So I've finally gotten past the break-in period on my '09 Fit, and I wanted to play around with the paddle shifters a bit, but I also don't want to damage anything, so I figured this would be a good topic to ask about here...

How do you properly use the paddle shifters? In what driving conditions is it appropriate? What's the difference between "D" and "S"? Anything else I need to know?

(Keep in mind that this is from the point of view of someone who doesn't drive a stick.)

Thanks!

 

Conditions: Whenever you feel like. Keep in mind though that "S" mode will most likely waste more gas than if you were do drive in "D" mode.

While you're in "D," at any time you feel like you can switch to "S," even when you're already going. "D" mode is basically your regular everyday driving mode.

"S" is Sport mode in which you can shift the car yourself. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that if you step on the gas and never manually shift, then the ECU will automatically shift for you at a high RPM (or at least I hope it will).

Right paddle is to shift up, and Left paddle is to down shift. If you shift up and then slow to a red light without shifting down yourself, then while you're stopped the car will automatically go back to 1st gear. I recommend downshifting yourself as it can help you by engine braking.

I can't think of anything else except to have fun and shift before it hits redline. I think the manual might say something about the Sport mode so check it out.

 

i concur, i hit the S mode and not touch the paddles when i go up a hill only because when i go down the hill, back to D, saves myself the labor of lifting my arm and pressing the paddles :P when you put it in S mode, and dont touch the paddles, it will shift for you all the way until you downshit or upshit, from there its all manual

 

Let me clear up one thing about the "S" mode. In "S" the transmission changes its shift pattern from an economy like setting to one that is more aggressive for performance driving. The trans will still shift like a regular automatic, but it'll shift at VTEC or a little past till 3rd gear. Once in 3rd the car will not shift until the RPMs get way in the RPM band.

I noticed that whenever I passed a car earlier today when I had my GD3 in "S" mode not using the paddles. The car stayed in 3rd at around 70-75 and did not upshift even if I released the throttle.

Using the paddles while in "S" mode causes the transmission to go into manual mode; which will not shift till you click the upshift (right) paddle. Like said the trans will downshift for you as you slow down but in addition to that there is a little sequence you can do to drop the car in the lowest possible gear. Just click the downshift (left) paddle twice and after the 2nd click pull the paddle back. This is great whenever you have to pass an extremely slow moving vehicle as quick as possible.

Driving conditions? Anytime you choose. I personally have been shifting with the paddles daily for almost 11K miles and there has not been one little whine from the trans. Using the paddles in "S" mode would be good to use in any hilly areas and also can improve your fuel milage if you use them properly.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...-shifters.html

^ There is a topic about paddle shifters that has some more info about how they function and some feedback from people use them.

 

Thanks for the answers everybody. Love this forum!

 

S mode without touching paddles will shift at redline, once you hit the paddles, its manual mode and it wont shift unless you shift, it'll bounce the rev limiter too

 

here's the most useful thing you can do with the paddle shifter.....

you're on the freeway.... going at freeway speeds... you need to pass someone. click the left side paddle shifter (the one w/ the minus symbol),
it downshifts the car to 4th gear and you can zip past the other car.

 

Left paddle - downshift

Right paddle - upshift

 

another thing to keep in mind, the higher the RPM, the faster the acceleration because thats where all the torque is. ill give you two scenerios. lets say your waitin at a traffic light, and you want to go off quickly [for some reason], by standard/automatic, it would be 2nd gear, in sport you can go from first gear and its a lil quicker off the line, be ready to upshift though as the first gear runs out quick [in other terms, first gear is a short gear]. and the highway onramp, which i definatly recomend sport, lets say you need to get to 60 MPH from 20 MPH and theres traffic. second gear, floor it and merge onto the highway, at redline upshift to 3rd gear, by then you will be 60 MPH and you can put it back to Drive mode. hope you got an idea what to use it for ;]

 

At least you Americans have paddles... our Canadian '09 Sport A/T's dont have them, cost cutting measure!

 

At least you Canadian's had Taffeta White in 2008. I had to settle for an SSM.

 

at least you canadians have a much better insurance than us americans. and wages!

 

I haven't completely figured out how much the electronic nanny intervenes while using the paddles. I want to try them in the snow, as unwanted up and down shifts can cause trouble.
Sometimes it seems the ECU orders a downshift (or a lockup clutch to open) without summoning it with the paddles.
I played with 'em on Beffert Mountain the other week; they were fun there...
Moon

 

