[roundtail]

I recently had my MY2018 718C 6M into the dealer for a service bulletin issue, and was given a Macan w/PDK as a loaner for the day.

What I noticed was that even in normal drive mode, when sitting at a stoplight, the instrument display gear indicator showed the car in 1st gear. Well, duh. What I found peculiar was that with my MANUAL transmission, where knowing I've selected the correct gear in that situation is particularly helpful, that same display is blank until I've accelerated to a point well past needing to know what gear I was in when I attempted to pull out.

I asked the SM about this, and he told me that's it's normal; it needs 10 mph before the car will show what gear it's in. Huh? That makes zero sense to me. And it's not as if the car doesn't "know" I've placed it into 1st gear, as the ECM gives idle RPMs a slight bump in normal mode when 1st is selected...so the info is being sent and is available. What I don't know, because I keep forgetting to try, is whether the same idle bump would occur in any other (i.e., the wrong) gear, which would mean the car doesn't "know" which gear it's in.

I just don't get why a system transmits this info to a display for an AT (where it's a foregone conclusion) but not for an MT (where it is not).

Any thoughts?

 

[GTS18BGTS]

I'm actually trying to figure out why there's a gear indicator on an MT Never had one of those before. Seems redundant.

 

[roundtail]

I'm actually trying to figure out why there's a gear indicator on an MT Never had one of those before. Seems redundant.

I agree. It makes sense with PDK in manual mode, but since Porsche decided it should be active all the time, it seems it should function well on the 6M too I suppose.

 

[gtsilver944]

It doesn't actually know which gear is physically selected. It looks up which gear you're in based off of speed and RPM. The RPM will be unique to each gear at a given speed. If you are stopped and have the clutch in, the car is at idle and speed is zero - no way to figure out which gear is selected. Not sure why you'd want to see that it's in first?

 

[JazzCatGab]

With the stock gear shifter in my base Cayman, I've had the same question as @roundtail. It would be nice to simply look down and ensure the gear shifter is in the correct position BEFORE you start off. It isn't a great tragedy if you have to quickly react to the wrong gear but it is personally embarrassing. Why the issue? It is mainly the reality of using a manual becomes automatic over time, and with distractions and old timers disease, I find myself wondering sometimes, and if I wonder before the light changes, I can simply take it out of gear and THINK about putting it in first.

Earlier this week I installed the short shift kit and, at least for now, the mechanics of that shifter is such that I can't see this being an issue in the foreseeable future. But what happens after I acclimate to it? SOS I'm sure.

 

[DriveInHouston]

Looking down stopped working for me a few cars ago. Feeling the position of the shifter with my hand, always worked for me.

Both older cars with a tall shifter of uncertain location and my last Mustang GT, at a glance showed the shifter in neutral or 5/6 gear. 1/2/3/4 looked the same (neutral). Wiggling the shifter, 1/2 had more room on the left than 3/4. 5/6 on the Mustang were positively displaced to the right. And it showed...

 

[roundtail]

It doesn't actually know which gear is physically selected. It looks up which gear you're in based off of speed and RPM. The RPM will be unique to each gear at a given speed. If you are stopped and have the clutch in, the car is at idle and speed is zero - no way to figure out which gear is selected. Not sure why you'd want to see that it's in first?

That makes sense as to the difference with PDK, and it also explains why the car has to be in motion before "1" is displayed.

The reason I'd like to see the "1" display while stationary is that I don't drive the car all that frequently, so the throw does not stay familiar in muscle memory. And for whatever reason, Porsche elected to leave reverse without a separate mechanical gate motion, unlike each of the many, many manuals I've driven over the years - my brain is conditioned to that protection. So, in order to avoid reverse, I have to feel the gate spring resistance and know the difference. That might seem picky, but the Porsche box, while precise with ratios nearing perfection, is not soft. It needs a firm, affirmative shifting motion.

I do find the indicator useful nonetheless, since with such a wide torque band, I don't always use the same gear selection for a given speed. It helps during those periods when stuck behind, ahem, lesser capable drivers, when I upshift to save a little fuel before going back to the gusto range of the power band. A quick glance at the gear indicator is all I need to remember where to go next.

So to boil it all down, you could say I'd like it because it's there for most of the time that it is less useful, and not for when it would be more so.

 

[roundtail]

Looking down stopped working for me a few cars ago. Feeling the position of the shifter with my hand, always worked for me.

Both older cars with a tall shifter of uncertain location and my last Mustang GT, at a glance showed the shifter in neutral or 5/6 gear. 1/2/3/4 looked the same (neutral). Wiggling the shifter, 1/2 had more room on the left than 3/4. 5/6 on the Mustang were positively displaced to the right. And it showed...

Looking down has never been a thing for me either...this is the first manual I've ever driven, including Class A & B, that I've ever had to look at anything to know what gear to go to. Maybe it's the wide power band, advancing age, or just too much time between drives. Or all of the above...

 

[MLJJ]

This is all very perplexing to me. I drove manuals for the first 30 or so years and none of them had a gear indicator in dash. If I was in the wrong gear at a stop, I'd realize it pretty quickly once I started. A quick shift and all was good. I can't understand when it would be that important to see "1" from a standstill. Most here with manuals extol the virtues of being more connected to the car so the gear selector nanny seems counter intuitive to me. I like my PDK so I don't have to worry about it!

 

[RussellHodgson]

It doesn't actually know which gear is physically selected. It looks up which gear you're in based off of speed and RPM. The RPM will be unique to each gear at a given speed. If you are stopped and have the clutch in, the car is at idle and speed is zero - no way to figure out which gear is selected. Not sure why you'd want to see that it's in first?

Not sure this is correct. When moving along, if you shift from 2 to 3 (or whatever) the display changed from '2' to '3' before you let the clutch out. So the revs aren't necessarily at the same point they'll be when the clutch it out.

