Built autos are faster. Stock autos are slow.
It doesn't feel faster it is faster. Leaving it in D will make the transmission shift about 500rpm from redline while going WOT. If you manually shift you can get as close as you want to redline. Autos are also consistent, I can just leave it in D and it will be super consistent. That is what wins races. You miss shift your manual and you'll lose.

5 speeds are good for daily drivers and saving gas. You didn't shut me up, you just made yourself look more like an idiot.

 

If you want to be like this kid, then shift your auto

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/...519C9E5809.htm

 

look at a dyno chart of your engine buddy.
holding to redline doesn't mean your going to be going faster.
where does you HP drop off signifigantly? of wait before redline.
as someone said above, when Jime hit 12.1 on his auto(fastest auto 1/4 run around btw) he sure as **** wasn't shifting his auto manually.
guess why.
it's slower.

your obviously bent on your ways and there is nothing i can say to make you believe driving a 5 speed max gives you better performance and mpg i should really just give up.
it's obvious your in love with your autotragic.

not all autos are slow.
not all stock autos are slow.
i know of 2 that run 12s right off the top of my head an audi and bmw and they are 4 door sedans...
generally an automatic is slower because of the ****ing torque converter loss compaired to a flywheel and clutch. there is nothing you can do to change that fact.
there comes a point where an automatic tranny will be better to use in 1/4 mile drags. when you start hit sub 11 second runs it's easier and more consistant.

i know a skyline that runs 8.26 and isnt an auto...
it is not needed to have an auto to run fast.

all speeds and times at which your maxima never will achieve.
so why talk about built autos in relation to maximas when no one here will have one that needed to be built beause of the fact it's more efficent then having a driver shift it himself?

driving a manual is fun.
period.
if i look like an idiot to you i could care less. if i start to care about what you think about me i'm in more trouble then you and your tranny

good day sir.

 

10char

 

I know autos eat up more power and I also know that Jime is leaving it in D. What you don't know is Jime is trying to find a way for it to shift closer to redline. It doesn't matter that power is falling off, the closer you shift to redline the sooner you'll get into the powerband in the next gear. Nobody is debating the fact that 5 speeds put more power to the ground and most of the time get better gas mileage. I'm just stating the advantages of a auto.

 

[QUOTE=Maximus_Jones]Well i guess i need to stop downshifting with the O/D button when i hit the exit ramps.

I often leave it in 1st or 2nd gear when i'm sitting in heavy highway traffic...like when it is just creeping along. I'm thinking that isn't too bad for it as long as I don't shift under hard acceleration. Maybe I should just leave it in D.[/QUOTE

Overdrive is good to leave on all the time, but alot of people including me when under 40 I use drive. Like in stop and go city driving or in a traffic jam, etc. It has to be better for the trans in stop and go conditions to be in a lower gear.

 

How did this thread receive so much attention?

 

I manually shift my auto sometimes, but only upshift never downshift. I dont see harm in upshifting an auto when I want, driving an auto gets boring you gotte do something....

I actually ran slightly better times manually shifting my auto then I did leaving it in D at the track. In D car only hits 6200 when floored, manually shifting can go to redline.

Yes auto sucks, yes I know I should get a manual if I want to shift, but I dont have a manual so I work with what I got.

 

1) remove tranny
2) insert manual
3) drive

thats what im doing i hate this auto im ripping it out and smashing it .

 

I shift my auto when I race and have always run better times when I do. SO I'll keep doing what works for me. I'm sticking with my auto. I dont see any need to switch it out right now. I'm going to mod the max until I cant any more with it. Theres alot of things the 5speed guys are doing to there max that no autos have done yet and I want to be one of the first to do it. If Jimes auto can go 12.1 I see no reason why I cant do the same with mine.

 

god, peoples stupidity never fails to amaze me.... what are you trying to accomplish by putting it in 1st or second? the transmission will be there regardless if you are in traffic at slow speeds, are you just trying to wind out first gear to like 4500rpms for the he!! of it, and waste gas? enlighen me, please

 

1. Do you have any idea how much more power you'd have to have and how much money and work you'd need to put into an automatic for it show a clear advantage over a competently shifted manual? Maybe you do, but you're generalizing anyway.

