Struggling with PDK
Discussion
Is it acceptable to spend most of your time instructing the car to change gear when the car has an automatic gearbox? I don’t know if it’s just me but I am really struggling.
The two scenarios where PDK is efficient; stop start traffic, the race track.
The problem I am having is the in-between driving, where you want to make good progress. The reality is the car is always in the wrong gear and I’m having to exert myself constantly to drive in a manner you would expect of a careful and competent driver.
This is easy in a manual car as you can make use of revs, torque, anticipation and block shifting to make good consistent progress with minimal effort, minimal fuel consumption and maximum enjoyment.
Unlike PDK which if left to its own devices changes up when feathering the throttle, cornering, or even mid-overtake. This is in addition to the fact that PDK does not have a pair of eyes nor does it know your intentions, so if left to its own devices it will get caught out when you meet a hazard.
This is my first automatic so I am still open to enlightenment but I’m guessing my options are; suck it up or attempt to buy a manual (rare as they are)?
The two scenarios where PDK is efficient; stop start traffic, the race track.
The problem I am having is the in-between driving, where you want to make good progress. The reality is the car is always in the wrong gear and I’m having to exert myself constantly to drive in a manner you would expect of a careful and competent driver.
This is easy in a manual car as you can make use of revs, torque, anticipation and block shifting to make good consistent progress with minimal effort, minimal fuel consumption and maximum enjoyment.
Unlike PDK which if left to its own devices changes up when feathering the throttle, cornering, or even mid-overtake. This is in addition to the fact that PDK does not have a pair of eyes nor does it know your intentions, so if left to its own devices it will get caught out when you meet a hazard.
This is my first automatic so I am still open to enlightenment but I’m guessing my options are; suck it up or attempt to buy a manual (rare as they are)?
Paddles, buttons, PDK gear selector; whichever input you use you are still doing the cars job are you not? In which case why not buy a manual and save yourself a lot of time and effort?
Still using the paddles without switching over to manual mode only works for a few seconds before the car decides you didn't want that gear after all.
E.g. Drop a gear in preparation to overtake, mirror, signal, maneuver, oh wait I'm now in the wrong gear!
Sometimes when I do switch over to manual mode I end up sitting on the rev limiter because I'm use to the gearbox normally doing its own thing and shifting up.
You can call it user error if you like, but my question is does anyone else have this problem and if so what did you do to resolve it?
Still using the paddles without switching over to manual mode only works for a few seconds before the car decides you didn't want that gear after all.
E.g. Drop a gear in preparation to overtake, mirror, signal, maneuver, oh wait I'm now in the wrong gear!
Sometimes when I do switch over to manual mode I end up sitting on the rev limiter because I'm use to the gearbox normally doing its own thing and shifting up.
You can call it user error if you like, but my question is does anyone else have this problem and if so what did you do to resolve it?
Probably, but it was hard to find a nice manual example and I've never owned an automatic so I can put this down to experience.
I'll persevere but in the mean time any advice would be appreciated, failing that I'll swap it for a 997.
Edited to add, the car is a 981S with sports chrono, £63k new so lots of nice options and a great colour.
I'll persevere but in the mean time any advice would be appreciated, failing that I'll swap it for a 997.
Edited to add, the car is a 981S with sports chrono, £63k new so lots of nice options and a great colour.
Yes I have exactly the same thoughts. My 991 GT3 was awesome on track and great in town but I just couldn't gel with it on open road driving for exactly the reasons you said . Pull out to overtake a car in 5th with light throttle and the thing would change to 2nd . ( then the missus would give me a mouthful for driving like a t...t ) I'd override with paddles but then as you say I would kick back into auto , then if I moved the lever across I'd forget and bounce off the limiter . So I sold it after 2 months .....
On track though it was awesome .
On track though it was awesome .
User error 
Having got used to using the paddles 100% of the time on an SMG BMW, I always use the paddles on the PDK (paddle shift wheel is a must if you have the wheel with buttons). It's not a big chore and becomes second nature once you get used to it. And you said it yourself - the gearbox doesn't have eyes and doesn't know what your intentions are.
