Toronto S5

Hey all, a little background...

I first learned how to drive on a manual transmission. I had all the typical issues with manual - namely stalling - but mastered it by the end. Then I never really drove a manual again - it's been almost 15 years.

Fast forward to the present, and I have the S tronic. The problem is whenever I try to use the paddles, upshifting is no problem... but when I downshift as I slow down while approaching a traffic light, the RPMs really ramp up (as you might expect), but then it feels like the car is totally rejecting my downshift. I don't seem to recall downshifting being a real issue when I drove manual all those years ago. Same issue even at higher speeds when downshifting from 7th to 6th, 6th to 5th, etc.

It sucks because it's discouraged me from using the paddles thus far.

What am I missing? Any tips? Please feel free to dumb it down for me, I won't be offended. Thanks in advance.

MonzaA5

I don't quite understand what you mean by that. Can you elaborate on what exactly the car is doing why you try to downshift?

blitzboy76

I guess i don't really understand your dilemma, either. Are you just trying to slow down using your tranny, and not your brakes? I don't ever do that. I only really use the paddle shifters to downshift into that optimum torque band (3-4k+), for that fire-breathing acceleration that you just gotta have, sometimes. Usually, when I decide I gotta have it, the car is in "D", and I either slip it over into "M" (if I want to keep it there for longer than a few seconds), or I just leave it in D, but still downshift. If you do that, the car will resume it's leisurely "gas-sipping" gear, again, after a few seconds. You don't really have to downshift to slow it down. Just use your brakes, and even if it's in, "M", it'll downshift for ya. Also, I would assume that it will take car of the upshifts if you zone out, too, while in "M", though I have not yet had the ****** to prove this out!

Toronto S5

Say I'm in fourth gear and approaching a red light. I'll start braking and then hit the downshift paddle. The RPMs go up, as you might expect in a downshift, but then there's a bit of a hesitancy by the car (like I downshifted at the wrong time). Same thing happens down to second and first. It's not a complete disaster, but you can feel it.

Are you suggesting I don't bother downshifting at all because the car will just downshift on its own? What do you guys do?

MonzaA5

What you're feeling is engine braking and it's perfectly normal. My 8-speed Tiptronic does the same (you can feel it a bit even in D). On most automatic cars, you can just coast to a stop, but newer Audis seem to be programmed to downshift quite abruptly. Not sure why they are set up that way...maybe for fuel economy reasons, maybe to decrease wear and tear (less clutch slip), who knows. But it does make the car feel a bit less smooth. I didn't like it a first, but I got used to it.

By the way, you don't have to downshift manually even when you are in manual mode. The transmission will downshift automatically when you are slowing down to prevent the car from stalling.

blitzboy76

Yes, I would say that in that scenario, I wouldn't bother manually downshifting. The car will do it for you. In other words, it is not going to "choke down", like ye old manuals of yore.. IF, on the other hand, you have a clear lane, and the light is about to turn green, and you want to "blast it" through (not that you would ever want to do that, or anything... ), then you might want to downshift to keep the engine revs in that max torque range (again,right around 3-4k), such that when you gun it, it gives you a new hairdo!

I think, from what you are saying, that you MIGHT be trying to downshift to a gear that is still in the "red", as the engine slows. In this case, yes, it would be rejecting your shift command, so that you do not damage your engine/tranny.

Fithian

I have an A3 with the DSG. I have driven a manual since I was eight. I learned to drive a manual properly on the driver school tracks on the east coast. I drove an S4 (2001), 325i, 528i on the track, all manual. The main reason to manually downshift is to prepare for a turn so that you are smooth entering and exiting the turn. If you are downshifting to use the engine to brake the car in normal driving, don't do it. Brakes are cheap, clutches and transmissions are expensive. Friend of mine in a Porsche was going into a tight turn at VIR and downshifted from 4th to 3rd, or what he thought was 3rd, but in reality was 1st. That is known as the "money shift." Fortunately, you can't do that with DSG.

The A3 is nice, but I prefer a manual. I inherited it from my wife when I sold by 335i manual coupe and she got a 535i 2011 8-speed auto, which is also nice, but I prefer manual.

DanDanDans

Thanks for mentioning this. I noticed the same effect in my new A5, and I was concerned it was a defect.

ayap

It's possible that when you downshift, and goes to a higher RPM - maybe you are hitting the RPM delimiter.

Or this is the glitch that the RPM delimiter hits you even if you have not redlined to 7000. I have heard this problem from S4 people with DSG - you hit 5000 RPM and boom, the delimiter hits you pre-maturely and you are upshifted to lower RPM without you in control.

This does not happen in the Tiptronic 6-speed. When I downshift, I could stay at 6900-7000 RPM if I like to.

ChipB

+1. If you're copming to an intersection where you are coming to a complete stop (such as at a red light or stop sign) there is no reason to down shift. Just let the car coast in its initial gear and use your brakes. But if you're coming to a corner that you're going to accelerate out of in, say, 2nd gear - then use the brakes and down shift to 2nd before entering the turn so that yuo can beginn to apply power as you apex. There's virtually no reason to ever down shift to 1st.