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Lag sifting gears manually on an automatic C

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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 01:30 AM
  #1  
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Lag sifting gears manually on an automatic C

Any of you noticed a lag when you shift gears manually in an autimatic model? Like

1. I shift the gear ...
2. .................... NO change
3. .....................Still no change.
4. Ok now the gear is changed..

There is a good lag between shifting gears.
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 02:46 AM
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Ours works pretty good, in fact it's one of the best "auto-sticks" I've used. I can almost shift it faster than the car can in (auto). In fact it could be just me but using the manual mode makes the car feel 30% quicker than it is, and thats a good thing as ours is a 300 & not a 350.

-Ryan
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 03:59 AM
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The lag is a lot better than years past, but there's not much that can be improved unless they throw in a DSG. I still would rather use the manual mode on an automatic.
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 04:00 AM
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Originally Posted by CarGuru
Ours works pretty good, in fact it's one of the best "auto-sticks" I've used. I can almost shift it faster than the car can in (auto). In fact it could be just me but using the manual mode makes the car feel 30% quicker than it is, and thats a good thing as ours is a 300 & not a 350.

-Ryan
How long you wait before the gear is changed. ( in secs or milli secs ) i know its less than a sec but its not immidiate. Do you have an immidiate change when you shift it ? or you wait as well.
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 04:01 AM
  #5  
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other cars , like BMW or Audi have this lag as well???
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 08:41 AM
  #6  
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Your lag seems to be out of the norm...maybe try doing a adaptation reset will help?

I haven't driven a BMW with step-tronic before so I can't comment on that. Audi's TipTronic shifts as soon as you tell it to upshift/downshift...no real lag. The DSG is a different story
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 08:45 AM
  #7  
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Originally Posted by lx Raven xl
Any of you noticed a lag when you shift gears manually in an autimatic model? Like

1. I shift the gear ...
2. .................... NO change
3. .....................Still no change.
4. Ok now the gear is changed..

There is a good lag between shifting gears.
no problems here
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 09:07 AM
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I have the same lag, it feels like it is at least 3-4 seconds. It is so bad, I don't even bother with manual mode. If I try to do a hard acceleration with manual mode, I have to hit shift up around 3500 rpm, and even then it will top out before shifting. I've done a couple of system resets (does that reset adaptive settings too?).
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 09:22 AM
  #9  
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My previous C shift faster in manual mode, maybe the car just need to get some adaptation??
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 09:40 AM
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my lag is not that big. but still you can feel it. i was expecting it to switch gear as soon as i hit up shift on the trip tronic. but i see it waits a few bit before shifting gear. check you car today and see if you feel the lag as well. I test drove another C class and it has the similar lag.
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 09:51 AM
  #11  
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Do any of you have a point that shifting the gears has been most effective for speed?

Meaning what RPM points do you find makes the car the quickest?

(Example...Switch from 1st to 2nd at 2500 then second to 3rd at 3500 and so on)
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 03:35 PM
  #12  
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Honestly the whole manual shifting of an automatic is pointless in a car like this. Its just there because all the manufactors started putting them in cars (no thanks to Dodge) and now they all feel the need to include it. In this set up you can't hold gears as it will shift by itself when it reaches a certain rpm, and when down shifting it will lock out when the rpm is too high. I'm sure the AMG cars with the paddle shifters have some different set up to actually make them worth while, but its certainly not a Ferrari setup.
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 04:07 PM
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agree, but maybe only for hard accel

Originally Posted by tectroll
I have the same lag, it feels like it is at least 3-4 seconds. It is so bad, I don't even bother with manual mode. If I try to do a hard acceleration with manual mode, I have to hit shift up around 3500 rpm, and even then it will top out before shifting.
I've shifted using the manumatic mode previously and it made shifts realtively quickly. Then yesterday when I had some freeway free time (mid day, low traffic) I tried a few things to see what the manumatic is all about. That's when I got exactly as the above poster. I was on the ramp at maybe 30 or 40 in 4th, I think. Gunned it once ramp got straight. Hit shift at approx 50 (to go to 5th), hit shift again at approx 65 (to go to 6th), but I kept hearing the damn engine winding-out, looked down briefly and saw the tach was near readline and the gear selector still showed 4th! WTF? So I fluttered my foot on the pedal and the tranny shifted straight to 6th. Go figure.

I can only figure that under hard accel it keeps the gear long. But this means it ain't manumatic at all because it is assuming you want to keep a gear despite sending a signal (flick of the gear shift lever) otherwise. So, in sum, it is near worthless (except to keep the car in gear to at or near redline)
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 05:55 PM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by 430752
I've shifted using the manumatic mode previously and it made shifts realtively quickly. Then yesterday when I had some freeway free time (mid day, low traffic) I tried a few things to see what the manumatic is all about. That's when I got exactly as the above poster. I was on the ramp at maybe 30 or 40 in 4th, I think. Gunned it once ramp got straight. Hit shift at approx 50 (to go to 5th), hit shift again at approx 65 (to go to 6th), but I kept hearing the damn engine winding-out, looked down briefly and saw the tach was near readline and the gear selector still showed 4th! WTF? So I fluttered my foot on the pedal and the tranny shifted straight to 6th. Go figure.
I had a very similar situation to what you've just described. It might be that the car is still adapting to how the driver drives? My car is only at 1000 km so far, so I assume it is still breaking in process which takes a while to shift gears.
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 06:54 PM
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Originally Posted by chilledbenz
Honestly the whole manual shifting of an automatic is pointless in a car like this. Its just there because all the manufactors started putting them in cars (no thanks to Dodge) and now they all feel the need to include it. In this set up you can't hold gears as it will shift by itself when it reaches a certain rpm, and when down shifting it will lock out when the rpm is too high. I'm sure the AMG cars with the paddle shifters have some different set up to actually make them worth while, but its certainly not a Ferrari setup.
Amen.

