B8 S4 Ownership

[Hol]

silentbrown said:

But unlike a manual the paddles don't allow you to change up later, only earlier. So you'd be shifting before reaching max power.

Im pretty sure that I can almost redline mine and choose when to change up in Manual mode when using the paddles to change gear. I cannot say my car has ever forced me to change up before I wanted to.


Hence, if I had a power upgrade, I could choose to change gear later/more optimally for the power band than just relying on the gearbox default sport mode, which would be programmed and based on the original power band of the factory car.

Which... Is exactly why I asked the original question around which of those two options the 'other driver' was using in his autobox car against the manual gearbox car in the story. Below:

Hol said:

mrdanbartlett said:

Also guys - my friend from Switzerland drove back over Xmas in his Revo mapped S4 (Auto) and we had a v quick roll on a couple of times, mine is a standard S4 manual.

I fully expected him to pull away v quickly as he must be 70bhp up on me at least, yet he only really seemed to pull away during the gearchange, I guess the DSG is just super fast to change. There really didn't seem to be a huge difference in the power! So I've put my 'I need a remap ASAP' thoughts to bed for a while.

Id like to do more testing vs a mapped car over longer runs, but from a quick comparison I was not that impressed. Id driven his car once before (at the Ring) and been in it a few times and it did feel v strong, but this was before I had mine.

Did he also have his gearbox remapped to delay autobox changes until peak/power and torque?

If not, he wont get the benefit/gains over your manual unless he paddle shifts.

Maybe, I should have said 'All the benefit/gains' over the manual. But my comments were regarding the tuned engine DSG v's standatd manual car, as per the example it responded to. NOT, a scenario of a Tuned DSG vs a standard DSG car.

[Chiefbadger]

silentbrown said:

ABT and MTM offer upgrades for CREC engines. MTM is some kind of 'external' system, and ABT must be milled from solid unobtanium, based on the price.

http://www.abt-configurator.com/docserver.asmx/Get...

I've looked at both, but can't get comfortable with the 'piggy back' ECU which is what they both provide. DTUK also do one which seems to provide very similar on paper gains but at a fraction of the price. Makes it a lot more tempting to try one, but I'd much rather have a custom map from the likes of MRC.

[silentbrown]

Hol said:

Maybe, I should have said 'All the benefit/gains' over the manual.

That, I'd totally agree with. My point (and I'll check this next time I have a clear road) is that if you floor it, the DSG box will 'change up' at the same RPM in both manual or auto mode. All the maps give top end power, so later changes (and hence reprogrammed DSG) is needed to liberate all of that. But I'm pretty sure the paddles don't allow you to change any later than 'auto' mode allows.

[theboyfold]

Scuffers said:

PeterGadsby said:

I think it ruins the car..... Very disappointed

- Pete

change the tyres then.

I knew it would make a difference, but I was not prepared for the dramatic change in handling and feel a change in tyres made. (this was going from PZero's to Kuhmo KU31's).

up to that point, I had just accepted that tramlining was a characteristic of the car with 225/35R19's on it, could not have been more wrong!

I checked my tyre pressures this morning, the fronts were at 31psi, put them up to the suggested 36psi and it's like night and day. It's much better,

[silentbrown]

Scuffers said:

up to that point, I had just accepted that tramlining was a characteristic of the car with 225/35R19's on it, could not have been more wrong!

255/35R19's, I hope?

[Scuffers]

silentbrown said:

Scuffers said:

up to that point, I had just accepted that tramlining was a characteristic of the car with 225/35R19's on it, could not have been more wrong!

255/35R19's, I hope?

Yes, sorry, typo.

[Hol]

I need to change my 255/35/19's soon before they were much more, so I can refit them before chopping the car in for something else next year when it hits three years old.

I was thinking of Goodyear F1's.
Anyone run a black edition with a set of those yet?

[FUBAR]

theboyfold said:

I checked my tyre pressures this morning, the fronts were at 31psi, put them up to the suggested 36psi and it's like night and day. It's much better,

Also pay attention to wear. Even with the right tyre pressure mine (and its predecessor) became an absolute pig if the tyres got anywhere near the wear indicators. I always change with still a 1000 miles or so left on them.

[RammyMP]

Hol said:

I need to change my 255/35/19's soon before they were much more, so I can refit them before chopping the car in for something else next year when it hits three years old.

I was thinking of Goodyear F1's.
Anyone run a black edition with a set of those yet?

I've got them on my A5, very pleased with them, much better than the contis that were on it before. Seem to wear a lot better also.

