HELP: 3-4 shift languishes forever, but quickens with heat

[TonyKarter]

Guys,
Help me figure this out please. I think I may have a mid 12.4, maybe even a high 12.3 in her, but I am simply nosing over at the end of the strip about 150-200 feet from the traps. It gets to the shift point and then it just won't shift. I'm basically done at the 1150-1200 foot point and just coasting pretty much the rest of the way. 1-2, 2-3 are crisp and right on. 3-4 sucks. It is always worse on the first run after a complete cool down. I cool it all the way down so it won't pull as much timing, but that means the trans is cool too. To see if it will do it again I hot lap it and once the trans is hot it shifts better, but still way too slow for a strip shift. SO if the trans is hot and will shift marginally quicker, then the motor is hot and is pulling time...so I loose what I gain. What is up with the trans? I have a Vector tune. I shouldn't have to surrender shift speed just because it is cool. Thanks!

[The Yeti]

I had a VMS tune before, and I had this same issue for two years, and countless tune revisions. VMS couldn't seem to correct it. It only happens on the first pass, but if you hot lap, and don't shut the car off between passes you will not have the issue. There is something the trans doesn't like about making a WOT pull through 1-4 gears right after a startup.

When I did my gear swap this trans behavior killed my times because it would hold that damn 3-4 shift waaaaaaayyyy before the traps effectively killing my gains.

I am running my new Patrick G tune (which is amazing and blows my other tune away) on wednesday. It should not have this issue.


Guys,
Help me figure this out please. I think I may have a mid 12.4, maybe even a high 12.3 in her, but I am simply nosing over at the end of the strip about 150-200 feet from the traps. It gets to the shift point and then it just won't shift. I'm basically done at the 1150-1200 foot point and just coasting pretty much the rest of the way. 1-2, 2-3 are crisp and right on. 3-4 sucks. It is always worse on the first run after a complete cool down. I cool it all the way down so it won't pull as much timing, but that means the trans is cool too. To see if it will do it again I hot lap it and once the trans is hot it shifts better, but still way too slow for a strip shift. SO if the trans is hot and will shift marginally quicker, then the motor is hot and is pulling time...so I loose what I gain. What is up with the trans? I have a Vector tune. I shouldn't have to surrender shift speed just because it is cool. Thanks!

[TonyKarter]

Yeti,
You are the man! That's what I needed to hear. He is only about a hour away. I was going to have Patrick tune it after the Procharger install, and most probably with the cam he spec'd too. I think I'll call him and see if he will tune it before the Procharger. I REALLY would like to see how much I could get out of it before the Procharger. No hurry to get it all modded...its a process, not a destination. Enjoy the journey...

[todds87ss]

Tony, the only "fix" I have heard of is to get to 4th during the burnout. Once 4th has been reached, the trans will not "hang" until you shut the car off- much like hot lapping. I have not tried this yet.

[MaxPower]

Tony, the only "fix" I have heard of is to get to 4th during the burnout. Once 4th has been reached, the trans will not "hang" until you shut the car off- much like hot lapping. I have not tried this yet.

Correct. It's a setting not availabe (as fas as I know!) and cannot be bypassed. A "safety" measure, if you will.

I found that our engines actually like 'heat' - not ambient, but motor temps. I had no issues hotlapping when running n/a or boosted and running the same ETs. If you can't get into 4th on the burnout, hotlapping or driving a tad fast in the pits (to get into 4th) is your only option.

[TonyKarter]

Ever still, getting it into 4th via hot lapping, it still shifts way too slow 3-4.

[TonyKarter]

Please help me understand: If I can get it into 4th somehow before I make a run it will shift better 3-4. Okay, but what if I shut it down in the staging lanes? Is all for naught? Does it have to stay started and running after getting it into fourth for the TCM to remember to shift quicker? Or can I shut it down to keep from building heat and pulling timing?

[wreckwriter]

In my opinion this is a tune issue. My car does not do this.

[edmanet]

In my opinion this is a tune issue. My car does not do this.

I agree. Neither does mine.

[thebeast]

It's. Tune issue. My buddy Dan has a red g8 and asked his tuner to fix it. Now his car goes to 4th every time. Mine does 4th as well

[TonyKarter]

Tom/Ed,
Thanks. That is all I need to know. Patrick is going to get a call and this will be resolved.

[wreckwriter]

I'm certain Patrick can fix it :)