Yesterday was my first time to drive the HCHll to work (Houston, TX Belt-Way 8) How do I force the CVT to down shift so I can accelerate quickly?

 

Press down really hard on the gas pedal! :-)

Quick acceleration and the HCH II don't really go all that well together.

Seriously - what sort of RPM's were you running under acceleration? Above 3500 a different cam timing kicks in that is supposed to have better acceleration characteristics. I use it rarely so I can't say if it's true.

Eric

 

Shift to S until you hit max speed at 6000rpm, shift to D, do a "fake shift" by letting up on the gas a moment, then stomp again.

Or realize that this car just isn't meant for jackrabbit starts, chill, and enjoy the sound of gasoline sloshing in your tank