On a different note I've ofetn wondered why they don't prevent you blowing up the engine by not letting the clutch out if you shift into too low a gear.

 

[roundtail]

This is all very perplexing to me. I drove manuals for the first 30 or so years and none of them had a gear indicator in dash. If I was in the wrong gear at a stop, I'd realize it pretty quickly once I started. A quick shift and all was good. I can't understand when it would be that important to see "1" from a standstill. Most here with manuals extol the virtues of being more connected to the car so the gear selector nanny seems counter intuitive to me. I like my PDK so I don't have to worry about it!

So let's turn the question around then. Why does Porsche make it active for anything other than PDK manual mode? One could argue that no other driving mode needs it to exist at all, especially PDK auto.

 

[roundtail]

Not sure this is correct. When moving along, if you shift from 2 to 3 (or whatever) the display changed from '2' to '3' before you let the clutch out. So the revs aren't necessarily at the same point they'll be when the clutch it out.

On a different note I've ofetn wondered why they don't prevent you blowing up the engine by not letting the clutch out if you shift into too low a gear.

Good point. Now that I think about it, I remember that my SA told me it becomes active for the 6M when vehicle speed reaches either 10 or 20 mph (can't remember which). So it would seem that it measures some kind of velocity within the gearbox for gear selection.

 

[RussellHodgson]

So I just drove around a few minutes ago and once you are moving the MT does display the correct gear as soon as you put it in gear, even if the clutch is engage and the revs are at idle. It seems you need to be moving at 10 mph or higher before you get a gear displayed. After that the correct gear is displayed as soon as you engage the gear, regardless of revs or clutch position.

 

[CaymanMatt]

I personally wish reverse had a mechanical lockout. It would make it easier to shift into reverse and more certain once there.
I have inadvertently tried to start in 3rd a few times but figured it out quickly each time and quickly shifted to 1st. Surprised the **** out of me more than once to find that I had somehow found reverse instead. Each time it went in smoothly and felt no different than 1st.
FWIW

 

[roundtail]

Surprised the **** out of me more than once to find that I had somehow found reverse instead. Each time it went in smoothly and felt no different than 1st.

Add to that the reversing camera is activated by rolling, not gear selection (at least in the 6M), which would be a good red flag for inadvertent reverse selection if it was linked to the shift selection. It's a silly design, as I can't get my display back until 10 mph forward motion if I happen to roll back a little while waiting at a red light. I suppose it saves us from a position switch, but then again, that could be linked to a mechanical gate. I'd change both in a blink if I could.

The more I think about this, it feels like MTs are becoming an afterthought in Porsche design, at least insofar as road use is concerned.

 

[JazzCatGab]

I personally wish reverse had a mechanical lockout. It would make it easier to shift into reverse and more certain once there.
I have inadvertently tried to start in 3rd a few times but figured it out quickly each time and quickly shifted to 1st. Surprised the **** out of me more than once to find that I had somehow found reverse instead. Each time it went in smoothly and felt no different than 1st.
FWIW

I had the exact same experiences. When I pulled out the stock shifter it seemed even odder about the reverse gear engagement. There are two rods/cables from the shifter to the tranny. When you push the shifter to the left, it engages and pushes the left rod backwards, and then when you push the stick forward, it keeps the left rod backwards, and then also pushes the right rod backwards. All of that work should be more apparent to the user. And with the short shifter, with essentially the same shifting mechanism, it is much more work and thus more apparent.

 

[MLJJ]

So let's turn the question around then. Why does Porsche make it active for anything other than PDK manual mode? One could argue that no other driving mode needs it to exist at all, especially PDK auto.

I agree with you. Makes no sense that the PDK has this function. Even in manual mode, and with the fuel cutoff, it really doesn't make much sense. Engine noise and RPM should be enough to convince someone to shift. Just some bling I guess and to prevent stupidity.

 

[CaymanMatt]

Add to that the reversing camera is activated by rolling, not gear selection (at least in the 6M), which would be a good red flag for inadvertent reverse selection if it was linked to the shift selection. It's a silly design, as I can't get my display back until 10 mph forward motion if I happen to roll back a little while waiting at a red light. I suppose it saves us from a position switch, but then again, that could be linked to a mechanical gate. I'd change both in a blink if I could.

The more I think about this, it feels like MTs are becoming an afterthought in Porsche design, at least insofar as road use is concerned.

I totally agree. It's unfortunate but at least we still have it.

 

[DriveInHouston]

So let's turn the question around then. Why does Porsche make it active for anything other than PDK manual mode? One could argue that no other driving mode needs it to exist at all, especially PDK auto.

Because PDK users, including myself, may like to know which gear is engaged, especially just before a manual downshift from 3d. If you downshift blind, hoping you have 3d gear and you actually have second, at very low speeds, it will downshift to first and scare the Bejesus out of you. This is not a solution in search of a problem.

I agree with you. Makes no sense that the PDK has this function. Even in manual mode, and with the fuel cutoff, it really doesn't make much sense. Engine noise and RPM should be enough to convince someone to shift. Just some bling I guess and to prevent stupidity.

You don't understand. It is not bling.

 

[DriveInHouston]

Add to that the reversing camera is activated by rolling, not gear selection (at least in the 6M), which would be a good red flag for inadvertent reverse selection if it was linked to the shift selection. It's a silly design, as I can't get my display back until 10 mph forward motion if I happen to roll back a little while waiting at a red light. I suppose it saves us from a position switch, but then again, that could be linked to a mechanical gate. I'd change both in a blink if I could.

Pressing any button on the PCM (I press the home button to re-engage CarPlay) will stop immediately the display of the reversing camera. Not that difficult a task for you Manual Transmission fans?