When I step into the throttle on my '05 Outback, the auto tranny holds the lower, wound-out gear when I let up on the throttle way too long because, according to the owner's manual, it thinks I'm coasting down an incline and holds the gear to slow my descent.

 

I want to play a tune on this A.T. and do my own thinking. When I let up on the throttle I want the tranny to let up and shift up.

 

Is there a way to overide HAL? I've tried 'sport' mode and am only left with the distracting and confusing 'manual shift' mode.

 

Juan

The computer also reads the acceleration of the throttle pedal, so if you push it real fast, it's going to go into a more "sporty" mode, and hold the gear, even if you let off the throttle a little. Try pushing the pedal a little slower and see if that changes things.

 

Otherwise, there's really not much you can do.