Why and when would you use Low (L) vice Drive (D). I read the manual but still I do not get it as to why one would want to use Low gear aside from going in down hill.

 

SNOW, or you need to stop and your barkes are gone

 

Yup, roadman took the words right out of my mouth. Lower gears provide more power and are better in snow and other bad conditions. And I guess it could be used to slow down too, didn't even think of that. I would just use the parking brake if I had to.

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I think Low just holds 2nd gear. It will still automatically go from 1st to 2nd, but no more. The 2nd gen TL/CL also had D3 and D4, which a lot of us which the '04 TL still had, but we've discussed that in another thread already. I think Low just equals D2. Anyone else?

 

Acura says: When moved to the Low position, the transmission downshifts to the lowest possible ratio for the current road speed to provide maximum engine braking. If the vehicle continues to slow, the transmission progressively downshifts to maintain engine braking effect.

When it has shifted all the way down to first gear, an upshift back to second gear is automatically available if speed increases, but the transmission won't upshift further unless the driver moves the selector back to the D (Drive) position where normal transmission operation resumes.



For the reason why to use L mode... if you like to get 1st gear driving impression, you should use L for the start...

 

Thanks for the info rets!

 

Okay, I understand this part, which could be used if you needed to downshift quickly for engine braking, either in an emergency or when going down a steep incline. But...see the next quote for my question

This part is the same as using SS. Both will start in 1 and shift to 2 as the speed increases, but will not go into 3 until you push the lever forward manually. So why have both? Am I missing something here? I think you may have answered this question in another post but I can't remember what it was.

 

Ok... IMHO...

L mode is still different to SS mode... the main reason is to engine-brake... the second reason is to have fun...

To brake...

SS mode won't downshift to lower gear too much... L mode could quickly go as low as possible to maximum your engine brake power.


To have fun...

1st gear:
SS mode would not hold it and rev high. It all depends on how hard you step on your pedal.
L mode would hold it and rev high no matter how slightly you put your foot over the pedal.

I mean L mode has tougher threashold and it will rev higher before jumping to 2nd gear. Maybe I could say SS mode shifting from 1st to 2nd depends on your RPM and your pedal control. L mode from 1 to 2 is based on your speed.


Perhaps, you could feel more different if you personally try it...

 

Yes, the parking brake would be of help, but remember that the engine braking will stop the front wheels of a FWD car, while the Emer brake stops the rear brakes. In a crisis both would need to be used to stop you Asap.

 

This is why you buy the 6MT you could do anything you want manually of course.

One thing I hate about SS, during a corner, I can't downshift and apply engine braking accordingly, it just shift to the lower gear. I hate automatics and SS.

Another things is you can't shift from 4 to 2, you have to use 3rd....it sucks.

 

Ron A and rets - Thanks for the comments. rets may be right, but I'm not sure. SS will stay in 2nd gear until its programming says it has to upshift to prevent engine damage, right? If so, one would hope Low wouldn't let you continue to rev higher and possibly cause engine damage, so it should have the same programming. No?

 

When you catch a Police car in the corner of your eye and you are about 5-10 mph over the best thing you can do is down shift to slow. This will not cause your brake lights to come on and attract the officer's attention. This will only work if you have observed them before they observed you.
Do not try this in heavy traffic though

 

Programming will not upshift if you are in 2nd gear, but the rev limiter will kick in and the engine will cut in and out. It will not upshift in either manual D or SS 2nd gear unless you tell it to by moving the shift lever. See pages 183-185 in the owner's manual.

 

Thanks Ron. I'll trust you on the manual pages.

So the engine cuts off. OK. Why does that seem like a worse idea than upshifting?

And it still doesn't seem to differentiate SS from Low.

 

I'm thinking this differently.

Acura says: In second, third and fourth, the transmission won't upshift without a command from the driver; the ECU cuts off fuel flow to the engine if there is danger of over-revving the engine. The transmission will upshift itself to prevent engine damage in the rare situation where the fuel cutoff alone is unable to prevent further engine over revving.




Although Acura also says: "the transmission won't upshift further unless the driver moves the selector back to the D (Drive) position where normal transmission operation resumes", I guess, if you keep accelerating, the actions of cutoff or upshift as SS mode does would be executed by ECU, too.

Basically, L mode is quite similar to SS mode in many prospects, but L mode does program to offer the best engine braking by referring to your situation. When moved to the Low position, the transmission downshifts to the lowest possible ratio for the current road speed to provide maximum engine braking. If the vehicle continues to slow, the transmission progressively downshifts to maintain engine braking effect as I posted above.

:licka:

What I said to enjoy the 1st gear power is just the side-effect of L mode... not the main stuff...

 

rets-where did you get this information: “The transmission will upshift itself to prevent engine damage in the rare situation where the fuel cutoff alone is unable to prevent further engine over revving.” I couldn’t find it in the manual.

I understand what you are saying about L giving more acceleration than SS when used flat out, but the way I see it, for normal driving, in addition to engine braking, the main difference is that if you use L for either acceleration or in snow or on slippery surfaces, you can move the lever forward when you want to shift from low and be in D, which would require no further shifting, but if you start out in SS, you would have to manually upshift each time to get to 5th gear.

Just to sum up, other than for engine braking, L is good if you want lots of acceleration from a stop but then want to go into D directly and let the transmission shift for you from then on, but SS is good if you want to maintain control over what gear you are in.

 

Great discussion, guys. rets, I think you've cleared something up for me I didn't understand. No matter what speed the car is moving, if I suddenly shift to Low, the tranny will go into the lowest gear it can safely accommodate, right? If so, this IS one big difference from the SS. This is a way to get maximum engine braking without having to think about what gear you could safely manually downshift to. Even manual boxes don't have this functionality.

 

TLGator, right, the tranny of 04TL is programed to downshift into the lowest gear it can harmlessly accommodate. Ron A, I think your evaluation about "L" is correct.

http://hondanews.com/CatID3014?view=t&page=1

The info I have posted above is from "powertrain-part 2". I suggest to copy all of them into one single file at your computer, it's the quite good reference beside the owner manual.

 

Thanks for the link, rets!

 

Yes you can and yes you can. Tap twice, or three times to get to 2. The only thing you can't do in SS mode is shift to first, but by using L, you can really use the torque and keep it there if you're in the twisties. It takes some getting used to, but all in all, it works well. Acura should have an electronic option that lets you hold first as long as you want.

As to starting in snow, use SS and tap up to start in 2. That's best to control wheel spin and traction. The last thing you want to do is be in L when its slippery and you need traction.

 

So it's ok to shift to L when the car is in motion?

 

I'd guess, since the rev limiter is going to prevent you from screwing anything up. I wouldn't downshift when going very fast though, just because I am overcautious sometimes.

 

Yes, as the info is addressed above, L mode will downshift to provide the maximum engine brake for you accordingly. Except shifting to N, you could move your lever among SS, D, and L any time(ECU would do some smoothly transaction for you).

 

By that same token, would one shift to L to immediately get the lowest gear they could get for acceleration purposes?

 

Yes, that is the real advantage of L. If you are in 5th gear and needed some passing speed, flooring the pedal would work, or shifting to L, which would give you passing speed and then one push of the lever would put you back in D.

In this case, this is better than SS, because if you change to SS, you have to move the lever once to go to Ss, and then 3 times to go from 5th to 2nd, which is a lot of movement considering shifting to L is one push of the lever.