Newbie Using the SelectShift

[ethanna]

I just bought an '03 LS and I love it. I've read other posts regarding the weird gear shifting. I hope to have that corrected when I take the car in for its 30k mile service. The SelectShift, however confuses me.

Question#1 Am I suppose to use it? If I do use it, when is it appropriate?
Lastly, D4 and D5. Does it matter which one I drive in and why would one be preferred over the other?

Thanks in advance for your help. Great site!!!!

 

[sloban]

I just bought an '03 LS and I love it. I've read other posts regarding the weird gear shifting. I hope to have that corrected when I take the car in for its 30k mile service. The SelectShift, however confuses me.

Question#1 Am I suppose to use it? If I do use it, when is it appropriate?
Lastly, D4 and D5. Does it matter which one I drive in and why would one be preferred over the other?

Thanks in advance for your help. Great site!!!!

Congrats on the new LS! Fifth gear is an overdrive for better fuel mileage and a quieter ride at highway speed. D4 is auto gears 1 through 4. D5 is auto gears 1 through 5. One time you might want to use D4 rather than D5 is when you're going up a long hill and the tranny keeps switching back and forth between 4th and 5th.

 

[SilverLS]

think of d5 as overdrive when your crusing along the highway it will save you gas

I got to play with "trip-tronic" this weekend in my girls new jetta man I need this in the LS....I am going to do the conversion!!

 

[LS4me]

I just bought an '03 LS and I love it. I've read other posts regarding the weird gear shifting. I hope to have that corrected when I take the car in for its 30k mile service. The SelectShift, however confuses me.

Question#1 Am I suppose to use it? If I do use it, when is it appropriate?
Lastly, D4 and D5. Does it matter which one I drive in and why would one be preferred over the other?

Thanks in advance for your help. Great site!!!!

The SST (unlike other manufacturers) will hold only the selected gear. That is, if you're in 1st, that's the only gear available. You will bounce off the rev limiter all day, but the trans won't up-shift. It will also not downshift, unless you have 4th or 5th selected and you come to a stop. In that case the trans will shift to 2nd (in the '00-'02). I'm not sure about the '03+ as I don't get to drive my wife's LS much. As to when to use it, that is completely up to you!! I use the SST during my morning exercise in getting to work.

 

[ToddG]

I just bought an '03 LS and I love it. I've read other posts regarding the weird gear shifting. I hope to have that corrected when I take the car in for its 30k mile service. The SelectShift, however confuses me.

Question#1 Am I suppose to use it? If I do use it, when is it appropriate?
Lastly, D4 and D5. Does it matter which one I drive in and why would one be preferred over the other?

Thanks in advance for your help. Great site!!!!

Wow, you got a used 03 LS V8 with less than 30K miles on it? That was a great find!

 

[Beamer]

Yea, just use the SST whenever you feel like shifting yourself. Its very easy to use, I do not have it in my LS but have used something like it in an IS300 and a new eclipse and I liked it but do not think I'd be using it much since I still prefer the real manual, clutch and all.

 

[ethanna]

Yea, just use the SST whenever you feel like shifting yourself. Its very easy to use, I do not have it in my LS but have used something like it in an IS300 and a new eclipse and I liked it but do not think I'd be using it much since I still prefer the real manual, clutch and all.

Thanks for all the great feedback. I'll play with it when I hit the interstate after work I'm probably still stuck on feeling like I need a clutch before I can manually shift.