abcd

hi i have the new tl automatic and am wondering if anyone can explain to me how to use the shift that is on it . i have no idea how to drive a regular shift car so if you will be kind enough to explain this information to me as simple as possible . i tried playing with it but havent got a freakin clue , please help

kadams64

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume this is a serious question, and also assume that I understand correctly that you are looking for a "ground up" explanation. Forgive me if I've missed your point completely and am explaining entirely the wrong stuff!

Firstly, I don't have a TL yet: I own an Acura TSX, which I am trading in for a TL which should be delivered later this month. That said, my TSX has a 5 speed Sportshift automatic, which is basically the same thing as the TL.

Point #1: you can completely ignore the manual shift option on your automatic if you want. Put your shifter in Drive and its a perfectly normal automatic that will shift smoothly and efficiently

Point #2: read the manual that came with your car. It will explain the basic functions of the automatic transmission, including the basics of how to use the Sportshift

Point #3: once you feel you understand the basics, go some where "safe" to experiment with shifting. A quiet road with little traffic where you can get going 50 miles per hour or so would be ideal. And remember: if you suddenly aren't sure what to do, just push the shifter back from the manual selection into "Drive": the transmission will switch back into automatic and take over for you

Point #4: you can switch into our out of the Sportshift option at any time. If you are zooming down the highway at 50 miles an hour and put the transmission into Sportshift mode, your car will already be (most likely) in 5th gear. The little gear indicator on the dash (check your manual) will tell you this. If you are in sportshift mode at 50 miles per hour and reving the engine hard in third gear, putting it back into automatic will almost certainly smoothly shift into what the transmission thinks is the "correct" gear- likely 5th.

Point #5: the Acura Sportshift will protect you from "mistakes". If you are in 3rd gear at 5000 RPM and try to shift down into 2nd gear, the transmission will refuse your request. If you continue in third gear and rev up to the redline (7100 RPM in my TSX), the engine computer will start choking off fuel to reduce engine RPM. If this still doesn't solve the problem, I believe it will even eventually force an upshift. If you come to a stop in 5th gear, the transmission will shift down to 1st to prevent the engine from stalling. Acura doesn't want you to wreck your engine, and the Sportshift computer is generally pretty smart about protecting itself

Okay, now you have the basic points. How do you shift? Lets say you are at a stop light, and put the transmission in "manual" (Sportshift). The dash indicator should appear indicating the gear you are in: it will show the number "1". The light turns green, and you step on the gas. The tachometer will quickly measure the increase in engine RPM: you'll probably want to shift to 2nd gear before you cross the intersection- around 3500 RPM if you want a casual shift, maybe more like 5500 RPM if you want something sportier.

How do you shift? Childs play: move the stick forward (towards the dash) to shift up, and backwards (towards the trunk) to shift down. In this case, we want to shift up, so push the stick forward. Engine RPM will drop: if you still have your foot on the accellerator (which you should- you are probably only going 15-20 miles an hour by now), RPM will probably drop to around 2000. Continue applying gas and, when you get back up around 3500 RPM (or higher for sportier performance), push the stick forward again to shift up to 3rd. If you continue doing this you'll probably be in 5th gear by the time you hit 50 miles per hour.

What about downshifting? Well, if you are in 5th gear and take your foot off the gas, eventually the tachometer will show an engine RPM down below 2000. Assuming you are still in Sportshift, pull the shifter back to shift down to 4th. Engine RPM will go up, probably to the mid-3000s. Continue slowing down, and shifting down, until you are in third gear. Unless you have practiced a bit, shifting from 3rd to 2nd is likely to be a bit rough, and there isn't much point at all in shifting from 2nd to 1st until you are at a complete stop. I usually shift down to second and then come to a stop, letting the Sportshift handle putting the car in first.

I should point out that downshifting isn't only for slowing down: its also for accellerating quickly If you are running at 50 miles per hour in 5th, and you want to pass someone in a hurry, you'll pretty much have to downshift to 4th (or maybe 3rd) to get that extra "kick" you want. This is where Sportshift can give you an advantage over the automatic: you know *in advance* when you want that extra accelleration, whereas the automatic has to "guess" based on how you mash the accellerator pedal- that guessing process can take a few fractions of a second, which is bad news for folks who want to zoom. I'd suggest that downshifting for accelleration be reserved for after your first few experiments with Sportshift: but once you've tried it, you'll likely want to do it more!

In summary: with Sportshift, there is no clutch to worry about, and the Acura shifting computer and engine management will "protect" you from mistakes. Read your manual to figure out how to engage the manual shift feature and where to find the gear readout on your dash, and try it out somewhere safe. But by all means give it a try!

adam209

awesome explanation. only difference is that the TL doesn't let you shift between 1st and 2nd and automatically shifts to 2nd

Michaelvg1

I have heard this a lot. It's all about timing. I had driven a Ford Mustang GT manual for 12 years. Everything is timing even when your are competing with a computer.
I have started off the line on manual mode and Red lined the RPM in 1st gear and selected 2nd gear. The computer did not shift it for me.
It's just timing and how you manage the gas pedal. There were many american cars that were manual transmissions that can change gears without the clutch believe it or not. It's all about timing.
Just be careful.

