D vs Ds
11-19-2013, 08:49 AM
#1
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D vs Ds
I know it is generally thought that D mode is faster than Ds (better 1/4 mile times, etc.), but does anyone agree that the throttle response seems much better in Ds mode? In D mode, you seem to have to ease into the 2-3k RPM range and then you can get on it. If you get on it from a stop or sub 1.5-2k RPMs it seems to bog down a little for a short while in D mode. Does anyone else experience this?
11-19-2013, 09:16 AM
#5
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I think you have commented about the throttle feathering before, no? You kind of have to ease into it and then it takes off. In Ds, it just goes. I think it is a gas saving feature in D mode... the equivalent of starting in 2nd gear. It's like it jumps right to "first gear" in Ds mode.
11-19-2013, 10:09 AM
#8
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2010. I had the valve body replaced in my CVT and that made a HUGE difference. What I am talking about now is really just comparison. Ds seems to be ready to go with regards to throttle response... D just seems a little too conservative unless you ease into it and then really give it some gas.
11-19-2013, 10:12 AM
#9
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I'm not really talking about "faster." I'm talking throttle response... mainly at low RPMs. D is the "fastest" setting b/c the transmission always has you at the optimum torque. I just feel the engine is kind of lugging in D (at lower RPMs) when driving "normally" or conservative.
11-19-2013, 10:25 AM
#10
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I'm not really talking about "faster." I'm talking throttle response... mainly at low RPMs. D is the "fastest" setting b/c the transmission always has you at the optimum torque. I just feel the engine is kind of lugging in D (at lower RPMs) when driving "normally" or conservative.
Sometimes it's fast and perky and ready to pounce like a cat - at other times I feel like it's sluggish and geared like a tractor...
11-19-2013, 02:24 PM
#11
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BUT
I think the situation the OP is asking about is that starting out from a stop in Ds mode seems to avoid the sort of mushy start the early 7th gens had in D mode. And I think he is correct. But, as several here reported back around 2010, there is an adjustment or service bulletin of some kind that enables the dealer to fix that sluggish start in D mode the early 7th gens were famous for. That mushy start saved fuel, but made for less brisk starts off the line.
11-19-2013, 02:55 PM
#12
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I think the situation the OP is asking about is that starting out from a stop in Ds mode seems to avoid the sort of mushy start the early 7th gens had in D mode. And I think he is correct. But, as several here reported back around 2010, there is an adjustment or service bulletin of some kind that enables the dealer to fix that sluggish start in D mode the early 7th gens were famous for. That mushy start saved fuel, but made for less brisk starts off the line.
1) I am super conservative until the oil (not just the coolant) and CVT fluid is fully warm every cold start... even more so in the winter.
2) I am forced to drive conservatively a lot of the time due to traffic and driving situations.
I think these two things contribute to the ECM "learning" that I drive conservatively, so sometimes when I try to drive more aggressively the computer isn't ready to do so. This is easily bypassed in Ds. My point I am trying to confirm is not that Ds is faster... I know it is not... but the throttle response at low RPMs is significantly more crisp due to my driving circumstances and probable ECM learning situation I listed above.
11-19-2013, 11:16 PM
#13
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This... yes! I will add that I have had the "flash" for the TCM and a new valve body replaced that supposedly brought the CVT up to a 2012 model equivalent of the internals. The flash did not seem to last but the valve body helped tremendously. I think the bogged down feeling I am getting in D is due to:
1) I am super conservative until the oil (not just the coolant) and CVT fluid is fully warm every cold start... even more so in the winter.
2) I am forced to drive conservatively a lot of the time due to traffic and driving situations.
I think these two things contribute to the ECM "learning" that I drive conservatively, so sometimes when I try to drive more aggressively the computer isn't ready to do so. This is easily bypassed in Ds. My point I am trying to confirm is not that Ds is faster... I know it is not... but the throttle response at low RPMs is significantly more crisp due to my driving circumstances and probable ECM learning situation I listed above.
1) I am super conservative until the oil (not just the coolant) and CVT fluid is fully warm every cold start... even more so in the winter.
2) I am forced to drive conservatively a lot of the time due to traffic and driving situations.
