A-6 Mishap
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 702
Likes: 82
From: Ronkonkoma NY
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
A-6 Mishap
Great day for a ride here on LI with the top down today.. It almost got runied because of the following mishap that was my fault. Long story short, I went to merge on a busy parkway at about 40 MPH and almost caused an accident.. I honestly thought that when the transmission downshifted I would have enough room to accelerate and safely merge. What had happened though was I was in drive and had previously downshifed with the paddles prior to the merge.. the hud indicated the transmission was in 5th gear.. Anyway out I came floored the car to hit passing gear( down shift) and nothing happened.. The car did accelarate, but not to quickly at all, no down shift at all..
Was the lack of a downshift when the car was floored because I had previously used the paddles and the transmission was holding in 5th gear? Should I have used the paddles to downshift further before the merge? My lesson learned here is I'll keep the frigging car in drive or buy a manual the next time around.
I really felt bad because I pissed someone off that came real close to hitting me in the rear end...I never expected the car to do this.. When my 05 A-4 was floored at 40mph the transmission downshifted and the car would really haul ***.
Was the lack of a downshift when the car was floored because I had previously used the paddles and the transmission was holding in 5th gear? Should I have used the paddles to downshift further before the merge? My lesson learned here is I'll keep the frigging car in drive or buy a manual the next time around.
I really felt bad because I pissed someone off that came real close to hitting me in the rear end...I never expected the car to do this.. When my 05 A-4 was floored at 40mph the transmission downshifted and the car would really haul ***.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 5,910
Likes: 49
From: CA
St. Jude Donor '17
In my 06 I have to be in D in order to be in full automatic which includes downshifting by merely pressing on the gas pedal. The HUD tells me which mode I'm in due to the gear indicator which doesn't exist in D. All you had for passing power in such a high gear was the torque from the motor. You could have hit the upshift button a couple times and found the gear you needed. If you use the paddles you have to think like they're similar to a stick and for the most acceleration you have to choose the right gear first.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,168
Likes: 242
From: Pittsburgh PA
When in paddle mode it will not downshift automatically unless you are coming to a stop in 3rd or higher. This is expected and normal behavior. You have to put it back into D to get back to auto mode.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
Once you use the paddles, it's not going to automatically downshift unless you're slowing down. If you want it to downshift so you can accelerate, you've got to be in automatic mode without the paddles.
Life Time NCM #2196
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 82,596
Likes: 1,712
From: Converse TX
Got to go back into D in our 09, it was changed in a different year and do not remember year and how it works different than our older years.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,025
Likes: 1,656
From: Toronto, Canada
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,367
Likes: 211
From: Edgewood Washington
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
In the newest cars you can use the paddles briefly while in D, but it will return to auto in about 10 seconds.
In any case, if you are using the paddles, you have to plan ahead, just like with a manual trans.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 24,129
Likes: 1,038
From: The Beautiful Pacific Northwest
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
The main error I've committed with the paddles is a couple of times when I was thinking to up-shift from 2nd to 3rd but not being familiar with it at the time downshifted back to 1st. Sounded like my engine was going to over-rev and fly apart...but all was well.
Took a little practice before I was completely familiar with the system and now I use the paddle shifter regularly to the point where now, it's a blast to down-shift, get those revs up, and fly. Those Corsa's make it sound real exciting too and add to the fun.
I'm still amazed how the Corvette can drive just like any other ordinary car, docile, quiet, good gas-mileage, etc., but when you push that pedal with some authority and use those shifters, it transforms itself into a real race-car.
Love it....
Last edited by ExRedRacer; May 12, 2013 at 06:57 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,576
Likes: 206
From: Mooresville North Carolina
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18
Simple user error.
The main error I've committed with the paddles is a couple of times when I was thinking to up-shift from 2nd to 3rd but not being familiar with it at the time downshifted back to 1st. Sounded like my engine was going to over-rev and fly apart...but all was well.
Took a little practice before I was completely familiar with the system and now I use the paddle shifter regularly to the point where now, it's a blast to down-shift, get those revs up, and fly. Those Corsa's make it sound real exciting too and add to the fun.
I'm still amazed how the Corvette can drive just like any other ordinary car, docile, quiet, good gas-mileage, etc., but when you push that pedal with some authority and use those shifters, it transforms itself into a real race-car.