However I do think that the default setting is far too conservative, especially when you're on a 40mph road and it changes up to 7th
Having got used to using the paddles 100% of the time on an SMG BMW, I always use the paddles on the PDK (paddle shift wheel is a must if you have the wheel with buttons). It's not a big chore and becomes second nature once you get used to it. And you said it yourself - the gearbox doesn't have eyes and doesn't know what your intentions are.
However I do think that the default setting is far too conservative, especially when you're on a 40mph road and it changes up to 7th
I spend some time in manual, some time just prodding the buttons for a brief override and occasionally use sport mode or force it down gears using the throttle. There are plenty of options.
The 981 is worse than the 997 in the sense that it seems more keen to change up and the manual override lasts for less time.
The 981 is worse than the 997 in the sense that it seems more keen to change up and the manual override lasts for less time.
Gerber1 said:
Paddles, buttons, PDK gear selector; whichever input you use you are still doing the cars job are you not? In which case why not buy a manual and save yourself a lot of time and effort?
Still using the paddles without switching over to manual mode only works for a few seconds before the car decides you didn't want that gear after all.
That's not true, if you move the gear selector to manual it will remain in manual - it will only downshift automatically to prevent a stall.Still using the paddles without switching over to manual mode only works for a few seconds before the car decides you didn't want that gear after all.
I love manual cars, but i would only have an auto as a daily driver. The latest generation PDK finally has proper blips on downshifts, which i find entertaining in tandem with the sports exhaust.
It feels instinctive for me to override PDK, and i enjoy it. You seem to find it a burden - fair enough. Get a different car.
Gerber1 said:
The problem I am having is the in-between driving, where you want to make good progress. The reality is the car is always in the wrong gear and I’m having to exert myself constantly to drive in a manner you would expect of a careful and competent driver.
Like another poster mentioned I only tend to use auto mode on the motorway and in crawling traffic. Much preferring to be in paddle only mode for most of my driving. However, as you would like to use it in auto mode, here's a tip that might help when you want to make progress without getting the full kick down.....which I totally agree can be quite unpredictable and make you look like a wally! When you want to start an overtake, instead of putting your foot to the floor and leaving it there, just stab the throttle half way (an on and off movement) to make it drop a gear and then accelerate smoothly. Stab it a bit further (again on and off) and it will drop two gears. This same function was available in the previous tiptronic auto box.Gerber1 said:
Paddles, buttons, PDK gear selector; whichever input you use you are still doing the cars job are you not? In which case why not buy a manual and save yourself a lot of time and effort?
Still using the paddles without switching over to manual mode only works for a few seconds before the car decides you didn't want that gear after all.
E.g. Drop a gear in preparation to overtake, mirror, signal, maneuver, oh wait I'm now in the wrong gear!
Sometimes when I do switch over to manual mode I end up sitting on the rev limiter because I'm use to the gearbox normally doing its own thing and shifting up.
You can call it user error if you like, but my question is does anyone else have this problem and if so what did you do to resolve it?
I think you need to get use to using the box in full manual mode. A traditional manual surely takes more effort than pdk, which changes in the blink of an eye with a quick pull on a paddle?Still using the paddles without switching over to manual mode only works for a few seconds before the car decides you didn't want that gear after all.
E.g. Drop a gear in preparation to overtake, mirror, signal, maneuver, oh wait I'm now in the wrong gear!
Sometimes when I do switch over to manual mode I end up sitting on the rev limiter because I'm use to the gearbox normally doing its own thing and shifting up.
You can call it user error if you like, but my question is does anyone else have this problem and if so what did you do to resolve it?
If in auto mode and you find yourself in the wrong gear after preparing to overtake, then another quick pull on the paddle will have you instantly in the right gear such is the speed of the box.
I love the pdk in my 981 Cayman S, and think it great the way you can adapt it for different situations. I would suggest just practising and getting used to how it works.
