I was looking for ways to use the paddle shifters and found myself confused by the info I found in this forum most of the times. I found the ways many experienced Fit drivers described the scenarios in which they used the paddle shifters to be the most easy to understand. So I thought I would collect them all in one thread to help me go back and look for them as needed.

If you have a scenario when you actually used the paddle shifters for better performance/control of the car please help me post them here. The more info you provided about the scenario such as the speed involved, what position (P,R,N,D,S, etc...), etc... and the result you get from using the paddle shifter the better.

No more explanations about what the paddle shifters do or hypothetical use of the paddle shifters, please!!! If anybody think what was done in a particular scenario is bad for the car, then please respond directly to the post and explain why. Please don't start a new post and go on and on about what the paddle shifters are designed to do or how marvelous they are!!!

Thank you all in advance

 

I actually tried this. As I approached a red light in "D" mode, while at about 45+mph, I depressed the brake and shift down to 4, then as the car slowed down to about 30mph, I then shifted down to 3. I found myself used didn't have to force down the brake as hard as before. I didn't find it necessary for me to shift down to 2. What is the best way to shift down in this scenario? Details please? Thanks.

 

I most often use the paddles to downshift for passing, and for engine braking for corners/off ramps. For passing, depending on which gear the auto box is in, I hit the - paddle 1-2 times to bring me to the gear that will give me the most "boost" to sling shot me by the slo-poke in front of me. I will often use it to drop a gear to set up for entering a sharp corner ( slow in, fast out!)

 

The only advice I can give you is use the paddle shifters to change gears just as you would if you were driving a manual transmission. If you don't know how to drive a manual transmission, put it in drive and leave it there.

 

Well said. It's not rocket science, and you can't break your car by using them. You need more power? Shift with the paddles. Simple or as complex as that. Watch your RPM's. You will know when to shift up.

 

Which is to say, if you REALLY want to know the answer to this question (the answer is truly 'Whenever You Want'), for a week or two only drive in "S" mode at all times. It will soon become apparent when and how you would want to shift in a situation, and then when you just drive it fully-auto you'll easily know when you want to pull a paddle on occasion.

 

I use mine quite a bit when towing my dirt bike around on my small trailer. I usually attend a couple of races a month, and they're quite often a 4 hour or so drive away.

I'll either set it in S mode and manually shift to 5'th gear and set cruise control, so I don't get un-needed downshifts to 4'th on very small hills.

Or sometimes I'll be in D, and use the downshift paddle while still in drive to make it up a steep hill more easily. It will usually hold the gear until I reach the top of the hill, then return to 5'th or whatever other gear.

 

O.K. let's say you are in a 35 mph zone and you are climbing (and coming to the crest of) a fairly steep hill. The auto has selected 3rd gear to get you over the top without lugging the engine. Over the top you go, and you don't want to rev anymore, and you don't want to slow down- what you want is to coast down a gentle descent without using the brakes or the accelerator. So- as you near the summit of the hill, you tap the paddle shifter up to 5th, lay off the accelerator, and the engine burbles peacefully down the hill. Without the paddle shifter, it would take the transmission time to "get" what you are trying to do, and you would be needlessly revving or lurching as the car is not shifting at the optimum moment. An auto transmission is good, but it can't read minds! It reads torque and throttle position. You're the one scanning the road ahead for hazards and terrain, predicting what gear the car should be in, and when.

 

harsh but well said... my fit is a manual transmission and i driven an automatic one before.. its near to close to IMPOSSIBLE if you think you can "out smart" the timing that automatic transmission changes by itself to you actually using it in regular automatic DRIVE

hell.. i think the automatics can shift faster then i can in a manual...

the only advantage the manual transmission has over the automatic is that its maintenance free (basically..), has no circulation pump system, hydrolic active cooling system, because of that it also doesn't have alot of fluid.. so theres none of that Transmission fluid dip stick to check your transmissions fluid... or a maintenance schedule.

also no torque converter on a manual transmission, the transmission it self is smaller and weighs less, and a lot less moving parts.

the Disadvantages.... altho manual transmission is cool on the streets.. you'll see pro drag racers and road racers with automatic transmissions mainly (you'll occasionally see a manual..O

 

I don't have an automatic but the times I would use the paddles if I had 'em...

