Soulkrusher Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Is it normal for the car to not downshift into whatever gear you're wanting it to I find that when I'm driving and I want to downshift to pass or whatever the car will never let me pick a decent gear it usually gives me 4th or 5th around 50 km/h kinda making the paddle shifts useless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpd1151 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 It's a computer controlled failsafe to protect the tranny. It won't let you drop down into (to low of a gear) depending on RPM's. So if you're deduction of that process equates to the paddle shifters being somewhat "useless"..... Then I guess that would be somewhat accurate. Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulkrusher Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Thanks for the response Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO Rod Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Is it normal for the car to not downshift into whatever gear you're wanting it to I find that when I'm driving and I want to downshift to pass or whatever the car will never let me pick a decent gear it usually gives me 4th or 5th around 50 km/h kinda making the paddle shifts useless I'm confused as to the scenario you're describing. Are you cruising at 50 km/h (about 31 mph), then switch to Manual mode so you can use the paddle shifter to pass a vehicle? Or are you already in manual mode while cruising at 50 km/h and you use the paddle to downshift, but it will only let you downshift to 4th or 5th? If you're in manual mode already, then you press the paddle to downshift and it "downshifts" to 5th, something is wrong. In manual mode 6th gear (at least on my 2001) is locked out until around 45 or 50 mph. Also, the paddle shifter will only downshift one gear at a time by design. If you're in the manual mode cruising in 5th at 50 km/h and you press the paddle 1 time to downshift, it is only going to downshift to 4th. Press it again and it will go to 3rd. One more press and you'll probably get 2nd, but I'm not sure it would let you pick 1st at 50 km/h. If you're in full auto mode, then switch to manual before stomping on the throttle, the car will start out in whatever gear the transmission was in when you selected Manual (unless it was in 6th and you're below 45 mph or so, in that case it will select 5th. The downshifts will be sequential from there. If the transmission is working differently from this, then you might have an issue that you should have the dealer look at. In the scenario you depict though (slow cruising in traffic/town), why not keep it in Automatic mode? The transmission is pretty responsive to stabbing the throttle and in auto mode it will downshift more than one gear at a time. -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucelinc Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Perfect description, Rod. Cruising at 31 MPH in auto mode, the car would likely be in 5th at around 1000 RPM. Flooring it would provide an automatic downshift to 2nd. If you were in manual mode at 31 MPH, as you say, each press of the paddle would drop it one gear. However, even in manual mode, WOT will automatically provide a downshift. It will not upshift in manual mode but it will downshift - at least that is the way my 2010 operates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tss Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 ^^ Ditto. Same thing on my MKS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucelinc Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Oh, and just one more thing: If you floor the throttle at 30 MPH to pass another car and you have the 4+ tune, I suggest you not be following too closely. You will also want to hang on tight.....and be prepared to move into the passing lane quickly....and be prepared for the back of your head to meet with the headrest quite firmly. :RpS_biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PopolZ Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 you should be able to downshift in 2nd gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goblues38 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 . It will not upshift in manual mode but it will downshift - at least that is the way my 2010 operates. Just so you are aware. My 2013 will automagically upshit no matter what mode i am in. Completely sucks all the fun out of it. Say i am in manual 1st gear and i romp on it. If I try to shift at around red line, the cars is doing the same thing...makes for a lot of 1st to 3rd shifts. But if i just leave it alone, it will hit 2nd on its own. this reason for me makes the paddle shifters almost worthless. basically, all they are there for is so you can downshift going into corners or if you want to "short shift" every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fa-SHO Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 They are basically worthless for straight line but i find them quite nice for the twisties, it will hold the gear through corners so you can rocket out of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucelinc Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 They are basically worthless for straight line but i find them quite nice for the twisties' date=' it will hold the gear through corners so you can rocket out of them.[/quote'] I drove a 2013 recently and discovered that it operated differently than I was used to with my 2010. I don't use manual mode for maximum acceleration through the gears but I do like to use it in the twisties or even in traffic situations where I prefer to hold a gear rather than have the transmission making unnecessary up and down shifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpfarrell Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 They are basically worthless for straight line but i find them quite nice for the twisties' date=' it will hold the gear through corners so you can rocket out of them.[/quote'] I think that's an excellent summary. I like a manual transmission for the challenge/skill involved in achieving maximum acceleration while letting my brain, hands, and feet do the work. That thrill really doesn't work with our paddles. But I also enjoy the control offered by a manual where I can see the road ahead and better anticipate what I want the car to feel like than any algorythm ever could. I'm finding the paddles are useful there. Not as engaging (punny, eh?) as a great engine/shifter/clutch combination... but much more fun than a column shifted C6. (For you yung unz, the C6 was Ford's legendary automatic of the 60s - 70's for any big V8/automatic combination.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulkrusher Posted February 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 My car absolutely will not let me downshift it will however hold a gear and not automatically shift. I will take it out for a drive and pay and pay more attention to rpms speeds and gears then report back. Thanks for all the info guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash712us Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 I thought I heard tale some where before, that manual mode can be disabled and you will have to take to the dealer to have it turned on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griggs95 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I drive mine just like brucelinc but I'd like to ad my .02 . I'm not I like the 13's since I'm so used to 10-12 paddle shifting. I think Ford really added something when they gave you the option to up/down shift from either side. I drive on track a lot (road course) and take this car through the twisties every day when I go too/from work. When I turn the wheel in a corner I have my hands at 9 and 3 and I'm in total control of the car. I've tried the classic way on my buddies GTR and found the left is down shift and right up shift that I don't have the same control depending on the turn radius and my ability to properly shift when I need to. Thus I find the 10-12 cars with this type of shifting better. If need be you can do all your driving with one hand which is kind of cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx78 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Unless i'm in traffic i'm shifting manually with the paddles. They respond when i ask them to unless i'm going really show and i ask it to drop the rpms to low and it wont shift. But passing or sprited driving it works as advertised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TractorAK Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I started playing with the shifter in sport mode. It is slick as hell up here right now and just the other day I tried what I used to do with my auto WRX. That is to start out in second gear which worked awesome. I wonder if that would help some of these guys with traction issues on their higher HP cars at the track. Car launches great and doesn't have to shift at all till 55. Of course I have the PP so it might be too long legged for the non PP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.