New guy with 07 5AT Sport

[chimmike]

Picked up an 07 5AT Sport last night. Fun little car. Peppier than I remembered after driving one earlier this year.

It'll be our commuter/occasional autocrosser. Our S2000 is our weekend/fun car and autocrosser.

I'm finding 'downshifting' the auto and using the engine braking keeps me off the brakes more, and keeps the motor in vacuum more, saving fuel. Any objections to this due to possible transmission damage? I can't think of any, my opinion is that if it was bad, Honda wouldn't have let the system do it.

Anyways, what are some good tips for starting roation on turn in? Took a turn today and must not've set it up right as it basically snowplowed through the turn.

No pics, it's bone stock silver, so no need to show it off yet, lol.

[kenchan]

with your S2000, sounds like a great combo indeed.

blip the throttle a tad before the AT downshifts to minimize the downshift shock.
the less shock, the longitivity of the AT. it's a shift-lever, blip in that sequence.

you need to downshift like you do your S2K before the turn while braking
(do a left foot brake, blip with right), make sure your CG is on your front
tires and moderately turn-in, keep turning a tad more aiming for the inner
corner and accelerate out. the car will naturally want to understeer so
you have to anticipate that in your throttle and calculate by trial and error.

it's nothing like your FR car... i know cause i have a FR as well.

[chimmike]

Makes sense about moving the weight forward. So there's definitely no accelerating into the turn eh? lol.

How does a rear sway help the car? Aside from changing rims and tires to a better footprint.

[kenchan]

during the initial turn-in you can apply throttle to keep your tc's
oil pressure constant to remove that lag when you gently apply throttle
through the turn, but not too much. that initial turn-in direction change
is pretty much all about how much weight you can get on that outside
front tire.

you can try the progress rear swaybar. i use to run it but dont anymore
after getting the EnduraTech's. not needed on my setup.

[chimmike]

Thanks for the tips

I remember with the last FWD car I modded, (b15 Sentra), I threw on a Nismo rear sway and that significantly decreased understeer.

you know, I saw those roll center adjusters, I wonder how those would help too.

Hmm.

Thanks again Should be interesting at the next autocross to switch back and forth between cars.

[kenchan]

yah, it might throw you off though if you change cars back and forth. cause
on a FR if you want to turn more you apply significantly more throttle (given
that your sus is tuned correctly) to make the turn tighter, but on a FF, you
have one chance to get the car positioned right and that's during turn-in
especially on this car with an open diff... well, unless you know how to work
the sidebrake. or you have that rear swaybar with an oversteer bias.

so might be worth a try with the bar.