But I still doink with mine from time to time since even in S it still starts in 2nd. At first it was super laggy as described, but it's gotten much quicker. My previous car was a manual and now that the shift time's tightened up I'm actually a bit surprised by the shift speed. I was beginning to tap it in anticipation instead of when I really wanted it. Possibly that's what I'm perceiving as the timing getting better? Still takes longer than I'd like, but it seems much better than most of the autos I've messed with.
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Old Jan 10, 2008 | 07:36 PM
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Originally Posted by lx Raven xl
my lag is not that big. but still you can feel it. i was expecting it to switch gear as soon as i hit up shift on the trip tronic. but i see it waits a few bit before shifting gear. check you car today and see if you feel the lag as well. I test drove another C class and it has the similar lag.
Maybe you up shifted too earlier for the next gear? Remember that, for example, changing D4 to D5 mean that the grear will shift up to 5th gear when speed is appropriate for 5th, not that the gear will shift to 5th on demand. However, down shifting is different story. It should respond on demend if the RPM is in range for the gear.
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Old Jan 11, 2008 | 07:15 AM
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Anyone know how to reset the accelerator like on the old w203s? Is it the same?
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Old Jan 11, 2008 | 10:11 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by kimyoung_k
Maybe you up shifted too earlier for the next gear? Remember that, for example, changing D4 to D5 mean that the grear will shift up to 5th gear when speed is appropriate for 5th, not that the gear will shift to 5th on demand. However, down shifting is different story. It should respond on demend if the RPM is in range for the gear.
Nope. I was driving ok. Normal. I tried speeding and slow driving both. there is a noticeble lag while changing gears. Its not immidiate shift. Check yours and let me know. ( Checked 2 cars now C class and they both are behaving same )

when i shift gear , it does not change immidiatly. RPM still goes up a bit and then the gear changes as if it recognized the command of shifting gear a bit late.

I will check it again today.
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Old Jan 11, 2008 | 01:24 PM
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I also have a huge lag when in manual mode. I drived my dad's Audi A6 and it too has a lag when shifting, but it is much shorter.

I had an Infinti FX 45 and the shifting was instantaneous; making the whole experience much pleasant.

The lag on my C350 is almost intolerable. I wish they come with a solution to lower the time required to shift when in manual mode because that greatly increases the “fun to drive” on the car.
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Old Jan 11, 2008 | 01:58 PM
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The w204's don't work like Audi tiptronics or even the one in my car.

I learned it the hard way. I thought I could hold gears and what not like I do with my car but it's just not possible with the w204's. Pretty much no control.
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Old Jan 11, 2008 | 02:47 PM
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I played with the TouchShift briefly this past week but was disappointed with the lack of control of the up shifts. All of the other "manumatics" I have driven allow you to force a downshift or upshift, if technically feasible. I found the MB system's set-it-and-forget-it design not to my liking. In my prior cars, I would use the "manumatic" about 90% of the time, but in the MB I am anticipating maybe 10% use.
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Old Jan 11, 2008 | 03:07 PM
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Yes it is quite strange with the TouchShift that say if you have it in 3rd. When coming to a stop, it won't change the touchshift gear to 1st and keep it there till you upshift. It'll keep upshifting till 3rd and stay there as the highest gear. All other manu-matics/tiptronics downshift the car when you slow down and stay in that next lower gear until you change it again.
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Old Jan 12, 2008 | 08:48 PM
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I just took my wife's C350 out for a test drive to check to see how the shift changing occurs. The car changes gears rather quickly. Not fast but not slow either. I would come to a complete stop, manually shift to 1st gear and then start off normally. After pushing the shifter over to the right to go into 2nd gear, the action would seem to begin in less than half a second but the complete process of going from gear to gear would take all-in-all about 1 1/2 seconds. Not a quick , thud like shift at all. It shifts as if the clutch is sliding a little bit during the change. It was the same whether I was accelerating fast or slow, didn't seem to matter.
Downshifts were much faster and more abrupt.
I feel overall, the shifting, whether automatically or manually, was very normal.
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Old Jan 12, 2008 | 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by peabers
I played with the TouchShift briefly this past week but was disappointed with the lack of control of the up shifts. All of the other "manumatics" I have driven allow you to force a downshift or upshift, if technically feasible. I found the MB system's set-it-and-forget-it design not to my liking. In my prior cars, I would use the "manumatic" about 90% of the time, but in the MB I am anticipating maybe 10% use.
Yup... totally agree. I played around with it too. This system's quite useless, as it doesn't shift the way a manumatic should. Whatever you determine as the gear is the top gear it'll go to, but will still shift up/down like a regular automatic. It's not really a manual control.

Just need to figure out how to reset the throttle adaptation now...
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Old Jan 13, 2008 | 02:25 PM
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Therese definitely a small lag. Have had my C350 since October. As useless as the system might be, it is very crucial if you are going on high speed and needing it for engine breaks and stuff.
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