Took my Altima into the dealership today noting how the car, after getting to speed then coasting, would start to slow down (I used the phrase "couldn't get out of it's way").

Anyway, the dealer calls back and mentions that the CVT has a dealer-tweakable mode for 'engine braking' which they can turn off (turning the car into a coaster rather than doing engine braking when you get out of the throttle). Apparently the default is to have 'engine braking' mode on. So we're going to turn it off and see how it feels after...

I thought this was very interesting. Is this true? And what other magic modes does the CVT have that we can take advantage of?

Curious peoples want to know...

hmm, this is very interesting, I wonder if this has anything to do with the car coming to a crawl once you get past 100mph.

What you are talking about is different than normal "engine braking".

Basically, if you place your CVT vehicle on cruise control and go down a large hill, it will use the engine to retard the power to keep the vehicle at the cruise speed.

Note that if you are not in cruise, the engine will not retard the vehicle and will continue to gain speed.

Yes I said retard.

I've read about a "DS" (sport) mode that uses engine-braking to improve feel going into, say, corning situations...

I'm wondering if this is an artifact of that sport/non-sport mode--but in this case the Altima wouldn't let you select anything like that from the cockpit.

I understand the Murano has this sport mode selection available from the cockpit.

Could this be what I'm encountering?

Wow, very interested in hearing about the results after you've let the dealership mess with it. I've always wondered why this car doesn't seem to coast as well as others I've driven.

Just got the car back from the dealership after having them turn off the "engine braking" mode in the CVT.

First: night-and-day difference. It *does* roll easier. Much less of the car getting bogged down.

I'll take it out for a jaunt tonight to see how it does with speed and terrain.

I did ask the service guy if this 'mode' was similar to the DS mode in the Murano and the Maxima (while those two models have the ability to select this mode from inside the cockpit, the Altima does not). He said yes it's the same thing. I'll keep checking to confirm that concept tho.

pismo33607 wrote:Just got the car back from the dealership after having them turn off the "engine braking" mode in the CVT.

First: night-and-day difference. It *does* roll easier. Much less of the car getting bogged down.

I'll take it out for a jaunt tonight to see how it does with speed and terrain.

I did ask the service guy if this 'mode' was similar to the DS mode in the Murano and the Maxima (while those two models have the ability to select this mode from inside the cockpit, the Altima does not). He said yes it's the same thing. I'll keep checking to confirm that concept tho.

I'm wondering how this relates to the cars ECU or is it controlled by the CVT itself? Meaning that the BullyDog Tuner wouldn't affect it.

how much did it cost you and what other things did you notice when they turned it off? any performance like that?

i am about to call the dealership up because i need to get my cvt fluid changed anyway

pismo33607 wrote:Took my Altima into the dealership today noting how the car, after getting to speed then coasting, would start to slow down (I used the phrase "couldn't get out of it's way").

Anyway, the dealer calls back and mentions that the CVT has a dealer-tweakable mode for 'engine braking' which they can turn off (turning the car into a coaster rather than doing engine braking when you get out of the throttle). Apparently the default is to have 'engine braking' mode on. So we're going to turn it off and see how it feels after...

I thought this was very interesting. Is this true? And what other magic modes does the CVT have that we can take advantage of?

Curious peoples want to know...

OK curious peoples, here you go:

From the Nissan Factory Service Manual:

TM-105DOWNHILL ENGINE BRAKE CONTROL (AUTO ENGINE BRAKE CONTROL)

When downhill is detected with the accelerator pedal released, the engine brake will be strengthened up by downshifting so as not to accelerate the vehicle more than necessary.

TM-111WORK SUPPORT MODE

ENGINE BRAKE ADJ. The engine brake level setting can be canceled.CONFORM CVTF DETERIORATION:The CVT fluid deterioration level can be checked.

Engine Brake Adjustment

“ENGINE BRAKE LEVEL”0: Initial set value (Engine brake level control is activated)OFF: Engine brake level control is deactivated.

