Is shortshifting really all that bad?

B8 S4
#1

here’s a question…has anyone ever considered the 6500ish RPM shortshift is actually a good thing?

The stock tune basically goes flat in higher RPM. Maybe the car, in sport mode, is trying to get you to shift at an advisable time in the power band.

Clearly a car that is tuned makes power to redline, but cars that are not…don’t. The stock transmission program doesn’t know your ECU is tuned…so maybe in certain situations it knows you’ll be faster ‘short’ shifting at 65. Further, even though you are making power to redline, it doesn’t always mean you should push the car right to it.

The B5/6/7 S4 all benefited from shifting before redline (usually about 500 rpm before). While you may be gaining SLIGHTLY to redline, even you tuned guys, I have never heard anyone on these forums talk about optimal shift points…seems everyone assumes you just blast to redline and if it doesn’t work, you get upset. If the MT6 guys can go to 7200, you assume they have an advantage.

Some of the worst quarter mile times, relative to their modlists, in the B5/6/7 world came from guys who pushed every gear to redline.

Here: this car should NOT be pushed to the redline. IT’s screaming ‘shift me!’ in the low 6000 range.

http://www.quattroworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/30tfsi_long_quattro_6mt_93_stock_wheel_uncorrected_all_vs_sae_all1.gif

Here’s an APR tuned car with pulley. This isn’t exactly an aggressively positive slope to redline either…

http://www.bimmerboost.com/images/aprstage2vsstock.jpg

#2

i usually shift between 65-6800 rpm in 1st and 2nd gear

#3

My gti is the same way. Since it’s dsg when I’m on it in S, it takes it to 7k and you feel the car slowing down, even with software. By running it like that, I was doing consistent 13.6’s until I started shifting with the paddles at about 6500, I cut .3 off my time

#4

cool

don’t tell the B8 DSG guys…they’re mad that they’re not able to push the car to redline with regularity :smiley:

#5

Short shifting on the DSG is the new “clutch slipping” excuse for not being faster.

#6

i will say clutch slipping is an issue with the b8. but its not the clutch slipping that most people are thinking of. there are issues with the input seal in the trans. they leak causing gear oil to drip onto the flywheel

#7

that was your problem? Interesting.

I think I read somewhere that your clutch actually looked real good, but I didn’t see what was causing your holding issues

anyway, justin is talking about the B5 or VF guys etc. who say ‘clutch can’t hold all the power’ when they’re making excuses for not running well. The B8 guys whose cars don’t run like primetime all seem to blame this short shifting thing. It’s pretty widespread. It’s a plague! It’s like the RS4 guys who lose pulls and blame carbon, or the B6/7 S4 guys who lose pulls and are told ‘scored cylinders…better do a compression test’. The B8 blame game loves to slam DSG.

I like the manual B8. I wouldn’t touch DSG. Nice little shifter on the 6 speed and the car is just torquey as fuck so it’s fun, but you can also just throw it in 6th and cruise around getting decent MPG.

#8

B6/7 guys don’t lose pulls. We get it done.