I think these two things contribute to the ECM "learning" that I drive conservatively, so sometimes when I try to drive more aggressively the computer isn't ready to do so. This is easily bypassed in Ds. My point I am trying to confirm is not that Ds is faster... I know it is not... but the throttle response at low RPMs is significantly more crisp due to my driving circumstances and probable ECM learning situation I listed above.
Under these circumstances, I would not be at all surprised if, although the D mode gives better overall accelleration, the Ds mode would give a crisper initial start off the line because it 'sets the gear ratio' at an RPM level higher than the normal D start, giving more torque/power.
I'm not sure I have seen this discussed much here on the org. Interesting.
11-20-2013, 06:47 PM
#15
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I don't think it will reduce elapsed time very much, because the quicker initial start may be partially offset by the one shift involved when switching from Ds to D. But I'm sure it will seem much quicker, and may be more fun.
11-20-2013, 07:06 PM
#16
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I think I'll just drive around town in Ds... knock it into D once up to speed on the highway... then back to Ds when I exit the highway. Maybe that will get around the computer "learning" and thinking I am a conservative driver.
11-21-2013, 04:14 AM
#17
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11-25-2013, 04:36 PM
#18
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: a meadow south of Atlanta
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I do remember walking to school barefoot in the late 1930s. It seemed like almost nobody had a job in the backwoods area where I grew up during the depression. But a few well-to-do families in the neighboring county managed to have a Cord or Terraplane or Auburn or Model T. At that time. most of the folks with powerful, up-to-date vehicles around where I lived were bootleggers running moonshine.
I do remember my Dad showing me the newspaper December 10th, 1941 (press coverage was not as fast back then), with the top half of the front page showing the U.S. Navy fleet burning in the harbor at Honolulu. He told me we were in for a long war. He was right. Back then, a four year war was a long war.
I have often daydreamed about what folks back then would have thought if they could have seen a car like the 7th gen Maxima. Neither my Dad's parents nor my Mom's parents (all born in the 1860s and 1870s) ever owned a motorized vehicle (they had horses and wagons). My Mom never attempted to drive, and my Dad was sort of a 'creepy-crawler', as 25 MPH seemed like a good speed to him. On those winding mountain roads with those antiquated vehicles, he was probably right.
But time passes and things change. Since I began driving around 1945 by moving tractor trailers between warehouse bays at the trucking company owned by my Dad and my uncle (I was not yet old enough for a driver's license), I have driven almost two million miles.
I have driven during an era when two or three speed manuals were the only tranny available, and am now driving in an era when manuals are considered by many folks as a 'playboy throwback' to an era when driving a manual was considered a 'manly' thing to do.
I have driven in an era when tire treads were around 2 1/2 to 5 inches wide, and am now driving in an era when tire treads are usually around a foot or so wide. I have driven in an ear when there was no such thing as a tubeless tire, and am now driving in an era when there are virtually no tubed car tires.
I have driven in an era where tire profiles (had profiles been denoted at that time) were well over 100, and now drive in an era where OEM tire profiles can be as low as 40, and tires with profiles under 40 are readily available.
I have driven in an era when a wrench dropped while working under the hood always fell straight to the ground, and am now in an era where that wrench would never reach the ground, and might be difficult to even find.
I have driven during an era when it was difficult to find a car in any color except black, and am now in an era where almost any color (including pink) can be seen on the road.
But, automotive-wise, I feel as if I have lived during the absolutely most exciting and wonderful era there has ever been. For me personally, the last six generations of the Maxima have brought me the most pleasure and satisfaction of any vehicles I have ever driven.
11-25-2013, 06:23 PM
#19
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Canada
Posts: 118
I know it is generally thought that D mode is faster than Ds (better 1/4 mile times, etc.), but does anyone agree that the throttle response seems much better in Ds mode? In D mode, you seem to have to ease into the 2-3k RPM range and then you can get on it. If you get on it from a stop or sub 1.5-2k RPMs it seems to bog down a little for a short while in D mode. Does anyone else experience this?
11-25-2013, 07:01 PM
#20
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: WA
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11-26-2013, 03:57 AM
#21
No, but my Dad remembered the Titanic sinking, and watched Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and all the other stars of those early days in person while working in NYC in the 1920s. Did you know that Babe Ruth began his career as a pitcher, and was pitching for the Rox in the late teens before being bought by the Yanks in 1923?
