# Driving in "M" mode with the 1.4L Turbo automatic ??



## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

I use manual mode all the time & shift are similar RPMs, I would not worry one bit. For me anything other than a super easy foot in D & you get erratic shifts(RPMs climb much higher than intended).


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## Jaycruze (Jul 11, 2011)

i would always use it if it didnt down shift into first and take forever to change gears.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Jaycruze said:


> i would always use it if it didnt down shift into first and take forever to change gears.


my 2012 only ever downshifts to 1st at less than 12mph, not sure when this would ever be an issue. Next time you come to a stop & the transmission downshifts to 1st, up shift to 2nd gear. your car will then take off in second, and every time(until you restart) you take off from stop lights it will always only downshift to 2nd & take off in this gear. This is designed this way so in poor traction(snow) you can use second to get moving. 

Not sure what you mean by slow shifts, I do notice the RPM seem to climb slightly after i hit press the shift lever(almost like rev-matching) but this can be adjusted for & I just shift 300-500rpm lower than I intend.


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## Onthelo2 (Jul 2, 2012)

so far sounds like I won't hurt much if I drive occasionally in "M" mode ? also can someone please explain to me how the "adaptive" transmission is suppose to work.. I am a little confused.. Thanks guys you all are so awesome


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## leo18_rod (Jan 24, 2012)

Is there a proper way to shift in M mode?.. LIke for example: When I'm in 1st gear and hit lets say 3000 RPMS and i want to shift to second, Do I take my foot off the gas and quickly shift upwards to second? Or Do i shift with my foot on the gas while I shift upwards? Which way is better and would get faster response?


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

leo18_rod said:


> Is there a proper way to shift in M mode?.. LIke for example: When I'm in 1st gear and hit lets say 3000 RPMS and i want to shift to second, Do I take my foot off the gas and quickly shift upwards to second? Or Do i shift with my foot on the gas while I shift upwards? Which way is better and would get faster response?


I keep my foot in the gas at the same level, it shifts nicely.


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## mcg75 (Mar 5, 2012)

Using the M mode, you're just sending the same command to the trans to shift that that PCM would albeit at a different rpm. No need to take the foot off the gas etc.


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## leo18_rod (Jan 24, 2012)

Ohh Okayy thanks for the info!... So do you think the Cruze performs better in M mode ?


Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app


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## Jaycruze (Jul 11, 2011)

spacedout said:


> my 2012 only ever downshifts to 1st at less than 12mph, not sure when this would ever be an issue. Next time you come to a stop & the transmission downshifts to 1st, up shift to 2nd gear. your car will then take off in second, and every time(until you restart) you take off from stop lights it will always only downshift to 2nd & take off in this gear. This is designed this way so in poor traction(snow) you can use second to get moving.
> 
> Not sure what you mean by slow shifts, I do notice the RPM seem to climb slightly after i hit press the shift lever(almost like rev-matching) but this can be adjusted for & I just shift 300-500rpm lower than I intend.



I don't know about yours but when mine drops down to first the car slams forward... slams harder if im braking hard. Just like if you were driving stick and you tried to drop down to first, The car basically whiplashes forward.

I know about the starting off in 2nd thing but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a 6speed. What i mean by slow is, you tap the shifter to go up a gear and the tranny waits a few seconds before it actually shifts. I've driven other cars with the manumatic and they shift a lot faster than the Cruze. 

Maybe the 2012's are better, but for example if I hammer it from 1st in manu mode, i pretty much have to tap the shifter as soon as i put my foot down or the car will redline in 1st while its waiting to shift.

Basically what i do now is, start in first and then as im braking i throw it back in to auto... again annoying but meh, i don't really use it much anymore anyway.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

The 2012 does not have any major delay in up shifting, its shifting a split second after you hit the lever. If I manually downshift to 1st above 12mph it slams into 1st. I actually just let the car downshift to 1st in manual mode on its own, since it happens at such a slow speed & only when coming to a stop(below 12mph). when letting the car downshift or waiting & manually shifting below 12mph it shifts very smoothly changes gears. 

If I slam on the gas in 1st(manual mode) I can wait & choose exactly what RPM I want the car to shift at. Sounds like the 2011 shifting is very very different.


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## Onthelo2 (Jul 2, 2012)

well removed the resonator last night and its a little more responsive and in "M" mode a tad more sporty I may just purchase my intake soon and go from there..


