Semi-manual shift?

[zach1288]

This is a quote from edmunds.com. They are talking about the 95 legacy:

"On automatic use semi-manual shift feature to pass cars on Hwy. It's an undocumented feature of the transmission to pull back on shifter when passing for downshifting and getting extra torque boost"

What does that mean?

[MCarp22]

I guess it means you can use the shifter to select what gear you want.

[zach1288]

I guess it means you can use the shifter to select what gear you want.

Isn't that hard on the tranny?

[DOOK]

I guess it means you can use the shifter to select what gear you want.

Isn't that hard on the tranny?

only if you're at too high of an RPM

[Sarra]

I guess it means you can use the shifter to select what gear you want.

Isn't that hard on the tranny?

only if you're at too high of an RPM

Then it simply ignores the shifter and stays in it's current gear.

[Wiscon_Mark]

Yeah, it's an electronically controlled transmission. It won't willingly do anything to damage it.

Like the time on our '00 Odyssey when I accidentally slipped it into reverse at 40mph... :lol: Obviously it wouldn't - there's no mechanical connection.

[ryu_haneda]

I usually like manually shifting my auto tranny from a stoplight. When I'm on the road, I usually drop it from D to 3 if I want to pass someone on the highway. I will drop gears if I'm going down a steep hill, too.

I guess as long as I don't play with my transmission too much I should be ok; I'll be swapping out my tranny fluid at my next oil change.

[Huffer]

I usually like manually shifting my auto tranny from a stoplight. When I'm on the road, I usually drop it from D to 3 if I want to pass someone on the highway. I will drop gears if I'm going down a steep hill, too.

I guess as long as I don't play with my transmission too much I should be ok; I'll be swapping out my tranny fluid at my next oil change.

Your car has an overdrive mode. If you floor the gas the car will kick down a gear anyway. No need to select a different gear.

[shazapple]

I don't want to have to floor it in order to make the car upshift. Why wait for the car to guess what I want to do when I can just make it do what I want?
You don't even have to push the button in order to shift down into 3rd. It's obviously not bad for it.

If I want acceleration in town I'll drop it down into 2nd. Same as if I am on snowy terrain. Subaru wouldn't put those selections there if they weren't meant to be used.

[Wiscon_Mark]

I still think it's dumb that more and more cars are dropping manual trannys for "sport shift" automatics.

As far as I've heard, the only decent automatic is the one on the new GT-R

[Huffer]

I don't want to have to floor it in order to make the car upshift. Why wait for the car to guess what I want to do when I can just make it do what I want?
You don't even have to push the button in order to shift down into 3rd. It's obviously not bad for it.

If I want acceleration in town I'll drop it down into 2nd. Same as if I am on snowy terrain. Subaru wouldn't put those selections there if they weren't meant to be used.

Subaru also put in a Park light switch, and a "bright" button on the EDM cars.

Not too many people use those either. ;)

But I hear ya.

[SilentRacer]

I still think it's dumb that more and more cars are dropping manual trannys for "sport shift" automatics.

As far as I've heard, the only decent automatic is the one on the new GT-R

The wave of the future my friend. Automatics are starting to shift faster than humans can. I forgot which car is was....maybe the R8 that sets up the closest two gears to the one your in so it can shift instantaneously.

[Wiscon_Mark]

haha, and they'll cost 80x that of a simple Manual transmission and probably never be quite as reliable as well built gears (provided they're setup with the power intended).

I'm sure that's not an exaggeration now, but I'm sure in 20 years they'll be just as affordable and probably as reliable...oh well, manual is still more fun.

[Huffer]

Problem with a manual transmission is that it requires a lot more dexterity to operate efficiently whereas the auto is user-friendly.

I truly believe that 85%+ of the population simply pop the car in D and leave it there. I have friends who will only use the manual transmission in order to accelerate, they have no idea how to de-cel using engine braking. They just slide into neutral and brake.

[jey]

I have friends who will only use the manual transmission in order to accelerate, they have no idea how to de-cel using engine braking. They just slide into neutral and brake.

I would rather wear out my $60 brake pads than my $3500 engine to slow the car down. That said, I do use engine braking because I pre-select the gear I want to be in after slowing down - like putting it in the 2nd when slowing down to a line of slow moving cars. Plus, my 3" exhaust sounds pretty nasty above 2500 rpm :)

[blackgtbeauty]

Subaru also put in a Park light switch, and a "bright" button on the EDM cars.

Is that like the 'Power' light in the BH's?

[1-3-2-4]

I guess it means you can use the shifter to select what gear you want.

Isn't that hard on the tranny?

How is it hard on the tranny when Subaru makes a Sport shift?

besides the auto has a lock out say if you try to be stupid one day in thinking you want SOA to give you a new tranny.. the sport shift will beep to let you know you can't go in that gear and a non sportshift just wont do anything until you go below the speed in the current gear your in now.

[1-3-2-4]

Subaru also put in a Park light switch, and a "bright" button on the EDM cars.

Is that like the 'Power' light in the BH's?

The power light was nothing but a shift remap all it does it means instead of shifting at say 3500 the car will shift at the redline if you hold the throttle to the floor.

It would be so annoying when my mom would call me when driving my car asking if something was wrong with it.