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You will need to bookmark the other discussion:
/direct/view/.ee9e705
But when you get there, you'll see all of the messages, in order, just as they appear here. We're planning to do this later today or tomorrow a.m.
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I'm very unhappy with Audi
Stay away from this car for a while !!!
LIY
As for my 3.2, It's running beautifully. I love it more every day. Such a fun ride. I caught a couple scoping it out at the store as I was walking back to it...kind of a good feeling.
Maybe Audi felt the main driver's info should have precedent over the "recreational menus"... Anyway, I couldn't find a way to keep it onscreen unless I scrolled without selecting a station.
Sorry to hear you are having problems. It might be helpful if you could describe them.
Pat will now be your host. Happy driving!
kirstie_h
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Try driving with it in sport mode. That will eliminate any decision making between 1st and 2nd when accelerating. If you still have problems, then there may truly be a problem with the car.
Some people have found that when they gently push down on the accelerator then push harder, the car gets confused as to which gear to go into (1st or 2nd) and may "jerk".
Good luck.
I've enjoyed the discussions. Thanks everyone.
In order, I had an A8, A6, A6, A6 and now allroad. Two of the A6's and the A8 we V8's. All but the allroad were automatics (5speed autos).
I call it "tip lag" -- others call it DBW lag -- in any case my turbo allroad has a stick shift (6spd) and at 40,000 miles NO, ZERO, ZIP, NADA, lag.
This seems to go with the territory. I thought, frankly it was dangerous and often embarrassing for cars this expensive to lurch and rock 'n' roll when they wanted to.
The temp cure is to floor the car with the key in the on position but the engine not running (wonder how you do this with smart key?)
This seems so lame to have to do this -- and this problem does not seem to bother the S class Audis (S6, S8, etc.)
Oh how I had hoped that we had buried tip lag.
For pity's sake, even the new A4 3.2 has that 6speed tip!
Maybe I can turn back my odometer!
1) Stomp it--the car will assume you want it to rev, and it will delay shifting;
2) Use Sport mode--the car will permit itself to rev, so you'll have the low end power (note, however, that it also revs on the way back down, and that feels kind of weird IMO);
3) Shift it yourself in tip mode as necessary.
I tried 2 and 3 the second time I took the 3.2 out for a test drive, and the sluggishness was gone. Plenty of power to merge aggressively in DC traffic. When I get my car (March), my plan is to leave it in D in traffic and on the highway, put it in S for entertainment from time to time, and use tip in certain spots just to make sure it doesn't upshift until I want it to(the popular VA on-ramp configuration that allows you about 40 feet from a dead stop to reach 45 mph).
For the record, when I tested the 4.2 I had it in standard drive, and it had the same sluggishness off the line...then it threw me into the back seat when it shifted to 2d.
[Edited. I thought my previous self-censorship would pass muster. I was wrong. If I offended anybody before our host pulled the plug on me, I sincerely apologize.]
I went back a few pages (to 246) & couldn't find them.
Just curious.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Franchise Rules -- true enough, however, if you were to arrange special dispensation from the Audi of America management, there is no reason that a VW dealer could not work on the kissing cousin Audi -- and, again with special dispensation they are set up, becuase of the Phaeton, to handle all maintenance for free.
Audi would have to agree to pay the VW dealer for the service however.
===
I see no reason to believe that the Audi would be more or less troublesome than the BMW. Other than routine work and one recall, my 2003 Audi allroad has been almost trouble free for 41,000 miles.
Not that I have any thoughts that I would want one past 50,000 miles without a warranty -- but the same goes for BMW.
If you WEALLY WEALLY Want the Audi, try asking for special dispensation. What could it hurt?
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kirstie_h
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I wouldn't own a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes that far from a dealer. Chances are you'd be fine...but what if something DOES go wrong?
Plus, schedule free maintenance on both. You going to drive the 300 miles for it?
You nailed it! Thanks. I can feel a significant improvement driving in Sport Mode. The dealer has also told me that it takes time to "train" the computer with the drive by wire mechanics and to try establishing a driving pattern that is comfortable. I'm just used to my old 740i Sport and the completely smooth feeling during acceleration. I hope the lurching does not become an issue when it starts to snow her in Minneapolis and get slippery. Thanks for your tip. TVettel.
Turn the key to the on position -- do not start the car, however. Completely depress the accelerator pedal (you may feel a very slight resistance when you think the pedal is all the way down -- increase the pressure on the pedal just a bit to see if you can press through the resistance. Don't get carried away, this is not major resistance -- another couple of pounds of pressure from your foot is what I am suggesting.)
Theoretically, if you perform this action, the computer is sent a reset command (think alt control delete).
