Paddle shifter useless?
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Tucson Arizona
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,352
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From: Ventura County, Calif
A trans tune, from Chuck at CoW, and maybe others, will definitely improve shift times, paddle responsiveness and eliminate TM, if that is what you want. The problem is the trans tune can't be done by mail. Chuck has to have the car which means you have to go to where he is. Contact Chuck.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Hurst, TX USA
How slow is "slow" I don't have an A6 but am thinking about moving up one of these days.
Are you talking seconds of delay or sub-seconds? Is it really slower shifting than "Removing foot from accelerator, pressing clutch, selecting next gear, releasing clutch, pressing accelerator" in a MN6? Or does it just seem slower because you are doing nothing with the A6 while waiting for the shift to complete?
Are you talking seconds of delay or sub-seconds? Is it really slower shifting than "Removing foot from accelerator, pressing clutch, selecting next gear, releasing clutch, pressing accelerator" in a MN6? Or does it just seem slower because you are doing nothing with the A6 while waiting for the shift to complete?
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Everett Wa
I am of the opinion that in most cases it only seems slow. With paddles you pull a lever or push a button and wait for it to happen. With the manual instead of waiting for something to happen you are making it happen. But if anyone would do a actual test I would bet that the time it take to shift is about the same with maybe the advantage going to the auto.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,199
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From: SF Bay Area CA
I am of the opinion that in most cases it only seems slow. With paddles you pull a lever or push a button and wait for it to happen. With the manual instead of waiting for something to happen you are making it happen. But if anyone would do a actual test I would bet that the time it take to shift is about the same with maybe the advantage going to the auto.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,732
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From: Napa Ca
I shift the paddles like I would do a manual - lift throttle, paddleshift, then back on the throttle. Mentally takes as much time to shift manually as it is to paddleshift. What I like is when I paddleshift without lifting the throttle - no worry as to missing the shift as with a manual 
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Verdad Gallardo
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Ventura County, Calif
I think the OP's beef is with the lag time, from the time you push the lever to the time the trans actually shifts. If you want to shift at 6000, then you need to train yourself to push the lever at 5600 or so.
But maybe I'm wrong and that isn't what he is complaining about.
But maybe I'm wrong and that isn't what he is complaining about.
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 11,792
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From: Ossining New York
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'12-'13-'14
Got a call last night.......
An interesting call came in last night from a guy in jersey with an 06 A6 car.
He's got a vararam, cat back, stat and my tune....on street tires.
Pulled off and 11.99 at the track! first time out.....
I think he was happy with that....
Chuck CoW
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,067
Likes: 1
From: --- N.E., Pa.
Hey guys....YES, the paddles are greatly improved with my tune....
An interesting call came in last night from a guy in jersey with an 06 A6 car.
He's got a vararam, cat back, stat and my tune....on street tires.
Pulled off and 11.99 at the track! first time out.....
I think he was happy with that....
Chuck CoW
An interesting call came in last night from a guy in jersey with an 06 A6 car.
He's got a vararam, cat back, stat and my tune....on street tires.
Pulled off and 11.99 at the track! first time out.....
I think he was happy with that....
Chuck CoW
Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,407
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From: Canton/Detroit Michigan
Assuming the paddle shifters were slow and you could not change it, they are still useful.
When driving around town you can leave the trans in third gear and have torque to spare. Throttle response from what I can tell is near instant and it pulls hard. So, even if you think rowing the gears in the A6 with paddles feels slow, you can at the very least hold the gear you like.
In any case, a tune can improve the shifting. Either professionally or yourself with the HP Tuners setup. I'm considering getting one.
When driving around town you can leave the trans in third gear and have torque to spare. Throttle response from what I can tell is near instant and it pulls hard. So, even if you think rowing the gears in the A6 with paddles feels slow, you can at the very least hold the gear you like.
In any case, a tune can improve the shifting. Either professionally or yourself with the HP Tuners setup. I'm considering getting one.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 11,141
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From: Retired from small University town in south/central part of Jersey & lives in South Carolina
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2007
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That's also what I was thinking. Maybe I'm not using them correctly. When I'm accelerating fairly hard and hit an up shift, the engine seems like it's going to red line before it shifts. Is there a basic technique I should be using, to shift correctly? I know it sounds like a lame question. But you never learn anything without asking questions.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 11,141
Likes: 93
From: Retired from small University town in south/central part of Jersey & lives in South Carolina
That's also what I was thinking. Maybe I'm not using them correctly. When I'm accelerating fairly hard and hit an up shift, the engine seems like it's going to red line before it shifts. Is there a basic technique I should be using, to shift correctly? I know it sounds like a lame question. But you never learn anything without asking questions.
My limited experience has focused on two things. First not lifting on the gas as you would with a clutch. That was hard to get used to but gave really quick shifts.
Second is shifting BEFORE I really wanted to shift to allow for a very slight lag.
Think back to learning how to use a clutch and the trial and error until you could do it without even thinking.
The paddles are new (and a lot of the old 'purist' hate 'em) but look at F1 and how EVERYONE now has gone there.
It's a great technology and getting better and better.
But, there is a learned skill in using them.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 526
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From: Ma.
I am of the opinion that in most cases it only seems slow. With paddles you pull a lever or push a button and wait for it to happen. With the manual instead of waiting for something to happen you are making it happen. But if anyone would do a actual test I would bet that the time it take to shift is about the same with maybe the advantage going to the auto.
