I've never driven stick shift before, and intimidated by the tiptronic now because I don't know when to downshift and whatnot... I am wondering if I will screw up the transmission if I don't know how to drive a tiptronic properly--or is the automatic made w/ that in mind and the transmission is safe regardless of how I shift--just have to deal w/ that discomfortable jerk at times...

Thanks!

 

okay if almost fool proof, though you can do things that aren't really "good" for your car.

1st you have to shift before you hit the rev. limiter, if you don't this isn't really good for you car, but not too too bad either.

Downshifting is easier, in that at too high of rev, it won't let you down shift, however you can shift to break/slow down, but I never thought this was good for your car.

Just go out and play! The learning curve isn't that bad, and you'll love down shifting to blast past people.

Have fun!

"What if there is no tomorrow....There wasn't one today!!!" Bill Murray
'04 OB/GL Prem.Pkg./Sport.Pkg/Splash

 

Regarding the tiptronic... Should I just live with the fact that it clunks hard when it goes from 2nd to 1st gear, but 3rd to 1st is smooth (I can still feel a slight lurch as it shifts into 1st but no clunk)? This is when coming to a stop. Has anyone taken it to a dealer to have them fix it, or is this just a "feature"?

When in regulard "D" mode, no clunk, no lurch, nothing sensed when coming to a stop...

-T

 

The 2 to 1 clunk is a "feature," yeah. Best advice is to simply let it automatically shift you 2-1 when your revs get too low. Second best option is to give it a little squirt of gas until it shifts. It's when your foot is off the gas and you shift that it really clunks.

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe (for sale)

 

do you mean its making a sound? or feels funny? I don't notice any weird sounds when down shifting even at limits....

not sure about this one....

"What if there is no tomorrow....There wasn't one today!!!" Bill Murray
'04 OB/GL Prem.Pkg./Sport.Pkg/Splash

 

Unless you are shifting it down to 2nd for performance reasons, ie: downshifting for a turn or to pass someone, I say let the tranny make the 3-1 shift automatically. If you don't like that idea then pull the 2-1 downshift yourself before the tranny does it automatically, no clunk.

The tranny program is meant for that downshifting pattern from 3-2 to be more track/sport touring oriented, it thinks you are sport driving not coming to a stop.

I know this sounds lame, but I've grown accustomed to how it acts. I'm a one armed formula ford and datsun 240z racer, as much as I'm a manual tranny man the auto was a must for hassle free cruising. I'm looking into re-wiring the cruise control resume/accel-set/coast button to be the up and down shift signals for the manu-matic mode.

Peace.



JD
2003.5 Coupe, Blk/Blk

 

It downshifts for you automatically.. (say you pull up to a red light)...It will automatically drop down to 1st gear.

 

Okay I didn't explain it correctly. When in tiptronic mode, when it automatically shifts for you from 3 to 1, smooth as butter. Automatically shift from 2 to 1, clunk heaven. Should this be checked out?

-T

 

Yea I get that sometimes also. I dont think there's anythign wrong with it its jsut downshifting into first gears not so smooth point. Try pressing the gas slightly downshifting from 2nd to first, it work a lot better and doesnt jump or clunk. Martin


Martin
2003.5 BS G35
Nismo Aero/Sport Package
Injen CAI
B+G Springs
ADR M-Classic 19's..

 

I have a 2004.5 AT Coupe and one of the things I am most impressed with is the tranny. Manual mode is smooth through all gears... even the engine jump (increase in RPM's) when manually downshifting is pretty smooth.

If there is a notable clunk I would take it in for service.

2004 G35c 5AT/Prem Pkg/18" Tire Opt/Aero Kit/Clear Sides/Pedal Kit/Tint/Z-Tube/K&N Drop-in

 

One time I was driving around 20 mph ( around 1.5K RPM) back home on the neighborhood drive and shifted from 3rd to 2nd gear. I got a big clunk/shudder from the automatic transmission that scared me quite a bit. Everything seem normal after that but I never tried downshifting at low RPM ever again.

<font color=purple>2004 G35 Coupe Diamond Graphite/Graphite 5AT</font color=purple>
Premium, Nav., 18" Wheels, Z-Xtreme Hyper Grounding Cables,
K&N filter, Clear Corners, 350Z Aluminum Pedals,
Sony Ericsson HCB-30

 

Ok let me ask 5AT owners with some spare time to test this for me. It's simple, really.... Test this in some empty area so no one gets hurt, with your windows rolled down. This is what I'm asking about. During these tests DO NOT downshift manually. Let the car automatically downshift for you when you come to a stop.

At a complete stop, slide the car into tiptronic mode (1) and start driving. Shift up to 2nd gear (2) and drive for about 5 seconds... Then come to a gradual complete stop, like as if you were going to stop at a red light, or a stop sign. As you stop and the car automatically downshifts back to (1) for you, do you feel/notice a thud/clunk sound, like a harsh shift?

Now do the same thing, except go from (1) to (2) to (3) 3rd gear. Drive in 3rd for a few seconds, then come back to a complete stop. As the car stops it should automatically shift back to (1) for you (skipping 2nd). Do you feel/hear anything out of the ordinary?

I never downshift 3rd or lower. I always let the car do it automatically. But when I'm in 2nd, and it automatically drops to 1st when I come to a stop, there's a nice thunk and abrupt kick in my seat. When I'm in 3rd or above (above it will auto shift down to 3rd at some point) it'll auto shift me to 1 as I come to a complete stop, but I can barely feel the shift at all. I don't hear any thud or clunk, I can baaaaarely feel a "shift" as it goes from 3rd to 1 but this feels like a normal "shift" like when the car is shifting in [D] mode.

-T

 

tmoney, I experience the same thing. It happensmore noticeable when I come to a quick stop. FWhen I gradually stop I don't feel the thunk as much.

2003.5 G35C 5AT
Premium Package
Tire/Wheel Package
K&N Filter, Z-Tube, EGK

 

I am sure you know that the G does not have Tiptronic(R). Tiptronic(R) is a registered trademark of Audi as you can see from their website.

http://www.audicanada.ca/search_resu...ic%26%23174%3B

 

Hey buddy, I posted on this a while back too. This is a pretty popular complaint. When I brought my car in to the dealer, he prompty asked "why are you manually downshifting shifting when coming to a stop?"

His solution was simply to leave it in 3rd. I found that on my car, if I pull the 2 --> 1 shift right before coming to a stop (with RPM higher than idle) it will be smooth. It takes a lot of brain effort with less control than a manual 6spd so my solution was to train myself out of my urges to shift manually when others are in the car. I found passengers find it annoying when I try to use the manual mode in my auto when coming to a stop. Now I just pop it into D when slowing down for a stop and leave it in manual mode for everything else (especially those quick redline bursts).

Also, you may notice similar behavior when getting stuck between gears. Take for example this common scenario for me every day. Going down a 45 mph road, the light in front of me is red. I slow and downshift into 1st just before coming to a stop. Just at that moment the light turns green and I'm stuk wanting to be in 2nd again. The delays for the throttle matching to occur are atrocious and I'm left with a whiplash effect. It is a pain especially with passengers. Moral of my long winded stories: I found it best to use manual mode only for hard driving and fun- not liesurely cruising.

Danation.com - G35C CB & GRAPHITE / NAV / PREM / AT