[chrishart1]

I have explored the forum to see if this has been discussed previously, and didn't see anything. So here it is...

When test driving a 6s with automatic transmission, I stayed in manumatic mode the entire time. The behavior of the stick drove me nuts, because I find it unintuitive. Pushing the stick forward to downshift and backwards to upshift is the reverse of all other car manufacturers (that I'm familiar with).

Have any of you explored ways to switch these directions?

Without having a 6 to be my guinea pig, but using my past experience working on cars, I'd speculate that this would be possible. I would imagine that one could reverse the leads for the shifter's electrical contacts.

Has anyone pulled off the center console cover to see if this is possible? Are the electrical leads readily accessible? Are they part of a harness, or are they pretty much separate from other electrical leads?

Anyone willing to take off the center console of their car and do some exploring (and perhaps posting pics)?

Chris Hart

 

[wongpres]

Reading Topic: Switching / Reversing Automatic Trans Manual Shifting

Although it may seen un-inituitive, pulling back to go upshift and pushing down to downshift is actually the correct way, and is how the Champcars and go-karts work. The reason is that when accelerating (and needing to upshift); your body is getting pulled backwards, hence by pulling to upshift, the shifter is in-sync with your body. Same logic when downshifting.

In fact, only BMW and Mazda have done this correctly, and all the other manufacturers have it reversed.

 

[Kristoff]

Reading Topic: Switching / Reversing Automatic Trans Manual Shifting

I have never driven one of those "manumatic" things, but I would think that pulling back to upshift would be the way to do it. Just my .02. Perhaps you have been "trained" by your previous experiences?

 

[Fuzzbear]

Reading Topic: Switching / Reversing Automatic Trans Manual Shifting

Ok color me confused... most cars have you push the stick forward? to upshift? To me that seems wierd... Just like on an automatic that has its gears laid out in the following order P R N D 1 2 ... your pulling back to go from 1st to 2nd... makes sense to me to countinue pulling back to go to 3rd or 4th.. The again I dont really drive manual all that well..or often

 

[hieppo]

Reading Topic: Switching / Reversing Automatic Trans Manual Shifting

chrishart,

At first I was same as you but once you own the car, you get used to it, You just got used driving with other manufacturer and how most automatic are setup P R N D 3 2 1 and so on forth. I drove an automatic that has that type of configuration and sometimes I just have a little fun shifting from D to 3 or 3 to D to gear down to slow down.

But now that I am used to the way Mazda does their shifting, I am totally used to it. Plus I can now get into my brother's 7 series and drive the manumatic without confusion as well. At least Mazda chose the right company to have the same pattern.

 

[crimson773]

Replying to Topic 'Switching / Reversing Automatic Trans Manual Shifting'

I was going to say, when I test drove the M6 I noticed that too, it was just like the BMW X5 as far as shifting. I thought it was odd also, but it makes sense since you have inertia working against you.

 

[chrishart1]

Replying to Topic 'Switching / Reversing Automatic Trans Manual Shifting'

I appreciate that all of you feel that it's either not a big deal, or something which simply requires adapting to. I, however, find it counter-intuitive, and honestly wish to explore a means of changing it -- prior to buying a 6.

Is anoyone interested in addressing the question of whether or not it's feasible to reverse the direction. Thanks.

 

[pgmr]

Reading Topic: Switching / Reversing Automatic Trans Manual Shifting

If you think about a real manual, the 1st to 2nd upshift is pulling back, the 3rd to 4th upshift is pulling back and the 5th to 6th (really could use that on my car) upshift is pulling back. Vice versa on the downshifts. So, just imagine you're driving a real transmi...I mean, just imagine doing one of the above up/downshifts...