Hi all,

My Outlander four-speed transmission has a sports mode function, which means that I can manually shift if desired. Would you please tell me when/why do I need to use it? Road condition? Up-hill? Down-hill?...

Thanking in advance


(IMG:http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7008/06outlander3yy9.jpg)

you don't really have to use it, though you might want to if you're in icy conditions where you'd want to reduce the tendency to spin your tires by keeping the trans in lower gears and preventing it from misreading roadspeed and shifting into higher gear where traction is reduced, especially when the differential final drive is over 3.5 or so; ours being in the 4.15 range. you'll use more gas, but you have more traction in the lower the gears. the manual should give you the directions you need, providing you have it. in normal conditions or snow, you should be OK leaving it in drive. anyway, the sport mode gives you a manual trans-feel by preventing the trans from shifting into higher gears until you want it to when you're accelerating or taking some twisty turns, but i'd advise not going crazy using it; you should check the factory warranty....

i don't have your problem as i prefer a clutch pedal which allows, and forces me for that matter, to choose the gear i feel appropriate in all driving; though it can be a pain in stop and go, you get used to it....

Thank you very very much for your advice. I appreciated that

Also if you use cruise control and you push your lever in manual mode the transmission torque lockup convert will not unlock as easily therefore making for a smoother ride. If you use the accelerate swith on your cruise lever the transmission will not kick down in manual mode and will give you a light acceleration. You can also use the shifter to downshift when coming to a stop making it easier on the brakes....but harder on the transmission.