Anybody experience problems with the autostick when manually shifting at high rpm. I may not be a master with the autostick yet, but on occasion when really getting on it I have noticed that when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, the transmission indicator shows that the car has shifted, but the car remains in the lower gear until I back off and let the rpms drop a little, only then can I shift again to 3rd or 4th. Am I trying to shift to quickly without letting off the accelerator long enough or is there something else.

 

yes buddy, i believe you are just alittle too quick for the computer, please note that the trans will shift on its own , from 1st to 3rd,manual mode. i think your just ahead of the computers program. hope this helps. p.s. "the automatic upshifts will occur when the pedals to the metal.....

 

I'm sorry but I can't figure out or understand why you didn't buy the 6 speed manual if you wanted to shift gears (especially when you paid a rip-off option cost to DC). I went to the ManTrans 101 years ago and the first thing they did to qualify you was to check your right arm and hand and if it constantly moved over to the centre console, you were an excellent candidate to continue with the course (not to mention that you needed a left leg and foot).

I just don't understand why anyone would buy a two seater sports car like the Xfire and not get the manual transmission. You can play with the engine/tranny/rear-end in so many 3dimensional ways that adds to the over-all enjoyment of driving experience.

One other thing. Just a little nostalgia coming out now; When I was 15years old, I lived in an townhouse complex and during the summer, in order to make some spending money, I would offer to wash the owners cars. They would just give me the keys, and I would have to drive the car over to the central location where the water/hose was located.
I remember my first time when I got into one car and it was a manual transmission. Never tried one before (of course my parents always had AUTO trannies). Needless to say, I got the car washed and I can remember that being the car I would always look forward to washing in future weeks.
Thank GOD for manual transmissions (and for two-seater Sports Cars, of course).

Just a little drivel from my perspective. Thanks!

 

I'll have to agree with mbepic. I don't understand the point of an auto-stick. I had a 300M for a loaner car and it had the auto-stick feature. I didn't like it at all. That was the only auto-stick car I've ever driven. A car with an auto tranny is going to shift at the best point for fuel economy if your just cruising, and it'll shift at redline if you're accelerating quickly, so why the need to manually shift an auto?

The only benefit an autostick has over a regular auto that I can see is that you can downshift when slowing down for a corner so that it is in the optimal gear for accelerating out of the corner, but technically you could do this with a regular auto too. In any case, if you're on a track and downshifting in corners, shouldn't you be sitting in a manually tranny car to begin with?

Don't get me wrong, I understand people who buy the automatic because they don't want to shift the gears of a manual. But the "auto-stick" I feel is really just a gimick.

 

I'm using mine more often now. It's most useful when merging on to a new road or situations where you'd be rolling slowly and need a quick boost of acceleration. For example, when merging into traffic. There have been many times that I've rolled onto a merge and the auto was in 3rd or 4th gear, when I needed 2nd. It's much more efficient than slamming the gas pedal all the way down and waiting for the computer to figure out it needs to downshift.
I think it's the best of both worlds, especially in the Washington DC area, where traffic is stunningly horrible most of the time (top 5 worst metro areas, I believe). When I need quick bursts of acceleration, I can manually put it in the gear I want, when I'm sitting in traffic, I don't have to worry about working a clutch over and over again.

 

Is the time that it takes the computer to figure out it needs to downshift really that bad in the crossfire? I've never driven an auto crossfire.

 

if you drive autostick cool, but what could possibly be hard about mastering it...........

 

Any body know how to kill the Rev Limiter? Some times I'll go to down shift from 2nd to 1st, and it won't down shift. And the thing that gets me is, it's not like I'm going 40 mph or anything. I can be going like 20 mph and it still won't down shift. I know for a fact that the engine could totally handle it.
It drives me crazy, because I really like the Auto Stick. I think if the rev-limiter wasn't so tuned down, that the car could be just as competitive as a manual transmission.

 

Wow! I didn't expect such a harsh response on this topic. I have been able to drive a manual trans since I was 14 years old when I used to sneak out in my brothers mustang while on summer vacation. I would have loved to get the manual but the other half can not drive a stick and she is paying for half the car so I choice to make. Get the auto or settle for a RX8. I'll just play around with it a little more to figure out the best ways to use it.

 

Don't take it the wrong way, there are alot of harsh reactions on this form. There is, and always has been, a harsh dissention between hardcore manual drivers, who would never settle for anything else, and people who have ever driven an automatic, especially in a true coupe', like our car. My statement was not meant to be taken harsh, its cool to have autostick, easier on the leg and in traffic and what not. I just get confused when people start asking about performance shifting in an automatic. just take it as high as it goes then kick the gear up, don't see the confusion. My sister has an ssb auto xfire, and when I drive hers that's all i do. If it feels a little slower, its probably because it is, automatic, please dont start talking about smg because that is hardly auto, will never perform as well as stick shifts and thats just part of the sacrifice you choose to make when you purchase on auto. Its not a knock, just stating the obvious. There are a few times I wish I had an auto............................but they are few.

