For those with a manual transmission do you use the shift light? I've gone by it a few times. When shifting from 4th to 5th it seems the engine is on the verge of lugging.
Is it?[???
]
Is it?[???
]
blank102
the shift light will vary when it turns on depending on how far the accelerator is pressed. so yes, if one is very light on the pedal it seems to want one to shift very low.
No, I never use the shift light. Sort of defeats the point of a manual transmission IMO. But I guess if you're trying to drive as efficiently as possible it may make sense to use it (assuming the shift points are chosen for optimal efficiency, which is sort of what I've supposed - but I find them far too early for my style of driving, even when I'm driving in what I consider a laid-back manner).
I ignore them.
Sometimes my shifts are timed with the shift light, most of the time they aren't. I'm generally a more enthusiastic driver than most.
Sometimes my shifts are timed with the shift light, most of the time they aren't. I'm generally a more enthusiastic driver than most.
I find that shift light will go on when shifting even if you decided to shift before it comes on. I assumed it was connected to load so when you let off the gas and put in the clutch it thinks "time to shift!". I only got 4 petals for early shifting and 90% of the time I drive like Granny so it REALLY wants you to keep the RPMs low.
Ignore the damn thing. I pulled the shift light bulb out of the dash in my '01, and wish I could do the same with this car. I will never earn "ECO Champion", but I couldn't care less. I will not lug an engine.
They timed the light for fuel efficiency. If you're throttle position isn't changing, it will just keep telling you to shift up. There is also a 'second' point for what they think is performance. If you're stepping in to it, the light will come on higher in the torque curve. It is still not perfect, but a lot closer to wehre one should shift.
But to answer the question, no I never use it. I don't even recognize it's there anymore
But to answer the question, no I never use it. I don't even recognize it's there anymore
Oh that's what that little thing on my dash is lol
Nope didn't use it in my 2003 Foci or in my 2012. Wants to put me in 5th gear at 35-40mph car can not even get out of its own way at that point.
Nope didn't use it in my 2003 Foci or in my 2012. Wants to put me in 5th gear at 35-40mph car can not even get out of its own way at that point.
I ignore it most of the time. Living in hilly Pittsburgh, I need to keep it in lower gears longer to make it up the hills. No use in shifting to the gear it wants only to downshift a second later.
Really people you can use it or not, no big deal. It is most likely not intended for the enthusiast driver. In the North American market its the enthusiast segment that goes for the manual, and we know when to shift, don't we. The shift light has no way to anticipate the hill that we are about to climb, or descend, or the imminent merge onto the highway. So just ignore it, really its not worth the trouble to disable it.
I tend to drive 'along with' the shift light as I try to maximize MPGs.
I do not actually 'obey' it, i just shift to be conservative with the gasoline.
Sometimes when in rush hour and I am in the front, or feel i want to go a little faster then really slow acceleration' i rev up to 3K or so before shifting.
On a few occasions I run it out to near redline 1-2-3... [angel] entering the freeway...
(it is interestingthose run ups usually do not change the MPG nearly as much as sitting at a long stoplight!!!)
Most of the time I try to stay at the real speed limit. Though i do go up to 32 in 30 zones so I can shift into 5th gear... Then hang on at 32mph...
4th gear at 25mph...
Anytime over 32mph I am in fifth. (unless entering freeway...)
I do not actually 'obey' it, i just shift to be conservative with the gasoline.
Sometimes when in rush hour and I am in the front, or feel i want to go a little faster then really slow acceleration' i rev up to 3K or so before shifting.
On a few occasions I run it out to near redline 1-2-3... [angel] entering the freeway...
(it is interestingthose run ups usually do not change the MPG nearly as much as sitting at a long stoplight!!!)
Most of the time I try to stay at the real speed limit. Though i do go up to 32 in 30 zones so I can shift into 5th gear... Then hang on at 32mph...
4th gear at 25mph...
Anytime over 32mph I am in fifth. (unless entering freeway...)
It's too small to pay attention to it, but generally, when I'm driving smoothly, i'm on target, which happens really rarely! I'd need a real shift light for my racing days tough!
I got a manual to drive the car as I see fit. SO NO! This car is one of the weakest I've ever owned HP-wise, so I hold my shifts to get some sort of acceleration out of it.
After TSB 12-5-5, under very light acceleration, it will tell you to shift 3->4 at ~25mph, and to shift 4->5 at ~30mph.
The light is useful for learning the car, but that's about it IMO. The one exception I could see an argument for is hill climbing from low speeds (like if you have to make a left turn to long, steep uphill grade).
