Shift Lights

[GTR Dreamer]

on some RMP guages they have that light called a shift light?(am i right)
what exactly is this for.
does it tell you when you should change gear or something?
any help greatly appreiciated

[DiabloVT]

its there so u can keep ur eyes on the road, and not on the tachometre to see when to shift. ive got one on my car, a big yellow light, impossible to miss
u can calibrate it to operate at any RPM you want, ive got mine set @ 7000rpm because my car stops making decent power after 6500rpm. and once u pass that rpm, the light comes on, and you shift... rather simple concept, hope ive cleared up any problems

[Egg Nog]

A few cars come with stock shift lights, but they aren't designed for high performance driving. They will come on when adequate power and torque (and better efficiency) are available in the next gear, so that you don't needlessly use fuel.

[Matra et Alpine]

it's a ricer upgrade for the inside

A driver SHOULD be able to tell when to shift up by the engine sound.

Shift-lights are necessary in race cars because with a helmet on, ear plugs in and Peltor radio set giving voice from pit or nav then it gets hard to hear the shift point.
So, shift lights are provided.

Ricers see it on TV and want one, the after-market industry takes advantage and offers a light at huge profits

EggNog's input is one I'd not considered, again a driver should know these things but GM/Ford et al have to produce a car that the 'average' ( eg atrocious ) driver can cope with.

[Powaqqatsi]

I shift gears when I feel and hear it's necesarry. Like any decent driver.

[fpv_gtho]

my dads 71 F250 doesnt have a tacho at all so regardless if hes trying to drive fast or just normally in it hes got to rely on the sound of the engine

[bk4uyeah]

My Saab 9-3 has a light like this, however, as everyone else has stated, you should be able to tell anyway from engine sound

[RX7 FC3S]

Ricers need it not only because it looks "cool", but also they have pimped out spearks and shit like that which prevents them from listening to anything. Of course, it is still questionable that rather they know when to shift just by listening to the engine.

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

wow so if im a decent driver and i get a light ... im a ricer .. but if im a horrible driver that is dependent on the light ... its ok ... wierd concept

[Matra et Alpine]

wow so if im a decent driver and i get a light ... im a ricer .. but if im a horrible driver that is dependent on the light ... its ok ... wierd concept

You're the first to come up with that intepretation, KE !!
So far everyone has said that you don't need the light - with the racing exception

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

lol, i have a very ... unique ... mind if u get my drift

[RX7 FC3S]

it shouldn't be rice if you get it stock. It becomes a concern when it comes to aftermarket stuff. Rice, as mentioned in tons of tread before, is an attitude, not the mod itself.

Just a question, I have seen some old (not sure about the made year though) american cars does not have the rev meter. Those are auto, so I just wonder what happens to the manual version of them. Do they have a different set of meters?

[byronleehk]

A friend of mine used to own an old 1980's ford pickup truck (forgot the model) and it only had a big speed meter in the center of the console. He shifted gears by the sound of the engine.

[Egg Nog]

It's pretty funny when there are people driving around with stock Jettas with HUGE monster tachs that show up to 12,000rpm. What look are they going for, anyway?

[fpv_gtho]

Just a question, I have seen some old (not sure about the made year though) american cars does not have the rev meter. Those are auto, so I just wonder what happens to the manual version of them. Do they have a different set of meters?

I dont know if this will answer your question or not, but someone i know has 1970 Pontiac GTO convertible and the tacho pops out of the bonnet infront of the driver