What does the M on the gear shift mean?
1 Answers
The M on the gear shift stands for manual shifting mode. Generally, transmissions with an M gear will have a plus (+) and minus (-) sign nearby. By manually pushing the gear lever to M+ or M-, commands for upshifting and downshifting are sent to the transmission control unit (TCU), which then controls the transmission to shift gears accordingly, simulating the feel of manual shifting. When using the manual shifting mode, the gear lever needs to be switched to the M position, which can be done directly while driving. Additionally, in manual mode, the transmission will automatically downshift when the vehicle brakes or decelerates, so the driver does not need to manually downshift unless there is a need for forced downshifting (such as accelerating to overtake).