2. Manuals are for slow cars, eh? Guess that's why the McLaren F1, Porsche Carrera GT, Pagani Zonda, and Koenigsegg CC all have manuals...

3. By and large the autos that beat manuals for fuel consumption are either CVT or DSG boxes, or accompanied by an engine tune that puts mileage over power.

And to those of you pointing out Jime's times to speak in favor of autos over manuals... any guesses what kind of gearbox is in the fastest Maxima? Jime is very very good and very highly respectable, but MardiGrasMax blows him away HARDCORE (11.4 vs. 12.1), and he does it with a clutch.

Yes, the fastest drag cars are usually automatics. But, news flash... none of them is an econo commuter car. Maximas are, and therefore they have econo commuter car automatics, which are not easy to build up to handle ungodly amounts of power (unless you consider dropping it off at a shop and writing a blank check easy) and will never be able to handle as much reliably as a manual that is built up to the same degree.

A Maxima is not and will never be fast enough for a couple hundredths of a second saved with each shift to count more than the more efficient power transfer of a manual.

Unless, of course, you can't shift.


Anyway, back on point. Force-upshifting isn't really any worse for an auto than just flooring it, but force-downshifting is MUCH worse. You can't rev-match the shift with an auto, and it will place a LOT of stress on your drivetrain when those little clutch packs try to fight the engine's compression and the car's momentum. Doing that frequently is a one-way ticket to a slipping, mis-shifting transmission.

 

So what your saying is Mardigras is faster only because he's a 5 speed? Try again buddy HARDCORE.

 

Note to self: arguing with people posting in auto vs. manual threads requires language no higher than 3rd grade level.

Read it again. I said he's faster AND he has a manual, not BECAUSE he has a manual. It was to argue against the people who are saying auto is the way to go with lots of power.

 

OMG how many threads are going to be about this same topic!!! can us auto people just accept the reality that our cars are slower than 5sp and our trannys are not built for major HP!!!! stop trying to get the best out of the auto. Just put it in D and youll get the best out of it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unless you have more than 2 grand to try and upgrade the damn thing and then another 2 grand to repair it after it brakes again lol.

 

to the man who wants to shift his auto... i have two max one is 97 auto and i just bought 99 se 5 SPd.. let me tell u something that 99 is much more fun to drive... my buddy has 99 gsr stock .. he used to beat my 97 with his four banger.. of course he has 5 Spd.. now i raced him with mine i beat him all the time about 2 to 3 car lanes.. i am also new to driving a 5 spd.. some times i even miss gears..any way i was upset with my 97 auto was getting beat by 4 banger.. common ??/its your call now..

 

hahaha i like him.

 

I can vouch for this lol...a while ago, back when I was 16, I did this every now and then (at the time my max was my brothers) and no one told me you could just move the shifter without clicking the button (from 1 to 2 to D)...so I clicked the botton and missed D and went past N into R...EVERYTHING shut off. Wheel locked, radio died, etc. I believe I blew out 1st gear and 4th...but yeah....it cost my brother. But honestly, if you want to manually shift...by a crappy car that you can replace without worrying to much about $$$ (Geo Metro - I had a Geo Storm...I beat that crap senseless) or do the 5 speed conversion.

 

What have we learned here?

 

that manuals are the ****

 

LIES!! i get more power out of manually shifting my auto lol. now someone this joint!

 

I don't understand the problem here.
5Spd 0-60 : 6.6
Auto 0-60 : 7.4

Clearly we can see the auto is faster
7.4 > 6.6



Blah blah blah ... If we autos get VB mods then we can shift fast and resist harder shifts when we get to high HP and TQ later

OK what do you think happens when we put in a 5th gen clutch or stage 1, 2, or 3 ..........

5Spd weighs less and transfers the power more efficiently because there are less moving parts.