 

im not expert, but i know in a stick shift, shifting to first at 20mph in anything short of a ferrari is bad news. My friends wrx refuses to go into 1st at anything about 5mph. In my car, downshift and 20mph will never happen. I remember putting my old grand cherokee 4.7 in first from about 20mph and it felt like i hit a brick wall. Its not about the motor being able to handle it, its about the transmission handeling it. But like i said, i don't really know much on the topic, that's just my guess.

 

The computer stops you doing silly things like this to protect the engine and of course you.

 

In a manual transmission car, you can downshift into a gear as long as its not going to throw you past redline. In other words, if you can accelerate to 25mph in first gear, you can downshift to 1st gear once your speed goes below 25mph. Now of course you better not let the clutch out quickly or else you will "feel like you hit a brick wall". To prevent this, you have to tap the gas just before you downshift to match the RPM's to the gear and speed. If you don't have the RPM's matched perfect you're going to be going for a bucking ride. The idea of downshifting is to use the engine for its braking ability.

 

I dunno, im from the break with the breaks school of thought. But yeah, downshifting to 1st at 25 just isnt for me i guess.

 

first gear is not intended for downshifting, its solely a starting gear in most cars. The amount of jarring it produces can damage the gears quickly. Plus, your gonna be at redline almost instantly and have to shift again. If your breaking system fails you might consider first gear to stop your car in an emergency.

 

A downshift to first gear is more of an emergency situation thing. Such as when going 10mph or under, downhill on snow/ice, downshifting to first allows the engine to keep the tires moving while you break. Other then that, I don't see much advantage for acceleration in going down to 1st at 25, you will have a split second of gas before it well beyond redline.


As for the Autostick bashing that went on, I have always driven stick and love it.... Except for stop and go, which is damn near all I do going to and from work. I have used the shifted my Auto a few times tho, it does allow you to kick up the rpms when you know you want to pass, but its only a split second opening and you have to be ready. Every auto I have driven has a slight delay, THAT is the sacrifice of an auto, but the autostick gives the chance to keep a bit of the manual in it. Just my opinion

not too mention, I seem to find myself speeding alot less with auto. Seems every manual I drive has a very hard time doing anything less than 10-15mph over the limit, w/o meaning to.

 

If that were true then first gear would not have any synchros... every manual I've driven I have downshifted into first when slowing down. Not all the time mind you but plenty of times and it has already been posted, I think the term I've read over and over is to "blip" the throttle to match the RPM's...

Anyhow... onto the Autostick... it would seem that it truly does "learn" your driving habits and I routinely "downshift" with my autostick for nearly every stop. I checked yesterday and today and found that if I am decelerating slowly it wouldn't shift into first until around 15 - 18 mph. However if I am going along at 45 or more and need to slow down quickly it has consistently shifted into first just over 20 mph and a few times close to 25. I'm sure the computer takes into account your current gear, RPM's and speed (acceleration or deceleration).

It does not like going from D to say 3rd or 2nd and takes a second or two. However, I have found that if you are already in say 4th and go to 3rd and then to 2nd, as you're slowing down it is much more responsive and takes less than a second.

Now as far as up shifting, I've yet to see any human (or monkey for that matter) shift as fast as an automatic...

For those "purists", and I used to be one... I wouldn't trade this transmission for anything. Because I can choose when to shift, I rarely go more than 1/2 or 3/4 throttle and it is a joy to drive. If I had the 6 speed for the normal driving I do I'd end up looking like a lop-sided Stretch Armstrong with a frog-like, muscle bound left leg and right arm! Although I am concerned that I'll end up with a "Nintendo" like thumb injury...

 

Anyone know how fast it learns or relearns your driving style? I got mine with 6300 miles, and from the last post, I am thinking the previous owner drove it like an 80 yr old in a caddy. How long will I have to drive it a bit harder for it to forgot the 'slow', and learn the 'go'?

 

Yank the negative terminal off the battery, leave it for an hour or so. I would guess that would reset everything, including the driving preferences... I am not sure of that though.

I've got less than 2000 miles on mine and it "knows" me very well.

 

WHOA cool... Cybergreg, apparently our cars are near brothers....

Mine is 024747... woulda figured the ones numbered around mine would have ended up near me, but I guess not.

sorry if that seems cheesy, just haven't seen any numbered really close to mine