CREW ACCEPTS STORED FMS HOLDING PATTERN WHICH DEFAULTS FOR R TURNS; INSTEAD OF PROPERLY SELECTING L TURNS. ARTCC QUESTIONS BUT APPROVES.

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WE WERE ON ARR. I (FO) WAS THE PF. WE WERE FLYING AN MD80 FMS/EFIS ACFT. WE WERE GIVEN THE CLRNC TO 'HOLD AS PUBLISHED; 15 NM LEGS.' I PROGRAMMED THE FMS TO HOLD AND IT PROGRAMMED A R-HAND TURN HOLDING PATTERN. HOLD IS A L-HAND TURN OR NONSTANDARD. I THOUGHT THE FMS KNEW THE CORRECT DIRECTION FOR HOLDING PATTERNS. THIS IS INCORRECT WITH OUR PROGRAM. IT ALWAYS DOES A STANDARD HOLDING PATTERN UNLESS YOU TELL IT NONSTANDARD. WE HAD THE STAR OUT AND NEITHER OF US NOTICED THE ERROR. AFTER FINISHING AN OUTBOUND TURN; CTR ASKED IF WE WERE MAKING A L- OR R-HAND HOLDING PATTERN. WE SAID WE ACCIDENTALLY DID A R TURN AND ASKED IF WE SHOULD CHANGE OUR HDG TO GET BACK ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE ARR. HE SAID NO; AND THAT WE WERE OK AND HE WOULD CALL OUR TURN INBOUND. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON AN FMS AIRPLANE AND DON'T REMEMBER EVER BEING TOLD THE FMS DOESN'T KNOW THE CORRECT DIRECTION FOR HOLDING PATTERN TURNS. WE WERE TOO DEPENDENT ON TECHNOLOGY AND DIDN'T CHK THE STAR CLOSELY ENOUGH. IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FMS; THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.