Shifting When You're Told 

"TysMagic" (twjeffery) 12/08/2016 at 09:56 • Filed to: None

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After a decent amount of service completed on the Abarth, I regained a few features. One of those is my shift light works when I’m not in sport mode. It comes on incredibly early in my opinion, we’re talking shifting at 2k rpms. I figured I would give it a shot however and shift when the light comes on.

motor trend’s picture

Accelerating is a lethargic process and the exhaust noises don’t bother the neighbors like before. I am FINALLY achieving the advertised 28 city mpg. I thought this was impossible to be honest.

Anyone else tried this? I don’t predict I can stick with it for long

CalzoneGolem > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:01

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I tried this with my Cobalt once.

E90M3 > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:05

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I’d try it, but the M3 doesn’t come with a shift light.

Tripper > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:10

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I set the shift light in my STi, but I don’t think it changed the way that I drove.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:10

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DasWauto > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:11

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My Golf does this, its recommendations go thoroughly ignored. If I shift at the recommended 2000 rom the turbo gets out of boost and acceleration falls flat on its face. Do not like. I usually shift at 3000rpm or so and because the gearing is quite tall I often skip 4th when I get to highway speed and just put it in 5th.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:14

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You mean that you don’t get the EPA numbers on a turbo car driving it normally? Who’d of thunk....

TysMagic > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 12/08/2016 at 10:16

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I know!

Textured Soy Protein > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:19

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My 335xi doesn’t have a shift light but within the past month or so I decided to try tootling around town in 6th gear doing like 1000 to 1500 rpm. Surprisingly it’s quite content to lug at this low rpm and I picked up an extra 1.5 to 2 mpg on average over a tank.

TysMagic > Textured Soy Protein 12/08/2016 at 10:23

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Nice! I’m up about 5/6 mpg where my normal lead foot puts me

crowmolly > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:25

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Yeah, Jeep TJs have this and CAGS from GM was a way to do it... sort of.

cazzyodo > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:25

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Focus ST has this feature. Pops on around 2k as well. I used it as a little reminder when learning how to drive stick around my town and it’s been a nice little reminder when teaching my brother or girlfriend. Otherwise, ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh want my turbo.

cazzyodo > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:26

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DutchieDC2R > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:33

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My shift light comes on after 9000 rpm, waiting until the light comes one with every shift is......not so smart...:P

handyjoe > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:36

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My Sonic wants me to shift every time I’m giving it any throttle. Any. It would have me in 6th at 30mph if I listened.

I’ll have to try this, though, just to see what would happen.

404 - User No Longer Available > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:38

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I started ignoring Valka’s recommended shifts. In Comfort mode it tells me to shift at like 1.75k, which ironically makes car very uncomfortable as I’m not even spooling the turbos yet.

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:46

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LOL, whats the fun in that?

I get 16-18. All city, and pure pleasure. (I work from home so getting behind the wheel is a pleasure that I thoroughly enjoy.)

Also because of the boost building characteristics of my car, shifting early can be done on only the flattest roads.

I usually 1-2 and then jump to 4th at 45mph.

Funktheduck > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:53

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My shift indicator (not a light) varies based on how hard I accelerate. Sometimes it’s just wrong. Example: telling me to shift to 6 while going 35 mph.

TysMagic > DutchieDC2R 12/08/2016 at 10:55

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mine waits til redline if I’m in sport mode, normal mode is the 2k realm

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 10:57

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Isn’t it bad to lug your engine? Giving enough throttle to accelerate, while under say 2k rpm is really hard on your engine, depending on the engine of course. Big diesels redline at 3500rpm so they don’t care, but on a high revving small displacement engine, that seems like it would be really rough.

TysMagic > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig 12/08/2016 at 11:02

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I’m just doing what the light the manufacturer put in says to do.
The car doesn’t lug surprisingly.

sellphones2493 > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 11:42

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My 2011 S4's shift light thing comes on at like 2500RPMs. I hated this at first, but I like how it actually shows what gear I’m in. With my old S60R, the 3rd and 5th gear were so close (with the spaceball shifter) that it was actually really difficult to tell what gear I was in.

Goobin > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 11:52

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I previously had a Fiesta EcoBoost (the 1.0 I3) and that car warned me to upshift at 2500ish RPM, I did that on the first tank & got 44 MPG. After that I started shifting at 3000-3400 which felt ‘right’ and never got another tank under 50 MPG (until I sold the car to my parents and have watched it struggle to break 40 MPG in their hands).

wpudvah: GTI, Super Beetle, now with more 80-Series > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 12:03

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I can’t stand how early the indicator comes on when in non-Sport mode in my Abarth... if you even touch the throttle at above 2000 RPM it lights up, in any gear. I only drive in Sport mode, need dat exhaust note and throttle response :)

Noodles > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 12:27

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I had a 91 Jeep Wrangler with a shift light. Same thing, it came on at around 2k. After 3 years of ignoring the light, it finally burned out. Problem solved.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig 12/08/2016 at 12:37

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NOT AS BAD AS MURDERING THE ENVIRONMENT, BABY SEAL KILLER!

Autofixation > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 12:38

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Ha! I never let my car go below 1900 when driving.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 12:40

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Most cars that have a shift light have it set for best economy. I don’t have one but if I did I would completely ignore it because redlining a DOHC I6 is literally the best thing in the world.

FrankAtlanta > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 13:19

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I thought that was the purpose of the rev limiter... ;-)

J_P_Cars10s > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 13:56

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My TJ Wrangler had a shift light. It was some real bullshit. Upshift into 4th going 27mph uphill? Not even the mighty 4.0 would like that. Pretty sure it had 3.73 gears and true 31" tires.

TysMagic > wpudvah: GTI, Super Beetle, now with more 80-Series 12/08/2016 at 13:58

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much truth

DynamicWeight > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 16:37

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My mother’s Mazda 3 Hatchback has a shift indicator. I’ve found following it makes the car drive much better than when I ignore it. I’ts got to be the weirdest engine/transmission in a car I’ve ever driven. It really likes shifting early, and will even tell you to skip gears fairly often.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 12/08/2016 at 17:48

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BBQ seal... mmmm mmm

MCS2014 > TysMagic 12/08/2016 at 20:23

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Mini Cooper s also tells you to shift ver early. Given how the turbo works, there is actually a decent amount of torque at lower rpms, it Just dot feel right to shift so low. It’s psychological

Wes Hutchings > TysMagic 12/12/2016 at 18:38

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When I was in high school in the early 90's, the Audi 4000 had this feature.

My mothers friend would always refer to it as the little Nazi car telling her what to do.

I preferred the up shift light and bell feature on the Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE.

It would go bong when you hit redline and then you could shift from the audible warning without ever taking your eyes off the road.

It’s interesting someone decided to revive the feature, meaning the shift light.

I’d like to know if anyone makes the bong, even as an aftermarket device. I think that would be handier. You could even set it either for performance or economy.

TysMagic > Wes Hutchings 12/13/2016 at 09:04

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I’m sure you could find one that makes a noise at a set RPM or whatever. I’d say most manual cars still have the shift light, but how many cars come in a true manual anymore right?
My MPG has skyrocketed since I started paying attention to it. Makes me question how hard I was driving prior haha

Wes Hutchings > TysMagic 12/13/2016 at 09:10

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There are plenty of those big ugly aftermarket tachs with a bright shift light.

I haven’t been able to find one with any form of chime...yet.