How Does Manual Mode Work in an Automatic Car?

You know how the manual transmission gears are numbered, and you have to shift into higher gears when your car accelerates? The manual interface on your switch works the same way, albeit with a simpler interface. Instead of manually selecting the gear you want to change, you simply turn the stick to plus or minus to move up or down. For example, if you were in first gear and needed to shift into third gear on a highway, you would tilt the shifter to the double-over sign to shift into third. Similarly, if the freeway starts to get too busy and you need to slow down, you can double-tilt the stick at the stop sign to get back into first gear.

The good thing about this quick setup is that it’s much easier to use than a manual switch. There’s no clutch to press, there’s very little gear to shift, and if you get tired of all the shifting, you can always switch back to standard drive.