In heavy or stop and go traffic - instead of letting the transmission automatically shift up into higher gears (say 4th or 5th when you're doing 40mph), you could keep the car in 3rd or 4th. This gives you more engine braking as well as more immediate power if you need to shoot a gap.

When driving fast on a curvy road or track - again, the paddles alow you to hold a gear while slowing for a corner where the transmission often tends to upshift. This means when you accelerate out of the corner you're still/already in the correct gear instead of waiting for the tranny to drop down a gear or two.

There's basically nothing to be gained from shifting yourself in a auto tranny for simple acceleration events. What slushboxes can't do is see ahead and anticipate what is needed a few seconds in the future: they're reactionary. Any situation that you know in advance you'll need to be in a lower gear is a paddle candidate.

 

I drive in auto most of the time. I use the paddles in auto by double-clicking the minus paddle when slowing for any reason at any speed. 3rd gear is good for about 90mph so speed is "seldom" an issue. When passing, mashing the gas will shift just as quick as using the paddles. About the only time I use S mode is when cruising or creeping at very low speed or on very hilly/curvy terrain where constant auto shifting is irritating.

 

Holy cow man. Read the original post.

"No more explanations about what the paddle shifters do or hypothetical use of the paddle shifters, please!!!"

 

When racing you accelerate hard in a straightaway. A turn is coming up. You brake hard. Here in a normal automatic you have to 'kick down' the transmission as you brake to keep it in an ideal gear (the transmission otherwise would want to upshift instead of downshift). With paddle shifters you can downshift as you enter into a turn whithout doing a kickdown, saving you precious seconds.


Also, let off the gas and downshift in the middle of a turn to force lift off oversteer

ride out every gear to 7000 rpms for shiggles

lots of uses

 

No paddles here on my Auto. Around the city I like to just leave it in D3. It is responsive. Does nothing for gas mileage though.

Now would/will I hurt trying to downshift to D3 from D while at speed or will it not downshift until it is slowed down to an RPM range it can handle?

Oh I do have a TC which I have not found to be that helpful. In Sport mode seems to just make the throttle response more jumpy.

bill

 

Usually when I'm approaching a red light or a stop, and I'm driving in D, I shift it down to S, which brings the gears down from 5 to 3. From there I tap once more and I'm downshifted to 2 which usually slows me down pretty significantly.

 

Chill out Mr 12 total posts. My wife's car does have paddle shifters. My previous VW had Tiptronic which provides the same functionality except on the shifter instead of the steering wheel. Almost every automatic transmission made for the past 40 years had D3, D2, etcetera which allowed you to downshift and/or hold gears. The situations in my post are actually situations that I and many others sometimes manually shift an automatic transmission, whether via the paddle shifter gimmick or otherwise.

 

Thanks phogroian for the detailed steps. Exactly what I was hoping to get from more experienced Fit drivers like yourself.

 

I've owned manuals and automatics.

I currently own an Automatic Sport Fit.

IMO, if you like shifting and want the feel and benefits? Buy a manual.

Because I don't really like the paddle shifters. Yes, you can "Shift" and it gives you the option of some control BUT....it just is a different animal than a real stick shift. For me it's either/or with transmissions....but not so impressed with Paddle Shifters.

 

Gotta throw that in there, huh? He asks about how to use his car and you suggest to buy a different one. Do you really think you're being helpful or are you just into really subtle trolling?

 

Hills and loads.
They are particularly useful for me here in Central Arkansas, I use them to keep the revs up and for engine braking downhills.