ImpliedConsent

I have a 2016 A8 and I don't think I have what has been described as "shudder".

My problem: I live in Colorado and the hills that go with it. While in M mode downhill, I'd downshift to assist in braking. As it holds the gear for about 5seconds and then it appears to just let go (like it pops into a much higher gear, not neutral but close), causing downhill acceleration and more brake. It does this about 10seconds, then decides it wants to go back decelerating. This happens on big mountains and small downhills.

I did a search and couldn't find similar issues. Any suggestions? Ideas? Heard of it?

KnotZ06

ImpliedConsent

Really?! Is that by design? It seem to me that you should be able to hold the gear you're in. Dang...

The HACK

Torque converter lock-out. Or the lack of it. When it senses that the difference in load from the transmission side is greater than the load on the engine side, the TC will release the lock-out clutch and allow the transmission side to spin faster than the engine side and let the fluid and the turbines in the TC to ease the load, rather than let the engine take the brunt of the deceleration load.

Every auto I've ever driven does that.

axr6

My 2015 is doing it since brand new. I complained about that on this forum but, no-one else seemed to have the issue. I took it back to the dealer under warranty and, of course, got the "we could not reproduce it" answers. I live in a mountainous area with lots of elevation changes and this transmission behavior really plays games with my concentration when decelerating into slower corners. It feels like that initially the predictable engine braking is helping to slow the car but, suddenly it feels as if the car shifts into a higher gear on its own (even in Manual mode), practically eliminating engine braking, upsetting the braking effects into a corner. I never experienced that with any other automatic transmission. I suspect something is wrong with the torque converter or its settings. Since I had been unsuccessful in getting it fixed, I've just learned to live with it but, still get pissed off when the car is doing it.