Tracy

A while back there was a discussion about the built-in shift light in the HUD....whether it was worth a damn or not. Here's what I found.

1) When the shift light illuminates (at 6250 rpm), the RPM scale does indeed "go to 7000", as another member reported. This is good, because you really don't have to concentrate on the shift light. The tach goes berserk simutaneously with the light. So, there's more to see and notice. Good thing, because the light isn't the most visible thing you ever saw.

2) Speed shifting using the light works fine, except I did sometimes hit the rev limiter when the tires spun going into second.

3) Powershifting using the light doesn't work. I hit the rev limiter most every time, and I'm not an amateur at full-throttle powershifts. So, for powershifing, you gotta watch the tach, preferably the dashboard tach.

So, even though it's not very bright, it works okay, esp. at night.

Power Shifter

Tracy, I agree with you, I watch the "real" tach. I found you can use the HUD shift light for power shifts, IF you have the power shift motion locked, loaded and fire right on the flash, makes one wonder if it's truely at an honest acurate, 6250 that the light comes on? Ric

Tracy

Power Shifter--

Yeah, the HUD light ain't the greatest for powershifting. I've managed to complete a few, but it's "so close" that it's easy to run the motor into the rev limiter, which really kills your concentration for a proper powershift, no matter how well you've "locked and loaded" your big, beefy right arm. So yeah...the real tach is necessary.

But for anything else, speed shifting or lift-throttle shifting or whatever you want to call it, the HUD light and the berserk HUD tach works pretty good.

As for the light coming on at 6250.... are you thinking that it's coming on later, like 6350? Where is the limiter set...I forget. Must be 6400, right? I dunno....when the engine is spinning up that fast, it's easy to let it get into the limiter. I do all the darn time!! powpowpow!!!

Power Shifter

The rev limiter is suposed to be 6600, and mine hits right at the solid red, with is an indicated 6600. the thin red line is wider than the other markings, so lets say it's an indicated 6480-6520? Yes I am thinking the shift light may be after 6250 because it's not a problem to hit power shifts for me at 6400 on the regular tach, but it's usualy a quicker et at 6250-6300, for me. Ric

JACSZ06

I don't use the tach on the HUD display because it lags behind the tach on the dash. I found this out hitting the rev limiter, especially first to second shifts. It's not as bad on any other shift due to the revs not coming up as fast but I still prefer to deselect it from the HUD display for less distraction.

Tracy

JACS--

Tell us how you know it lags behind the dash tach? How much lag? Is this just a gut feeling on your part, or are you certain? How can you watch both at once?

Please don't take offense to my many questions or the way I've phrased them!! It's just that this is a potentially inportant discovery on your part, if you can back it up with facts. :cheers: This forum is all about facts.

Interestingly, I was thinking that the HUD would be AHEAD of the dash, not lagging it. The needle has to swing, the LEDs (or whatever) react pretty quickly.

Power Shifter

Tracy, Have you EVER nicked the rev limiter on a power shift at 6250-6300 indicated on the tach? How about when you shift with the shift light on the HUD? Wathing both is imposible for me. Ric

Tracy

Power--

I don't think I've nicked the limiter by watching the tach (at least not recently), but I did during my *testing* with the HUD light (during powershifting). I think this is because you can anticipate 6300 on the tach by watching the needle swing, but the HUD light tends to surprise you and the revs climb that last little bit before you (me) react and pull the gear.

But with a little practice, I think the HUD light should do okay, at least at night. For "normal" speed-shifting, it works great....no nicking the limiter.

What are your results?

Zbatman

Well, we know that the HUD speedo lags behind the guage, so it would make sense that the same is true for the tach. Have you ever noticed when you are stopped the HUD still says 3 MPH then goes to 2 then 0?

Power Shifter

Tracy, Like you I never have a problem with power shift at 63-6400. But have to concentrate if I use the shift light. Thats why I am not so shure it comes on at 6250. Speed shifting is lifting the gas, so anyone shuld be able to do it up to the relimiter. Ric

Tracy

Yep, speed shifting is lifting the gas, but sometimes I'm too busy pushing it down to remember to shift!!! It climbs soooo fast when you're messing around with somebody on the street and not paying STRICT attention. :steering:

Kent1999

I think the MPH on the HUD has lag by design, so that those big number digits don't flicker and distract the driver. I'm not sure that the tach, with its small segments that don't change as quickly, has the same limitation. ???

JACSZ06

The tach in the HUD increases in blocks, I think it's three, at a time. It's not a fluid motion as in the dash tach. It seems that the HUD tach reacts off of the dash tach therefore the lag and the blocks don't help any. That's how I'm seeing it happen. I wish I could describe what I'm seeing a little better but that's the best I can do.

Kent1999

The HUD is driven off the tach signal, not the actual needle. I believe the needle lags because its movement is dampened (so the needle doesn't shake), not because the signal itself is lagging.

ScottZ

Actually, I have noticed that my speedo gauge also lags about 2-3 mph after coming to a stop. IMO this lag just has something to do with coming to a complete stop and does not necessarily mean there is a lag at speed or upon acceleration. I don't powershift, but for speedshifting, HUD works great for me.

Chuck Harmon

I am lost with many of you guys. My dash tach is almost 1000rpm slow in 1st gear and close to 500 slow in 2nd. The teeny weeny white "shift" light that blends into the backgroud so well seems to be consistant. I wish they would have gone with a colored "shift" light to make it more noticeable, perhaps turning the entire HUD display red or something.

I have wondered if changing to stronger valve springs and re-programming the rev limiter to 7200 would be doable? The amazing Z engine just revs too fast to shift at the best rpm without hitting the rev limiter on a frequent basis.

Chuck