I'm pretty sure the D is for extended and daily driving.
A4 Performance/Longevity
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From: 972 and 405
A4 Performance/Longevity
After reading another thread, I was not able to find out the exact answer to my question. What is the best way to "drive" an A4 transmission for best longevity. Some drive it in the city on "3" and others keep it in OD. I know in general, for performance cars, autos do not last as long as the manual counterparts. I currently keep mine in OD at all driving times. Is this best practice or should I be doing something else?
-Alex
-Alex
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The enemy of automatic transmission life is always heat.
If you notice the car shifting from 3rd to 4th frequently, for example hilly terrain or city driving, then it's not a bad idea to shift it out of overdrive. It's never been a problem for me, really, so I just leave it in "D". Needless shifting builds up heat, which reduces the life of the transmission.
In addition, you want those shifts to be as hard and quick as possible, again, less chance for heat to build up. Automatics are set up for lazy shifting from the factory for sheer comfort. That's why shift kits have been known to increase the life of a transmission.
There are no shift kits for our cars, nor is it necessary, since everything is done electronically. I purchased a Diablo Predator for this purpose. My shifts are now short and crisp. It's good for performance and it's good for transmission life.
If you notice the car shifting from 3rd to 4th frequently, for example hilly terrain or city driving, then it's not a bad idea to shift it out of overdrive. It's never been a problem for me, really, so I just leave it in "D". Needless shifting builds up heat, which reduces the life of the transmission.
In addition, you want those shifts to be as hard and quick as possible, again, less chance for heat to build up. Automatics are set up for lazy shifting from the factory for sheer comfort. That's why shift kits have been known to increase the life of a transmission.
There are no shift kits for our cars, nor is it necessary, since everything is done electronically. I purchased a Diablo Predator for this purpose. My shifts are now short and crisp. It's good for performance and it's good for transmission life.
Last edited by 71vetteinva; Dec 4, 2008 at 08:10 PM.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 11,467
Likes: 8
From: 972 and 405
The enemy of automatic transmission life is always heat.
If you notice the car shifting from 3rd to 4th frequently, for example hilly terrain or city driving, then it's not a bad idea to shift it out of overdrive. It's never been a problem for me, really, so I just leave it in "D". Shifting needless builds up heat, which reduces the life of the transmission. The decision to leave it in OD is really situation dependent.
In addition, you want those shifts to be as hard and quick as possible, again, less chance for heat to build up. Automatics are set up for lazy shifting from the factory for sheer comfort. That's why shift kits have been known to increase the life of a transmission.
There are no shift kits for our cars, nor is it necessary, since everything is done electronically. I purchased a Diablo Predator for this purpose. My shifts are now short and crisp. It's good for performance and it's good for transmission life.
If you notice the car shifting from 3rd to 4th frequently, for example hilly terrain or city driving, then it's not a bad idea to shift it out of overdrive. It's never been a problem for me, really, so I just leave it in "D". Shifting needless builds up heat, which reduces the life of the transmission. The decision to leave it in OD is really situation dependent.
In addition, you want those shifts to be as hard and quick as possible, again, less chance for heat to build up. Automatics are set up for lazy shifting from the factory for sheer comfort. That's why shift kits have been known to increase the life of a transmission.
There are no shift kits for our cars, nor is it necessary, since everything is done electronically. I purchased a Diablo Predator for this purpose. My shifts are now short and crisp. It's good for performance and it's good for transmission life.
-Alex
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,623
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From: Sparks, Nevada
As mentioned, find out what works for you, in the area you drive. What speed are you driving, at what rpm? What is your rear gear ratio and do you find it down shifting or lugging?
If you have 3:15 or better, you can probably get around fine in overdrive. I have 3:15's and prefer 3rd for my style of driving.
Drive it around in D for a few days, watching how often you reach 4th/overdrive. If your not in 4th much, then it really shouldn't matter, as your not building heat by shifting more often, are you.
Edit: I just saw your note about the under 1K driving. I don't like that at all. To me, that is lugging it. I prefer it a little higher than that.
If you have 3:15 or better, you can probably get around fine in overdrive. I have 3:15's and prefer 3rd for my style of driving.
Drive it around in D for a few days, watching how often you reach 4th/overdrive. If your not in 4th much, then it really shouldn't matter, as your not building heat by shifting more often, are you.
Edit: I just saw your note about the under 1K driving. I don't like that at all. To me, that is lugging it. I prefer it a little higher than that.
Last edited by Mr. Jean; Dec 4, 2008 at 08:27 PM.
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That's a lot of good information there. During my normal driving I keep my DIC on to monitor the transmission temp, which has never been an issue. And if it ever does rise above 200F then it normally levels back out to a comfortable temp. The manual says 260F is the "no no" area. Also since shifting causes heat, what about running the transmission in a high pace relative to engine speed? Does that not affect it also, in regards to building heat? For example if I cruise around in "3" in the city that will be ~1.2 to 1.5k rpms, as opposed to cruising around at less than 1k rpms.
-Alex
-Alex
Everything is situation dependent. For example, I would think the engine would be under less strain when climbing a mountain in a lower gear, even if RPM is higher.
You may want to look into a tuner to firm up your shifts. That's been proven to help reliability. You don't want all of those clutches in your automatic to slowly "slip" into gear. It builds up heat and increases wear and tear on the components.
Last edited by 71vetteinva; Dec 4, 2008 at 08:33 PM.
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From: Guelph, Ontario
I wouldn't imagine that the life of the trans would be affected too much based on your choice of keeping it 3rd in the city or in drive. As mentioned, the big factor in an auto tranny's life is keeping the heat down. I've also heard that specifically with the 4L60E you can prolong it's life quite a lot if you limit the amount of time your engine spends above 6000rpm. Apparently the more often you go beyond 6000, the more stress it puts on the 4L60E.
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