Many people in this forum have raced other cars and said they lost. With 270hp stock, the right driver can take out a lot of other cars in its class. Just imagine what an intake and chip would do.
Have fun with it.

Norse396

adam209,

I think what you meant is you can shift between 1st and 2nd, but you have to do so before the computer does or it will shift for you.

Euliscool

i use to have a 98 HOnda Prelude... i believe it was one of the first to come out with the sport shift... that car had no limits... one time i was entering the freeway onramp and i forgot i was in sport shift and i gunned it in 2nd gear... the thing red lined and red lined till i shifted... however i believe sport shift is the most idiotic option to have in a car... i would never use it, especially with all the restraints they have on it now...

abcd

thanx alot kadams ! my question was very serious , i guess i have to try it out . i really have no clue how the whole shifting thing works . how by going down from 5th to 4th does the car increase in speed , i thought 5th was the highest ? like i said i am totally ignorant to this , but i will try your advice and hopefully get used to it . thanx again your explanation was greatly apreciated .

Tripp11

kadams - great write-up man!

abcd - did your salesman not help you at all???

kadams64

abcd said...
That's a cool question. I'm sure some of the experts here could do a better job, but I'll give my "layman's answer" and see if that helps.

The power coming from your engine can be translated into either torque (which roughly translates into accelleration) or speed. They are two different things. A lower gear provides more torque (force rotating the wheel), whereas a higher gear spins the wheels faster with less force. To accellerate rapidly, you need more force: you sacrifice some efficiency by converting some of your engines power from speed into torque by shifting down.

Another example: if you have a 10 speed bike, try starting out in, say, 10th gear. You'll quickly find that you can hardly make the bike move. Put the bike in first, and you can move, but no matter how fast you peddle you can't go very quickly. You gear up once you are rolling so that more of your energy is translated into speed instead of the force necessary to get you started.

If this all seems weird, then probably its because I'm explaining it poorly. Hopefully, though, the clues I've given will get you started!

adam209

yea yea yea my bad

TZVECL

While we are on this subject...


Do I have to let go off the gas when I shift in SS (Up and Down)???


Or can I keep it pegged?


THANKS!!

adam209

nope, you can keep pressing the gas the entire time

vtechbrain

I dont think the SS improves times since the auto is very responsive, On my previous TL the most use I got from it was for downshifting.

kadams64

vtechbrain said...I assume by times you mean quarter mile times? I don't know: I don't race my car. I would guess that, in certain circumstances, using the Sportshift might possibly shave a fraction of a second off of a quarter mile: it would be interesting to try. I'd agree, though, that the automatic is quite responsive, assuming it shifts with equal or better responsiveness compared to my TSX. I'm still a few weeks away from having my TL for comparison.

The main time I use Sportshift is when I'm passing. I know I want the extra "punch" of accelleration a fraction of a second earlier than the automatic transmission does, so I switch out of automatic and downshift. After I complete the pass, I switch back into auto. I find it makes the passing process seem "smoother" and more responsive. Also, its fun: the "fun" aspect is probably as important for me as the actual process itself. One big disadvantage to Sportshift: every time I slap the stick over to "manual", my wife's eyes go wide and she grabs on to the door handle She isn't as fond of rapid accelleration as I am.

I've driven manuals in the past, and understand the benefits. But the biggest chunk of my driving time is in traffic where, for me at least, I don't see the benefit of standard shifting. The Sportshift (or Tiptronic, or manumatic, or whatever...) is pretty close to perfect for me, at least as implemented in the Acura I'm driving now.

I like the fact that the Acura Sportshift prevents me from making "stupid" mistakes like over-revving, but I can understand why folks might not like that. Its like the debate regarding automatic versus manual 35 mm cameras. A real "pro" will benefit from the manual features and might feel inhibited by the automatic. But my argument is this: there are very few real "pros" out there, and a whole bunch of people who like to spout what they read in C&D or what have you, people I could probably outshift in a manual...and I'm not that good

ddswv

I am picking up my WDP 04 5sp Auto TL on Sat. I see the SS will automatically upshift. My question is if you are on the highway in 5th gear using SS will the car downshift automatically under a slight uphill grade on interstate? I always hated my SSEI's choice of downshifting up a grade when it really didn't need to on the hills of West Virginia.

Thanks for the info! Can't wait till Saturday!

Doug

vtechbrain

On SS the car will not down shift by itself except at a stop (below 20mph or in that ball park). The only thing the car will do automatically beyond that is shift from first to second. I had the SS for 2 years it sounds exiting but it really isn't specialy because the tranny is fantastically responsive in auto. Dont worry about it and enjoy you'll figure out if the feature rings your bell or not.