Shifting an auto?

[dazada]

Originally posted by pLaYa2284
does higher octane gas REALLY make a difference in our cars? I thought generally only higher end sportscars benefit from it?

The only difference it makes in a stock Focus, is better gas milage and a cleaner, more complete combustion. You won't notcie any high performance gains from it unless your Focus is high performance (ECU, ignition, etc.).

[focusin]

Originally posted by pLaYa2284
does higher octane gas REALLY make a difference in our cars? I thought generally only higher end sportscars benefit from it?

With a tune, yes.


The tune advances the timing and thats what the NEED for it is. With advanced timing and low oct will cause damange to your motor.

[pantherdan]

Manually shifting an automatic tranny is not supposed to hurt it. That said, though, I cleaned the material off every one of the clutches on my C4 transmission back in the day by manually shifting. I wouldnt stress the automatic in my 2002 LX SPI. Its not like you are going to blow away a car you can really brag about. If you actually out run a car you shouldnt have been able to , then its just because the other guy was an idiot or there is something wrong with his car. Still nothing to brag about.

[SVT_CLARITY]

in all due respect, i doubt you are beating cars because of doing this. Like what pantherdan said.

However, it IS bad for the transmission. If it was SUPPOSED to be opreated like that, you would have a manual. My guess is the only reason you're doing it is becuase you want a stick really bad and that's the only thing you can do to make it feel like you're shifting. Just don't do it. Make sure your next is a manual if you want to control the shift points.

[Tacos]

so what does it damage? you cannot force an atx to shif if it is not ready to do so.

[fordblue72]

First off. You can't force an upshift in a ATX tranny, unless you have a manual valve body. I can't disagree with the whole shifting your tranny through gears in a race, could hurt it. Even a manual can destroy itself from hard shifts. Even with programs and a manual valve body the clutch packs in a ATX will wear out prematurely. Also I would say that if you want to drive like that just turn the O/D off. Your car will shift quicker and the tranny will stay cool. the gears 1,2,D,O/D are 1=1st, 2=2nd, D=3rd, O/D=4th. O/D does not add traction or any thing good like that. It will keep you mpg up and that is it. Higher octane is not designed to run in our cars unless specified. The engine will not burn the higher octane as good. A tune is good and could allow the engine to burn the higher octane efficiently. Without the tune you will not get better mileage on higher octane. The computer cannot sense the octane rating to adjust your A/F mix.

[fordblue72]

Also the tranny can control the amount of hydrualic pressure, the only thing to worry about is heat from the higher demand.

[pantherdan]

When I stripped my clutches, I think it was from taching up so high that the slippage going from one gear to the next just ground off the clutch material. Temperature may have been a factor (maybe softened the material?) because I know that some vehicles designed to tow have larger or even external transmission oil coolers due to the heat from the extra weight and stress.

Plain and simple, my C4 ran fine for months until I manually shifted a couple weeks while racing friends. In no time, my tranny started slipping and then would only go in reverse. When I rebuilt it, I saw the material in the fluid and the clean clutch plates.

Of course, then I blew my 289, shoehorned a 429 with a C6 in its place and I couldnt kill that AT. For a factory automatic, the C6 was all business. Todays non performance ATs are a joke.

[Cajun Boy876]

I dont know, turning that O/D button always seems to make my car more sluggish...

[Focusnewb]

Originally posted by fordblue72
First off. You can't force an upshift in a ATX tranny......

I am not sure if you mean what I am thinking of but when manually shifting my auto (which isn't very often) it certainly CAN force what I call an upshift (1st to 2nd)

No matter what RPM or speed or what kind of load is on the motor, moving the lever from 1st to 2nd causes a shift to 2nd right then.

It's different shifting from 2nd to D though since in D it will shift up or down like it normally does so if I am running hard and move the lever from 2nd to D it waits until it would normally shift to D in that situation.

What it will not do is downshift from 2nd to 1st, no matter how much it's bogging in 2nd.

My experience has been 1st is 1st (only). 2nd is 2nd (only) and D is 1st, 2nd, D whatever depending on the situation.

110k on it so far......