Tranny question (where 2 post?)

[cdninsw]

Hey guys.

I have a question on the auto tranny (09 Sport Fit). I'm not sure which topic to post it under, so here it is...

Got the paddle shifters, which I love having. Gotta pass, gotta climb a hill, gotta pass while climbing a hill, just hit the paddle and drop a gear. Makes a world of difference.
SO, on the HWY crusin in 5th. when I hit the (-) paddle the dash shows "4" for 4th gear. Why does it auto upshift TWICE from 4th? I always thought 4 plus 2 = 6 (gears), not 5? :D

[manxman]

Hey guys.

I have a question on the auto tranny (09 Sport Fit). I'm not sure which topic to post it under, so here it is...

Got the paddle shifters, which I love having. Gotta pass, gotta climb a hill, gotta pass while climbing a hill, just hit the paddle and drop a gear. Makes a world of difference.
SO, on the HWY crusin in 5th. when I hit the (-) paddle the dash shows "4" for 4th gear. Why does it auto upshift TWICE from 4th? I always thought 4 plus 2 = 6 (gears), not 5? :D

"-" paddle = downshift.

Using the paddle shifters automatically puts the trans. into "S" mode, even when the lever is in "D". In "S" mode, the highest gear possible is 4th. If you put the lever in "S", the trans. will never go into 5th. gear. In your case, the trans. is just doing what it is programmed to do. A lot of people think that "S" stands for Sport, and you would think that even in sport driving you should be able to shift into 5th. gear. For whatever reason, that's not the case. "S" actually means "sequential", and you would still think that it would include all available gears. But Honda won't let us use 5th. gear in the "S" mode. Again, using the paddles tells the ECU that the trans is in "S", even when the lever is in "D".

I have an AT Sport too, and I don't like the above facts either. However, on freeway cruises, I only use the "-" paddle to occasionally downshift at lower speeds. With the lever in "D", after I have slowed and then want to speed up again, the trans will again shift up into 5th.

[cdninsw]

Hey ManXMan, wow, you must monitor this site 24/7. :) it's great having you here.

OK. On my 09 Sport, gear shift in 'S', the tranny will shift automatically UNTIL I hit a paddle, then it's manual, & only manual, after that.

If I'm in 'D', hitting the paddles will change the gear BUT the auto tranny still over-rides.. just a little differently.

There are a couple hills I drive where I'm cruzin in 5th, the car starts to lose speed even though I am (gently) pushing on the gas. I'll hit the (-) paddle to drop it into 4th (and it display's "4" on the dash) and I'm off and running again like my wifes song "Full Throttle". As the RPM's climb (4K to 5K) the tranny automatically shifts up one gear (I assume 5th) BUT as the RPMs climb in this gear, the tranny automatically shifts up a SECOND time. Both up-shifts were done by the tranny, I didn't touch anything. So, 4th plus 2. :)

Conversely, on the same hill, different "test" run.
If I'm in 5th and I punch the gas, the tranny auto-downshifts one gear. But the new, lower gear the tranny choses is definitely NOT the same gear I end up in if I had hit the paddle to downshift from 5th. The tranny chosen "-1" barely allows me to hold a constant speed up the hill. The paddle chosen "-1" allows me to pick up speed, pullout and pass.

I guess it's not so much that I have a question, I'm just passing on my observations and wondering if someone can explain. (6-speed?, 5-speed with OD?, CVT with infinite gears?) :D

Thanks,
Roger
www.myspace.com/jenniferrocksthemic

[manxman]

Roger,

Maybe I drive so few miles that I just never noticed the conditions that you described. I used to drive from the West Coast over the 7500 ft. Sierra mountains to Western Nevada in my GD3, but have not taken that trip yet in the GE.

Downshifting from 5th. in "D" and not winding up with the same RPMs that you would normally associate with 4th. is probably due to the torque converter partially unlocking, allowing some slip, and making it seem as if there is a gear between 4th & 5th. The change in engine load would also bring Vtec into play, which would complicate easy recognition of what is going on.

If you pose your question on the Fit forums on honda-tech, you may get an accurate technical answer from a real tech. But, those forums being what they are, you also may get some smart-ass insult just for asking the question. That won't kill you though, and chances are pretty good that you'll get real info.

And no, I'm not on the forums 24-7, I just check on things from time to time no matter what else I am doing. Kind of like a smoker taking a cigarette break.

[EXWRX]

I don't notice it at all in my car, but I think I remember from my test drive in and A/T Fit with the engine in 5th and getting on it watching the revs jump, which was likely due to the torque convertor unlocking somewhat.

[macbuddy]

Why does it auto upshift TWICE from 4th? I always thought 4 plus 2 = 6 (gears), not 5?

Roger,
I believe that the "6th" gear that you are experiencing is called "torque converter lock-up." I found this info at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_transmission):

"Many transmissions also adopted the lock-up torque converter (a mechanical clutch locking the torque converter pump and turbine together to eliminate slip at cruising speed) to improve fuel economy."

I don't notice it that much in my Fit, but it was irritatingly apparent in my 1986 Honda Accord LX.
-macbuddy-

[cdninsw]

hmm, If no one is familiar with this then maybe it is the lock-up torque thing.

I notice it under load, up-hill & passing while still picking up speed. The first jump (from "4" on the dash) I see the RPM's move about 1000. The second jump is about 500 RPM, which I also feel & hear.

I also notice if I'm in 5th and "punch" it, it jumps about 500 vs the paddle shifter change of about 1000.

Of course this may be connected to my other posting about "loose valves"...