Sport Mode and Paddle Shifters

[Chris]

, I'm pretty much always shifting it down to take some of the load off the breaks.

This might be fun, but I wouldn't make it a habit, you are putting extra wear and tear on an engine and transmission that costs who knows how much (8-10k probably??) to save wear on brake pads that cost what a couple hundo maybe?

 

[leftwing]

This might be fun, but I wouldn't make it a habit, you are putting extra wear and tear on an engine and transmission that costs who knows how much (8-10k probably??) to save wear on brake pads that cost what a couple hundo maybe?

Okay, so about that. I planned to have this car for a fair bit so I got a 10-year 200k warranty (it was pretty cheap). You do bring up a valid point but I would be out of pocket on the break repairs and if the transmission or engine have trouble, I think I'll be all like "hey Kia, can you fix my car please? Do I get a loaner while I wait?".

I'm torn - I totally understand your perspective, but I bought my mid-life crisis car to have fun in and I feel like as long as the warranty protects all the big ticket stuff I should be good, no?

 

[Chris]

Okay, so about that. I planned to have this car for a fair bit so I got a 10-year 200k warranty (it was pretty cheap). You do bring up a valid point but I would be out of pocket on the break repairs and if the transmission or engine have trouble, I think I'll be all like "hey Kia, can you fix my car please? Do I get a loaner while I wait?".

I'm torn - I totally understand your perspective, but I bought my mid-life crisis car to have fun in and I feel like as long as the warranty protects all the big ticket stuff I should be good, no?

Unless it craps out right after 10 years or 200,001 kilometers I guess. Haha.

In reality though you still could cause premature wear that degrades the transmission performance without breaking it to a point where Kia will do anything for you.
I do get your point though, driving should be fun. You have an awesome new car, enjoy it!
My guess would be that the novelty will eventually wear off and you'll quit doing it over time anyway. (I know it did for me with my paddle shifters - I don't think I've touched them in two years)

 

[leftwing]

Unless it craps out right after 10 years or 200,001 kilometers I guess. Haha.

In reality though you still could cause premature wear that degrades the transmission performance without breaking it to a point where Kia will do anything for you.
I do get your point though, driving should be fun. You have an awesome new car, enjoy it!
My guess would be that the novelty will eventually wear off and you'll quit doing it over time anyway. (I know it did for me with my paddle shifters - I don't think I've touched them in two years)

Yeah, I think you're right - and I'm sure the novelty will eventually wear off, but for now ... I think I'm still downright giddy

 

[Bonburner]

your question is hard to answer because the number of things that COULD go wrong will have a different response.
Ultimately .. if KIA comes to the conclusion that the cause of the vehicle's damage is due to your driving habit of downshifting excessively Then they might deny your warranty claim.
Now .. upshifting to 4k is not going to strain your vehicle - at least in my opinion. I would imagine if you're constantly shifting to 5-6k maybe so.

I honestly think you'll have some really well seating in your piston rings if you have been really good on the 2k-4k range - per manual. Since you have been doing this, you could argue back to KIA (should the aforementioned situation occur) that you have only been abiding the manual, and that it was KIA's fault.


If you're worried you can always go for 30/36k mile transmission flush and diff flush (new oil never hurts, as long as its the right type of oil)
(Book says 72k for transmission and 36k if you have LSD, 72k for non-LSD)

(I want to clarify, you mean you have been doing engine braking when you see a stop ahead .. so you're cruising 45 mph and you see a red ahead. So you shift up to 4k and you let the car automatically slow without any brakes? If yes, then I think you're fine. Also make sure you're doing your engine oil change per owner's manual. I think the 3k at least 2k too early for a full synthetic .. I guess its for the FI but whatever.)

 

[leftwing]

your question is hard to answer because the number of things that COULD go wrong will have a different response.
Ultimately .. if KIA comes to the conclusion that the cause of the vehicle's damage is due to your driving habit of downshifting excessively Then they might deny your warranty claim.
Now .. upshifting to 4k is not going to strain your vehicle - at least in my opinion. I would imagine if you're constantly shifting to 5-6k maybe so.