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

OK - I'm confused. As a stick shift driver, why would you purchase an Automatic and then switch to Manual mode except for specific items such as engine braking down the side of a mountain? I'm not trying to start a flame war, I really don't understand this concept.


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## ECOmaniac (Mar 14, 2012)

obermd said:


> OK - I'm confused. As a stick shift driver, why would you purchase an Automatic and then switch to Manual mode except for specific items such as engine braking down the side of a mountain? I'm not trying to start a flame war, I really don't understand this concept.


The TCM has separate tables for shift times (duration), line pressures, TC lock-up, torque management settings, etc. making it potentially a completely different driving experience. Usually a touch more aggressive and responsive..which sort of plays into the Sport vs Normal tune "changes" that Trifecta owners refer to when putting it into "M" versus "D" . If I had access to a TCM I could show you. Factory settings aren't nearly as aggressive or sporty of what is capable of the trans, but still offers a little more autonomy on the drivers end of things. Though this is by far the worst "tapshift" car I've ever owned which makes 4 now, it really should be called something else because it's rarely all manual, half of the time the car does what it wants despite your input. The DIC shows the requested gear versus actual which is extremely annoying on a 6 speed. It upshifts and downshifts if TPS is below a certain commanded value. It's just...not what a "M" mode should be. A tune however can eliminate 99% of the garbage safety (annoyance) features and make it a completely different car.


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## Jaycruze (Jul 11, 2011)

Further to what i said and what ECOmaniac just said.... To be honest I kick myself in the ass everyday because I didn't get stick

I only got A/T for the wife... and she never drives the **** thing. If you are REALLY THAT concerned about manual mode... just get stick.

Myself? I need to fork out more money for a car I already bought just so the A/T is half decent (TUNE)

Of course maybe the 2012's are better? ... beats me I'd test drive the **** out of the car before you buy it... and take a friend with you when you do, not your wife haha

ps: I hear the Ford Focus A/T is worse lol


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

obermd said:


> OK - I'm confused. As a stick shift driver, why would you purchase an Automatic and then switch to Manual mode except for specific items such as engine braking down the side of a mountain?


So you can control what gear the transmission stays in while it town, remember an automatic is always trying to get into the highest gear which is not always ideal in every situation. also manual mode eliminates the neutral mode at stop signs.

Manual mode is not like other automatic cars, when you floor the gas it does not downshift automatically, it hold gears like a manual. This is nice on the highway with rolling hills, even with the cruise control set just pulling the trans over into M6 eliminates hunting up & down for gears.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Thanks guys. Glad I went with the manuals (twice). I spent 22 years conning my minivans into the gear I wanted them in by using a combination of the steering column shift selector and gas pedal and am so happy I went back to a true manual transmission. By the way - my only real complaint about the Pontiac Montana AWD was that it wasn't a stick.


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## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

We use the M mode once in a while however the gas milage does suffer.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Anybody with a automatic cruze who uses the manumatic and knows how to do it properly care to make a video of it?


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## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

Sure I will. What do you want to see.?


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## ECOmaniac (Mar 14, 2012)

Jaycruze said:


> Further to what i said and what ECOmaniac just said.... To be honest I kick myself in the ass everyday because I didn't get stick
> 
> I only got A/T for the wife... and she never drives the **** thing. If you are REALLY THAT concerned about manual mode... just get stick.
> 
> ...


Dude nail on the head with this post - SAME situation, wife never drives the car now because of the turbo/intake noise, told her the other day I'm trading it in and getting a manual. She got mad but still doesn't drive the car. May come home with a 6 spd manual one day, camera in hand for the look on her face.


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## ECOmaniac (Mar 14, 2012)

spacedout said:


> So you can control what gear the transmission stays in while it town, remember an automatic is always trying to get into the highest gear which is not always ideal in every situation. also manual mode eliminates the neutral mode at stop signs.
> 
> Manual mode is not like other automatic cars, when you floor the gas it does not downshift automatically, it hold gears like a manual. This is nice on the highway with rolling hills, even with the cruise control set just pulling the trans over into M6 eliminates hunting up & down for gears.


