Well the wife complains about the lag on the take off when merging into incoming traffic while the car is in auto and she is in a complete stop. I showed her how to use the sports mode to get around this and she liked it, she is now more comfortable when it comes to merging into incoming traffic when you are at a complete stop.

 

Can you elaborate on using the sports mode? I'm guessing its using the paddle shifters to shift gears to the higher ones or whatever? Sorry I noob Xo lol But I do a lot of freeway driving so I think it might be a good idea to know how

 

Correct Using the paddles/or Shift stick.

When in this mode you are in control of when the car actually changes gear it will stay on first forever until you command it to change, so you need to make sure you don't red line it and shift as necessary, the benefit I experience is that it gives you a little more power when needed to merge into traffic from a stop position. When in full auto there is a lag you will feel when taking off from a stop position which does not help when the incoming traffic has the right of way.. Here in FL we are allowed to make right turns on red lights as long as its safe, this mode comes in handy when the window of opportunity to make that right turn is short.

Someone explain shifting in the DCT please . When to down shift? when to upshift?

Not much more to explain really on DCT unless you are in Sports mode, the Transmission will shift automatically.

Hope this comments help..

 

Is it a good idea to use the sports mode like that prior to breaking in the engine? I'm assuming you guys are letting the rpms go pretty high (over 2700) before shifting to get up to speed.

 

Someone explain shifting in the DCT please . When to down shift? when to upshift?

 

So when you disable the ECO mode does that enable the automatic sport mode rather than having to manually use paddles or the stick?

 

Negative.. to enable sports mode simple move the stick shift to the right and this enables sports mode look at the image I provided.. when you want to go back to full auto just move the stick back to the left

 

i dont know of anyone else has already commented on this but ive tested on eco mode without moving my shifter. The moment you tap (up/down) it will display the gear you are on in the dash, then you can go on and play with the paddles the moment you start cruising again it will automatically go back to drive..

 

Eco mode is a separate function when using the DCT in automatic mode that, as I understand it, modifies when shifting happens to give preference to fuel economy rather than power. You can turn Eco on or off, when the car is in automatic mode.

If you change to sport mode, you control the shifting. Eco no longer applies, since it has nothing to control. When in sport mode, you can shift with either the paddles or the stick.

 

I second Newbie.

Having never driven a manual, I don't know when to shift or when to shift down or up.

From reading here, I learned that one should shift in the area of about 3000 RPM so watch the tachometer, and with experience will hear and feel when to shift, but I still don't know when to shift down vs. up to gain that pickup jadehawk is talking about......

Eg.1) I am at stopped at a corner waiting to right turn onto a highway with a very short opening to get in there and up to 60 mph- how and when would I use it then?

Eg.2) I'm driving approx 45 mph on an entrance ramp to a parkway and want to kick up the speed fast once I enter the parkway, do I shift down to get more speed fast?? (Not up?)

 

Eg.1 => I start at 1st of course and merge into ramp hit the paddle/stick up one gear to 2th at about @4500rpm then do the same wait till 4500rpm before switching to 3rd. you can hear the engine rev up and with a few tries you can shift without looking at the rpm gauge just by ear it is really easy. plus don't forget there is not clutch pedal so you only need to worry about the rpm and shift .

Eg.2 => If you are in auto-mode [D] simply press the gas pedal to the max and the car will down-shift for you to give you the pickup you need might take 2 seconds or less for the car to downshift.
If you are in Sports-mode and you are for example in 5th gear drop 2 to third and go (watch or listen for the RPM to prevent red line) simple.

hope this helps...

 

Theory is nice but I figure I'll just take it to an open road and see how it feels and how it performs. I've never driven stick either... but it seems like the DCT is very newb-friendly and you're not really going to hurt anything unless you redline it hard... unless I'm wrong, in which case I hope someone corrects me

 

You always shift down to get more acceleration. If you are accelerating from a stop and want to get up to speed quickly, then wind out the gears further. Maybe instead of shifting at 2,500 - 3,000rpm shift at 4,500rpm (for example).

 

Thanks jmhasty and jadehawk. The fact that there's no clutch pedal to deal with makes me want to try it someday...but I have that fear of stallng it out, and those are two scenarios where I could not afford to do that!!!

 

for what is worth I have not driven a manual in over 11 or more years and when i took the veloster for the test drive I did not stall not even once this car is really something. and I never owned a manual so I only drove manual once or twice in high school it was a friends Nissan sentra 1987 model (I think) we drove from NY to Orlando (Hollywood Studios) roadtrip.

 

@Hegg ... Thank you, you definitely are better with words than I and your example makes more sense than mine am sure this will help others..

 

Thanks Hegg. I always need the whys and hows to understand and maintain understanding of a concept, so I certainly appreciate your in-depth explanation as it will greatly help me do this!

