I get the same feeling. I wouldn't feel that way if I knew more about all the ways to drive it. The A/T features are poorly documented. A couple sentences in the owners manual, some random car reviews and trial and error are not how I want to go about figuring out my car. If someone knows of any better documentation regarding A/T electronics please let us know.

[GNS]

Originally Posted by Demandred7

I totally agree, to my brain BMW and Mazda have it backwards (pull down to upshift). Maybe they are trying to emulate grabbing for second gear.

Perhaps (and that does make sense), but the official reason BMW and Mazda have given is because you're pushed back in your seat as the car accelerates. Pulling back on the lever to up shift from 1st (which is mostly just to get the car moving) to 2nd is a motion that doesn't fight against the force of acceleration pushing you back, if that makes sense.

Also, from personal experience on a real MT car, I tend to cruise in 4th in the city and 6th on the highway (obviously). Downshifting causes deceleration, which pushes me forward in the seat, AND the motion to downshift to 5th/3rd is a push on the shifter forward.

There is no perfect analogy, as you might expect, but my vast preference is for the pull to upshift / push to downshift method.


Also...think of the flight controls of an aircraft - you pull back to tilt the plane upwards, and push forward to tilt the plane downwards. On a game controller, this is interpreted as pushing UP on the D-pad to make the plane go DOWN, and vice versa. Obviously this isn't the same situation as on a real car, but the terms 'up' and 'down' don't always correspond with the desired result you want from the vehicle because of the very real fact that you're controlling a (represented) physical object instead of a couple variables in software.

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by GNS

Perhaps (and that does make sense), but the official reason BMW and Mazda have given is because you're pushed back in your seat as the car accelerates. Pulling back on the lever to up shift from 1st (which is mostly just to get the car moving) to 2nd is a motion that doesn't fight against the force of acceleration pushing you back, if that makes sense.

Also, from personal experience on a real MT car, I tend to cruise in 4th in the city and 6th on the highway (obviously). Downshifting causes deceleration, which pushes me forward in the seat, AND the motion to downshift to 5th/3rd is a push on the shifter forward.

There is no perfect analogy, as you might expect, but my vast preference is for the pull to upshift / push to downshift method.

I appreciate the further clarification on zoomzoomers post. There is a DIY to change it to your preference.

I still like it the way it is.

All of the tiptronic/sport shift/semi-automatic transmissions that I have driven are the same as the FR-S and perhaps I am just used to it.

Or perhaps, it is just simply up is upshift and down is downshift. There just seems to be a logic to it.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

[calis5nest]

What bugs me is that if sport mode does nothing on manual mode why is it that sport mode is still indicated on the dash when on manual mode. Wish it would turn off if it's not in effect. Not sure yet what to think of it, I notice a change in sound but it could just be in my head lol

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by calis5nest

What bugs me is that if sport mode does nothing on manual mode why is it that sport mode is still indicated on the dash when on manual mode. Wish it would turn off if it's not in effect. Not sure yet what to think of it, I notice a change in sound but it could just be in my head lol

I think it's good it stays on. That way you know when you switch out of manual mode, you are going to sport mode.

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by GNS

Perhaps (and that does make sense), but the official reason BMW and Mazda have given is because you're pushed back in your seat as the car accelerates. Pulling back on the lever to up shift from 1st (which is mostly just to get the car moving) to 2nd is a motion that doesn't fight against the force of acceleration pushing you back, if that makes sense.

Also, from personal experience on a real MT car, I tend to cruise in 4th in the city and 6th on the highway (obviously). Downshifting causes deceleration, which pushes me forward in the seat, AND the motion to downshift to 5th/3rd is a push on the shifter forward.

There is no perfect analogy, as you might expect, but my vast preference is for the pull to upshift / push to downshift method.


Also...think of the flight controls of an aircraft - you pull back to tilt the plane upwards, and push forward to tilt the plane downwards. On a game controller, this is interpreted as pushing UP on the D-pad to make the plane go DOWN, and vice versa. Obviously this isn't the same situation as on a real car, but the terms 'up' and 'down' don't always correspond with the desired result you want from the vehicle because of the very real fact that you're controlling a (represented) physical object instead of a couple variables in software.

This has always been my thinking. Plus I played waaaayyyyy to much Initial D and Grand Turismo in high school. Haha

[davesrave]

Originally Posted by calis5nest

What bugs me is that if sport mode does nothing on manual mode why is it that sport mode is still indicated on the dash when on manual mode. Wish it would turn off if it's not in effect. Not sure yet what to think of it, I notice a change in sound but it could just be in my head lol

I feel the same way you do. I think it's shifting slightly faster and feels a little harsher but I'm not sure. Also think the light on the dash would not be on if it wasn't doing anything. All the other lights respect this protocol. If they're on, they're doing something.

[CircuitJerk]

Originally Posted by Ocala FR-S

I get the same feeling. I wouldn't feel that way if I knew more about all the ways to drive it. The A/T features are poorly documented. A couple sentences in the owners manual, some random car reviews and trial and error are not how I want to go about figuring out my car. If someone knows of any better documentation regarding A/T electronics please let us know.

I find it fun exploring what you can and can't do in the absence of full documentation. That's the beauty of it, IMO.

Originally Posted by calis5nest

What bugs me is that if sport mode does nothing on manual mode why is it that sport mode is still indicated on the dash when on manual mode. Wish it would turn off if it's not in effect. Not sure yet what to think of it, I notice a change in sound but it could just be in my head lol

I believe it's stated in the manual that the sport features are disabled in manual. And I like that it stays on so when you toggle back to auto, you're able to continue using the more aggressive shifts, and the shift logic associated with the option. You can then tap the sport button to disable it. It makes sense that it works this way. The possibilities and advantages to this should require no explanation.

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by CircuitJerk

I find it fun exploring what you can and can't do in the absence of full documentation. That's the beauty of it, IMO.



I believe it's stated in the manual that the sport features are disabled in manual. And I like that it stays on so when you toggle back to auto, you're able to continue using the more aggressive shifts, and the shift logic associated with the option. You can then tap the sport button to disable it. It makes sense that it works this way. The possibilities and advantages to this should require no explanation.

I guess I lack the patience to solve the riddles of the A/T, but I'll certainly try.

The manual does say the sport features are disabled. However, the manual refers only to higher rpm shift points. It makes no mention of the car mag review claims that sport mode also quickens shift speed and throttle response. There is a legitimste question as to whether those attributes (assuming they exist) carry over to manual mode and if so, always or just when going manual from sport mode.

[CircuitJerk]

Originally Posted by Ocala FR-S

The manual does say the sport features are disabled. However, the manual refers only to higher rpm shift points. It makes no mention of the car mag review claims that sport mode also quickens shift speed and throttle response. There is a legitimste question as to whether those attributes (assuming they exist) carry over to manual mode and if so, always or just when going manual from sport mode.

Can you tell a difference? I sure can't. I'm headed out to go see a movie (Django) and I'll hit my secret spot on the way home to put some focus on sport mode enabled vs disabled in manual.

One thing I've noticed is in auto mode, sometimes when disabling the sport mode feature immediately after some spirited acceleration, it's as if it ignored the fact I turned it off and hangs in the latest gear until I do something.

BTW, I didn't mean to imply these claims were not legitimate, I just don't always trust a reviewer, no matter the credibility.