I put the great majority of my miles on the car commuting, and rushing to speed up almost never saves me time--that's just the nature of my roads and my traffic, so I generally drive for mileage except when I feel like playing. I can honestly say that I would be getting somewhat worse mileage today if I hadn't had the light advising me that it was safe to upshift as early as the light says. I'm saving $1,000 a year in gas with this car versus my '04 Taurus so it's an important matter to me.
My first manual car had half the horsepower of the '12 Focus and 4 speeds. You had to rev the hell out of that car to climb even a modest hill. The new Focus handles hills a LOT better, even if you have the engine revving low where it's considered underpowered, and I think the light helps you see that you really can stay in a relatively high gear as long as you don't need to accelerate rapidly.
The light is useful for learning the car, but that's about it IMO. The one exception I could see an argument for is hill climbing from low speeds (like if you have to make a left turn to long, steep uphill grade).
I put the great majority of my miles on the car commuting, and rushing to speed up almost never saves me time--that's just the nature of my roads and my traffic, so I generally drive for mileage except when I feel like playing. I can honestly say that I would be getting somewhat worse mileage today if I hadn't had the light advising me that it was safe to upshift as early as the light says. I'm saving $1,000 a year in gas with this car versus my '04 Taurus so it's an important matter to me.
My first manual car had half the horsepower of the '12 Focus and 4 speeds. You had to rev the hell out of that car to climb even a modest hill. The new Focus handles hills a LOT better, even if you have the engine revving low where it's considered underpowered, and I think the light helps you see that you really can stay in a relatively high gear as long as you don't need to accelerate rapidly.
Not sure if you guys have MFT where the programming could be different. I have a non-MFT SE and the petals are blocky little blue graphics. Anyway, the Shifting flower is the hardest one to fill by a long shot. I've done it just to see if I could, and you *really* have to stick to what the light tells you. It really hates it if you try any other trickery, too, like downshifting early to engage the fuel shutoff and get engine braking, and god forbid you coast in neutral through a brief patch of reduced-speed-limit road. Seems to penalize you for this stuff even though it conserves fuel.
I wish the shift light was tied to an accelerometer. For example, every day when I leave work I go up an on ramp to get on the highway. I am in 4th gear almost all the way up this ramp going around a turn that is kind of steep. It tells me to shift into 5th gear repeatedly, but if I did the engine would struggle.
I also wish I could turn it off, I've been driving stick long enough to know what I'm doing.
I also wish I could turn it off, I've been driving stick long enough to know what I'm doing.
It is not a sports car that happens to get great mpg. It is an economy car meant to provide great mpg that happens to be a lot fun to drive. It is also a great platform for customizers that want to indulge whatever vision they have for the car. Go for it I say! But out of the box, no not a lot of power. From Zero to 50 I find it moves out quite nicely. From 50 to 70, well you really need to think ahead when you're merging into rush hour traffic at highway speed. The ST will be awesome and I am looking forward to hearing all about it.
(thread drift correction....)
A few posts back it was said the shift light is for learning the car, and that is 100% right. After that you can continue to use it or not, but remember it has no idea what's coming around the corner.
Be the driver Danny (...paraphrasing Chevy Chase as Ty Webb)
(thread drift correction....)
A few posts back it was said the shift light is for learning the car, and that is 100% right. After that you can continue to use it or not, but remember it has no idea what's coming around the corner.
Be the driver Danny (...paraphrasing Chevy Chase as Ty Webb)
feeling the hostility in here!
I think we all can concur it's just a bummer to HAVE TO shift into 3rd, from 5th, to actually get some sort of reaction from the car. Love the tranny and the car though!
I think we all can concur it's just a bummer to HAVE TO shift into 3rd, from 5th, to actually get some sort of reaction from the car. Love the tranny and the car though!
Indeed. [thumb]
As a side note: I'm tankful for the relative positions of the brake and accelerator in this car too-they are well-placed for heel-and-toe downshifting. My '01 is a little better, but it's pretty well done in this car.
As a side note: I'm tankful for the relative positions of the brake and accelerator in this car too-they are well-placed for heel-and-toe downshifting. My '01 is a little better, but it's pretty well done in this car.
I just wanted to point out since it hasn't been stated in this thread that that factory settings for shift lights in Ford vehicles is to encourage maximum fuel effienciency. The only time the shift light changes is when you are at WOT. The light is then activated 500-700RPM before redline.
I'm glad you mentioned that--I was unaware. I'm usually too busy looking at the tach at that point to notice!
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
