For automatic drivers: what is your strategy for fast start? Off the line..

power brake? shifter in L?

let other members know your strategy!

 

Two words:

Rolling Start

 

Usually when I just floor the car when it is in Drive mode, it doesn't go as fast as it does when I control it with the tip-tronic (step-tronic, whatever it's called!!)...I think the car REALLY pulls when you floor it in 3rd gear...that's just what I have experienced...good question though!! i would also like some advise on that!!

 

Getting a heavy car started fast with only 238 ft lbs of torque is not going to happen, dont get me wrong I think the my TL is a great performer for what it is, but if I want to race, I get in my mustang and race, If I want to ride in style, I am all over the TL. But of course I did try, and for some reason it seems to accelerate better if I shift manually, but the initial acceleration (60ft times)seems to be about the same. You really have to get these cars up in the RPM to realize the power. It definitely hauls from 50mph up!!

 

I don't try to go fast off the start!

 

I tried to "power brake" a few times at a large empty parking lot this morning... I got the RPMs to 3000 and let the brake go quickly. it did 'ok'

of course once the engine gets to 4500 the vtech KICKS like a mother...


Anyone else got some tactics?

 

low for first... to drive/ss for 2-5 is what i read on one thread

 

Yes, but have you tried it?

 

Holding your brake and revving won't do anything. On the contrary, it will actually slow your start.

Best way to get the most out of your start is to Start in L and floor it with VSA OFF.

Starting in L will allow the 1st gear to reach maximum revs before automatically shifting to 2nd gear. After it is in 2nd, feel free to move it to sports shifter and shift as you please. I shift around 6700-6800 and go slightly past redline everyshift(7100) when I am trying to go fast. This method has worked the best for me.

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https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/stone-cold-steve-austin-came-back-wrestling-95499/

 

When your in "L" will it automatically shift to second?

 

Yes. what donkey said is what I do. It works well.

 

put the car in N.... and then rev it and shift it to D
















just joking

 

Also, make sure that you're headed down a steep hill. Works every time.

 

That can't be good for the car lol.

 

Starting off in L and then going to sport shift and shifting at redline - is that going to hurt the engine or trans?

 

AT car... ECU is supposed to help you prevent that kind of problems...

 

One of the posters above stated that if you have it in L, the car will automaticlly shift from 1st to second.

can anyone else confirm this is correct?

Im hearing conflicting messages that it will only stay at redline, and then you need to shift it to D

 

Trade it in for a 6MT

 

no thanks...id rather not have a manual during rush hour on 880 for 2 hours a day in bay area.


stop go, stop go, stop go, stop go, stop go, stop go, stop go, stop go, stop go, stop go

 

It WILL automatically shift to 2nd for you .. i took my 5AT to the track and ran it three times down the strip, and all three times I had it in "L" and it automatically shifted for me at a few rpms before redline -- unlike my TL-Type-S which would just bounce off the rev limiter until I manually shifted to 2nd gear.

 

Thanks Peter, I believe you, ill go test it later

 

-=tongue in cheek=-
my strategy to get off to a fast start would be to buy a new car...one that is designed to go fast.

 

hmm ill keep that in mind everytime i drive my car that is "not designed to go fast" that i drive 130 miles per hour... and 6 second 0-60...

 

ok, so i've been playing with fast starts....

here's what i've done so far to maximize my effeciency

-turn off vsa
-turn off AC
-put car in "L"

at green, ill punch it and go through to 2nd gear, then shift to sports mode.

Does anyone have any other suggestiong for getting off the line fast? using foot brake with gas to keep rpms high? or will that cause spin out?

 

Best Way:

Turn VSA OFF, put it in SS mode, let the computer shift 1-2 for you, and then shift at the redline the rest of the way. Work on perfecting your shifts to account for the lag so the needle goes right to the red upon the shift. This has worked best for me in my TL-S and 04 TL.

 

i thought starting in "L" is the way to start (that's what people above have been saying)

1 so when you start....do you keep the engine at idle, then just floor it?

OR

2 do you step on gas while braked, and then just let off the brakes?

does anyone have the answer?

 

Jerky,

Don't hold the brake. Just gun it with VSA OFF in SS mode. Wheel spin off the line is good because it not only gets you moving, but also gets the RPMs up at a lower speed than normal, which is what brake torquing attempts to do (but here your actually moving already). My 04 gets closest to redline in 1st gear when im in SS and I let the computer shift for me.

My TL-S, on the other hand, doesnt automatically shift out of L like my 04, so it is a but adventagous to "gate shift." My 04, on the other hand, does not offer such advantage. Hope this helps.

 

I hate to spin wheels. If intending to floor it from the stop, I'll "stop" my car 10 feet from the line, turn off VSA, and use L mode. When traffic light is going to GREEN, I let my car roll over for a short span, then kick it to the end. Then, push to SS MODE after L shifts 1st to 2nd...

I was wondering if rev engine like that would hurt the enging/tranny.

 

its strange, everytime its different for me. i guess it takes a couple of minutes for the ecu to realize you are in a "spirited driving" mood. it switches fuel map and lets the car rev to 6800 in first. thats my guess though. my car sometimes hit redline in first and sometimes it doesnt. but only more experiment can tell

 

with cliff. Our ECU has some weird mapping inside. I always perform the spirited run while engine is fully warm-up. Also, it has happened in many occasions that my SS mode could rev higher than my L mode when WOT.

 

I've noticed that the ECU "learns" your SS driving style. So when your in SS, make sure you shift the 2-3 shift exactly at the redline without hitting the rev limmiter (its tricky with the delayed timing). Also make sure you have enough room and no cops are around to rip that shift

Eventually, the ECU will learn that this is the RPM shift point you perfer, and letting the 1-2 shift in SS take place automatically under WOT will get closer to the redline on subsequent attemps. This has been my experience.

 

Since the ECU wont let the driver do damage to the transmission....try getting off to a quick start while in tiptronic, you'll be in fifth gear in no time, and from there downshift to third v-tech kicks in and shift to fourth.