Digital dash question, gear indicator.

[Dave TBG]

I'm hoping there's a way to do this but, if it exists, I can't find it. I have a manual trans so inside the tachometer part of my display is a numerical rpm display. It's pretty much useless and I prefer the outer, analog display. OTOH, I'm used to having a gear indicator in my last few cars and I'm disappointed than the display doesn't include one. Is it possible to swap to the gear indicator that the auto trans cars have? It seems like this should be both possible and pretty simple, I'm pretty surprised that I can't find any information on it, I can't be the first person to want this feature.

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[Brazos609]

Thought that was standard on 19s, maybe only on 19 GTs.

 

[Stangnut]

Press the Settings button on the steering wheel. It's the bottom left button in the bottom right "cluster" with the cog/gear icon.
Go to Advanced Settings / Display Settings / Tachometer Setup
Then you can choose what you want in the center of the tach: RPM, Gear or None.

There are also a few videos on what all is in those menus. Much more helpful than the owner's manual when it comes to the poorly designed menus.

 

[AnalogDan]

Press the Settings button on the steering wheel. It's the bottom left button in the bottom right "cluster" with the cog/gear icon.
Go to Advanced Settings / Display Settings / Tachometer Setup
Then you can choose what you want in the center of the tach: RPM, Gear or None.

There are also a few videos on what all is in those menus. Much more helpful than the owner's manual when it comes to the poorly designed menus.

Unless this has changed on the 19s or the Bullitt, this isn't the case for 6-speed equipped cars.


The only option on my '18 6MT is to turn the digital tachometer (number read out) on and off.

 

[Five Red Lights]

Unless this has changed on the 19s or the Bullitt, this isn't the case for 6-speed equipped cars.


The only option on my '18 6MT is to turn the digital tachometer (number read out) on and off.

As mentioned it is on the 19s not 18s

 

[302@12psi]

I wish this was standard on all models. I have the standard dash and wish a gear indicator was there. It's not hard to reach down and realize what gear your in but it's something so cheap I figured it would be standard across the line.

 

[brucelinc]

I don't mean to sound snarky but if you manually engage a gear, how can you not know what gear you are in? I have the 10A now and like the gear display in the instrument cluster but I always had manuals before and never felt a need for such a thing.

 

[Timeless]

I don't mean to sound snarky but if you manually engage a gear, how can you not know what gear you are in? I have the 10A now and like the gear display in the instrument cluster but I always had manuals before and never felt a need for such a thing.

Was thinking the same thing....

 

[Dave TBG]

It's for that moment of doubt when cruising down the highway and think "did I put it in 6th or am I still in 5th?" Sure you can reach down and feel where the shifter is, but why not glance at the readout instead? I'd like to think that if Volkswagon can put an indicator in a base model 2007 Jetta that snickered at less than $17k, there should be one in a 2019 Mustang with a sticker price more than double that much.
Apparently, I'd be wrong. We can add this to the list of things that are not up to the standard to which I have become accustomed. Don't get me wrong, I like my Mustang but there are quite a few areas where my last couple VWs were simply superior.
Thanks, Jason, for pointing me in the right direction. As you mentioned, the menus are poorly set up and sometimes difficult to navigate (my 14 Passat had twice as much info and it was all easy to find with half as many buttons). Unfortunately, I have advanced settings>display options>digital tachometer and a check box to turn it off or on. That leaves me wondering which cars got the option of a gear indicator and which didn't? Could it be equipment related? Software version? Can it be activated with forscan?

 

[Kirgiz]

It's for that moment of doubt when cruising down the highway and think "did I put it in 6th or am I still in 5th?"

Listen to your engine and you will know what gear you are in. In 5 it revs higher than in 6.

 

[tranceporter]

Not exactly sure why you need a gear indicator on a manual. It takes a half of a second to place your hand on the shifter and the gear should already be apparent by engine load and pedal feel.

 

[brucelinc]

Listen to your engine and you will know what gear you are in. In 5 it revs higher than in 6.

Or glance at the tach....which is in the same location as the gear display would be.

 

[jake_zx2]

It's for that moment of doubt when cruising down the highway and think "did I put it in 6th or am I still in 5th?" Sure you can reach down and feel where the shifter is, but why not glance at the readout instead?

Why not just glance down at the shifter to see what position it is? Or, just look at what RPM you're at

I'd like to think that if Volkswagon can put an indicator in a base model 2007 Jetta that snickered at less than $17k, there should be one in a 2019 Mustang with a sticker price more than double that much.
Apparently, I'd be wrong. We can add this to the list of things that are not up to the standard to which I have become accustomed. Don't get me wrong, I like my Mustang but there are quite a few areas where my last couple VWs were simply superior.

