My car has an M mode with +,- options next to it. From what I understand, this is the sport mode where I can simulate gear shifting, going from 1-5. I'm wondering if anyone can explain to me how to use this mode properly or if I would be better off ignoring it.
I've been playing around with it where I drive. I'm usually on a mountain so I'm usually going up or down hill or turning. When going up hill I start at a lower gear, maybe 2 and only shift up if the rpms get high. I feel like I get more power without having to floor the accelerator as much.
I've never driven a manual, but my idea is that I keep the gear low unless the rpms get high and shift if I need to. Based purely off of my Need For Speed deduction.
Btw I drive a 2012 Mazda 3, the handbook doesn't really say much about it besides just pointing out that the car has the function.
Edit: Thanks, this shed some light.
When ever you feel like it.
This. I also like it for passing.
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My old Civic did. You just had to give the pedal a quick jab passed the kickthrough and it would downshift.
Its when you have to pass on a two lane road and have to drive on the lane of oncoming traffic. So you are more pressed for time to pass.
If you floor a car to pass it will take a second for it to realize you floored it and downshift.
but if you can see that a passing opportunity is coming up. you can manually switch to a lower gear so when the time comes and you floor it there is no delay.
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don't get me wrong. The delay isn't much in most cars so your not saving a lot of time, I mentioned the passing into oncoming traffic because its one of the few times when you really don't want to spend extra time in that lane that you don't need to.
my SUV has the option for manual mode and I the only time I use it is if I'm bored.
Quick question. I have this on my car as well. Is it bad to user m mode on your car? Like is it bad for the engine/transmission? I've recently been using it and was just wondering. Just don't wanna mess up transmission.
Shouldn't. It's just you controlling your transmission instead of the computer.
Okay so I shift around 2.5 or 3k rpm. That's what you should do on stick o have no idea how it is on m mode. Is that good or should I just let automatic do its job? When I'm hauling it's helpful because I can shift at about 6k rpm for my max torque.
i wouldnt worry about breaking anything using the m mode. the ecu wont let you do anything that would actually break your trans/engine and im sure the manufacturers wouldn't put m mode in the car if constant use of it would break it.
i use my m mode all the time and only go into auto for bad traffic.
2.5k - 3k is more than fine for shifting if your just putting around
Okay thanks man. It's pretty fun keeps me alert too.
Thanks, breaking something was also one of my concerns.
most new cars will not allow you to shift outside of safe values. Ie it wont let you downshift to gear that would put the rpms past the red line. and if you fail to downshift as you slow down it will shift the gears to prevent stalling.
but if your red line is 7000 rpms it will let you drive on the highway in 2nd gear at 6500 rpm all day which would be bad for the car.
Yeah I would never drive that close to red line. When I'm racing my friends off the line I usually shift at 6k rpm. But that's really rare that I do race with it. For the most part, I shift at 2.5-3k rpm. Is that fine for the transmission?
shifting then is fine and if you are accelerating quickly then going closer to the red line isn't bad as its only for a short time.
Its only if you left it in a lower gear for an extended period of time that it will increase wear on the engine and raise temperatures
Okay so if I'm at around 2.5k is that too low of a gear or should I shift up?
Not "sport mode". Its what most people call tiptronic. You never never have to use it, or you can use it all the time. Also, that feeling of having more power is because your engine makes more power at high RPM.
Not to be pedantic or anything, but the correct general term is "manumatic".
Tiptronic is the (now-defunct thanks to PDK) marketing term that Porsche used for their manumatic auto transmissions, just like how BMW uses the term Steptronic and Mercedes uses Touchshift/Speedshift.
Mine is shift-tronic
Going up or down steep hills will be one. When ever you are bored is another.
I like to put it into a low gear so that I'm running at 3500 or 4k rpm and freak my girlfriend out with some fun throttle blips. That's what I used it for when I had an auto.
Also while driving in snow. Put it in 2nd for starting. Leave it in 2nd or 3rd when going down a steep hill so you don't have to ues the brakes.
all the time if you want. its basically more control over the engine without actually having a manual transmission.
mazda 3 is a fun car to use it on. especially with the 5 speeds. mine only has 4 and it is REALLY fun to drive without all the gears.
Indeed staying in lower gears with less throttle can be more efficient going up hills than being in a higher gear and using more throttle.
People say this, but it is generally not true. It is more of a rule that low rpm + high load = more efficient. Friction increases with rpm, and pumping losses increase at low load.... downshifting is raising rpm and lowering load.
Here are some BSFC maps:
http://ecomodder.com/wiki/index.php/Brake_Specific_Fuel_Consumption_(BSFC)_Maps
One of the nicer ones:
http://ecomodder.com/wiki/images/d/d4/ALH_BSFC_map_with_power_hyperbolae.png
Going up a hill you need some amount of power, you can see in diagram at every power level the engine is always more efficient making that power at a lower rpm.
Here is more explanation of BSFC maps:
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=112611
What everyone else said. Just use it when you need to be in a lower gear.
Also, when I have an automatic car with a manual mode, I downshift to engine brake around highway patrol since it doesn't turn on the bright red brake light to draw attention and make you look guilty, like the people that slam on their brakes when they see a cop.
I use it all the time in my Mazda 3. I like mazda's version of M be because it wont change gears by itself; some cars when you're in M mode, they will upshift automatically if you red line it.
I usually leave it in automatic for starts, then when the car hits 4th gear, i will switch to M and downshift to slow down or for downhills.
I believe the 2nd and 3rd gen mazda 3s only show D, but the 1st gen shows what gear the car is in when in D or automatic.
It is really fun when down shift the gear to 3rd when you need to slow down on the highway, keep it there (rpm will be high) and floor it to pass. Makes the car feel super quick.
My Fusion Titanium did the opposite.
It would not upshift automatically. I know this for a fact because my very first drive I started smelling a burning type smell before realizing it was redlining on a very low gear (don't worry, didn't make that mistake again).
I then did a controlled experiment and found that it WILL downshift automatically.
Not sure why it does one but not the other.
Sometimes you'll shift between a smooth cruise (5th) and a responsive cruise (4th), and for hard passing drop into 3rd.
Depends on the car.. The ZF 8 speed has a really nice manual mode.
In my 5 series I use it when the roads are bad. Drop it in M, then 2nd and I can drive drive up sketchy roads and not be so worried about it breaking loose.
Whenever you want, really. But you should use it in steep downhills, to make use of engine braking. I feel it also helps when passing someone, since I don't have to wait for the transmission to realise I want a lower gear. Sometimes I just put it manual mode just because I want to, because I'm used to driving a manual, so I like having something to do.
I mostly use it to control my speed a bit more, i.e. on steep grades, passing, and in school zones.
Ooo my 2013 Ford Fusion Titanium had this feature but the +,- were toggles on the steering wheel instead of buttons on the shifter.
It's a ton of fun.
I have sport shift on my car too and I use it when i want more control of the car. In sport shift you can switch to a lower gear to make your acceleration more responsive and to get more power quicker. You can use it as much as you want but if you high rev a lot I would think its a little harder on the engine.
So you can downshift it manually. A lot of automatics will stay in the higher gear when you are braking and won't downshift until you get back on the gas, ruining your corner exit speed.
Also if you are towing a heavy load and want it to stay in a lower gear instead of shifting up and roasting itself, you can manually shift it.
I use my manual mode for driving in the snow. Keeping it lower hear makes it a lot easier