the best thing to do is to just let the computer do the shifting for you. unless u know how to time your shifts. when u manually shift an auto there is a small delay but if u do it enough and practice it you can actually time it so it shifts better. but it takes a while to get it down. just get a tuner. it will get rid of all those problems. best thing you can do for cheap for an auto!

 

Not weird at all.

That is how automatics work. Anything other than "D"allows only the gear selected to work. This allows traction in bad weather by decreasing the amount of torque to the rear wheels.

Tuner. Not bad at all with my 2006. If you don't let the RPMs drop below 2000, throttle response is quite good. If you do drop below 2000, downshift to 1st.

SOHC

 

I've been manually shifting with my auto for some time now.
Adds some fun to a boring drive.

One thing I noticed is unless I'm going REALLY slow, shifting into first is noisy, mechanical sound...

Hard to describe, but it sounds like shouldn't be downshifting to first.
I don't mean I shift all the way down to first.

I'll engine break by bringing it down to 3, then 2, then 1.

soon as I hit 1 I hear what I think is a bad noise.

 

well i doubt that it is too good to engine break. i mean ur not gonna blow it of course but u are adding more stress to it which cant be good for the car. i just use the break[8D]

 

The owner's manual specifies you can downshift manually to use engine braking...

1st gear should be about 10MPH when slowing down.
2ndgear should be about 20MPH when slowing down.
3rd gear should be about 40MPH when slowing down.
4st gear (overdrive off) should be about 60MPH when slowing down.

Less is OK, higher and you will get those "clunks" and "thunks"...

SOHC

 

Yeah most likely I tried to downshift to 1st at 11-14 MPH.

Close, but no cigar.
Thanks for the info!

 

Well, I've been doing a little more experimentation and practice with this stuff, and it seems as if I can do the same thing that became second nature with a manual transmission: match engine speed with car speed, coordinated with moving the lever to next lower gear, and—r-i-i-m-m b-w-a-a-a—Bob's your uncle!

Now, help me verify this other "discovery": the hesitation between full throttle (from a standstill) and actual aggressive forward motion is much longer with the lever in 1 than in D. That would mean a more complex routine, with greater potential for error, in autocross: start in D and shift back to 1 to be able to control the 1-2 shift, or shift back to 2 when 1 is no longer appropriate.

In the words of Vinnie Barbarino, "I'm so confused!"

 

I wouldn't downshift in the auto....sure you can do it safely, but why put extra stress on your drivetrain? brakes are less expensive than a tranny.

 

sometimes i do it just for fun, but your tranny will do it better than you can...just let it do it for you..trust me

 

I agree, for just-getting-around; however, I think it is worthwhile to acquire the skills for use in unusual circumstances. Such as getting around an autocross course in as little time as possible.

Perhaps a "tune" would eliminate the long latency between floor-the-gas and shift-to-lower-gear, which without hand-shifting results in some inappropriate and time-wasteful activity.

But you are absolutely correct about not abusing the machinery—most of the time.

Right again! For straightforward run-up-through-the-gears, you can't fault the auto-D. But there are times you'll need a gear the auto isn't offering within a reasonable stretch of time—half a second or less, say—that you can get to quicker than it wants to, left to its own devices.

Cheers!