Love it....
The main error I've committed with the paddles is a couple of times when I was thinking to up-shift from 2nd to 3rd but not being familiar with it at the time downshifted back to 1st. Sounded like my engine was going to over-rev and fly apart...but all was well.
Took a little practice before I was completely familiar with the system and now I use the paddle shifter regularly to the point where now, it's a blast to down-shift, get those revs up, and fly. Those Corsa's make it sound real exciting too and add to the fun.
I'm still amazed how the Corvette can drive just like any other ordinary car, docile, quiet, good gas-mileage, etc., but when you push that pedal with some authority and use those shifters, it transforms itself into a real race-car.
Love it....
Brain fart...pure and simple.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 702
Likes: 82
From: Ronkonkoma NY
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
the sad part is this could've been a real tragedy if that other car hadn't been able to account for a very slow car merging. which makes me wonder about all the "DCT" transmissions being asked for the C7---I wonder if they will do the same thing, and if so, what effect that will have on merges?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,168
Likes: 242
From: Pittsburgh PA
the sad part is this could've been a real tragedy if that other car hadn't been able to account for a very slow car merging. which makes me wonder about all the "DCT" transmissions being asked for the C7---I wonder if they will do the same thing, and if so, what effect that will have on merges?
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,548
Likes: 15
From: Paris TN
I've been using my paddle shifters more and more often in recent days. I love the decel sound of the exhaust when down shifting, but in drive, it's not as pronounced. The only problem I find is, when executing a 90 degree turn...the paddles seem always to be in the wrong place of the steering wheel radius to make a smooth shift unless you want to hold the lower gear to an unnaturally high rpm. Most of you will know what I'm talking about.
My car shifts strongly to lower gears in S mode but only if you haven't used the paddle shifters. Shift to D and back to S gets me ready for my next downshift. The experts tell me S mode, with quicker and firmer shifts, will prolong the life of your tranny over smoother, slippier shifts in D drive.
My car shifts strongly to lower gears in S mode but only if you haven't used the paddle shifters. Shift to D and back to S gets me ready for my next downshift. The experts tell me S mode, with quicker and firmer shifts, will prolong the life of your tranny over smoother, slippier shifts in D drive.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,394
Likes: 281
From: cumming ga
I hated all the c6 autos from 05 till 2012 when they reprogramed the trans to be quicker at down shifting. While driving wifes vetts not mine I would change lanes and be in the next lane before it ever kicked down almost ran over a few cars till I learned this.
z51vett
Doug
z51vett
Doug
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,168
Likes: 242
From: Pittsburgh PA
I've been using my paddle shifters more and more often in recent days. I love the decel sound of the exhaust when down shifting, but in drive, it's not as pronounced. The only problem I find is, when executing a 90 degree turn...the paddles seem always to be in the wrong place of the steering wheel radius to make a smooth shift unless you want to hold the lower gear to an unnaturally high rpm. Most of you will know what I'm talking about.
My car shifts strongly to lower gears in S mode but only if you haven't used the paddle shifters. Shift to D and back to S gets me ready for my next downshift. The experts tell me S mode, with quicker and firmer shifts, will prolong the life of your tranny over smoother, slippier shifts in D drive.
My car shifts strongly to lower gears in S mode but only if you haven't used the paddle shifters. Shift to D and back to S gets me ready for my next downshift. The experts tell me S mode, with quicker and firmer shifts, will prolong the life of your tranny over smoother, slippier shifts in D drive.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,892
Likes: 1,200
From: Ft. Myers FL
SK360:shouldn't be shifting in corners anyway.
I never do that. But my worst A6 event was I one time while running my car at Englishingtown. I used to do my burnout with the paddle shifters and keep it in first then shift it back to drive and back to S during my stage time. Well, I was running in a bracket and made sure to check that my dial in was correct and I forgot to shift it out of paddle mode into drive and back to S. I got a great light and then when it didn't shift I thought I blew the trans and almost soiled myself. I paniced and went to shift into drive and pushed the shifter too hard and into park.
Believe it or not I slowed down and thought I'll need to be towed. 
But I shifted out of park, into S and it drove off like nothing happened. Wow! That was 3 years and several thousand miles ago. 
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"