Manual Mode On The Auto Is300

[leedoobert]

Hi all,

So I recently acquired a 2001 IS300 with super low mileage and I am quite happy with it!!

This might be a newbie question...but I was wondering if anyone could point me towards the correct usage for the manual mode on an automatic IS300. I read the instruction manual, but it didn't really cover it in depth...

While on "D" and driving along, can I just tap the shift knob to the "M" position anytime during my drive? Do I need to apply the brakes before I shift over to the "M" position? I just don't want to mess up my transmission or anything...

And after shifting to the "M" position, I can downshift or upshift using the buttons on my steering wheel according to speed? the faster I'm driving, the higher number gear I should be in? (i.e. "5?")

I'm clueless...so any help would be greatly appreciated! =)

thanks in advance!

[smooth1]

Yeah, you can pretty much shift from drive to manual anytime. IT doesn't matter if the car is stopped or rolling, at any speed. The tranny will stay in the gear it is in. Once in the manual position, you can downshift and upshift using the buttons on the steering wheel. The car has biult in safety features, so you really don't even have to worry about doing any damage. I don't think the tranny will do any shifts even if you press the button until it deems it's safe to do so. So if you were stopped at a light and manually shifted to fourth gear, the car wouldn't try to start out in fourth, it would still start rolling in first, shift to second, third and then fourth. It just wouldn't go into fifth. And if you came to a stop with it in fourth, the car would still downshift accordingly.

The only annoying thing about the manual mode is the fact that you push the button, and have to wait for like a second or two before it actually shifts. The tranny doesn't instantly respond. So when your going into some heavy curves, it's really hard to use the manual mode effectively. I generally liked to use it on the highway when having to pass some slower traffic. I can control the downshifts when I step on it to make the pass. But if you really floor it in the manual mode from a stop, you'll find you hit the rev limiter frequently before being able to shift to the next gear. It takes some practice and getting used to.

Oh, btw, in the manual mode, you still don't have control over first gear. In other words, you can't manually select first. I don't know why they deeemed that to be like that, it just is. You really can only manually shift second thru fifth.

[leedoobert]

ooh...i see...

so if I was speeding up, I would shift up (behind the steering wheel) and if I'm slowing down, I would shift down (front button) on the steering wheel?

thanks for the help

[stirling]

also when you click over to M mode you need to shift into desired gear. it will not shift into your current auto gear. it will stay at 5 and work like in auto anto shifted down.

i think they made it to not go into first because it is such a low gear it would either get destroyed if we had control over it or it would always redline too quick.

[nigelt]

The gear you select is also an upper limit, not the actual gear. So if you shift down to 3rd, it will still go into second if you go slow. Its not like a manual, its more of a gimmick.