I never paid any attention to the tachometer in a car before and always wondered why automatic cars even have one (if you can't react in a any way to the reading). My automatic Corolla has an "overdrive" that I've never used. Maybe it's similar to V's sport mode, and that's when the tach. would be useful?

 

It still surprises me how many people don't know their cars even to this point. Your "Overdrive" on the Corolla is simply Gear 4 on the Automatic transmission. By default, the car shifts into Gear 4 when you reach the appropriate speed, and out of it when necessary. All the button does is disable upshifting into gear 4, so the car will only shift up to Gear 3. Read below for the only reason you would do this.

In every Automatic ever made that has the highest gear(s) marked "Overdrive", this applies. You only disable "Overdrive" if your car is "gear hunting" while driving uphill or pulling a heavy trailer. What is gear hunting? The car goes into the OD gear, slows down because it doesn't have the power to keep the car at speed, so it downshifts to the lower gear, which has more than enough torque the speed the car back up to the point where it shifts into the OD gear and it repeats ad infinitum forever every second or two. This problem existed in older, hydraulically-controlled Automatics, and rarely happens in electrically-controlled Automatics.

 

The overdrive on your Corolla will actually help you save a little fuel. Next time you are in the highway cruising at 70 (average here in FL) notice your RPM's before and after you turn ON the overdrive. you will see a noticeable drop in rpm and the car will sound quieter/smoother. However I am surprice your car does not default to overdrive on after engine start. I'm referencing my 2002 Explorer and if I disable the overdrive and forget to re-enable it. next time I restart the engine it turns on by itself.
The overdrive how I understand it, is like an extra gear that runs at lower rpm and it helps you save fuel and make the engine quieter... hopefully "HEGG" can give us the technical view for all of us to understand the inner workings

 

I'm coming from driving a 2001 1.8 liter turbo Passat, its an automatic with an 'autostick' I think they call it...my question is simply what the major differences (both mechanically and useability) between cars like that (automatics with a manual mode) and the DCT.

Will the DCT change gears automatically to save itself from damage if you mess up the gearshifting manually?

I was told on my passat never to really mess with the autostick as it would probably just decrease the life of the transmission...this was by a mechanic that worked on VWs a lot so I don't know if it was just his experience, VWs in general, or a global statement to any 'autostick' car.

Any insight is much appreciated!

 

I suppose the newb in me has to ask this question:

Do you have to be fully stoped to switch from Auto to Sport mode, and vice versa?

I realize what i'm saying, but I don't know much about DCT's...
Will this result is grinding gears, or do these transmissions handle these types of switches?

 

No you do not. Oh and btw everyone I got my car

 

Congrats Newbie !!

I will search the threads for your pictures : )


Sent from my Autoguide iPad app.

 

Anyone thought this could possibly do a Launch Control system?? Since it's a DCT?

 

DCT screeching in first gear!

I've had my V for a week, today I noticed that my DCT screeched in first gear when I accelarated from full stop. Has anybody experienced anything like this?

 

I've had my V for a week, today I noticed that my DCT screeched in first gear when I accelarated from full stop. Has anybody experienced anything like this?

Nope no weird noises so far on my wife's DCT ..

 

Does anyone else think that when in "auto" mode (normal mode, no paddle shifting) the car stays in first a little too long?
When I accelerate from a stop I get up to 3000 rpms or a bit over before the car shifts to second and falls back down in rpms. I remember on my old Integra I would basically shift into second pretty much immediately. Thoughts?

 

I have noticed the same problem. First seems to be a VERY low gear, more so than reverse. If you don't push hard on the accelerator it will stay in first and go about 2 mph.

PS. I called the dealer to see if you can buy the painted insert wheels, but they aren't available yet. BUt you can get mud guards for $50.00

 

Not sure if this has been posted before, but I found an interesting feature of the DCT. IF you keep the transmission in Drive (left side without the +/-) you can still use the paddles to up/down shift. IF then you leave it for a few seconds without shifting again, it will default back to automatic.

 

That's exactly what the sales rep told me when i came back from my DCT test drive,i didn't know that. I assumed it worked like my Mini cooper CVT but I was wrong. With my Mini you are either in auto or Steptronic (manual). I cannot use the paddle shifting in auto mode. Now I have to go back again for another test drive to see how it works.

Not sure if this has been posted before, but I found an interesting feature of the DCT. IF you keep the transmission in Drive (left side without the +/-) you can still use the paddles to up/down shift. IF then you leave it for a few seconds without shifting again, it will default back to automatic.

 

LOL you beat me to it.. I was just going to post the same info..

It works wonders when you want to pass someone just downshift with he paddles and it give you a little boost and it will upshift automatically before red line.. pretty neat

 

It also will go back to "automatic" if you hold down a button for 2-3 seconds as well.

 

Ahhh more info thanx

 

I think they go on with the rear defroster?