I do remember walking to school barefoot in the late 1930s. It seemed like almost nobody had a job in the backwoods area where I grew up during the depression. But a few well-to-do families in the neighboring county managed to have a Cord or Terraplane or Auburn or Model T. At that time. most of the folks with powerful, up-to-date vehicles around where I lived were bootleggers running moonshine.
I do remember my Dad showing me the newspaper December 10th, 1941 (press coverage was not as fast back then), with the top half of the front page showing the U.S. Navy fleet burning in the harbor at Honolulu. He told me we were in for a long war. He was right. Back then, a four year war was a long war.
I have often daydreamed about what folks back then would have thought if they could have seen a car like the 7th gen Maxima. Neither my Dad's parents nor my Mom's parents (all born in the 1860s and 1870s) ever owned a motorized vehicle (they had horses and wagons). My Mom never attempted to drive, and my Dad was sort of a 'creepy-crawler', as 25 MPH seemed like a good speed to him. On those winding mountain roads with those antiquated vehicles, he was probably right.
But time passes and things change. Since I began driving around 1945 by moving tractor trailers between warehouse bays at the trucking company owned by my Dad and my uncle (I was not yet old enough for a driver's license), I have driven almost two million miles.
I have driven during an era when two or three speed manuals were the only tranny available, and am now driving in an era when manuals are considered by many folks as a 'playboy throwback' to an era when driving a manual was considered a 'manly' thing to do.
I have driven in an era when tire treads were around 2 1/2 to 5 inches wide, and am now driving in an era when tire treads are usually around a foot or so wide. I have driven in an ear when there was no such thing as a tubeless tire, and am now driving in an era when there are virtually no tubed car tires.
I have driven in an era where tire profiles (had profiles been denoted at that time) were well over 100, and now drive in an era where OEM tire profiles can be as low as 40, and tires with profiles under 40 are readily available.
I have driven in an era when a wrench dropped while working under the hood always fell straight to the ground, and am now in an era where that wrench would never reach the ground, and might be difficult to even find.
I have driven during an era when it was difficult to find a car in any color except black, and am now in an era where almost any color (including pink) can be seen on the road.
But, automotive-wise, I feel as if I have lived during the absolutely most exciting and wonderful era there has ever been. For me personally, the last six generations of the Maxima have brought me the most pleasure and satisfaction of any vehicles I have ever driven.
I do remember walking to school barefoot in the late 1930s. It seemed like almost nobody had a job in the backwoods area where I grew up during the depression. But a few well-to-do families in the neighboring county managed to have a Cord or Terraplane or Auburn or Model T. At that time. most of the folks with powerful, up-to-date vehicles around where I lived were bootleggers running moonshine.
I do remember my Dad showing me the newspaper December 10th, 1941 (press coverage was not as fast back then), with the top half of the front page showing the U.S. Navy fleet burning in the harbor at Honolulu. He told me we were in for a long war. He was right. Back then, a four year war was a long war.
I have often daydreamed about what folks back then would have thought if they could have seen a car like the 7th gen Maxima. Neither my Dad's parents nor my Mom's parents (all born in the 1860s and 1870s) ever owned a motorized vehicle (they had horses and wagons). My Mom never attempted to drive, and my Dad was sort of a 'creepy-crawler', as 25 MPH seemed like a good speed to him. On those winding mountain roads with those antiquated vehicles, he was probably right.
But time passes and things change. Since I began driving around 1945 by moving tractor trailers between warehouse bays at the trucking company owned by my Dad and my uncle (I was not yet old enough for a driver's license), I have driven almost two million miles.
I have driven during an era when two or three speed manuals were the only tranny available, and am now driving in an era when manuals are considered by many folks as a 'playboy throwback' to an era when driving a manual was considered a 'manly' thing to do.
I have driven in an era when tire treads were around 2 1/2 to 5 inches wide, and am now driving in an era when tire treads are usually around a foot or so wide. I have driven in an ear when there was no such thing as a tubeless tire, and am now driving in an era when there are virtually no tubed car tires.
