HELP! Manual Shift - Absolutely Can't!

I’m having trouble shifting efficiently in a race only when other cars are nearby. I depend on my car’s engine rev noise as a cue for shifting but the other cars are just too loud and I don’t know how to turn up my cars noise in any settings whatsoever.

Any suggestions? I just can’t use auto shift.

Never had the problem with that.

Might just need to learn the shift points for your cars better. I know I do look quickly to see where I am in the powerband, but that’s usually only on the straights.

You shouldn’t have to look at your tach to know when to shift. In the real life, you generally can tell by the sound of the engine and the way a car feels under power. People don’t (I certainly hope) have to look down to know when to shift.

I think it’s still drivable with the sound the way it is, but it’s certainly takes a lot more concentrating on the sound than it should.

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I don’t have to look and can race within inches of several people at once for a full race without looking. However, if I have time on long straights, I’ll eyeball on occassion to make sure I get a perfect shift. Just habit of mine after seeing the tenths that can be lost by barely shifting too early or late in hotlapping.

If the OP can’t hear anything, then eyeballing and memorizing shift points are the only options.

Unless they patch in audio sliders like Forza Horizon 2, then you’re screwed.

Specifically on the issue of engine noise, please use this thread:
http://forums.forza.net/turn10_postst41137_Own-Engine-Sound-too-low.aspx

Since Formula E cars sound the way they sound, maybe focus on discussing techniques for driving naturally quiet (electric) cars.

Either check the tach, or if you play with hud off use the in car view, most of the cars have a well enough placed tach to easily see, some of them even have a working shift light. I drive in the in car view so usually just use the cars actual tach.

I have also noticed that the controller starts to rumble about 400rpm short of the red line, so as long as you are on the track and not in a slide or in contact with anything this is a great physical clue you should up shift.

Or if worst comes to worse just drive imports and use the revlimiter as a shift indicator like they do in real life, if you notice he is also looking down at the tach just before the upshift from 2nd to 3rd and just before the upshift from 3rd to 4th.


As for real life, in every day driving I never check the tach. When I am hooning around and red line shifting I do quickly glance down at my tach just to make sure I can ring the last couple hundred rpm’s out of my car. I am by no means watching the tach, it is just a quick glance usually right around 6700 rpm’s to make sure I take it to just before the 7,250 fuel cut off. I also have the speed at red line memorized for the first 3 gears of my car, so I sometimes also just check the speedometer, 1st is 35mph, 2nd is 60mph, and 3rd is about 85mph.

Even this guy who is a semi professional racing driver uses shift lights, and I can guarantee you he has no issue hearing his own cars engine/exhaust. Miata’s are fairly loud cars in stock form, with the spec miata exhaust on them they are just shy of 100dB

Sadly there is no workaround for this. As a manual shifter myself I find that I have to constantly glance over at the tach to see what the RPM’s are but in a really tight race when there’s lots of cars next to me that sometimes takes my viewing off of the other vehicles and I cause a crash or bump into them. Hopefully they’ll change this but it’s very doubtful they will, they didn’t have it in Forza 5 either although the noises for your car were typically louder than the other cars. It is definitely much worse in this version. One of the things you can do to help it a bit is use in car view, you tend to hear your car more and a little less of the other cars. If you’re doing hood cam (like I do) or bumper cam it can be very challenging.

Glad I’m not the only one on this one. I tried to play music from my stereo and the additional noise was a death sentence to my shifting. I turned it down until I could hear it well enough but then my music was whisper quiet. pointless ha.

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It doesn’t help that the RPM and redline are far less obvious in FM6 when glancing at the tach than in previous versions.

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If it helps, I remember when this was an issue for me as well.

The suggestions provided are all going to help, and know that it will get easier with time and experience with each car that you choose to drive.

I remember that it actually improved my knowledge of the actual tracks as well, because you will plan your shifts around your corner entry and exits and things will become more natural.

The next jump would be to work towards using manual and clutch…but that is for another day I would assume.

I was afraid that I would be disappointed. But also in the grand scheme of things, wouldn’t T10 have thought about fixing such a basic inconvenience? I have been reading about this even in FM4 and FM5 threads.

The problem really lies in corners (where shifts matter the most IMO) when all cars around you are reving max and shifting, its kinda annoying to have to look at the tac for starters and then there is guessing the speed and remembering to shift when “you think” the time is right. . It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.
My wheel does not have FF unfortunately. Wish I knew this before I bought it and I wouldn’t be cribbing about it so much :smiley:

I hate auto shifts. Makes me feel less in control and that is also a fact. So this bug, if you will, is a deal breaker.

You really shouldn’t be shifting too much in the corners. You should downshift before turning in, and then shift back up on the exit. The only time you really might be shifting mid turn is on really long turns that increase or decrease in radius. Shifting mid-turn can cause a loss of traction.