Sportshift AT Driving Tips Thread

[aceP5]

I thought that it would be a good idea to start a thread where people with the sportshift AT post up anything related to how they drive it. Your suggestions can include how to launch, where to shift, how to shift, how to shift before turns, etc . . . Whatever you can think of that you do with the sportshift. Please, post anything that you have learned about your sportshift or how you drive it to make it the fastest it can be.

For example, I feel the car accelerates better from a launch by only going half throttle or so until you get to 2.5k to 3k rpms, then going Wide open throttle. I also note that at WOT the shifter will take a long time to actually shift, so shifting about 400 rpms before you want to will allow the "delay" enough time so that the needle on the gauge will actually drop when you want it to. (I actually used to take my foot off the gas and shift at redline, and wait for RPMS to drop before punching it again in second, but now I shift around 6100-6200 and find it tends to shift without any loss of smoothness at redline).

So anyone with any ideas/tips/notes can post, even people with normal auto too. I know that a lot of you will say "get a manual" but my mom wanted me to get auto so she could drive it in an emergency. So please don't yell at me for having an auto. Plus manual tranny drivers are only faster if they are actually good at shifting, a lot of people out there do not know how to drive manual the correct way, anyways. (not directed at any of you, just people that I know).

 

[JOS3]

Whatever you can think of that you do with the sportshift

be careful. abusing the sportshift will **** your tranny.

 

[aceP5]

What would constitute "abuse" in your opinion? Did this happen to you?

 

[Bass Addict]

Downshifting in order to slow down instead of breaking, for example.

 

[sidpro5]

I beat it like a rented mule. The tranny, that is.

Actually, I find that it shifts much better (i.e. quicker) at about 75% throttle. Won't downshift into 1st going 10 mph+/-. And despite the fact that I use it almost exclusively, I can't think of anything else right now.................

 

[TomAss_Z]

I beat the piss out of mine too. It would be nice to know some launching tips though....

I have always wondered if the car is faster in the auto mode as opposed to the manu mode...

When do you guys shift???? at redline??? b4??

when i shift, i let off of the throttle and feel it go into to gear and then immediately pound the throttle back down, it sends a little bit of a jolt into the next gear...

 

[digitalpro5]

I think it feels slower to launch on manual mode for some reason. I can floor it with the auto and it'll go pretty quick. But if I start out on 1st gear it takes awhile to accelerate. I don't know of any good launching methods anyhow. I do like the the feeling from 2nd to 3rd, car feels like its pulling well. I tend to cruise around 3rd gear mostly and the car likes to pull easily at the higher rpms. I think from 700-2500rpms the car isn't going anywhere, but higher the rpms the better it pulls.

Oh don't do engine breaking, its scary to hear the engine that way.

Slowing down is easy for me now using the manual mode. I simply observed when the auto shifts down during a particular speed and rpm range, and mimic the same move in manual mode. With this you can be at the best gear to floor it once more.

As for turns, I like to take them in 2nd gear at around 1500-2500rpms, and I just punch out of the turn till I hit redline and shift to 3rd. Its very fun.

Last thing, I drive the car in manual mode half the time. I still have 3 years on warranty so if its going to break it better break before warranty is out.

 

[sidpro5]

I have always wondered if the car is faster in the auto mode as opposed to the manu mode...

I would venture to say it's faster in the manual mode. The factory shift points in full auto are set too low to maximize power, in my opinion. In manual, you dictate how the powerband is utilized, more or less.

 

[Mazda P5 driver]

I beat it like a rented mule. The tranny, that is.

Actually, I find that it shifts much better (i.e. quicker) at about 75% throttle. Won't downshift into 1st going 10 mph+/-. And despite the fact that I use it almost exclusively, I can't think of anything else right now.................

I'm a little lost on this. I can down shift to 1st when doing almost 30, but not above 30.

 

[Mazda P5 driver]

I thought that it would be a good idea to start a thread where people with the sportshift AT post up anything related to how they drive it. Your suggestions can include how to launch, where to shift, how to shift, how to shift before turns, etc . . . Whatever you can think of that you do with the sportshift. Please, post anything that you have learned about your sportshift or how you drive it to make it the fastest it can be.

For example, I feel the car accelerates better from a launch by only going half throttle or so until you get to 2.5k to 3k rpms, then going Wide open throttle. I also note that at WOT the shifter will take a long time to actually shift, so shifting about 400 rpms before you want to will allow the "delay" enough time so that the needle on the gauge will actually drop when you want it to. (I actually used to take my foot off the gas and shift at redline, and wait for RPMS to drop before punching it again in second, but now I shift around 6100-6200 and find it tends to shift without any loss of smoothness at redline).

