981 Gear Shift Assistant

This is a question for the manual transmission 981 (probably 991 too) owners.

Still going over the iManual. Trying to figure out why you would need the Gear Shift Assistant on your display. (I don't mean the little arrow, but the fancy one that tells what gear you're in with the semi circle.) Isn't it a lot simpler to just use the tach?

If it is like the one on PDK cars, it is useless. It is set upto tell you to shift to achieve maximum fuel economy. In 5th ar 45, it will tell you to shift to 6th. the one complaint I have about the 981 is the grey background on the tach - which makes it hard to read in certain light.

Quote
Lawdevil & CURVN8R
If it is like the one on PDK cars, it is useless. It is set upto tell you to shift to achieve maximum fuel economy. In 5th ar 45, it will tell you to shift to 6th. the one complaint I have about the 981 is the grey background on the tach - which makes it hard to read in certain light.

Mike, you might be thinking about the little triangle in the speedo. I'm referring to the one in the OBC display. It says it's only in manual transmission cars.

[www.porscheownersmanuals.com]

I agree with you about the silver background on the tach. I tried to see if I could get it in black, but it's just not an option on the Boxster S. It seems though that it is an option on the Carrera S.

+1

Quote
MikenOH
+1

I thought in the beginning, you were finding it difficult to read, specially in sunlight. Just from an esthetic point of view, I don't care for 2 different colours of guages.

Bit of a relief to hear it's not hard to read. Guess I'll know soon.

Guenter
2014 Boxster S
GT Silver, 6 Speed Manual, Bi-Xenons, Sports Suspension (lowers car 20mm), Porsche Sports Exhaust, Porsche Torque Vectoring, Auto Climate control, heated and vented seats, 20" Carrera S Wheels, Pedro's TechNoWind, Sport Design steering wheel, Roll bars in GT Silver
[www.cyberdesignconcepts.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2013 09:56PM by Guenter in Ontario. (view changes)

The readability seems to have more to do with the matte white numerals and bright orange needle; not so much having a black dial face.

But as I drove the car more--with sunglasses mostly--it became a non-issue. I think any pair of decent sunglasses with a polarized lenses will cut down the glare--perceived or otherwise .
Having said all that, the different color of the tach face just seems odd; on earlier S models--IIRC-- the faces were white, while the base models were black, either of which is fine to my eye.

Quote
MikenOH
But as I drove the car more--with sunglasses mostly--it became a non-issue. I think any pair of decent sunglasses with a polarized lenses will cut down the glare--perceived or otherwise .
Having said all that, the different color of the tach face just seems odd; on earlier S models--IIRC-- the faces were white, while the base models were black, either of which is fine to my eye.

I can see why the TFT display needs to be black. So why not just have all the instruments black? It's an option on the 991 S, but not on the Boxster S.

Good to hear that the solution is pretty simple. Should keep this guy happy I've worn polarized sunglass for years because they really cut down on the windshield reflections.

Not sure how ship to shore plays into this as my 981 and I are both on dry land this side of the Pond. Just separated by some 1,200 miles - maybe. Depends on when they truck it to the dealer.

Quote
Guenter in Ontario
Not sure how ship to shore plays into this as my 981 and I are both on dry land this side of the Pond. Just separated by some 1,200 miles - maybe. Depends on when they truck it to the dealer.

I know how it was for me--tracking the ship on the maritime maps until it got to the dock, calling the dealer after it had been unloaded, asking what their estimate of getting a truck to OH, etc, etc,......

Quote
MikenOH
I know how it was for me--tracking the ship on the maritime maps until it got to the dock, calling the dealer after it had been unloaded, asking what their estimate of getting a truck to OH, etc, etc,......

You mean the dealer didn't block your phone number?

It's just beginning to hit me that I could have the car during the next week or so, depending on the truck shipping schedule, even though I've been going over the iManual for a couple of weeks.

Just amazing all that features that you can customize/enable/disable with the OBC - from lights, locking, unlocking, display, interior lighting, mirror dipping for parking ....and the list goes on and on. I figure in a year or so, I'll have the car all setup the way I want it. And then I can start on the second key.

Just spoke to the salesman and the system shows my car was released from port today.

[www.earlytelevision.org]

Quote
Guenter in Ontario

Quote
Lawdevil & CURVN8R
If it is like the one on PDK cars, it is useless. It is set upto tell you to shift to achieve maximum fuel economy. In 5th ar 45, it will tell you to shift to 6th. the one complaint I have about the 981 is the grey background on the tach - which makes it hard to read in certain light.

Mike, you might be thinking about the little triangle in the speedo. I'm referring to the one in the OBC display. It says it's only in manual transmission cars.

[www.porscheownersmanuals.com]

I agree with you about the silver background on the tach. I tried to see if I could get it in black, but it's just not an option on the Boxster S. It seems though that it is an option on the Carrera S.

I didn't know about that. Not sure what it adds that a tachometer doesn't provide. I assume they don't charge extra for it.