I honestly think you'll have some really well seating in your piston rings if you have been really good on the 2k-4k range - per manual. Since you have been doing this, you could argue back to KIA (should the aforementioned situation occur) that you have only been abiding the manual, and that it was KIA's fault.


If you're worried you can always go for 30/36k mile transmission flush and diff flush (new oil never hurts, as long as its the right type of oil)
(Book says 72k for transmission and 36k if you have LSD, 72k for non-LSD)

(I want to clarify, you mean you have been doing engine braking when you see a stop ahead .. so you're cruising 45 mph and you see a red ahead. So you shift up to 4k and you let the car automatically slow without any brakes? If yes, then I think you're fine. Also make sure you're doing your engine oil change per owner's manual. I think the 3k at least 2k too early for a full synthetic .. I guess its for the FI but whatever.)

So when I shift down I haven't been pushing the engine past 4k, I think I've been pretty consistent there. And yes I've been slowing down as you describe, applying the breaks only in the last 20 feet or so (typically already in 1st by then). I'm certainly not street racing here. I'll be following the maintenance schedule pretty much religiously, so I don't think that will be an issue. I don't see, however, how Kia could come to any conclusion at all about the cause of the wear (although admittedly I don't know anything about the diagnostic capabilities these days) that would give them any insight into my driving habits. But even if they could? I've been up and down that warranty to make sure I understand what I have to do to stay in good standing and it doesn't say anything about shifting habits. About all I (well me and every one else that wants to keep the warranty in good standing) have to worry about is:

1) Make sure I follow the maintenance schedule and keep printed records (I just cracked 200 km on the odo, so I'm a ways away yet - but check).
2) Don't replace any parts with non-Kia parts (even though they'll be doing the replacing of non-wear and tear parts on warranty if req'd).
3) No engine/transmission mods (for me that's going to be no problem, I like her just the way she is).
4) Don't hop curbs (it actually says this - again check).
5) Don't set the car on fire or get it stolen (... here's hoping?).
6) Don't hit the car with severe acts of God (this one is totally outside my control).

I can't find anything in the text that gives Kia an avenue to deny me service due to my driving habits. If you guys know of something though, please let me know because I very much don't want ignorance to cost me a bulldozer full of cash!

 

[MikeyCanuck]

Okay, so about that. I planned to have this car for a fair bit so I got a 10-year 200k warranty (it was pretty cheap). You do bring up a valid point but I would be out of pocket on the break repairs and if the transmission or engine have trouble, I think I'll be all like "hey Kia, can you fix my car please? Do I get a loaner while I wait?".

I'm torn - I totally understand your perspective, but I bought my mid-life crisis car to have fun in and I feel like as long as the warranty protects all the big ticket stuff I should be good, no?

Mid-life crisis at 37? I guess my car is my post-life crisis purchase...

 

[leftwing]

Mid-life crisis at 37? I guess my car is my post-life crisis purchase...

My wife's joke, but I'm owning it.

 

[Bonburner]

Yeah, since you're doing what was described you should not be having any issues.

If there are, that just means that KIA's downshifting programing for the automatic transmission is lackluster which led to the transmission's downfall (ie. worn teeth/worn synchros/etc.) since its an automatic.

 

[Chris]

Yeah, since you're doing what was described you should not be having any issues.

If there are, that just means that KIA's downshifting programing for the automatic transmission is lackluster which led to the transmission's downfall (ie. worn teeth/worn synchros/etc.) since its an automatic.

I am 99% sure there are no synchros in the stinger transmission. Just standard torque converter and clutch packs..

 

[leftwing]

Yeah, since you're doing what was described you should not be having any issues.

That's what I'm thinking too - but thanks for letting me vocalize the whole thing, I have been wondering about it since I took the first drive home.

 

[Bonburner]

It's also good because you're break in period is pretty dynamic between the 2-4k range (you don't want to use the vehicle at only one RPM, rather multiple).