Sport mode is for shifting gears with your fingers rather than your hands (lever) and feet(clutch). Its not a true performance automatic that shifts gears by hydraulics but merely changes fluid flow the same way as a hydramatic transmission of your fathers.
Shifting in S mode is more economical becauise I shift at more opportune times than the programmed auto mode. It also is more performance oriented because the gear can be held all the way to redline and can be downshifted anytime the next lower gear is within the rpm range of the engine.. As an example lapping VIR is 5 to 6 seconds quicker in sport than auto and top speed is a trifle more (1-2 mph) depending on how well I exit Oak Tree. A fit is no speed demon, 3 minutes at VIR is good.Try 'Hyundai Sundae at VIR' on utube to see how easily it can be driven in a street car.
I find I get 1-2 more mpg by my shifting at street pace rather than auto.
There is one handicap: 3rd year is overgeared and should be around 1.17 instead of 1.067:1; shifting into third from second not wasting gas loads the engine because its just too little torque to let the Fit freely coast along and it wastes gas. Lugging an engine is a sure way to drop mpg. Fotunately its not for long running up the gears.
There is no 'programmed' way of driving a manual or in sport auto, its a matter of learning when to shift to get the most out of your Fit, whether performance or mpg.
When you are in drive I believe you can temporarily chosse sport to upshift or downshift to suit the need.
Ans sport is not the best paddle auto either. Nissan's Sentra SER will upshift automnatically at redline and let you downshift anytime the rpm redline in the next lower gear is above the matching speed rpm, as it should be. Naturally, you can shift yourself anytime between. Haven't figured out why Honda didn't program the sport mode to shift up at redline.

 

Finally, someone else who noticed the problem with 3rd! I have no idea of why they did this. I compensate for it by holding 2nd a moment longer than I want to, so that I'm more in the torque band when 3rd is engaged.

I made the same observation you did regarding auto upshift at redline in another thread, and got scolded that I just needed to learn how to shift - something I'm not so bad at . That's the way the Tip on my Boxster works, it would have been simple to have added in the tranny firmware.

 

My bride's VeeDub has the manumatic feature, and it shifts when it reaches redline. This is a mixed blessing; frankly I'd rather control it all myself, and be able to lug a little with my foot to the floor (the Volks will also downshift with enough pedal), or not have it give me another gear all unbidden.
I'm an old 3 pedal guy, and I'm happy not to have Hal take over. Ground looped my Jeep on Beffert Mountain when it downshifted on its own and the extra torque kicked the tail out; I ended up on top a plowpile pointing East when I had been headed West. I was in 2wd and black ice may have figured in...
I've gotten used to Jeep tractor motors, where the gas mileage is to be found in lots of throttle and low revs...fewer piston strokes and reduced pumping losses. Not sure how to deal with the revhappy Honda.
Moon

 

... I didn't read through this entire thread but to clarify some things that I did read. When in s mode if you have activated the paddles the car will not no matter what shift up for you. It will bounce off the rev limiter if you forget to shift.

Also while it S mode you can manually down shift or the if you coast or brake to a stop the car will automatically downshift for you.

 

Even when in sport mode the gears will shift as programmed by what I was told by Honda people was a 'gradient adjustment'. For the umpteenth time I complained that in sport the rpm would change with changing displayed gear much like my SER with CVT transmission.
In watching since I find that must be the case as whenever I encounter a grade in 5th the rpm will jump from 2200 to 2800 and still display 5th. As soon as the grade levels out rpm drops back to 2200, fore example.
Still while I wasoput verifying the locking gas tank cap install I tested the red line again and still find it doesn't shift on its own. No doubt thats a bad sign of poor design specs. there's never any reason to hold at redline instead of shifting save for those corners that the upshift would last less than 5 seconds.

 

The electronic nanny only intervenes in sport when motre rpm is needed to maintain speed as on gradients.
And deciding your shifts instead of the programmed auto works better for me as I have a lot more program variations than the intel one. And thats exceedingly valuable in snow.

 

Noticed, my foot, I'm downright foaming at the mouth. In my terrain there has to be 'several' moments holding second at increasing rpm that probably costs me a mpg at least, not to mention racheting up the frustration. Why Honda would design 3rd to be good to 90+ mph is beyond this old engineer., 80 would be a lot better.

The sport mode (probably the auto mode too) has a 'gradient adjustment' program that apparently checks the injection pulse against rpm and when it gets to a certain level downshifts gear without displaying a difference in gear. In criuse you really see it and as soon as the grade levels it switches back to normal. One hill near me that I drive often increases rpm from 2200 to 2800 every time without displaying the different gear. Thought for a while I had CVT. Some day I need to see what happens in auto mode but my Fit goes better in sport than auto. Guess its that 50 years driving manuals but my gkids all wanted granddad to leave them automatics. Just couldn't qiute go all the way, just haft way. Still trying to convert them though.

For those who think shifting at redline is so easy let me take them on a lap at VIR; there are two turns that placing shifting above maintaining control you will be butt over teacups. For those who think driving at the limits is not proper, go get a tricycle.
And if you want to see just how a sport auto should be programmed go drive a Nissan Sentra SER made in the last 2 years. For once Honda didn't get sport driving right. Must have been a real junior engineer.
cheers.