farmerjones

Yes the car has launch control. It's right in the owner's manual. The computer matches the engine torque and clutch engagement perfectly for the fastest acceleration from a stop...the exact same way other dual clutch sports cars leverage launch control. The S4 does NOT have launch control because it uses an 8 speed automatic and not the dual clutch transmission paired with many other Audi (or Porsche or Lambos)

The car will only rev to a certain RPM while in Park and then will go no higher...this is simply a safety feature built into the car (and basically all modern cars function this way while in park). This has nothing to do with launch control.

It amazes me how many people are unaware of basic features of their car.....read the owner's manual!!!! LOL

guy_incognito

Eh, the launch control thing I get. It's more of a gimmick than anything and something not really touted by the manufacturer. With some practice, you can launch it yourself just as good, if not better, than the computer.

That said...yeah I'm surprised that the guy you replied to thought the feature all modern cars have to prevent over-revving while in park was some special thing and was unaware that that feature is completely independent and separate from launch control.

It also seems others have no idea what launch control even means. Just goes to show that most A4 folks aren't out there ripping it once the stop light turns green.

Media Bandit

Yes the car has launch control. Here's a Youtube video on it being done.

farmerjones

I think there is a big difference between useful and gimmick. What exactly is a gimmick about launch control? And you are completely wrong about being able to manually launch the car faster than the computer with launch control. Perhaps there are some cars where this is true, but not with Audi's dual clutch transmissions. You can not brake-torque the car in a manner that will result in faster launch times. You can not modulate clutch plate pressure and engagement rate manually, hence you can not launch the car faster than the launch control program can.....period.

This has been proven many times. It's one of the reasons Audi's LC program in the 6/7 speed dual clutch transmission is anything but a gimmick. Why do you think TT RS and RS3 cars are so fast? One answer...launch control. Maybe you don't find is something usefully, but I use it all the time on timed track day events. No it's not for everyone, but it's a fantastic feature.

guy_incognito

It's a gimmick, just hold the brake yourself, bring the revs up to around 3500 - 4000 RPMs (well I haven't launched my A4 yet since I just got it so I don't know the ideal sweet spot yet but I did it a few times in my F30 335i, which also came with launch control which I only used maybe once) and launch the car yourself.

Sure it's useful if you track the car and don't want to launch the car yourself I guess....which tracking an A4 seems weird to me but most people wouldn't track an A4, not really a track capable car in stock form.

And no, a TT RS and RS3 aren't fast because of launch control. It's not some magic wizardry that people are incapable of doing by themselves, you're just electing software do it for you instead of launching the car yourself.

EDIT: I forget the word "gimmick" has a negative connotation, by gimmick I mean if the car didn't have the feature, you could just as easily launch the car hard and effectively yourself and after some time and practice. I don't think the feature is stupid or anything, just prefer to launch the car myself in the rare instances that a hard launch would be required or wanted.

up-n-coming

Why is it a gimmick? Do you think it's better to strain the tranny holding it back with the brakes? You're stressing both the brakes and transmission the way you do it. If one actually feels the need to race from a stop light, using LC is the better choice.
LC disengages the trans till you release the brakes. That said, LC is pretty useless on a luxury sedan. If you race your A4 from stop lights you bought the wrong car. I've used launch control twice. Once before I was APR tuned and once after. The car launched a lot harder after the tune so I was able to confirm that I got what I paid for.

LC brings the revs up to 2800 rpm's. That's where the max torque begins.

guy_incognito

Does it really disengage the trans? I wasn't aware of that. In that case, my point still holds true for the most part, LC is probably used so infrequently as to be a negligible strain on any mechanical components. That said though, knowing it disengages the trans changes my opinion on it, perhaps its more useful (in what limited use it actually gets) than I gave it credit for.

farmerjones

You might want to become more familiar with the technical aspects of your car before you post "as fact" features, because you are not understanding how LC works.

Your BWM had an automatic transmission with a torque converter...in which you could brake-torque for a launch...how this works compared to BMW's LC I have no clue.

However, you can NOT do this your your A4....primarily because the transmission don't even function in a similar way! And secondly, your A4 can only be brake-torqued to approx 1500 rpm and then thats it.....so you can't launch it the way your BMW allowed, it's not technically possible (this has to do with the accelerator and brake being applied simultaneously, in which safety overrides come into play).

Your A4's dual clutch design doesn't function in ANY similar way as an automatic transmission with LC (like your BMW)....the computer optimizes (based on a number of parameters) what the ideal launch RPM is, and the dual clutches engage more aggressively with LC than in the normal "D" mode, again altering pressure and engagement parameters of multiple clutch packs. EVERY use of LC has slight variations each time (base on current parameter fluctuations, such as clutch pack temperature). You can not alter these transmission functions on your own...so yeah....the computer is better than you 100% on a full-out 0-60 sprint.

So again, this is not a gimmick. You may not find is a useful feature, but you can not perform a similar launch "manually", regardless of your skill or technique. It simply is not physically possible. Does LC strain the drivetrain? Yes, it can. Repeated use of LC back to back can lead to the feature becoming unavailable until the parameters (like clutch pack temperature for example) are within tolerances. I've seen an S3 do back to back LC and actually slip the Haldex AWD clutch packs and/or transmission clutch packs to the point of a strong burning odor and the deactivation of the system. This is not some wimpy, gimmicky system...this is utilizing the same functionality as a 600+ HP R8. It's rare to include such a feature on a car like the A4, but it's simply software and is. Thats a cool deal for those of us that utilize it from time to time.

guy_incognito

Yup I stand corrected, thanks for pointing it out. I've only had the car for a couple of days, but learned something new. Never said it was a wimpy system though.

As for how BMW's LC works compared to just brake-torquing, there's no difference hence my jaded view (no idea how it works on cars like the M3, M4, and M2 as those typically come in a dual clutch as well).

With that said, as this is the internet, I will continue to act as a know it all despite learning all of the facts.

NYSNAUDI

I've done everything possible and add instructed in both this forum and the videos. No matter what, I cannot get my car to enter launch mode...