Gerber1 said:
This is easy in a manual car as you can make use of revs, torque, anticipation and block shifting to make good consistent progress with minimal effort, minimal fuel consumption and maximum enjoyment.
Lovely description of a manual and exactly why I'm sticking with my 997. Gerber1 said:
Is it acceptable to spend most of your time instructing the car to change gear when the car has an automatic gearbox? I don’t know if it’s just me but I am really struggling.
The two scenarios where PDK is efficient; stop start traffic, the race track.
The problem I am having is the in-between driving, where you want to make good progress. The reality is the car is always in the wrong gear and I’m having to exert myself constantly to drive in a manner you would expect of a careful and competent driver.
This is easy in a manual car as you can make use of revs, torque, anticipation and block shifting to make good consistent progress with minimal effort, minimal fuel consumption and maximum enjoyment.
Unlike PDK which if left to its own devices changes up when feathering the throttle, cornering, or even mid-overtake. This is in addition to the fact that PDK does not have a pair of eyes nor does it know your intentions, so if left to its own devices it will get caught out when you meet a hazard.
This is my first automatic so I am still open to enlightenment but I’m guessing my options are; suck it up or attempt to buy a manual (rare as they are)?
You have just put into words why I hate autos. Thank youThe two scenarios where PDK is efficient; stop start traffic, the race track.
The problem I am having is the in-between driving, where you want to make good progress. The reality is the car is always in the wrong gear and I’m having to exert myself constantly to drive in a manner you would expect of a careful and competent driver.
This is easy in a manual car as you can make use of revs, torque, anticipation and block shifting to make good consistent progress with minimal effort, minimal fuel consumption and maximum enjoyment.
Unlike PDK which if left to its own devices changes up when feathering the throttle, cornering, or even mid-overtake. This is in addition to the fact that PDK does not have a pair of eyes nor does it know your intentions, so if left to its own devices it will get caught out when you meet a hazard.
This is my first automatic so I am still open to enlightenment but I’m guessing my options are; suck it up or attempt to buy a manual (rare as they are)?
IMO the best way to regard PDK is as a two-pedal manual that happens to have a fully auto mode. In my experience it's not bad in auto as it reads your driving style pretty well and responds accordingly. What it's not good at - probably the same as any auto - is responding to sudden changes in what you do/need to do, eg when you need a lower gear and some poke to overtake traffic behind which you've been forced to bimble along for ages. With a sudden big stab on the throttle it may well change down more gears than you would in a manual. Also, even in manual mode, to big throttle openings in a high-ish gear it can decide that what you want is a much lower one (when actually you don't).
While there's nothing like a manual gearbox for involvement and the ability to do great heel/toe downchanges, what I like about PDK is its consistency (it always gets its changes right), its ease and the long 7th gear. I don't like the 'coasting' bit, which is one of the reasons I nearly always drive in manual mode (the other is that I like to be in charge of what gear I'm in and when I select it). The other way of avoiding coasting is to cancel the stop/start function, of course.
While there's nothing like a manual gearbox for involvement and the ability to do great heel/toe downchanges, what I like about PDK is its consistency (it always gets its changes right), its ease and the long 7th gear. I don't like the 'coasting' bit, which is one of the reasons I nearly always drive in manual mode (the other is that I like to be in charge of what gear I'm in and when I select it). The other way of avoiding coasting is to cancel the stop/start function, of course.
Edited by Maxym on Saturday 17th December 09:39
Sums up my experiences of PDK too. Great if you use paddles and convenient in auto but not perfect. It is a compromise. One reason why we have a manual 911 and a RS6 (for best true auto experience you need a smart slush box mated to An engine that has so much torque it doesn't care what gear you are in). 
Fish said:
I hate automatics in a sports car and hence why I won't buy one..
They are crap... always in the wrong gear if in auto and can't naturally know which gear I'm in in "manual"
Therefore I buy a proper manual...
Spoken like someone who has never driven a sports car with a PDK-S gearbox!They are crap... always in the wrong gear if in auto and can't naturally know which gear I'm in in "manual"
Therefore I buy a proper manual...
Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff