Gears & Axles - manual shifting an automatic

for all the automatic owners out there, i know youve tried this... putting the car in gear 1 flooring it, popping it up and up until u hit the overdrive off drive or just the driove. now my question is... does this mess up the tranny???

Most of us don't manual shift because the computer is smarter than us. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by BigBlackZ28:
<strong>for all the automatic owners out there, i know youve tried this... putting the car in gear 1 flooring it, popping it up and up until u hit the overdrive off drive or just the driove. now my question is... does this mess up the tranny???</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I wouldnt manually shift because are computers are gay and wont shift when you do.At least not with 3.73s

I've tried this also...everybody says that the car will run faster if you let it shift itself. i havent been able to get mine to do that. maybe i havent found the right shift points but i run faster when i manually shift it. so far i've had a best of 12.93@109 w/3.73s. and DR's.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by jason99ws6:
<strong>I've tried this also...everybody says that the car will run faster if you let it shift itself. i havent been able to get mine to do that. maybe i havent found the right shift points but i run faster when i manually shift it. so far i've had a best of 12.93@109 w/3.73s. and DR's.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You are the first bro. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

I've tried both at the track. From my experience, manual shifting is always better than leaving your car in drive. It is probally a 2 tenth differece between the two. Besides it will not make the transmission go out quicker. Ever since I've raced cars I have always manually shift them.

I've tried both also. your right, its usaully at least a .2-.3 (sometimes .4) difference. I say just do whatever works best for your setup. either way. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="gr_images/icons/cool.gif" />

If you can manually shift an A4 better than when leaving it in D/OD, then your shift points probably aren't set properly. I know guys who had cars shifting at 5600 from the factory. Once they fixed that they could not outshift the computer.

The only other thing that might be a plus for manual shifting is if torque management doesn't kick in on a manual shift. I've never measured it so this just an idea being tossed out for discussion.

To the best of my knowledge, all the guys at the top of the 1/4 mile list with A4s (4L60Es) allow the computer to shift.

I always let the computer shift at WOT and almost any other time except somtimes around the neighborhood every now and then I will stop, put it in first, get some rpms, then shift to second and let off the gas at the same time, if you wait long enough, when you step back on it you will be in second and it sounds just like a manual. Also, if I want to step on it good and hear the higher rpms but not floor it, I will manually shift it and use the same technique above so I can sound like a manual. This only works on the 1-2 shift, any place else I leave it in D, 3 is cool but it seems to run better at WOT in D.
Chris

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Ragtop 99:
<strong>If you can manually shift an A4 better than when leaving it in D/OD, then your shift points probably aren't set properly. I know guys who had cars shifting at 5600 from the factory. Once they fixed that they could not outshift the computer.

The only other thing that might be a plus for manual shifting is if torque management doesn't kick in on a manual shift. I've never measured it so this just an idea being tossed out for discussion.

To the best of my knowledge, all the guys at the top of the 1/4 mile list with A4s (4L60Es) allow the computer to shift.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well put. I have manually shifted here and there to see if I needed to raise my shift points. But my rev limiter on my car is at 7200 rpms.

In general one should not manually shift, unless you are trouble shooting low shift points. If you early shift it won't do a damn thing at WOT, it will just shift at the programmed points. But if you manually shift AFTER the programmed shift points, you can wind it out past the programmed shift points. Problem is that it's hit or miss, the lag from manually shifting is terrible.

My car always has better ET's by letting the computer shift rather than trying to do it myself.

Ok, if the computer will do it better does anybody have any shift points (prefer hpp3) for us to start with? i know it takes time to get it just right but like where i race in GA, on a good TNT night you might get 5 runs all night. if someone can give us a place to start that might help us out. any suggestions?

Jason:

When I had headers & full bolt-ons, I tried for 6200 rpm with a 6400 rev limiter. Unfortunately, the required HPP3 settings can vary from to car to achieve this. I'd start at +1 (1-2), +2 (2-3), +4 (3-4).

If you have ATAP, log your runs recording only rpm or rpm & speed. this will give you a better idea of where you are shifting. Do not record other parameters or the time lag will ruin the data.

Ragtop 99,
thanks for the start. i'll try that and see what it does. i wouldnt mind messing with them if i had the time/runs to do it. at least this will give me (and anybody else a start)