[myke]

Does the automatic transmission that comes with the gas engine have the ability to be shifted manually? Like you can up and down shift if need be?

 

[makevx73]

I guess you'd say "sort of" It sort of limits what you chose as the high gear.

From the manual:

The transmission shift lever has PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL,
DRIVE, and Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift
positions. Manual downshifts can be made using the ERS
shift control (refer to “Electronic Range Select (ERS)
Operation” in this section for further information). Moving
the shift lever into the ERS (-/+) position (beside the
DRIVE position) displays the current gear in the instrument
cluster, and prevents automatic upshifts beyond
this gear. In ERS mode, toggling the shift lever forward (-)
or rearward (+) will change the highest available gear.

Electronic Range Select (ERS) Operation
The Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control allows the
driver to limit the highest available gear. For example, if
you shift the transmission into 4 (fourth gear), the
transmission will not shift above fourth gear, but will
shift through the lower gears normally.

You can switch between DRIVE and ERS mode at any
vehicle speed. When the shift lever is in the DRIVE
position, the transmission will operate automatically,
shifting between all available gears. Moving the shift
lever to the ERS position (beside DRIVE) will activate
ERS mode, display the current gear in the instrument
cluster, and maintain that gear as the top available gear.
Once in ERS mode, moving the shift lever forward (-) or
rearward (+) will change the top available gear.
To exit ERS mode, simply return the shift lever to the
DRIVE position.

 

[jimmbomb]

So, the only thing it does is limits your hi gear?
Si, "if" i wanted to up-shift manually, I'd start out in 1 then upshift when i wanted..
The van will still downshift automatically, correct?

 

[myke]

^^ Thanks for that info.

Interesting... so once you are in ERS mode you don't really shift, it still shifts automatically but just doesn't go above the gear you started in, until you change that gear limit by shifting up or down...

Hmm... so you can can't really downshift when going down or up hill then... that's disappointing...

 

[Zyzzyx]

Sounds like you can downshift just fine. Move from Drive to 'ERS'. If on the highway cruising in 6th, it would display '6' instead of 'D'. Now just bump it down to display '5', and it should shift to 5th.

Or do I have it all wrong? (I do drive the diesel, its 'manual' mode is a bit different)

 

[makevx73]

jimmbomb - yep. Haven't tried that but sounds correct.

myke - not really. You can shift, up or down, but really you're only limiting the highest gear. If you put it in 5th, that is your high gear. It will still chose 4th, 3rd, ect. as it needs to. If you choose 5th, you can still then choose 4th, 3rd... by moving the shifter or 6th if you wanted that to.

Zyzzyx - That's correct. It will limit the shifts by rpm. If the rpm is too high it won't downshift to protect the transmission.

 

[ha3Dy_j1s]

Its basically just a different way of presenting what automatic trannies have done for decades. Like always, its useful on downhills and sometimes for downshifting to a stop. But if you're at a long stop light you forget you're in "ERS mode" by the time that sucker finally turns green, and you head out, revving that engine like some idiot, jammin' to your tunes, wondering why the people on the street are looking at you weird.

 

[myke]

myke - not really. You can shift, up or down, but really you're only limiting the highest gear. If you put it in 5th, that is your high gear. It will still chose 4th, 3rd, ect. as it needs to. If you choose 5th, you can still then choose 4th, 3rd... by moving the shifter or 6th if you wanted that to.

Ok, so you can manually shift, and the auto tranny is still in effect, but only up to the highest gear you shifted to manually? I guess I would have to drive one for a bit to get it all figured out.

 

[jimmbomb]

I was just playing with mine. 136wb gas, and about 40 mph, was able to down shift at will. Rpms went way up as gears shifted down.
im thinking you can do the same up shifting from a dead stop as long as you start out in 1 on the display

 

[myke]

I was just playing with mine. 136wb gas, and about 40 mph, was able to down shift at will. Rpms went way up as gears shifted down.
im thinking you can do the same up shifting from a dead stop as long as you start out in 1 on the display

Cool, or maybe if you are going down a long, gradual hill you could up shift quick, say you in 2nd or 3rd you could upshift to 4th or 5th since you are going downhill... Maybe that would save on gas...

 

[jimmbomb]

Theres been alot of talk about the gas transmission downshifting on its own when going downhill and your foot off the gas, in drive or manual mode. People havent figured out a way to stop that particular downshifting

 

[papab]

Cool, or maybe if you are going down a long, gradual hill you could up shift quick, say you in 2nd or 3rd you could upshift to 4th or 5th since you are going downhill... Maybe that would save on gas...

It doesn't work that way, , downshift only, just. Like any old auto tran

 

[VanShopping]

It doesn't work that way, , downshift only, just. Like any old auto tran

Its one thing I find a little frustrating. On gradual downhills I'd like to be able to just let it run a bit, but it keeps downshifting for me.