Quick_lude

Since there is one of those idiot upshift for economy lights..




Is there a way to turn it off, short of actually unplugging the wire? I don't need a stupid computer to tell me when to shift.. Unless that's a shift/rev limiter warning light, in that case thumbs up! :D

Hercules

I think it will be a fuse if anything.. you can probably pull it.

Keep in mind this isn't like shifting a piston engine.. you won't be able to 'feel' when to shift.

N1XRR

If its like all the other cars in the world that have a shift light you can pull the light out of the dash...they're ment to be replaced you know.

Plus, RX-7's(and the RX8, according to rotarynews.com) have redline buzzers...not any stinkin' light.

Michael

Quick_lude

Yeah.. that's why I hope it's a rev shift light with a buzzer. Otherwise I'm turning that off somehow..

Sputnik

It wasn't a fuse in previous models, and I don't see any reason to put in a fuse just for the shift light now. There isn't a separate fuse for any of the other dash lights, is there?

One could hope that there might turn out to be some documented or undocumented "hack" that you could do to the programming of the ECU to defeat it. But short of that, we're probably going to have to find a wire or a bulb to defeat it.

---jps

rx-8@mazda

you can't turn it off. Remember the flat torque curve? Hercules is right; you do not really feel when to change gears. You hit 7...8...9k rpm in no-time. dash light and warning chime will let you know when it's time to change!

Hercules

I believe, and I might be wrong, that that dash light is recommended shift for economy gas mileage, and the chime comes on when you hit 9500 RPMs.

Zio

aslong as it doesnt make any noise before 9500 rpm :o

threeputtwash

It's probably like the shift light for the 350Z.

On the Z, you can program the two settings, one when it blinks, and the other when it stays solid. That way it can tell you when you're about to hit redline.....

gmui

Sorry if this is a newbie question, but what do you guys mean you won't be able to feel when to shift? I'm a beginner 'stick' driver and was assuming it would be somewhat similar to the ones I've driven where you can basically learn to shift by the sound of the engine. Even if the torque curve is flat, I'm assuming that higher revs will make a louder/higher pitched noise, no?

Hercules

See in a piston engine, pistons pound up and down. As the RPMs go up, the pistons pound faster and faster, which gives you more vibration in your throttle pedal and foot, and you know when to shift just by the 'feel' of it.

Rotary engines spin. The faster they spin doesn't increase any engine vibration. Think of this.. put a marble into a cup and spin it around. The faster it goes, do you hear any more noise? Not really. It's not reliable enough to get a 'feel' for shifting so the RPM gauge is big and bright as well as a warning buzzer and shift light.

You'll understand when you get behind the wheel of a rotary

pelucidor

But is it an economy shift light or a 'imminent doom' shift light?

Hercules

dunno.

BryanH

Eh? Not in my boinger. I used to know when to shift because the power would fall off about 500 RPM before redline, and the engine would start to sound a little wheezy. When I put my custom intake/exhaust setup on the engine, the tach swings to redline with no trail-off of power, and I find myself bumping the rev limiter a lot more often as I'm too busy to look at the tach on the autox course.

Haven't driven a piston engine yet that was rough enough to vibrate the throttle pedal, unless something was very wrong (like the time I almost drilled a con-rod through the block :D).

Quick_lude

Hercules just hasn't driven a 200hp VTEC engine yet, that's all.. :p

But I'm sure the rotary engine is smoother due to the design.. Can't wait to drive it.

Sputnik

It's an "economy" shift light. "Imminent doom" warnings have previously been buzzers in the RX line.

And even though it's a smoother engine, and with different sound characteristics, you can still "feel" when it is time to shift a rotary, especially once you get familiar with it.

---jps

dcfc3s

It's still too early to tell if it's a redline Shift Up light or a fuel economy Shift Up light. The '86-88 2nd gens had the fuel economy Shift Up light that also lights at redline, but it's a simple matter to remove the Shift Up bulb.

It's actually kind of handy for novice stick shift drivers - my fiancee loves hers in her '87 RX-7 that she learned to drive a stick in.

Dale

rx-8@mazda

warning sound = red line
dash light = optimum drive (balances performance and economy)

Smoker

Just wanted to bring this topic back to the surface.

I heard some of you mentioned that in the Production model the Shift up, green light is gone and we just get the Buzzer at 9,000 right ?

Please Verify this for me please, thank you.

eccles

I certainly never saw a "shift up" light during my extended test drive.

ReX-8

If you don't want to see it, use a black tape and cover it up.
When you want to see it again, just simply remove it.

Quick_lude

Not a very clean or elegant solution.

XUrotaryrocket

I don't mean to be an ***, but that is one of the most ridiculous statements I've read on this forum yet. Have you owned/driven a rotary before ?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

You can feel when to shift on ANY car !!!!

RX-Nut

Hmm.. I havent noticed the shift light.. Either, I'm shifting all wrong, or we dont have it.

Sorry, dont know about the buzzer yet. Havent punched it quite yet.

meat

yeah, can't say I'm sure about this shift light... I don't recall ever having seen it, and I've had mine for almost a week now...

If you can't "feel" when to shift, then you're either deaf (People have suggested its so quiet that you can't figure out where to shift... if you've ever heard a jet engine, you're fully aware that engines that don't have pistons still manage to make some noise), or, like someone said, there's something terribly wrong with the piston engines you've driven...

It is a smooth curve, but you know.... after a week (assuming you are comfortable on a manual anyway), you'll know speed-wise where to shift (both for balancing power, and for really running it)...

Besides, a little tiny light is hardly an indication when compared to the BIG TACH in front of your face...