I have driven in an era where tire profiles (had profiles been denoted at that time) were well over 100, and now drive in an era where OEM tire profiles can be as low as 40, and tires with profiles under 40 are readily available.
I have driven in an era when a wrench dropped while working under the hood always fell straight to the ground, and am now in an era where that wrench would never reach the ground, and might be difficult to even find.
I have driven during an era when it was difficult to find a car in any color except black, and am now in an era where almost any color (including pink) can be seen on the road.
But, automotive-wise, I feel as if I have lived during the absolutely most exciting and wonderful era there has ever been. For me personally, the last six generations of the Maxima have brought me the most pleasure and satisfaction of any vehicles I have ever driven.
11-26-2013, 05:18 AM
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,807
No, but my Dad remembered the Titanic sinking, and watched Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and all the other stars of those early days in person while working in NYC in the 1920s. Did you know that Babe Ruth began his career as a pitcher, and was pitching for the Rox in the late teens before being bought by the Yanks in 1923? I do remember walking to school barefoot in the late 1930s. It seemed like almost nobody had a job in the backwoods area where I grew up during the depression. But a few well-to-do families in the neighboring county managed to have a Cord or Terraplane or Auburn or Model T. At that time. most of the folks with powerful, up-to-date vehicles around where I lived were bootleggers running moonshine. I do remember my Dad showing me the newspaper December 10th, 1941 (press coverage was not as fast back then), with the top half of the front page showing the U.S. Navy fleet burning in the harbor at Honolulu. He told me we were in for a long war. He was right. Back then, a four year war was a long war. I have often daydreamed about what folks back then would have thought if they could have seen a car like the 7th gen Maxima. Neither my Dad's parents nor my Mom's parents (all born in the 1860s and 1870s) ever owned a motorized vehicle (they had horses and wagons). My Mom never attempted to drive, and my Dad was sort of a 'creepy-crawler', as 25 MPH seemed like a good speed to him. On those winding mountain roads with those antiquated vehicles, he was probably right. But time passes and things change. Since I began driving around 1945 by moving tractor trailers between warehouse bays at the trucking company owned by my Dad and my uncle (I was not yet old enough for a driver's license), I have driven almost two million miles. I have driven during an era when two or three speed manuals were the only tranny available, and am now driving in an era when manuals are considered by many folks as a 'playboy throwback' to an era when driving a manual was considered a 'manly' thing to do. I have driven in an era when tire treads were around 2 1/2 to 5 inches wide, and am now driving in an era when tire treads are usually around a foot or so wide. I have driven in an ear when there was no such thing as a tubeless tire, and am now driving in an era when there are virtually no tubed car tires. I have driven in an era where tire profiles (had profiles been denoted at that time) were well over 100, and now drive in an era where OEM tire profiles can be as low as 40, and tires with profiles under 40 are readily available. I have driven in an era when a wrench dropped while working under the hood always fell straight to the ground, and am now in an era where that wrench would never reach the ground, and might be difficult to even find. I have driven during an era when it was difficult to find a car in any color except black, and am now in an era where almost any color (including pink) can be seen on the road. But, automotive-wise, I feel as if I have lived during the absolutely most exciting and wonderful era there has ever been. For me personally, the last six generations of the Maxima have brought me the most pleasure and satisfaction of any vehicles I have ever driven.
11-26-2013, 07:39 AM
#23
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Dracut, Ma
Posts: 288
No, but my Dad remembered the Titanic sinking, and watched Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and all the other stars of those early days in person while working in NYC in the 1920s. Did you know that Babe Ruth began his career as a pitcher, and was pitching for the Rox in the late teens before being bought by the Yanks in 1923?
I do remember walking to school barefoot in the late 1930s. It seemed like almost nobody had a job in the backwoods area where I grew up during the depression. But a few well-to-do families in the neighboring county managed to have a Cord or Terraplane or Auburn or Model T. At that time. most of the folks with powerful, up-to-date vehicles around where I lived were bootleggers running moonshine.
I do remember my Dad showing me the newspaper December 10th, 1941 (press coverage was not as fast back then), with the top half of the front page showing the U.S. Navy fleet burning in the harbor at Honolulu. He told me we were in for a long war. He was right. Back then, a four year war was a long war.