So anyone with any ideas/tips/notes can post, even people with normal auto too. I know that a lot of you will say "get a manual" but my mom wanted me to get auto so she could drive it in an emergency. So please don't yell at me for having an auto. Plus manual tranny drivers are only faster if they are actually good at shifting, a lot of people out there do not know how to drive manual the correct way, anyways. (not directed at any of you, just people that I know).

The best thing I use it for is cornering. Most of the time I leave it in full auto.

here we go...When you know you are about to corner, at 25 drop it to 1st, then mid way punch it and DON"T ever take your foot off the gas, then shift to second manually. Shift about 500rpm before redline because of that delay.

As far as not t aking your foot off, it's an auto, it ALWAYS works when you have the pedal to the floor. So figuring this I just hold the pedal down even in manual shift mode. If people let off the gas and there is a "bang" of somesort when reapplying throttle, they should really think about what they are doing. There shouldn't be a bang or jolt. Doing the hold the foot down thing should yield a nice and smooth shift from 1 to 2.

 

[TomAss_Z]

Yeah, i guess you are right aboout the whole jolt thing, but it is now become the way i drive...

I rearely ever drive in auto mode anymore, i am so used to driving in the shift mode that the auto mode feels wierd. I have noticed though, sometimes when i shift from first to second, it has a little bit of trouble grabbing the gear. I think it might be slipping a little bit but that is probably a good thing right now since i am still under warranty.

I know that my next major mod is the tranny swap so it really doesn't matter to me. I would just trade my car but i am so in love with exactly "my Car" that i can't do that. plus, it is kinda personalized

 

[sidpro5]

I'm a little lost on this. I can down shift to 1st when doing almost 30, but not above 30.

Hmm.....Maybe I drive faster than I realize....................?

 

[TomAss_Z]

if you downshifted at any higher rpm, your car would redline. Now, your car won't allow itself to downshift into a redline.

At 60 mile per hour or less, you can downshift to 2nd but not any higher than 60. I do it all of the time, it kicks some ass. I need a header dammit!!!

 

[Stealth5]

if your gears feel like theyre slipping, try some new automatic transmission fluid. i have redline in mine and i like the way it feels better.

and i like the way the car pulls from 40 in 2nd. i beat my friends mr2 (n/a auto) from the 40 punch

 

[TomAss_Z]

do you redline your s*** in every gear in a race????

 

[Stealth5]

i dont race anything but autocross, we were just foolin around on an empty road. drag racing auto p5 is even dumber than drag racing manual p5

 

[FLSilverP5]

I'm a little lost on this. I can down shift to 1st when doing almost 30, but not above 30.

Its a protection mechanism the car has. It is so some dumbass doesnt go into 1st instead of third and have the RPM go so high it blows up the engine. The proper way to drive stick is to never switch to 1st if you are moving (even 1 mph) Over 10 mph it is harder to put it in 1st, but possible, under 10 mph its easy, over 30 impossible.

 

[aceP5]

Thanks for the great posts so far, everyone. Good tips. I notice that the automatic mode feels a little weird in high revs, it almost sounds like the engine wants to blow up after 5500 or so. It seems a lot smoother w/ the sportshift in high revs. I will try launching again with the auto only though, and see if it is any faster. Oh yeah, check the owners manual, there are spelled out numbers for the speeds you must be going in order to downshift, and recommended shift points (only if you want to drive like a grandma). A lot of info there, just no info telling us how to drive it fast . . .

Yeah, flooring it from a standstill feels pathetic, it makes me want to cry . . . Just half-throttle or so (I can't tell how much) feels much faster. But a fun thing to do is drive in normal auto, at about 5-10 mph, then floor it, it'll drop into 1st and pick up very nicely. Makes me think our cars would race better from a slow roll than from a standstill.

 

[JOS3]

do you redline your s*** in every gear in a race????

2 problems with this question:

1- if you are redlining every gear then you are a moron.
2- why the hell would you race an auto p5?

 

[aceP5]

2 problems with this question:

1- if you are redlining every gear then you are a moron.
2- why the hell would you race an auto p5?

Please don't make fun of our autos . . . it may not be as sporty but it is still a P5.

I heard once that the shortshift auto is really good if you are into drag racing, supposedly better than manual. If you have heard this also, speak up, and if you know why, definitely speak up. I read it before somewhere on these forums but the person who said it never explained why that was so. I know a lot of muscle cars-dragsters have shortshift-like autos, my friend's '71 chevelle has a 3 speed auto short shifter that he shifts every gear in (kind of like the 1-2-D thing). That is a fast car. Same concept applied to smaller cars like ours ....?