[Dark_Knight_335]

So as everyone well knows in the tri-state area, we have an unseasonably warm day and evening out here in the mid to late 60s.

I decided to wind it up a bit on the highway and noticed from a stop at wide open throttle it stayed D1 right through to 65 mph and the RPMs just kept climbing and climbing... what the hell??


So is this something I should be worried about? I tell you that sometimes those shift numbers just don't seem to jive with what's going on in the tranny- and if it does it can't be good... anyone else have this experience?

[midwest M3NACE]

It's happened to me a few times. Just feels like it doesn't want to shift right?

[Dark_Knight_335]

Originally Posted by midwest M3NACE

It's happened to me a few times. Just feels like it doesn't want to shift right?

Ummm...yea?? I mean is this a bad thing? It can't be good right?

Most of the time it improves the drivability so much, but then there are times when I'm driving and the damn thing shifts all goofy and I'm not sure what to think...

[weehe126]

I have had that happen 3 times on my non-alpina trans. In manual mode it would not shift out of second with the paddle or the stick. Literally bounced off redline and scared the crap out of me. So might not be aplina related.

[midwest M3NACE]

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_335

Ummm...yea?? I mean is this a bad thing? It can't be good right?

Most of the time it improves the drivability so much, but then there are times when I'm driving and the damn thing shifts all goofy and I'm not sure what to think...

It's only happened to me in sport mode. Every time it has done it i've noticed it early and shifted it manuel before it hit redline. But it clearly didn't seem like it
was ever going to shift. Not sure what causes it.

[Dark_Knight_335]

Do you think it could physically ruin our transmission? I mean, it's just software right?

[Johnny Boost]

You reached 65 mph in D1?!?!

[weehe126]

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_335

Do you think it could physically ruin our transmission? I mean, it's just software right?

As long as you dont go past redline you should be fine.

And im guessing you were in D2 to be going 65

[Dark_Knight_335]

Originally Posted by Johnny Boost

You reached 65 mph in D1?!?!

Well JB, that's at least what the display said...eh, maybe I'll go back to stock.

Software could blow your engine and transmission in 5 seconds if it was designed to

[Dark_Knight_335]

Oh I know...I'm an IT guy by trade- forgot my sarcasm switch

[335m]

I have only had issues like this before the car is fully warmed up, assuming the oil was already at normal operating temps?

[Dark_Knight_335]

So it did it again today...stayed in D1 all the way up to 55 miles an hour, then from a stop light went up to D6 at 30 mph.

The car was fairly warm, and I was about 20 minutes into the drive.

I'm done with this shit- I'm flashing back to stock ASAP and I'm not going back.

[adventr]

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_335

So it did it again today...stayed in D1 all the way up to 55 miles an hour, then from a stop light went up to D6 at 30 mph.

The car was fairly warm, and I was about 20 minutes into the drive.

I'm done with this shit- I'm flashing back to stock ASAP and I'm not going back.

Were you accelerating hard when this happened?


The only times that I ever had it happen on my car, were when I pushed the pedal too far and hit the "kickdown" switch.
I remember explaining this in another thread from a few months back, so it doesn't seem uncommon.

[Dark_Knight_335]

Could be the kickdown for sure. Is it just the software showing up the shifts incorrectly, or am I grinding my TCU into bits?

[335m]

If you are holding the accelerator down over 80% with the B3 I have noticed that even in D mode it will not shift until close to redline. Which makes sense because I would not want to have to use my paddles or S mode just to be able to gun it. If it is really taking a while to shift even at 50% or less throttle that sounds like slippage of the trans rather than a software issue to me.

Isolating the issue is always the quickest way to rule it out though, if you have easy access to the B3 flash I would just remove and drive for a week to find out.

[Johnny Boost]

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_335

Could be the kickdown for sure. Is it just the software showing up the shifts incorrectly, or am I grinding my TCU into bits?

Hmm I suspect that's why I have not experienced this because I have the BMS kickdown blocker. It's either that or maybe there are different revisions of the TCU software. Are you running a kickdown blocker?

[Dark_Knight_335]

No I'm not JB, thanks for asking. I guess the real question is, is my physical TCU being affected, or is the shift display portion of the program simply being glitchy?

I don't think anyone really knows for sure, and I don't want to be the first one to find out the hard way. Believe me, there are times when I love it, but once the winter hits it just seems to act up more (surely this is an illusion on my part).

To complicate matters, I also have Dinan stage III, so not sure how the tune was programmed to handle the TCU, or how closely the relationship coincides, but I'm sure it was programmed with the stock shifting TCU in mind. Does anyone here run the flash with a Dinan stage III, or any other tune for that matter?

There have been times (like the D6 at 30 mph) deal) where slapping it into S and back into D knocks it back down to D3, where it typically is. Things like this are the most disturbing I think.

This, coupled with the fact I am most likely going to sell the car come spring or so, make me think it might be best to just keep the car stock- at least with the TCU.

[335m]

Not sure if I am understanding you completely when you ask whether the shift display portion is being glitchy. Wouldn't you know based on the RPMs whether your car actually shifted or not? Shouldn't need the number display if you are putting the accelerator down more than half.

I run Cobb S1 Aggressive with mine and don't have any issues other than sport mode going almost all the way to redline even if I have the pedal down 50%.

[Dark_Knight_335]

I believe the shifts are happening, but they're far from smooth. There was just no logical way I could be in first gear at 60 mph, or sixth gear at 30 mph, despite what the display says, you know?

[135Pats]

1st at 60MPH is not physically possible with 6AT gearing.

You cannot exceed the rev limited on an auto unless it lets go outright. At your power levels, there is 0% chance of that happening.

My trans has always had some odd quirks to it, regardless of OE or Alpina TCU file. Every now and then it'll slip the upshift a bit under very light load and low revs, it's not clear why. And a handful of times when I take a 90 degree right hand turn, it won't shift into the next gear until like 3K revs, even if i'm in "drive" mode.

I'm not too worried about it.

[Jec1]

Aside from D mode being almost unusable in certain situations, I like the flash overall. I have had certain situations in low rpm-medium to high load scenarios where it feels like there is slip, but then again the stock TCU likely was worse and I just don't remember it.

The one situation I have that concerns me is as follows. Cobb Stage 1+ flash on sport mode, so approximately 14psi peak boost with 93 octane. I always drive in DTC mode, single press.

Accelerating onto the highway WOT in manual mode, the transmission has occasionally short shifted itself on the 3-4 upshift. Meaning I merge from the onramp WOT in 2nd, shift at 6-6500rpm, and then the transmission will automatically shift into 4th at 4-4500rpm despite the transmission being in M mode. This automatic shift is also harsh and the car jerks hard. Has anyone else had this happen?