Ok so I have never had an automatic with manual mode and have a few questions.

1.) Is there any risk to damaging the transmission buy downshifting.

2.) When downshifting from the gear above at low rpm, 1,000/2,000 rpm why does the car feel like its applying it's breaks? Sudden loss of power to the wheels?


This will get the ball rolling...

 

The computer won't let you do really dumb things like shift into first at 80. In theory you could be wearing out the transmission faster than if you let the computer do it.

When you downshift at lower rpms, the lower gear will require the engine to to spin much faster, which means the engine is engine braking. As with a manual, you should probably try to rev match a bit.

 

Do a search on the forums here for "paddle shift" or "paddle shifting", there are plenty of threads on about it.

 

Been shiftin' like a BAWS over here. :P Nah, I tried it out today while taking an on ramp. Downshifted from 5th all the way down to 2nd (going through all of the gears). It defintely takes some getting used to and WTF did Honda mount them on the steering wheel vice on the column? So freakin' dumb. If you turn the wheel you no longer have access to the paddles. HERP DERP.

 

The counter argument is...

as you're turning the steering wheel, your hands aren't in the same place either (relative to the column)... since they'll be turning the steering wheel.

I guess the idea is, if you're so good as to paddle shift while turning... then you should know exactly the position of the steering wheel.

Then again, I don't have paddles on mine.

 

From my experience with the paddle shifters, here goes my advice (I'm almost always in S, but I could also have no idea what I'm talking about):
1) Don't drop into first gear. Ever. Let the car do it by itself when it's slowing down.
2) As stated above, theoretically, it'll wear out the transmission more than it normally would. I wouldn't be too worried, Lyon's transmission is holding up just fine after being with quite a bit more power (as far as I know).
3) If you're rolling up to a full stop, don't engine brake. Let it coast in fifth, it's the closest you'll get to dropping into neutral with a manual.
4) If you're trail braking and downshifting to go into a corner, it should be fine. I haven't had any issues with it, and that's usually dropping into second.
5) Generally, unless I'm on the freeway, I take it pretty easy on the transmission. If I'm going from third into second I try not to exceed forty mph, I feel like it puts a bit more stress on the torque converter.
6) Much stress is really only put on the torque converter launching from neutral into drive/sport. If Honda was worried about the transmission getting beat on, then they would have implemented more restrictions on gear change.

As far as the steering wheel mounted paddles, you get used to it. You learn to keep track of them, or expect where they will be. The upshift paddle has three ridges on the back, so even if you're feeling around, the ridges give you a good feel of which is which. Although it would be nice to have them mounted on the column, I don't mind them moving with the wheel. It'd be nice to have a shifter mounted system, though. The option to choose between the paddles and a shifter would be much more convenient.

 

So to prevent engine breaking I shouldn't just pay attention to rpm--I need to watch the speed of the car drop to?

 

Don't know about wearing out faster but nicely stated. The nice thing about paddler shifters is the ability to be a manual when wanted and an automatic in crowded tgraffic. Computers are not programmed for hustling a car; always shifting too early or too late.

 

One other comment: if you are going to use the paddle shifters, I'd especially recommend moving to a more frequent changing of the ATF. I'll probably end up doing a drain and fill every oil change or every other oil change, but I do my own work, so its a negligible expense for me. But the idea is that if you are changing the shift points, you are probably heating up the fluid and wearing it out a bit faster than the car expects.

 

I'd think with 2.5 turns lock to lock steering any turn that you're in that you're getting your arms crossed up you probably shouldn't be shifting up or down anyway, should have done that before you turned the wheel in the first place. I've never driven the paddle shift though, so my opinion means nothing.

 

Sharp right turn from a stop is the one case where I run into the issue. You need to change hand positions, want to get up to speed, and need the 1-2 shift while your hands are out of position.