Holds gear above a certain RPM/throttle position for each gear...otherwise it does downshift automatically unless the 12' LT is different than the 12' ECO which I doubt. This was made obvious on the dyno when I was trying to hold 5th and realized I was only getting a quarter of the entire power band because it would downshift. So I dropped to third, pulls must start above ~3400 RPM or it downshifts to 2nd. Makes it a pain. Curious to know if it's any different in your car, bring the car up to 3k and mash it in 3rd, guessing it downshifts..


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

ECOmaniac said:


> Holds gear above a certain RPM/throttle position for each gear...otherwise it does downshift automatically unless the 12' LT is different than the 12' ECO which I doubt.



Yes it downshifts automatically in manual made, only when the RPM fall to low(somewhere below 1300RPM). I was more pointing out that it does not downshift with throttle position when giving it gas like 99% of automatic transmissions do.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

ECOmaniac, do you have a tune? doesn't part of the tune make manual mode act more like automatic mode & it shifts automaticly? Stock the car does not downshift & holds gears with 100% throttle all the way to the rev-limiter.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

XtremeAaron said:


> Sure I will. What do you want to see.?


Like when to upshift and downshift, like at what speed and what RPM's? Also like how to downshift when having to quickly slow down/slam on the breaks or when having to come to a complete stop at a light or sign. And how to use in when merging on and off the highway and its ramps and stuff like that. I ask and am interested in seeing it used in a video because if using manumatic mode is more sporty and saves on gas or gets you better MPG's, I'll be all for using it but I don't want to mess anything up by doing it wrong.


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## XtremeAaron (Jan 22, 2012)

Starks8 said:


> Like when to upshift and downshift, like at what speed and what RPM's? Also like how to downshift when having to quickly slow down/slam on the breaks or when having to come to a complete stop at a light or sign. And how to use in when merging on and off the highway and its ramps and stuff like that. I ask and am interested in seeing it used in a video because if using manumatic mode is more sporty and saves on gas or gets you better MPG's, I'll be all for using it but I don't want to mess anything up by doing it wrong.


Sure, I'll try to do this tonight. For me it's pretty self explanatory but my previous vehicles were all manual. 

I'll also try the mash in third eco maniac was talking about.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

XtremeAaron said:


> Sure, I'll try to do this tonight. For me it's pretty self explanatory but my previous vehicles were all manual.
> 
> I'll also try the mash in third eco maniac was talking about.


Thanks man. Def appreciate it!


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## ECOmaniac (Mar 14, 2012)

spacedout said:


> ECOmaniac, do you have a tune? doesn't part of the tune make manual mode act more like automatic mode & it shifts automaticly? Stock the car does not downshift & holds gears with 100% throttle all the way to the rev-limiter.


My trans isn't tuned, I don't have access to it yet, but to answer your question - depending on who is doing the tuning one would ideally want to eliminate any automatic shifting done by the TCM in manual mode not introduce it. The stock tune does not hold gear if certain conditions are met. If you get to 5th gear @ 30 MPH and hit the gas, the car downshifts 100% of the time @ full throttle, the gear it shifts in to WILL hold all the way to the rev limiter. This is why it's impossible to dyno in 5th and 4th isn't much better. 3rd gear downshifts to 2nd if you are below ~ 3400 RPM and go full throttle. Once the TCM hits the targeted gear it won't downshift again, that is true.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

ECOmaniac said:


> If you get to 5th gear @ 30 MPH and hit the gas, the car downshifts 100% of the time @ full throttle, the gear it shifts in to WILL hold all the way to the rev limiter.


Just to verify I went for a drive, at 30mph in manual mode in 5th the car does not downshift at all with 100% throttle. No gear change indication on DIC, no jump in RPM on tach & VERY VERY slow as molasses acceleration. My car does not downshift in manual mode even with 100% throttle no matter what gear I am in. 
Not sure what the difference could be, my 2012 has a build date in January. Its acted this way since new.


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## ECOmaniac (Mar 14, 2012)

Well I envy you then! The 12' ECO has a granny TCM tune! I'll show you what I mean when I can see the tables...

Thanks for testing this by the way...


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## Daisy81 (Jun 17, 2012)

ECOmaniac said:


> Well I envy you then! The 12' ECO has a granny TCM tune! I'll show you what I mean when I can see the tables...
> 
> Thanks for testing this by the way...


Maybe the TCM for the automatic Eco model is different then the TCM of the rest of the automatics?


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