Auto is more consistent ... but who said consistent is faster?

 

Not at my elevation..

 

To the original poster, if you want to shift your auto manually, then you wear out your tranny faster. Its very simple, and I'm not going to explain why, check out www.howthingswork.com and other sites.

Now onto the 5spd vs auto argument...

For autocrossing and racing not in a straight line, give me a manual. You choose where in the power band you are for a set speed. Simple, really. This allows you to choose where in the power band you want to be when exiting a corner.

For drag racing, give me an auto with an upgraded torque converter and VB modifications with tranny cooler. Even better, give me an SMT! The computer can shift faster than any human.

 

SMG?.....

 

just lift your foot off the gas real quick then slam down on it...it should dshift for you. dont try and shift with the shifter its retarded and will fu*k your trannny uppppppp

 

NO actually, if you read correctly I was talking about driving in HEAVY traffic on the highway. Yeah, going about 5-15 mph. That's when I use 1st and 2nd gear. WHY? because I don't want the max to shift from 1st to 2nd to 3rd over and over and over again while driving in stop and go traffic. PLUS, I benefit from using the brake less. When left in a low gear like that I can merely left off of the gas pedal and the car slows itself. Now you are enlightened grasshopper.

 

Hahah sorry, yes thats what I meant.

 

Well I think the main point of this thread has been lost by wise cracks and miss information,

Yes you can manually shift an Automatic

Not many people do/ know how to for good reason

There are many components that you can ruin if you shift incorrectly

(sorry 5-speed owners) Automatics are faster than manuals at shifting, however they require more rotational energy (Ie torque) and put slightly less to the pavement.

electronic automatics/ "Tiptronic" (or any other technical name) transmission, are designed to do what you are asking; shift manually, yet still automatically

I only know these to exist in Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Aston Martin, and other high end luxury sports cars.

If you want to beef up your automatic &or change it's shift point I suggest looking at this post about valve-body recalibration & torque converter improvement. https://maxima.org/faq-4-Performance.html#33

And this transmission cooler install post. https://maxima.org/modules.php?name=TMC

If you want to know the optimum shift points for our VQ30DE engine follow this chart

Our Stock HP & TQ curves

By Maxima.org

Shift Points


Provided by member "SteVTEC"

To read more about shift_points you can go to this thread http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=288967

Although not recommended, I manually shift my automatic, from 1st up to 4th , but only in rare occasions, and I never repeat never down shift my auto, that's what the throttle kick down is for.

if you want a general more sporty feel and better throttle response out of your auto, first change your fluid and screen at regular intervals, and simply ride with the OD off.

Personally
My engine was overdriven to death, it rarely ever saw 1:1 ratio's and once I turned OD off I finally realized how fun these cars are. With my car in D and OD off I can hit 110mph in 4th gear, @ around 6grand which is , if you look at the chart right where the upper limits over our (stock) HP ends.

Follow these and the other sain tips, and you'll be enjoying your auto for a long time to come.

Don't and you'll be looking for a new tranny by mid summer.

I hope this puts a period on this thread and we can all focus on cool mods, like VQ35 swaps

Lastly for more info on tourqe curves and power to wieght rations check out this post https://maxima.org/modules.php?name=30_comparisons

 

Sorry... I recognize your good intentions and it's good that you're trying to bring this silly argument to an end with some sound information, but I have to point a couple of things out:

In general automatics CAN be faster at shifting, but that doesn't mean that OUR automatics ARE faster at shifting. I had an auto before my 5-speed swap, and I can tell you that on a good day I can shift just as fast as it could. And I'm not even that good... people who race can be a lot faster a lot more consistently.

Plus, "slightly less to the pavement" is a bit modest. It generally takes at least a Y-pipe to bring an auto Maxima up to the speed of a bone stock manual Maxima, and a Y-pipe a pretty significant power adder. In addition to its inefficiency due to the torque converter, heavier weight, and greater rotating mass, the auto is also geared significantly taller, which further hurts acceleration.

Turning OD off disables 4th gear, so you're actually in 3rd at 110mph.

...Sane tips like... overdriving your engine "to death", driving around all day with OD off, and hitting 110mph in 3rd?

 

Seems as thought you like to follow me around the org. miss quoting me only to make your point, which was... Humm nothing other than to take away from my post. But I understand adding something constructive and coming up with an original idea takes more effort that negating the person above you.

This thread isn't that big a deal,


I found a thread which should explain my self clearly since you have a hard time upstanding the little things I write..

Original post by "cefiro8701"

cefiro8701 on 07-29-2005, 11:05 PM
"For some reason the function of the "O/D OFF" button on the shifter of
automatic equipped 4th gen Maximas is always the subject of heated debate.

The button functions exactly as it is labeled. The button disables 4th gear in the transmission. This is it's only function. It has no effect on engine output. It has no effect on transmission shift firmness. It has no effect on transmission shift points.

Well, if it doesn't do any of that, why is it there?

Good question.

One instance where turning overdrive off can help is heavy traffic. If you are in "stop-and-go" traffic, and not exceeding about 50mph, switching O/D off may help driveability. Locking out 4th gear reduces hunting and shifting in traffic. This makes it easier to drive smoothly.

Another instance is when driving at very high speeds. When left alone, the transmission will shift from 3rd to 4th gear at about 6000 RPM at WOT. This is about 122 MPH. When this happens, the engine drops down too low in it's power band to continue accelerating very well. This is why people complain about not being able to exceed about 125 MPH. If O/D is switched off and the car redlines in 3rd gear, it reaches 130 MPH. Switching O/D on at this point will put the engine into 4th gear at a more powerful RPM. This will allow the car to continue accelerating to the 140 MPH range."

You need to find something else to do with your time other than trying to make yourself seem big by making others look small.

 

Not my fault we found two of the same threads to post in.

Mis-quoting? I copied your text exactly. There was some misinformation, so I posted counterpoints. 404 fault not found...

....Huh???

Hate to break it to you, but you're the one getting testy here.

Was anything I said incorrect? If so, prove it instead of flaming.

 

Someone please lock this thread. The question ( a rather wack one, but a question nonetheless) was the " Best way to manually shift an auto", and was answered with "you shouldn't do that" Period.

Everything else is off topic and redundant....

 

Um yeah. Anyone care to compare how long an Auto shifts gears vs how long a human typically can press the clutch, move the shifter, release the clutch and then finally finish the shift??

THE ONLY REASON MAXIMA AUTOS ARE SLOWER IS BECAUSE THEY FEATURE CRAP GEAR RATIOS DUE TO THEIR 3 NON OD FORWARD GEARS VS THE MAXIMA 4. ie... autos typically have 1 less forward gear vs their manual.

BMW has a auto shifting clutch tranny that shifts in MILLISECONDS. MANY times faster than a human shifting a manual. While not on a maxima, it shows how fast an auto can shift.

 

...and have more drivetrain loss, and are heavier.

We're not talking about BMW SMG here....

Plus, that's not the same kind of auto as Maximas have. But you knew that.

 

THE OVERWHELMING DIFFERENCE HERE IS THE LACK OF THAT EXTRA GEAR. Drivetrain and the slight weight differences are minor in comparison


But we ARE talking auto shift speed.

 

IB4tenmorepagesofarguing

 

How about this.... If you want to shift go get a manuel, if not go get some money to replace your broken auto tranny or upgrade the auto and there VB mod and what ever else is needed to do.

 

Hehehe... I've done that. It was a RWD Ford that I picked up from Hertz at LHR. Not being used to auto boxes at the time, I was barrelling down the connecting road to the M4 and messing with the box for some reason, must have had the shift button pressed in, and I dropped it into reverse at about 40 mph.
Both rear wheels locked up and the car fishtailed for a bit until I managed to get it out of reverse. Apart from some snaky black lines on the tarmac nothing happened, it still drove ok. Not that I would want to do it again

 

do a 5 spd conversion