"Simply superior" in regards to offering absolutely useless "features"? I'd like to know in what other ways a 10 year old Jetta would be superior to a new Mustang

Thanks, Jason, for pointing me in the right direction. As you mentioned, the menus are poorly set up and sometimes difficult to navigate (my 14 Passat had twice as much info and it was all easy to find with half as many buttons). Unfortunately, I have advanced settings>display options>digital tachometer and a check box to turn it off or on. That leaves me wondering which cars got the option of a gear indicator and which didn't? Could it be equipment related? Software version? Can it be activated with forscan?

I highly doubt your Jetta offered as much data as your Mustang does (In fact, I can confirm it, because I've owned both). The menus aren't difficult to access or navigate whatsoever. And the option required to get a gear readout is the automatic trans... you know, the only option with which the gear readout would be of any use whatsoever.

I really don't understand how you can find specific RPM so useless and such a nuisance, yet be appalled that the cluster doesn't display something that you literally have to put in place and can look AND feel in multiple ways aside from a digital readout. Oh, the things people find to bitch about

 

[Dave TBG]

"Simply superior" in regards to offering absolutely useless "features"? I'd like to know in what other ways a 10 year old Jetta would be superior to a new Mustang



I highly doubt your Jetta offered as much data as your Mustang does (In fact, I can confirm it, because I've owned both). The menus aren't difficult to access or navigate whatsoever. And the option required to get a gear readout is the automatic trans... you know, the only option with which the gear readout would be of any use whatsoever.

You really sound upset, I hope it's not just my comments that put you in such a bad mood. As I said, I like my Mustang, but still, that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement or that there aren't a few things that Ford doesn't do best. Still, as much as I know better than to waste my time responding to a fan boi, I'm sure I can come up with a list of things that I wish Ford did as well as my last couple VWs.
1) Switchgear, specifically things like turn signal and wiper stalks and the power window switches. The Ford versions have a cheap plastic-y feel. The VW versions are still plastic but feel a bit sturdier.
2) Cruise Control operation. Night and day difference, the stalk mounted controls used by VW can be operated by your index finger without moving the rest of your hand. The Mustang, not so much.
3) Scrolling through through those menus, I know you said you don't they're that bad, but if you can't admit that VW lays my out much more intuitively I'm going to need to see proof that you ever owned a Jetta. In fact, that goes for all 3 of these so far.
4)Seat Heaters. Just like the gear indicator, this is something I had no use for until I got used to having it. Based on your location I get that might not mean much to you, but it was 21 degrees here this morning and that will seem warm by next month. Both cars have them, both cars cycle through 3, 2, 1 and off by pushing a button and those buttons are even in the same location. The similarities end there, the seats in my Passat got warm, I rarely used the highest setting. I'm not sure the lowest setting is working in my Mustang, it doesn't seem to do anything. 2 and 3 seem like 1 and 2.
5) Speaking of seats, what's with the manual backrest adjustment? If you're doing power seats, do it right.
6) Voice Recognition. Anyone who thinks Sync 3 does a decent job, has clearly never used a decent voice recognition setup. "Call xxx xxx at home" usually involves picking a name from a list, if the name is even on the list, and if you're really lucky your contacts will include both EJ and DJ.
7) Clutch feel. I've owned a few cars in the last 40 years, a couple trucks too, almost all with 4, 5 or 6 speed manuals. I've driven even more that weren't mine. The Mustang clutch is near the bottom of the list. It's not that it's heavy, VW used cable actuated clutches in the 70s that were heavy too, but the Ford clutch doesn't provide much feedback. The Steeda spring helps, but it's still sub-par. I don't recall owning another car for which one could purchase an aftermarket clutch pedal spring.
8, 9 and 10) 1 through 7 are my big ones but there a dozen minor things to choose from. Take your pick, the cheap lump of plastic above the mirror with the map light and the even cheaper push buttons to turn them on. The sunglass drawer, in lieu of the normal sunglass holder in the cheap lump of plastic on the ceiling. The clunky glove box latch button. The tilt, but not telescopic steering column. The windows that go down with the remote but not up. The seat height that says family car, not sports car.
I could go on, but you've already forgotten that I said I like the car. I do like it, it's a lot of fun and it does what I need it to do. I could also make a list of things that Ford does better than other brands, but we'll leave that for another day. Mustangs and family sedans are of course, apples and oranges, but I've tried to fulfill your request foe a list fairly. Yes, the Mustang offers performance that my last couple cars can't come close to, but try fitting 3 adults in the back of a Mustang and getting 50 mpg. If you find a car with no room for improvement let me know.

 

[Zooks527]

The sunglass drawer, in lieu of the normal sunglass holder in the cheap lump of plastic on the ceiling.

You mean the roof mounted one that got so hot that it fractured the antiglare coating on a really expensive pair of prescription glasses?

The tilt, but not telescopic steering column.

Huh?

The windows that go down with the remote but not up.

Just like every one BMW makes.

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