CAUTION:Mode of “+1” “0” “−1” “−2” “OFF” can be selected by pressing the “UP” “DOWN” on CONSULT-III screen. However, do not select mode other than “0” and “OFF”. If the “+1” or “−1” or “−2” is selected, that might cause irregular driveability.

I can see the mad rush to the dealers for this modification. I know my car will soon have this done.

Thanks Pismo for the heads up.

It sounds like you could almost do it yourself.

Ranga14 wrote:It sounds like you could almost do it yourself.

You could do it yourself if you had your very own CONSULT-III. Since most of us do not own CONSULT-III, the Nissan dealer would be the place to have it done.

so does the altima coupe come from the factory in "sport mode" or you had it switched to "sport mode"?

Hussain wrote:so does the altima coupe come from the factory in "sport mode" or you had it switched to "sport mode"?

I don't know if the procedure for the 2010 Altima is different than the 2007-2009.The 2010 has what Nissan calls Drive Sport mode.
Modified by Throckmorton at 2:29 PM 2/24/2010

Hussain wrote:so does the altima coupe come from the factory in "sport mode" or you had it switched to "sport mode"?

Neither. He clearly said that he had them turn off "engine brake mode," which Throck clarified as meaning that the dealership changed the "engine brake level" from default 0 to off. The talk of "sport mode" was just speculation that this engine brake adjustment is related to selectable driving modes in other vehicles.

my coupe did as you described a day or so before the entire transmission failed completely.

mrodrig2 wrote:
Neither. He clearly said that he had them turn off "engine brake mode," which Throck clarified as meaning that the dealership changed the "engine brake level" from default 0 to off. The talk of "sport mode" was just speculation that this engine brake adjustment is related to selectable driving modes in other vehicles.

no its not just speculation because the tech confirmed it (quoted below)... just wondering if getting that done puts it in sport mode or if its already in sport mode and that would take it out of sport mode.

pismo33607 wrote:I did ask the service guy if this 'mode' was similar to the DS mode in the Murano and the Maxima (while those two models have the ability to select this mode from inside the cockpit, the Altima does not). He said yes it's the same thing. I'll keep checking to confirm that concept tho.

So this is something that can be done fore 100% free? Seems like they'd wanna charge for that, haha.

I get engine braking on my '08 Altima 2.5 SL every time I coast downhill, which is very annoying. I've just been slipping it into neutral and it coasts freely.

Any harm in doing this?

TomNJ

Hussain wrote:no its not just speculation because the tech confirmed it (quoted below)... just wondering if getting that done puts it in sport mode or if its already in sport mode and that would take it out of sport mode.

1) You can't trust everything that the dealer techs say. They service the cars, they aren't the ones who developed the electronic controls.2) Sport mode in the Maxima is far more than just a simple engine brake level adjustment. DS mode changes the shifting logic altogether - it improves throttle response, keeps the engine speed up during maneuvering and allows higher RPM shift changes for performance rather than lower RPM shift changes for economy. The engine brake adjustment level does none of those things.

That is why I'm saying this change =! "sport mode."

Definitely watching this thread. Can anyone evaluate on the "Drive Sport" mode on the 2010 AC CVTs? Or point me in the correct direction to do a little research on it myself?

i would like to know if it costs anything, im going to get my cvt fluid changed this summer so i guess ill find out then

XenonSE-R wrote:Definitely watching this thread. Can anyone evaluate on the "Drive Sport" mode on the 2010 AC CVTs? Or point me in the correct direction to do a little research on it myself?

I've been flipping through the FSM and there's nothing about selectable driving modes in the engine or transmission control sections.

maxentropy wrote:Basically, if you place your CVT vehicle on cruise control and go down a large hill, it will use the engine to retard the power to keep the vehicle at the cruise speed.

Note that if you are not in cruise, the engine will not retard the vehicle and will continue to gain speed.

Just so we're clear, I've noticed the engine-braking on hills without the cruise control on. There are some steep and windy roads a little north of here, and they get fun. Kinda want to take it into the dealer.

maxentropy wrote:Yes I said retard.