I am 99% sure there are no synchros in the stinger transmission. Just standard torque converter and clutch packs..

Right - I'm so used to thinking about synchros when it comes to manual transmissions that I forget automatics don't have them ~

 

[CoconutRob]

Mid-life crisis at 37? I guess my car is my post-life crisis purchase...

I also had my mistake life crisis @ 38. I bought a z06. If I get the stinger it will also be my post mid life crisis car.lol

 

[Bonburner]

I also had my mistake life crisis @ 38. I bought a z06. If I get the stinger it will also be my post mid life crisis car.lol

its a 4 door saloon with a usable hatch trunk!
How is this a mid life crisis ~ ~
This is absolutely practical and economic decision!
All the other actual competitors are several tens of thousands more ~

 

[corradoMR2]

From reading some of the earlier posts in this thread it sounds like the car will auto shift to a higher gear after a variable "x time" regardless of whether you want to still be in manual mode at the gear you selected???

To be clear, I expect on this car to be able to select the gear I want and stay there for as long as I want within the speed limit of that gear. Heck my family hauler RX 350 SUV allows me full control. Using an every-day real-world example, I'm in the middle lane on the highway in some traffic at 30 mph, I manually engage in 2nd gear to be ready to overtake. I wait and wait for left lane cars to pass (can be several seconds) and once I see an opening I'm in the powerband to safely and quickly accelerate and merge into the lane.

BUT if the tranny will default back to D unexpectedly, just a moment before I make the sudden pass, I can be in a higher gear and lose power making the overtake dangerous.

How do you engage Manual Mode BTW? I noticed we (N.Am) don't have a physical M-mode or +- option from the gear selector though possibly some markets do as per below? Paddles engages the mode?



N.Am:

 

[ballistic]

From reading some of the earlier posts in this thread it sounds like the car will auto shift to a higher gear after a variable "x time" regardless of whether you want to still be in manual mode at the gear you selected???

To be clear, I expect on this car to be able to select the gear I want and stay there for as long as I want within the speed limit of that gear. Heck my family hauler RX 350 SUV allows me full control. Using an every-day real-world example, I'm in the middle lane on the highway in some traffic at 30 mph, I manually engage in 2nd gear to be ready to overtake. I wait and wait for left lane cars to pass (can be several seconds) and once I see an opening I'm in the powerband to safely and quickly accelerate and merge into the lane.

BUT if the tranny will default back to D unexpectedly, just a moment before I make the sudden pass, I can be in a higher gear and lose power making the overtake dangerous.

How do you engage Manual Mode BTW? I noticed we (N.Am) don't have a physical M-mode or +- option from the gear selector though possibly some markets do as per below? Paddles engages the mode?

View attachment 1434

N.Am:

i'm under the impression that the stinger holds the gear to redline when the paddle shifters are activated. that would work fine for the safety scenario you brought up.

 

[corradoMR2]

i'm under the impression that the stinger holds the gear to redline when the paddle shifters are activated. that would work fine for the safety scenario you brought up.

Yeah. I hope. My bad for not checking this during my brief test drive.

Anyone currently with a Stinger can you confirm? Thanks!

 

[Chris]

Yeah. I hope. My bad for not checking this during my brief test drive.

Anyone currently with a Stinger can you confirm? Thanks!

I don't have one but believe this has been asked and answered. It doesn't seem like it does that. There was some discussion if you put it in launch control mode it would, but I don't think that has been verified.

 

[MikeyCanuck]

Ok guys, happy to confirm. When both traction and disability control are off and the car is in either sport or custom mode, it will not automatically upshift when hitting the redline in manual mode.

Someone mentioned this in an earlier post... I have just passed my 1000 km break-in point... I will try to confirm!

 

[Charly]

Yeah. I hope. My bad for not checking this during my brief test drive.

Anyone currently with a Stinger can you confirm? Thanks!

On my test drive, I was in sport mode, I had used the paddle shifters within th last minute, I was not anywhere near redline, and it up-shifted for me. I don't want to turn off all the nannies just to get the paddle shifters to behave properly.