I find that RM helps me a lot when the car is cold and I'm shifting/driving normally until the car warms up. The times I don't have it on and I shift, I feel like I waited too long to shift and causes the car to jerk. The reason I'm shifting slower is so that I don't grind the gears, but the RPMs drop very fast when shifting slower. This is why I love RM when the car is cold also.

 

I understand. I like it too. The thing is, Chevy says in the manual not to do it. It can cause wear on the engine. But hey, it's your engine so treat it how you want.

 

I hear you. I honestly didn't know that the manual says don't do it. I believe you, but I'll have to go back and RTM!!

 

So the rev matching is really just for downshifting? If you don't downshift this feature really doesn't help anything?

 

Yes it does

 

I read the manual

 

Yes, it's primarily for downshifting on the M7. I don't notice a rev match on an upshift because engine flywheel speed is generally closely enough matching the clutch disc speed going up.

If you don't ever downshift a manual you don't know how to drive a manual. Even modern automatics downshift to be in a proper gear.

And it does work in "cold temperatures." The manual says it's disabled when the engine coolant temperature is below 32ºF, which is only true for a few minutes after starting the engine when very cold. Even in frigid temps, the engine coolant temp get's up to 190º plus within about 5-8 miles.

 

I found this:

"Active Rev Match
Vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission have Active Rev Match
(ARM). ARM aids in smoother
shifting by matching the engine
speed to the next selected gear. By
monitoring shift lever and clutch
operation, ARM adjusts engine
speed to match a calibrated value
based on gear selection. On
upshifts and downshifts, engine
speed will be increased and
decreased to match vehicle road
speed and transmission gear
position. ARM is maintained for a
few seconds between shifts, then
deactivates if the shift is not
completed."

http://www.chevrolet.com/content/dam...ers-manual.pdf

 

Mine works at 30 below.

 

No controversy, just ignorance. Only automatic transmissions with dual clutches have that capability. Torque converters - no.

 

 

I understand that you CAN downshift, but also know that it is not required. I know how to downshift and I do sometimes for fun. But I have never really seen the purpose if I don't have too; unless you just like to hear the engine rev up or want to save your brake pads over engine wear.

If coming to a stop from 70, or just dropping to a 30 mile zone, I push in the clutch, shift to neutral, and let it coast - apply some brake to slow down. If I come to a stop, I wait for the light, put the car in 1st and go. If I am just slowing down, I get to the appropriate speed, then apply some gas to get the engine revving to the appropriate RPMs and let out the clutch.

I keep an eye on my speed so if I need to make a sudden change, I know what gear I should be in and am ready to shift and apply gas. True, it may not be as quick, but I willing to take the risk. If I am coming down a steep hill I will leave the car is a lower gear and let the engine keep the car from reaching high speeds instead of riding the brakes, so I definitely can see usefulness.

It seems like a waste of gas and added wear to the car to shift and have sudden rev ups just so I can come to stop.

Automatics downshift because they have too. They don't know your thoughts or the situation; are you tapping the brake pedal, are you coming to a full stop, or just slowing down some.

But as long as it doesn't hurt the car, I don't know why anyone can say its wrong; just maybe not standard.

 

^ What do you do when you are in 3rd gear approaching a turn that requires you to be in 2nd gear?

 

I drive so instinctively now I am not 100% sure. I think in this case, I do downshift. But I don't see why you couldn't push in the clutch, brake before/coast around the curve, then rev up the engine and shift into second just before you come out of the curve so you can give it gas without loosing traction. No braking in the the turn. That is a bad habit.

 

I don't know where to start..

 

^^^^^^

In most states coasting in neutral is illegal, but more importantly dangerous as you've lost the ability to power the car out of a developing situation

 

I guess I'm ignorant...but I love using it on my A8 on the downshifts. You should try it.

 

That's why I don't take my had of the stick or my feet off the pedals. I think for short spurts I just hold the clutch in, so its in gear in case of an emergency. But I will admit its not every time. The cruising is mostly on big hills, off ramps, things like that. When I am in the city, there is too much stop and go to cruise.

 

You seem to be talking about manual paddle downshifts on your A8. You don't have the "auto rev match" feature being discussed here.

Unlike the paddles on your A8, which allow you to manually change gears, the paddles on an M7 are for turning "auto rev match" on and off. It's for matching engine flywheel speed to clutch disc (which you don't have) speed during a downshift on a manual transmission. Without auto rev match, or with it turned off, you have to manually blip the throttle with your foot during a downshift shift to do the same thing.

All of that is irrelevant in an automatic because it does everything for you.

 

I understand completely but on a A8 (and I think a A6) the computer blips the throttle when downshifting with the paddles.