My car never came with a manual so I really don't know how to use this. Any help?

 

once you pop the shifter into ss mode, up is to shift up and down is to downshift. nothing really to it. basically the same as a MT except for the fact that there's no clutch and there is a little delay when you shift and when the car actually shifts.

 

^easy as turning your climate control on

 

there is no secret to it. All it does is give you control over when it shifts. Just remember that your in it and dont forget to shift.

 

Funny you mention that, it's happened to me a few times then I shift, can this hurt the car in anyway? letting it get too close to redline??

 

If you keep doing it, then it will hurt the engine. But by doing it by mistake won't do much harm unless you do it for an extented time.

I only use SS when driving on steep roads or when im about to run against somebody. Dont see the point of it during regular driving.

 

ohh.. so when you are about to redline, do you let go of the gas pedal and then shift?

 

No you dont have to let off the gas at all. You dont have to wait to redline, you can do it at redline or 1k rpm. When ever you want. you cant hurt the car. About the only thing that would hurt it is if you forgot you were in it and decided to take a nice long drive down the interstate in 2ndd gear at redline without ever shifting

 

Nah, you still hold the gas pedal. Something else that SS does is it will shift from 1st into 2nd if you dont do it at redline, but from there its up to you.

 

good sh*t. The car's a beast in SS mode. One more question. I turned of the traction control and it seems to me like it frees up more torque. Not sure how to explain it but that's what it feels like. How does that work?

 

TCS applys the brake when the front wheels are moving faster than the rear. applying the brake while you are accelerating slows you down. its only really usefull if you are in the rain snow or ignorant.

 

Ive never found the POS tsc system in the TL useful. Its pointless to have a system that only works up to 20 mph.

 

So technically speaking, turning off the TCS isn't giving more power, but it's just not applying on the breaks so it releases witheld power?

 

Thats the good thing bout VSA..Ive had mine work goin 80 before...BTW 1st gear in SS shifts just like it was in regular D5. It is a little more on the sporty side tho...the only gears you have to shift in/out of is 3rd, 4th, 5th

 

unless you have a 99. 99's dont automatically shift into 2nd you need to do it manually or it will just redline.

 

Yup and in the 99 even if you turn off the TCS it still comes on if your wheels start to spin...... at least it does in mine. Is there any way to really turn it off? Or is mine a special case?

 

Thats what the switch is for, its to turn it off. Whats the point of having a switch turn it off only to come on when your tires spin?

 

No shit that's what the switch is for. That's why I asked if mine was a special case.
I honestly couldnt tell you what the point would be of having a switch if it doesn't work, I didn't make the fuckin car. Maybe my car is just giving me a pretty light to look at.

 

Ditch the attitude. No one gave you any attitude.
Well if you know thats what the switch is for why ask the question? Obviously there is something wrong if you turn the system off and it still activates. It shouldnt be like that (unless the 99s are different- which i dont think they are) It could be a problem with the switch. When you push it does the light on the dash come on?

 

once i hit the button mine is off.. how do you know yours still dosen't work? you feel it or see the light flashing or what? thats just strange

 

I know what the button is for. that is the reason why I asked if mine was a special case..... meaning that I dont know if anyone elses does that and if not is there something wrong.. When I do push the TCS button the light comes on. When I push it again the light goes off. When I take off from a start and my wheels start to spin the light begins to flash. Just like I had stated before.

 

So with the light on the dash (ie meaning its off) and you floor it and the tires spin it starts to blink and the tcs is activating?

 

Oh shit now I feel like a dumbass. Do you mean to tell me that when the light is "ON" on the dash that the TCS is "OFF".

 

Yes. When you start the car its ON by default. When you push the button the light on the dash comes on to tell you that its OFF.

 

LOL DAMN IT!!!!! Sorry for the attitude earlier. I fell like such an idiot. Obviously I didn't know what the hell I was talkin about. Thanks for puttin up with me. And sorry for stealin this thread. Now I can go and spin tires without having to worry about the stupid TCS. Thanks fsttyms1, all you've ever done was help me, and I appreciate........... dont mean to get all sentimental on ya.

 

No Problem!

 

i have a question.. is there any way to shorten that delay of shift? a grounding kit or am i totally wrong? or a stand alone ecu or something?

 

MurkyRiversTL, i was on the same boat as you, i though if the light was on=tcs turnd on...light off=tcs off. i think we are actually the special cases instead of our cars haha

 

Dr. Evil tranny or manual

 

i've always wondered about this... lets say im going a good 40mph in 4th then i want to floor it w MAX power while in ss mode. how far should i downshift? would it hurt the tranny or engine to downshift all the way to 1st?

 

It would go to 2nd gear..thats the lowest gear u can shift to

 

right 40 mph should be just shifting into 2nd gear when flooring.

 

k good 2 know. thx guys

 

You can experiment without fear (althought the downshift and upshift limit speeds are in the owners manual) Try slipping down from 5 to 3 or 2 above 80 oops I mean

The computer will not downshift if it knows that will cause an overrev in the requested gear. On my 2001 TL, the gear number flashes if trying the impossible, for 3 seconds I believe, and stays in a safe gear. Drop a few mph and try again - you may be in the range now- thats what brakes are for, slowing down the car. D/S in SS should be so you are on the torque band for exiting the next corner.

You can click that SS switch all you want, but the all knowing black boxes will keep the engine safe. We also have fuel cut-off switches when you hit rev limit or other throttle control depending on your cars year and model. Its good to know when these things occur so the time you have to realllllllllllllllllllllly use the power- you know its limits

When you come to a stop or very slow, like getting off the freeway, the SS wil go to 1st gear and then auto shift itself to 2nd, about that time you hear the engine and remember to shift up again- its time for 3rd and you are back to work!

 

It will go into 3rd above 80. it should go into it till around 96. You just cant be giving it gas. You need to lift off the throttle, down shift in ss then it should go then you can give it gas.

 

Hey Kris
As usual you have the exact numbers

The original question posted was could he go into 1st gear, my reply was about the relative safety of trying to downshift to 2nd at speed, it simply wont and thats something owners should know. 96 you say...., will see how that works at Thunderhill next track day. Had to postpone one due to new trans break in period Least the trans was free and the motor mount only 150 installed!
TL

 

As long as your Decelerating or off the gas it should/will (its also in the manual) Ive done it many times at track events. I too had wished we had full control of 1st as well. Well i do now

 

just a quick related question...

When I was going from a very small local road onto a major highway (idk, NJ roads suck sometimes), I floored it. I don't think I hit redline (maybe 6-7K in first or second), but the car didn't shift up when I wanted it to, and it was only when I got off the gas, did it go up. Is this just the delay or normal or should I be like going to redline?

 

there is sometimes a slight delay some times it will get stuck in 2nd when the trans is hot and you go to shift