The transmission is supposed to learn your habits, but it also has a "prime directive" and that is upshift, upshift, dance to the music, upshift.
The only way to override this directive is to force the transmission to stay in gear for a bit longer than "it wants to." And, the only way to do this is to start from a standing start with a bit more throttle tip -- think "jackrabbit" start (but this does not mean you need to floor the car from dead stop with the selector in D. It just means that instead of driving like there was an uncooked egg in the shell between your foot and the pedal, you will press slightly harder, perhaps hard enough to break the imaginary egg.)
What this will do is make the car "believe" that it needs to -- of its own "free will" -- remain in first gear longer than 1 foot or 2 or 3 mph whichever comes first.
This tip lag effect was most pronouced on my A8 and my second A6 (a 2001 model) with the 4.2 engine. Sometimes I would come to a NEAR full stop (perhaps at a yield sign, for instance) and press the pedal and literally nothing would happen for perhaps a second or a second and a half -- usually about three quarters of a second into this "routine" I would either become irritated, frustrated or "panic" due to on-coming traffic or overtaking traffic if this situation occurred on an entrance ramp to a freeway. Then at three quarters of a second I would floor the accelerator and the car (remember I was in the 4.2 V8) would LUNGE forward -- and if I had passengers they either thought I was a poor driver or that I had had temporary engine cut-out (which, after all, is exactly what it feels like).
I test drove a 2002 S6 and did not notice this "feature." I have read and re-read about the RS6 and it too lacked this feature.
It HAS to be the programming, it really is a feature -- I believe it is designed to do this, not that it is a "bug." I do not know if the European market gets this release of the software, but I cannot imagine this is anything other than "the way it is told to operate."
Ultimately, I got rid of the car opting for a 2003 allroad (which at the time was the ONLY A6 based Audi that could be had with a stick shift -- people ask me why I wanted a station wagon, which I didn't want, and technically didn't buy as the allroad is a crossover car -- but I digress.)
I have test driven, three times, the new A6, once for a long long time -- I did NOT notice this "feature" -- but I 100% believe you have it.
DBW or Tip-lag -- heck I'm not automotive engineer or transmission programmer. But I do know this, it is NOT unique to Audi. It has been "fixed" but first you have to find the right person within Audi who will understand and who can authorize a change to the software to mitigate this "feature."
It is particularly hard to "fix" something that technically isn't broken.
The "S" mode seems to be a work-around that alleviates this issue -- just remember once you hit the freeway to move back to D for improved economy (and from time to time, floor the accelerator -- let it know "who is der boss!")
To repeat this is the 5speed tip story -- I can and have only assumed this is applicable to the 6speed.
Doh!
Homer out!
There are a number of posts on the forums at Audiworld suggesting that the very solution you describe is equally applicable to the 2005. There are also some suggestions as to how to use VAG-COM to reprogram your engine computer...
FWIW, I plan on sticking to the "floor it" solution. Messing with my Gateweay is one thing; reprogramming my $50K auto is quite another!
--Scott
I would not want my car reprogrammed externally either. I was not endorsing such an approach.
What I would really want is for ALL of us to petition Audi of America to bring the manual versions to our shores -- and train the sales reps to demo them.
Drive one of these machines with a stick shift and it will change your mind -- Oh, I guess that means hi tail it over to the local BMW store and ask to test drive a new 2005 5 series with a stick, as far as I know they still come with this as a choice.
All I hear about is "emissions" regulations prohibit AoA from bringing this to our shores.
Until or unless they update the programming at the factory, I would opt for a 6speed manual in a heartbeat.
My wife REFUSES, which is stronger than my approach, to even consider an automatic. I will go ahead and get one but probably be somewhat disappointed that a stick was not available.
I just don't see the attraction of the manual given its (and this is NOT just Audi) current weaknesses. Perhaps a CVT or DSG would be OK, if avail on the A6 lineup.
Let's all give me a pity party.
There, I'm over it.
Manuals are fine by me, but why should there be any lag in the Audi automatics? I haven't driven the BMW 530 that much, but I did not feel any lag and they also have auto/tip.
If anything, I expected the fuel consumption figures for the S4 to be higher than for the A6. I have to assume the comparison figures--most likely from AOA--are incorrect. Does anyone have more accurate data?
Beats me why Audi and VW don't make some noise about this cool setup.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I too find the brakes horribly touchy at low speeds. Just the slightest press at low speeds will cause the nose to dive and the car to lurch almost completely to a stop. I am actually looking forward to slippery conditions because then the ABS will kick in and smooth things out.
This is bad enough that I may be taking the car in for service.
BTW, I am the one who posted Mark's tip on Audiworld.