Not going to point out the irony. Or maybe I just did...

The Ds (Drive Sport) mode on the 2010 is NOT the same as removing the engine braking feature. When Ds is on, the throttle tip-in is super aggressive, and it simulates shifts when you go over about 25% on the throttle, which is a really short and snappy shift sensation as the CVT "pops" into another ratio. It will also hold the engine at a higher rev after coming off the gas which is ideal if you are cornering aggressively and want to launch it as you come out of the corner. Eats into your gas mileage a bit of course. If your car was truly in a Ds mode you would know it immediately as it would have that simulated shift sensation under moderate to hard accleration. I don't think any of the earlier cars even have the logic in the computer, so it is my understanding that it is impossible to put those in Ds mode.

I'm actually very surprised Nissan put the Ds mode on the '10 and didn't leave it as a reserved feature only for the Maxima. I'm glad they did tho!

To engage the Ds mode on the '10 Altima CVTs you just put the shifter into the manual shift gate, but don't move it up or down, on the gear selection display it reads Ds.

So the dealer will do this for free? Just ask them to disengage the engine breaking via the Consult-III?

Colton92 wrote:So the dealer will do this for free? Just ask them to disengage the engine breaking via the Consult-III?

im taking my car in for service tomorrow morning and when i made the appt today, the service guy told me that he had no clue what i was talking about, but i could talk to the head service tech when i got down there. he told me that if he could do it, there would be a fee associated with it... he made that clear about 3 times. we'll see what happens. stoopid stealership.

Keyan wrote:The Ds (Drive Sport) mode on the 2010 is NOT the same as removing the engine braking feature. When Ds is on, the throttle tip-in is super aggressive, and it simulates shifts when you go over about 25% on the throttle, which is a really short and snappy shift sensation as the CVT "pops" into another ratio. It will also hold the engine at a higher rev after coming off the gas which is ideal if you are cornering aggressively and want to launch it as you come out of the corner. Eats into your gas mileage a bit of course. If your car was truly in a Ds mode you would know it immediately as it would have that simulated shift sensation under moderate to hard accleration. I don't think any of the earlier cars even have the logic in the computer, so it is my understanding that it is impossible to put those in Ds mode.

I'm actually very surprised Nissan put the Ds mode on the '10 and didn't leave it as a reserved feature only for the Maxima. I'm glad they did tho!

To engage the Ds mode on the '10 Altima CVTs you just put the shifter into the manual shift gate, but don't move it up or down, on the gear selection display it reads Ds.

Haha I've traded my 2008 for a 2010 since this thread was made.

The only thing the Maxima has over the 2010 AC (besides 20 more hp) is that it has PADDLE SHIFTERS I might have to see what I can do or what it would take to get some paddle shifting action on my AC. Could be fun.

The DS mode is sick, btw. The engine braking setting is something totally different and unrelated to this feature.

Paddle shifters are lame, IMO, on a CVT. What is the point?! Marketing, and that's about as far as I can tell. Frankly, Ds Mode has pretty close to optimal logic for the engine and the CVT (it's still CVT smooth when you are cruising, and then it's crazy fun when you get on it), I have never engaged the manual mode on my SR for any reason since it has the Ds mode.

The max has 20 more HP, yes...and more weight..and a smaller trunk, less leg room, lower mileage and requires premium fuel, all for 6-8k more than a similarly equipped Altima. Not worth it to me as I use the space in my sedan.

And heck you have a coupe, so you should be faster than a Max anyway

It is faster of course... I was just talking powertrain differences. =D

has anyone managed to get their dealer to disable this function for free?
i just got off the phone with a service rep, which at first did not seem to really know what i was talking about, and gave me a very general speal about something sorta related sorta not, and told me that this feature is most likely not disableable .
then i quoted the service manual passage, and he understood everything exactly.

but still told me that unless my car is being repaired or fixed via the warranty, hooking the consult up to my car will cost me at least 96$ for an hour. since it is something that i "want" done but is not necessary for my vehicle. i was just wondering for anyways around this