How to Downshift in Automatic Transmission Manual Mode?

[DeMatthew]

Methods for downshifting in automatic transmission manual mode: To downshift in manual mode, pull the gear lever toward the minus (-) direction; to upshift, pull it toward the plus (+) direction. When switching to manual mode, the car's dashboard will display a prompt. Generally, 1st gear is shown as D1, 2nd gear as D2, and so on. Some models display the manual mode as M gear, while others only show minus and plus signs. The manual mode can be switched at any time without restrictions like timing or RPM. The transmission will automatically match the appropriate gear based on the real-time vehicle speed. Manual mode is typically used in situations such as ascending or descending slopes, overtaking, starting on icy or snowy roads, or during traffic jams. For example, when descending a long slope in D gear, the car's speed will increase due to inertia, requiring the driver to constantly use the brakes to control speed. Frequent and prolonged brake usage may lead to reduced efficiency due to overheating, and in severe cases, brake failure. In such scenarios, it is safer to use manual mode to engage a lower gear, forcing the transmission to output lower RPMs and using the engine to control speed, supplemented by braking, for a more stable approach.