Don't get me wrong guys I like DS mode just taught I was messing up my transmission. How close is DS mode to MT ?

 

You really can't compare AT to MT, in MT you can shift at 1500 RPMS or at 8K or not at all until the car shuts down.

 

Unless you're really good at heel-toe shifting, DS mode gives you faster, smoother shifts than you'd get in a MT.

To me the difference from AT to MT isn't one of performance (if anything, you're giving up a little performance and some fuel economy going to MT). It is an altogether different feeling, or connection between you and the car. I find it difficult to convey the difference until someone has a chance to drive both. With the MT, you feel a much more direct connection to the car and it's workings. Maybe it's because you have your hand on the shifter and can feel things more.

Here's an analogy that may get me edited out of here. It's like the difference between spanking the monkey to a porno vs. getting a real hj/bj from a live person (other than yourself). More happy endings - minus the messy clean-up. Not that there's anything wrong with spanking the monkey - it's clean, safe, and you can do it almost anytime you want.

 

Haha great analogy and completely correct in the way you're thinking

 

As 2008G-man mentioned, D and DS are virtually the same at "low" power. At "mid" power, DS will hold the gears longer on acceleration. At full throttle, D and DS will perform the same again. Note that D/DS usually yields more consistent and probably better 1/4 mile times than MT.

On deceleration, DS will revmatch and shift more erratically during day to day driving. In addition to lateral G loads, DS mode is also invoked when the line pressure in the brakes go up. For those of us that drive in stop and go traffic, we know never to use DS mode unless perhaps you like the car possibly kicking down 2 gears to a stop.

In my opinion, DS mode works best on an open road.

I personally use the paddle shifters 99% of the time.

 

LOL poor little civic.
& Really only 3? That's upsetting to find out like this...
I do agree with using DS rarely. That **** swallows gas more-so than the car does w/o it. Crazy to imagine. It's almost like it opens a small valve in your tank and giggles at you when you do put it on.
(Just a little over dramatic )

 

I'm pretty sure my 2008 5AT will only let you manually shift 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears ..... now I'm second guessing. I'll have to check again.

 

Really???

 

Even had a Scion once and a big SUV (Suburban I think).

 

A simple algorithm change would be in the manual mode to let me do the shifting no matter what the brake pressure is, the steering angle, or anything else. I want to treat it like a true manual in that I choose and not the car. In DS or D then I would bow to the program in most cases except that I think it shifts too soon in D given your speed. I don't need to be in 6th gear while at 40 mph. How about 4th or 5th at the most. Makes driving in stop and go traffic on a freeway a pain and that's why I initially selected the 7 speed as I saw traffic in my area getting more congested throughout the day.

I also wish the transmission would act more consistently when I'm using it in the D or DS mode. Sometimes it accelerates like a "bat out of hell" while merging on the freeway and feels great. Other times given the same scenario it acts like it's confused about what you want to do. This is most prevalent during the on-ramp transitions area as you're building up your speed. Now I usually take manual control until I'm fully merged and cruising.

Al

 

Don't know what model year you have. Maybe you should think about the new TSB that resolves harsh shifting for the tranny.

 

The model year is a 2012 bought in February. Supposedly it doesn't need any TSB and has all the latest fixes already. Still not perfect but it could be with some talking to the right person and maybe a cattle prod.

Al

 

Actually tested this out yesterday on my 2012 G37x and it goes higher, I only pushed it upto 4th gear though because I didn't have anywhere to go faster & it's cop quota week here in NYC so not worth the trouble lol.

 

DS mode is garbage period. The friggin car never knows what the hell it wants to do gear wise. It hunts up and down, revs too high always, downshifts when you dont want it to. Paddle shifters are crap as well. I can shift to next gear with paddle and it just keeps winding up till it hits redline. Absolutely no control WOT or part throttle with paddles. A paddle shifter car should shift immediately when paddle is moved, not 5 seconds later up or down when the cars wants to. I can be in DS in 2nd and go down to 1st and it freewheels in neutral for about 3 seconds then catches 1st. Its really a pos system. Its definitely a car that likes to be left in D.

 

you should probably get your transmission updated.


the new tsb supposedly addressed this