Situation: You need a brief burst of speed to pass a car while driving in automatic mode at highway speeds in seventh gear.
You quickly shift to fifth gear after pulling the left paddle a few times, blow by the slow automobile, and continue on.
You may switch to automatic mode by just holding the + shift paddle down for one second, according to an article I had read years ago.
The choices, in my opinion:
The fastest approach, which does not necessitate knowing exactly which gear you were in previously and which gear you wish to switch to, is:
I am aware that you can switch to Sport or Sport Plus, if you have it, to avoid using the paddles.
In This Article...
Pinocchio
Hi, I just purchased a 718 Cayman S with PDK. It was a lot of fun for me to use the paddle shifters a couple times. I was unsure of how to properly return it to automatic mode. I managed to do this by switching between manual and automatic on the stick, but it felt awkward. Is that the correct procedure to follow? Thanks!
You are overriding the PDK’s gear selection when you utilize the paddle shifters when the automatic transmission is engaged. If you don’t provide any paddle or stick input, it will take over and put you in the gear it believes you should be in… automatically. It will patiently wait 10 seconds for you to come to your senses.
If you wish to start driving manually when your car is in automatic mode, that is, if you want to use the paddles, the stick, or both to shift gears at your preferred RPM, pull the stick to the left toward your leg. Right now, manual shift mode is active. Your gear is whatever it is when you do it. After then, unless you switch the stick back to Automatic, the PDK won’t try to shift for you again. When the stick is in manual, the ten second takeover DOES NOT OCCUR.
I use the PDK in automated mode to track my 718S (with PDK) once or twice a month at Laguna Seca. Why? because PDK is a few seconds faster than manual shifting per lap. Seconds accumulate. I only ever use the paddles to gear up to quiet down the engine and exhaust when I sneak past the iconic Laguna Seca sound microphone (If you break the sound limit, 90db, you are black flagged and have to leave the track). After passing the microphone, I paddle downshift and accelerate quickly toward the following turn (6). I use the paddles to make one upshift and one downshift per lap.
Coaches will inform you that the average driver loses one second per shift. There are no one-second losses, but I am unable to tell you how many shifts the PDK performs for me each lap. Both while accelerating and braking, the gear selection is simply superb.
Professionals will advise you to utilize the brakes, NOT the transmission, to slow down the vehicle. However, that isn’t how it’s done around the track; if you want to hot rod a little in town, go ahead and utilize the engine to slow down. To regulate RPMs, you shift, and to control speed, you brake. Your transmission and engine, which are designed to move rather than stop, will like it.
Other than when you need to let out your ya yas, which is perfectly OK, the only time you might need to downshift to slow the car is when you’re in a panic. Even then, you should generally keep both hands on the wheel to be able to focus on braking and driving clear of danger. While you’re spinning like a top, let the PDK choose the gear! When you visit the track and hear those downshifts before the bends, the drivers aren’t so much attempting to slow down the car as they are trying to put it in the proper gear to come out of the corner as quickly as possible.
How is a Porsche paddle shifter operated?
- Before your engine approaches the lower limit of the higher gear, you shift up.
- Prior to reaching the top of the lower gear, you downshift.
- You either press both paddles simultaneously, or you press one paddle while holding down the other.
Is there a paddle shifter on the Porsche 911?
Owners of Porsche 911, Boxster, and Cayman vehicles with PDK gears can now retrofit steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters to their vehicles.
However, Porsche has recently decided to permit owners of earlier models to swap from the steering wheel-mounted buttons that PDK cars initially came with. This option has been available on versions of the cars sold since August 2009 from the factory. The three-spoke steering wheel from the new Porsche 911 Turbo has the paddles affixed to it.
How are paddle shifters used?
To put the car in manual mode, all you have to do is press or push the paddle on a paddle shifter. Upshifting is done using the right paddle marked with a “+,” while downshifting is done with the left paddle marked with a “-.”
When ought paddle shifters to be used?
Basically, paddle shifters come into play when you wish to increase your level of involvement when driving. You can drive with the most flexibility when you can change gears. Another justification is when you need more control, like when hauling downhill or driving in the snow.
What occurs if both paddle shifters are held in place?
Holding it causes it to automatically shift into first gear when you come to a halt, eliminating the bucking and shucking that comes with operating in first or second gear at low speeds.
Is driving with paddle shifters preferable?
Do Paddle Shifters Have Any Use? More control over your car is the key benefit of paddle shifters. You can change with just a flick of your finger, eliminating the need to constantly reach for the shifter. Due to this, the entire journey is seamless, intense, and far more driver-focused.
Are paddle shifters automatic or manual?
Drivers can manually change the gears in an automatic transmission by using paddle shifters, which are levers mounted to the steering wheel or column.
Does Sport mode require paddle shifters?
So, yes, you might feel as though you aren’t in the “proper” gear. To manually select a higher gear, use the shifter or the right/left paddles. The short answer is that manual shifting is not necessary in sport mode (or any mode, for that matter), unless you decide to.
Do paddle shifters need downshifting?
You can shift into a lower gear by using one paddle, and a higher gear by using the other. The clutch receives an electronic signal for gear selection when you move a paddle, and the gear shifts as a result. With paddle shifters, downshifting correctly may even allow you to prolong the lifespan of your brake pads.
At paddle shifters, what rpm do you shift?
When to utilize paddle shifters depends on a number of things, including the weather and the state of the roads and the amount of traffic. For beginners, there is a general rule of thumb, though. Look to shift when the rev counter needle drops between 1,500 and 2,500 RPM when using paddle shifters.
Do paddle shifters outpace automatics in speed?
By enabling you to stay in a gear without shifting up as frequently as the automatic gearbox would if you left it to it, paddle shifters can let you drive an automatic transmission vehicle more quickly. However, this isn’t always the case.
When I tried to maintain a lower gear to keep accelerating while driving a car with paddle shifters, the system ignored my intentions and moved up. When I first encountered that, I began to wonder what the purpose of paddle shifters in regular cars was.
It’s unlikely that switching to the paddle shifters will make much of a difference if you drive aggressively with your right foot on the gas pedal in automatic mode because today’s automatic transmissions are quite amazing.
Do paddle shifters require you to let off the gas?
This is what? Similarly, you release the gas pedal to coast down or apply the brakes when downshifting. By doing this, the engine can idle at a lower RPM before the left paddle shifter is activated.
Are paddle shifters able to harm engines?
YOU CAN UNWIND. By manually shifting gears using the paddles, you cannot and will not cause damage to the vehicle. The computer in charge of the transmission won’t let you choose an improper gear that may cause harm, and that is the only plausible explanation. Try it; at freeway cruising speeds, downshift, and you’ll likely make it to third gear before the transmission forbids any further downshifts. Although the automobile may beep or flash a light, it won’t let you shift into a gear that might cause it to rev higher than it should.
In contrast, if you put the car in, say, second gear and accelerate, it will probably shift into third gear on its own if you don’t do anything, or it may bounce off the rpm limiter, which isn’t good driving but won’t damage the vehicle. I don’t know what the Camry does when it reaches its rev limiter, but I would venture a guess that it switches to automatic. Third gear won’t allow you to accelerate, either. Second gear, which is useful in slick situations, might allow you to accelerate.
You don’t really need the paddle shifters, to be honest. With the noteworthy exception of lengthy, steep hill descents, modern automatic gearboxes are intelligent enough to choose lower ratios to aid when necessary, and brakes on modern automobiles are good enough to almost always prevent the need for engine braking assistance. You won’t gain anything by manually shifting gears while slowing down. Read more about that in the links below.
Paddle shifters are more of a marketing gimmick to give consumers the impression that they are actual drivers and to give their vehicles a racing-car aura. They are not necessary for everyday driving, and they are even less so with new gearbox technology.
Driving a Porsche manual is it challenging?
My viewpoint is distinct. I’ve operated both manual and automatic vehicles. The Elise has a Toyota transmission and is quite simple to drive. Even the most extreme type Rs are pretty simple, like Hondas, etc. Hell, even the Mitsubishi Evo 6-9 and Subaru STI are simple.
The Porsche Cayman is VERY DIFFICULT. In factory form, it’s one of the hardest manuals to drive smoothly without slipping the clutch too much. The clutch is hefty, just like a 997 clutch, and the clamping force is considerable for a stock car. The accuracy and weight of everything is wonderful, but you have to be a decent stick driver to appreciate it. Because there isn’t much “play” between the bite and non-bite points, the bite point is unyielding, stalling the automobile is highly likely if you don’t apply enough throttle. However, if you use too much throttle, the clutch will slip excessively and the engine will burn out more quickly.
Before you can enjoy heel-toe and rev-matched downshifts, the throttle must be good enough and easy enough for you to master.
To sum up, the Cayman boasts a superb transmission that is particularly gratifying for stick-shift veterans. However, if you’re a guy learning the ropes, it’s much better to start out in a Civic SI or even a Lotus Elise rather than a Cayman and risk burning out the clutch and losing motivation.
What do the steering wheel’s plus and minus paddles do?
There’s a strong probability that your new car includes paddle shifters if you purchased it within the last ten years, and you either never noticed them or did but didn’t really care. In either case, the paddle shifters are those enigmatic small flaps that are typically designated with a “+” and “-” symbol and are located behind the steering wheel. Always on the left side will be the one with the minus sign, and always on the right side will be the one with the plus sign.
With the help of these tiny icons, you may “upshift” the transmission while “downshifting” it, just like you would in a car with a manual transmission. You’ve probably seen paddle shifters in action if you’ve ever watched a driver of an F1 car or an exotic car like a Ferrari or Lamborghini operate one of those vehicles. The same thing happens with your Honda Civic or Nissan Sentra, but those vehicles are less responsive.