I have often daydreamed about what folks back then would have thought if they could have seen a car like the 7th gen Maxima. Neither my Dad's parents nor my Mom's parents (all born in the 1860s and 1870s) ever owned a motorized vehicle (they had horses and wagons). My Mom never attempted to drive, and my Dad was sort of a 'creepy-crawler', as 25 MPH seemed like a good speed to him. On those winding mountain roads with those antiquated vehicles, he was probably right.
But time passes and things change. Since I began driving around 1945 by moving tractor trailers between warehouse bays at the trucking company owned by my Dad and my uncle (I was not yet old enough for a driver's license), I have driven almost two million miles.
I have driven during an era when two or three speed manuals were the only tranny available, and am now driving in an era when manuals are considered by many folks as a 'playboy throwback' to an era when driving a manual was considered a 'manly' thing to do.
I have driven in an era when tire treads were around 2 1/2 to 5 inches wide, and am now driving in an era when tire treads are usually around a foot or so wide. I have driven in an ear when there was no such thing as a tubeless tire, and am now driving in an era when there are virtually no tubed car tires.
I have driven in an era where tire profiles (had profiles been denoted at that time) were well over 100, and now drive in an era where OEM tire profiles can be as low as 40, and tires with profiles under 40 are readily available.
I have driven in an era when a wrench dropped while working under the hood always fell straight to the ground, and am now in an era where that wrench would never reach the ground, and might be difficult to even find.
I have driven during an era when it was difficult to find a car in any color except black, and am now in an era where almost any color (including pink) can be seen on the road.
But, automotive-wise, I feel as if I have lived during the absolutely most exciting and wonderful era there has ever been. For me personally, the last six generations of the Maxima have brought me the most pleasure and satisfaction of any vehicles I have ever driven.
I do remember walking to school barefoot in the late 1930s. It seemed like almost nobody had a job in the backwoods area where I grew up during the depression. But a few well-to-do families in the neighboring county managed to have a Cord or Terraplane or Auburn or Model T. At that time. most of the folks with powerful, up-to-date vehicles around where I lived were bootleggers running moonshine.
I do remember my Dad showing me the newspaper December 10th, 1941 (press coverage was not as fast back then), with the top half of the front page showing the U.S. Navy fleet burning in the harbor at Honolulu. He told me we were in for a long war. He was right. Back then, a four year war was a long war.
I have often daydreamed about what folks back then would have thought if they could have seen a car like the 7th gen Maxima. Neither my Dad's parents nor my Mom's parents (all born in the 1860s and 1870s) ever owned a motorized vehicle (they had horses and wagons). My Mom never attempted to drive, and my Dad was sort of a 'creepy-crawler', as 25 MPH seemed like a good speed to him. On those winding mountain roads with those antiquated vehicles, he was probably right.
But time passes and things change. Since I began driving around 1945 by moving tractor trailers between warehouse bays at the trucking company owned by my Dad and my uncle (I was not yet old enough for a driver's license), I have driven almost two million miles.
I have driven during an era when two or three speed manuals were the only tranny available, and am now driving in an era when manuals are considered by many folks as a 'playboy throwback' to an era when driving a manual was considered a 'manly' thing to do.
I have driven in an era when tire treads were around 2 1/2 to 5 inches wide, and am now driving in an era when tire treads are usually around a foot or so wide. I have driven in an ear when there was no such thing as a tubeless tire, and am now driving in an era when there are virtually no tubed car tires.
I have driven in an era where tire profiles (had profiles been denoted at that time) were well over 100, and now drive in an era where OEM tire profiles can be as low as 40, and tires with profiles under 40 are readily available.
I have driven in an era when a wrench dropped while working under the hood always fell straight to the ground, and am now in an era where that wrench would never reach the ground, and might be difficult to even find.
I have driven during an era when it was difficult to find a car in any color except black, and am now in an era where almost any color (including pink) can be seen on the road.
But, automotive-wise, I feel as if I have lived during the absolutely most exciting and wonderful era there has ever been. For me personally, the last six generations of the Maxima have brought me the most pleasure and satisfaction of any vehicles I have ever driven.