Curious as to what it would do, it's been activated for the past couple months on mine. I've mentioned before how it indicates an upshift from 5th to 6th as low as about 40-45 mph. Upshifting per its indications diminishes the dynamic and auditory fun of driving the car, but its a bit of a thrill to see the mileage go up. How much it is making me get better mileage vs. what I could do on my own determination is ambiguous. By the way, even when activated in the menu, it deactivates when Sport throttle is on.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/2013 01:18PM by Laz. (view changes)

Quote
Laz
Curious as to what it would do, it's been activated for the past couple months on mine. I've mentioned before how it indicates an upshift from 5th to 6th as low as about 40-45 mph. Upshifting per its indications diminishes the dynamic and auditory fun of driving the car, but its a bit of a thrill to see the mileage go up. How much it is making me get better mileage vs. what I could do on my own determination is ambiguous. By the way, even when activated in the menu, it deactivates when Sport throttle is on.

Rather than the arrow, I think an actual current (as opposed to average) fuel consumption reading would be more useful than the triangle to see the how much fuel you're saving with any given input, whether it's gas pedal pressure or gear selection. I'm surprised that it's not available in the 981 with all the other information it provides. My '83 Audi 4000S already had that readout available, as does our BMW 328i.

It makes sense that the triangle upshift indicator deactivates, since in Sport Mode, you're not likely driving to conserve fuel. I guess it's just another small way in which Porsche tries to get the lower fuel consumption readings to comply with the ever stringent targets.

I think the Gear Shift Assistant is more of an aid to show you when you should be shifting when driving in Sports Mode. That's where I'd be checking the tach to keep the engine in the optimal power band without hitting the rev limiter.

It's amusing to go downhill in gear but off throttle, reset it, and see 65 mpg and more.

Quote
Laz
It's amusing to go downhill in gear but off throttle, reset it, and see 65 mpg and more.

I'm surprised that, in that situation, your not seeing 99.9 mpg (I believe the highest it will show.)

I've done the same thing with mine (with it being set at l/100km), showing 0.0 l/100km - indicating that I'm using no fuel. That would translate to
mpg.

I think it's part of the VW/Audi group's wizardry, as I had the same thing in an A4. Shifting was at very low RPMs, but it was actually fairly good at making sure you were in the highest gear if you weren't hoofin' it. If you were hoofin' it, it stalled off calling for an upshift, and if you were just lollyin' around, it told you to upshift. At first it was annoying, but finally, I rather liked it, as it kept the milage up, and if I had really hated it, there was always the option to turn it off.

By comparison, I have no such gizmo in my '03 986, and I tend to wind the car out, keep it running where the VarioCam kicks in, just for the power rushes -- and I consume gas.

I suppose you could use the tach, but the tach doesn't nag at you, whereas the upshift dialogue does nag at you -- and you'd be surprised how low you can keep the engine revving without bogging it down.

Or I supposed you can always get an automatic....

Quote
m4240z
Or I supposed you can always get an automatic....

..or take a taxi.

Guenter
2014 Boxster S
GT Silver, 6 Speed Manual, Bi-Xenons, Sports Suspension (lowers car 20mm), Porsche Sports Exhaust, Porsche Torque Vectoring, Auto Climate control, heated and vented seats, 20" Carrera S Wheels, Pedro's TechNoWind, Sport Design steering wheel, Roll bars in GT Silver
[www.cyberdesignconcepts.com]

That much being said, I just got a new slushbox family sedan, and on the horrendous drive up north this past weekend, I frankly didn't miss the third pedal.

An automatic P-car, PDK or whatever, in my mind is wrong.

But that's because I'm a luddite.

Quote
m4240z


But that's because I'm a luddite.

I think G-Man is also, since IIRC he didn't order the $4 grand Infotainment Package w/Bose....

A wise choice in my sometimes humble opinion.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

Quote
Gary in SoFL

Quote
m4240z


But that's because I'm a luddite.

I think G-Man is also, since IIRC he didn't order the $4 grand Infotainment Package w/Bose....

A wise choice in my sometimes humble opinion.

A wise choice? Absolutely. AFAIK, the nav system in the Porsches still can't be updated very well. My Garmin gives me free unlimited updates and it allows me to plan my own routes if I want. My entertainment is the Symphony in Flat Six - along with the upgraded Porsche Sound Equipment. Currently, I have about 67K mi. on my Boxster and about 4K mi. on the "other" sound system.

Guenter
2014 Boxster S
GT Silver, 6 Speed Manual, Bi-Xenons, Sports Suspension (lowers car 20mm), Porsche Sports Exhaust, Porsche Torque Vectoring, Auto Climate control, heated and vented seats, 20" Carrera S Wheels, Pedro's TechNoWind, Sport Design steering wheel, Roll bars in GT Silver
[www.cyberdesignconcepts.com]

Yep....I have the Infotainment Package and my $200 is much better!

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

Quote
m4240z


But that's because I'm a luddite.

There are some things where change is great, others not so much. In a few more years, you'll be called a luddite if you still have a brake pedal, next will come (or should I say go) the gas pedal. Once you get rid of the pesky steering wheel, it will be the perfect car. That car will accelerate better, stop better and steer better than any human can.

If driving a manual makes me a luddite. Then I'm a happy luddite because I'll thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing.