manual button, howto?

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#1
Hey,
I have a 325 automatic, it has a manual mode tho( the little button A/M ) how do i use the manual thingy? how much better acceleration can i get with that thing and what is it for?
 

adamsonem

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#2
That switch is really only for deceleration... It keeps the tranny in the gear selected until you move it (more manual-like), instead of automatically downshifting.
 
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#4
as my fellow moderator was hinting at, your best accel will come in Drive Sport, or just Drive if you don't have DS. This is because the "manual mode" you have still goes through an automatic gearbox's torque convertor thus slowing the actual shift. Drive Sport/Drive will give you the best accel because the ECU knows what is going on and has full control, it doens't have to wait for your input.
 
#5
I can definitly testify as to the difference of driving in sport mode. It makes the car feel so much faster and is a lot more fun to drive around. Just shift into "3" and press the "A" for automatic mode.

I dont know why you can say the switch is just for decoration. If you put the car in "3" and press "A" you are in sport mode but if you stop and press "M" and then accelerate you can feel that you're starting out in 3rd gear. So the switch definitly does what it's supposed to do.

My car is a '92 so I have only used it in sport mode. I have never tried shifting thru all the gears in manual mode because although the car shifts great on its own, when selecting gears the movement is very vague and someitmes you can't tell where you're at.
 


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