[mrdanbartlett]

mrdanbartlett said:

Hi all,

My car has developed a slight rattle from the exhaust, so say when the car is at standstill you blip the throttle and get that lovely gruff note from the exhaust.......well now after that I have a slight rattle/baffle noise.......hard to describe but its like when you blow through your month with your lips closed when doing horse impressions (that is about the best way I can describe it!)

Is this a common issue, any ideas?

Sorry has anyone else had this? I can't find much from google either.

[Hol]

mrdanbartlett said:

mrdanbartlett said:

Hi all,

My car has developed a slight rattle from the exhaust, so say when the car is at standstill you blip the throttle and get that lovely gruff note from the exhaust.......well now after that I have a slight rattle/baffle noise.......hard to describe but its like when you blow through your month with your lips closed when doing horse impressions (that is about the best way I can describe it!)

Is this a common issue, any ideas?

Sorry has anyone else had this? I can't find much from google either.

No problems with mine, but its 18m old, so I would hope not.

The cause of a rattly exhaust can usually be found by putting it on a ramp and tapping it with a soft mallet.

Worst case scenario is that its a baffle come loose inside, best case is that its a heatshield that has popped a weld.

[Hol]

RammyMP said:

Hol said:

I need to change my 255/35/19's soon before they were much more, so I can refit them before chopping the car in for something else next year when it hits three years old.

I was thinking of Goodyear F1's.
Anyone run a black edition with a set of those yet?

I've got them on my A5, very pleased with them, much better than the contis that were on it before. Seem to wear a lot better also.

Cool. They seem reasonably priced on black circles site at the moment too.

[silentbrown]

silentbrown said:

My point (and I'll check this next time I have a clear road) is that if you floor it, the DSG box will 'change up' at the same RPM in both manual or auto mode.

Confirmed, at least with an unmodified CREC engine and DSG: Both Manual and Sport modes change up at about 6200 in 2nd. You simply can't rev it higher. I think if you're in "D" it might change a little earlier. I have absolutely no idea of the behaviour at those revs in any other gear

[Spartikus]

Regarding tramlining, I've experienced it in many cars to varying degrees and pretty much concluded that a good set of tyres, at the right pressure and a decent alignment will sort it out. My B8 S4 has Pirelli Rossos on 18s and has no tramlining whatsoever.

It would be a shame to let it spoil an otherwise good car - it is avoidable.

Edited by Spartikus on Tuesday 26th January 21:42

[MattS3]

Not an S4, but just sorted myself out a S5 sportback.
Collect it this Saturday.

Really quite taken by the engine, the noise and the DSG which make a great combination.

[Adrian E]

MattS3 said:

Not an S4, but just sorted myself out a S5 sportback.
Collect it this Saturday.

Really quite taken by the engine, the noise and the DSG which make a great combination.

Same combo as us

Great cars, and share the platform of the S4, whereas the coupe and soft top are much shorter

[s4tronic]

I will be getting round putting advert up for my 2010 S4 salon when the weather gets better but for now if someone is looking for well cared for car, with low mileage and a benefit of audi extended warranty for another 11 months then give me a shout for details.

[MattS3]

s4tronic said:

I will be getting round putting advert up for my 2010 S4 salon when the weather gets better but for now if someone is looking for well cared for car, with low mileage and a benefit of audi extended warranty for another 11 months then give me a shout for details.

LOL, that would have been something I'd have been very interested in, but so few decent cars around currently.
Distance wouldn't have been an issue either....travelled 400 miles to Pebbles via Edinburgh to buy my current car!

[MattS3]

Adrian E said:

Same combo as us

Great cars, and share the platform of the S4, whereas the coupe and soft top are much shorter

I think I've seen your username on the A5 forum.
I've only posted a couple of times, but seem a great bunch over there.

Looking forward to getting involved from Saturday

[DTB77]

silentbrown said:

Confirmed, at least with an unmodified CREC engine and DSG: Both Manual and Sport modes change up at about 6200 in 2nd. You simply can't rev it higher. I think if you're in "D" it might change a little earlier. I have absolutely no idea of the behaviour at those revs in any other gear

I'm still learning with my car (now on about 1400 miles) but that seems to align with my experience too, it's seems to change up way too early. Confusingly, the vehicle I test drove (similar 2015 vintage but with about 2500 on the clock) seemed to go in to the red before changing up when accelerating briskly, which was pleasing, and therefore quite disappointed that mine doesn't seem to do so yet. So I'm not sure if I'm doing something different or whether it'll loosen up with a few more miles.

Also on one occasion, I put it in to manual, dropped it down a couple of gears and accelerate briskly and all of a sudden (probably around 6000 rpm) it slipped itself back in to S mode and changed up a gear! Is that normal?

But as I said, I'm still learning and unfortunately my crappy commute doesn't give me too many opportunities to open her up...