[Bag-of-Dirt]

Thought I'd pass this info on:

A few people thought that "Winter & Sport " modes are gone from the 2006 CTS 5 spd Auto, now that the shifter has the up/down "step manual" slot...
Sport mode is not gone.
If you slide the shifter over , from "D", into the center of the step manual side slot, but DO Not tap up or down into a gear, you are in Sport mode, & the sport mode icon lights up in the dash.
Once you actually tap the shifter up or down, the sport mode light goes out, & you are in the manual shift mode, with gear # indicator in the dash.
To return to sport mode, you need to go back to "D", & then back again into the side slot.
This Is in the 2006 owner's manual.

 

[Ace305]

Whats the purpose of sports mode?

 

[Bag-of-Dirt]

Whats the purpose of sports mode?

It essentially changes the rpm points where the gears would normally shift up/down, for "more aggressive & responsive" performance, at the expense of some fuel economy ....

 

[05CTS]

Thanks for the info

 

[dkozloski]

Sport mode also automatically delays the upshift on the overun to provide engine braking without having to force it by selecting a lower gear to prevent the upshift.

 

[AznPrydeRegalRyde]

Sport mode also firms up the shifts, pretty noticeably the few times I've driven the auto. My question is, are the shifts still as firm when you manual shift the autostick?

 

[tomm]

In manual mode will the computer allow you to go redline or will the computer automatically shift you if you wait too long?

 

[Bag-of-Dirt]

In manual mode will the computer allow you to go redline or will the computer automatically shift you if you wait too long?

I haven't played w/it much yet, but I remember the owner's manual stating something like " your shifts & the indicator register your gear # "request" " ... meaning that the car's "brain" will look at the "request", & possibly change or deny if you are trying to do something "bad" ... it's not a strictly "dumb" shifter that puts & keeps you in a gear no-matter-what .....

 

[NTIMD8]

Once you actually tap the shifter up or down, the sport mode light goes out

Good thread. I just checked the manual because the one thing I noticed that you said that doesnt happen on mine is the Sport mode light does "not" turn off when I shift up or down. The green S with the gear around it stays on no matter what when in the "Select a gear" mode. Everything else you wrote looks right on.

 

[NTIMD8]

In manual mode will the computer allow you to go redline or will the computer automatically shift you if you wait too long?

I tested this out the other day and no it will not up-shift for you. It hits a soft rev limiter and stays there.

 

[MikeB066]

The manumatic transmissions I have experience with are pretty dumb in that they will not upshift unless you tell them to. My girlfriend's mother accidentally engaged the manumatic on my girlfriend's Acura TL-S and ended up cruising down the highway in 2nd gear at freeway speeds. That is great if your are an agressive driver and do not want your transmission second guessing you, but if you are inattentive it could obviously lead to excessive engine wear. I seem to recall reading in Car & Driver that the Ferrari manumatic will override lack of input to protect the engine. It is a tough call either way.

On one hand I really don't want the onboard computer second guessing me, but at the same time I do not want an accidental bump of the shift lever to fry my engine or tranny. Luckily, I have the '05 without manumatic so I am safe either way, the worst I can do is fry my engine after getting on the gas forcing a downshift, only to slow down a little so the transmission stays in a lower gear than it should be in while I am waiting for the moron ahead of me to get out of my way.

When I first got my CTS I was bummed there was no manumatic on the '05 Sport Package. Having driven it for a few months, the lack of a manumatic transmission is a non-issue because more often than not I am driving in traffic. Perhaps it would be handy if I was drag racing, as if that were ever going to happen... heh. Maybe once it is out of warranty, but even then probably not.

For the folks who have them, how often do you use the manual shift mode as opposed to the full automatic mode? Just wondering.

 

[Bag-of-Dirt]

Good thread. I just checked the manual because the one thing I noticed that you said that doesnt happen on mine is the Sport mode light does "not" turn off when I shift up or down. The green S with the gear around it stays on no matter what when in the "Select a gear" mode. Everything else you wrote looks right on.

You may be right, I will have to go out & drive sport mode again to double check if the light actually goes out once in manual shifting .. ...

 

[Mark VerMurlen]

The manumatic transmissions I have experience with are pretty dumb in that they will not upshift unless you tell them to.

That's not dumb, that's the way they are supposed to work. If you want automatic up shifts, then leave it in Drive. If you're doing "spirited" driving, you don't want the car shifting either up or down for you automatically. If you're at the traction edge of the car, having the transmission shift automatically at that point can cause the car to become unsettled and start a skid or spin. I normally drive a 6sp manual on the track and autocrossing. I sometimes have the situation where I'll reach the redline of my engine right before I have to brake for the next corner. Sometimes I'll bump the rev limiter for a second. I certainly wouldn't want the transmission automatically up shifting for me at that point. Similarly, when powering out of a corner, I wouldn't want the car to down shift and upset the car. Granted that these are track or competition examples, but if you're driving the car hard, that's the type of control you need. GM has been adding logic to the transmission control computers that will prevent gear changes while the car is cornering. That's a good step but the car is still reacting. When I'm driving and shifting myself, I'm looking ahead and predicting the gear I want ahead of time. I can't see a fully automatic ever being able to predict the gear that's needed. One other problem with automatics, weather fully automatic or manumatic, is that they generate a lot of heat. I've seen lots of people overheat their automatic transmissions on the track. So I think the 6sp is still the preferred transmission for really serious fast driving.

- Mark

 

[Bag-of-Dirt]

.. Yes, The "sport" dash icon illuminates on the '06 weather you are in Sport or manual shift mode .. it goes out when back in normal automatic .