billeee

I've noticed a hesitation of about 0.5 - 1 second when the transmission shifts from first to second gear on my eight speed auto. It only happens on the first shift after an over night cool down. By the time I travel a couple of minutes it's back to normal. I live in Florida so temps are 65 - 80 deg.

Anyone else notice this on their car?

drewauby5

I notice this as well and am up in Savannah, GA...thought I was crazy until it has done it the last couple of times that I have started it???

Sallye M

Here is some info on the A8 adaptive transmission I read today:

"Some customers may comment on low mileage vehicles with automatic transmission that shift feel to be too firm (harsh) or may slip or flare. Customers should be advised that the transmission makes use of an adaptive function that will help to refine the shift feel while driving and improve shift quality.

Check out the attached Service Bulletin # 14-07-30-001A for A8's. It has instructions on "How to Adapt your Transmission".

service bulletin 14-07-30-001A Oct 2014.pdf

Good luck.

JerriVette

Trans adaptive means it's learning on low mileage A8 s....

Pressure control variation changes as miles pile by the TCM...

Adaptive learning as described is normal....in the beginning.

May take linger for steady state highway driving as well as if your doing all city driving.


There are selective ways to speed up

Service bulliten number

14-07-30-001 at local dealership to encourage a little faster

tambeng

Thank you for sharing the information.

So what happen if you are most of the time just do a city driving?

Does that mean, you have to go through the service bulletin and go through each scenario of adaptive learning for your transmission?

If you don't, will it impact the life of the auto transmission?

Thank you

thrilled

That sounds normal for an automatic transmission.I wouldn't own one.But that's just me.

Mike Mercury

I remember reading that with a cold engine, different A8 shift parameters are loaded in. If you look at the tach, the yellow is at a much lower RPM at first - just after a cold start.

I'm wondering if that's what you are noticing; and after the system warms up (and the tach display goes back to normal) is the same time the "warm" (normal) A8 parameters are now being used?

tail_lights

I was wondering if it was something like this as well. Maybe since the fluid is still cold it doesn't shift as fast as usual, although I find it interesting that it is only on the 1-2 shift.

Jay_Davis

Just as an FYI: After about 1800 miles my A8 started with very jarring 1-2 shifts. I ran the learn procedure for both clutches involved as per the bulletin and to seems to have fixed it.

I've got to tell you finding a time and place where you can do things like 25-65-25mph 10 times is a real pain in the neck. I have no idea how a mechanic at the dealer would be able to do it in traffic during the day, certainly not around here.

WelderGuy

So, who's going to let the dealer service guys drive their car fifty miles to get the transmission to shift correctly? Trying to follow those instructions on a public highway with traffic is begging for some bad to happen.

With the manufacturing tolerances available to car makers nowadays, surely this can't be necessary for more than a tiny fraction of the vehicles equipped with these transmission.

AORoads

From reading the TSB, it is obvious that the transmissions have gotten very high-level!!! A form or variation of "adaptive learning" for auto trans has been around also for at least the past five or more years. I know it was in a '98 foreign make I had. In older auto trans, it has to do with how one usually drives the car (such as with few WOT starts) with the trans "logic" learning to shift at lower rpms. It's gotten much "smarter" with today's trans and controls.

I don't know about the A8 but just about every auto trans I've had has a "start up" and/or cold weather mode. One of the aspects (but not the only one) is no overdrive until trans fluid is warmed up. Seems to me that even tho I think 65 degrees is warm outside, the trans fluid isn't warmed up to operating temps, nor is the engine oil or cooling system.

I also wonder where any technician is going to find all those wide open roads in major urban areas to do the proper procedure of 5 miles here and there at a constant X rpms. Should be interesting!

767guy

My A8 is exactly the same as what you described ( In Florida for the winter). I am at 3000 miles now and I am going to put more milage on the car to see if it improves at all before going through the lengthy SB proceedure.

Ernest_T

Our 2014 Jeep Cherokee has a 9 speed automatic and also has that adaptive feature. It will learn the drivers driving habits and adjust accordingly. I wonder how they adapt when two drivers frequently drive the same car?

billeee

Update:

Now have 1900 miles on the car and the 1-2 shift hesitation seems to happen less often (about 1/3 of the time during the first shift of the day).

So by the time I'm ready to trade it in it should be o.k. If this is a "self learning transmission" I'm beginning to think that mine is a special needs student.

VINDIC8R

My current DD is a 2010 Nissan Pathfinder. Its adaptive system is very focused. That is, if I come off a ramp from highway driving and get stopped at a traffic light, when I proceed on the green, the Pathfinder just takes off with a touch on the go pedal. If I drive for while on city streets, the same pressure on the pedal yields a far less robust response.

Ain't technology grand?

bapd77

Has anyone else noticed when in sport or track mode and slowing down to come to a stop at an intersection for instance, the car revs high as it downshifts? What is this....

silversmoke1957

Called rev matching. Makes the downshifts to first or second somewhat less abrupt.

silversmoke1957

If this really bothers the OP, I suggest trying Tour Mode rather than Sport or Track modes. I find Tour Mode shifting to be much smoother shifting including the first shift of the day.

BoltsFan

I was having a similar experience. The shift from 1st to 2nd was very rough, regardless of the temperature of the engine or the driving mode. I read the TSB posted in this thread (#14-07-30-001). I had also read another bulletin about the early VIN vehicles released to dealers. I took these bulletins into my dealer. They "cleared" the learning transmission and reprogrammed it according to the TSB. Now, it shifts as smooth from 1 to 2 as it does for the rest of the gears. My only regret is that I waited this long to address it. The car drives much better now.

bapd77

I've noticed recently after getting on it a bit afterwards it will not want to shift to the next gear at all sometimes 3-4 or 4-5 and the rpms go fairly high and it still won't shift until I come to a stop and almost "reset" the transmission. Is this normal?