W211 AMG Discuss the W211 AMG's such as the E55 and the E63

Something I really hate about my E55

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Old Feb 4, 2005 | 07:00 AM
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Something I really hate about my E55

If I am accelerating hard, i.e. foot right to the floor, once I have been doing this for long enough to be hitting a high speed, I find that if I take my foot off the accelerator there is a very noticeable lag before the revs drop. Although the lag is less than a second, it is very disconcerting especially at high speed as it feels for that moment as if the throttle is stuck. If I am pushing hard and I ease off, it is usually for good reason and I expect instant response otherwise it is just plain scary.

I have never had this with any of my other cars, either supercharged, turbocharged or n/a.

Is it just my car?
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Old Feb 4, 2005 | 07:58 AM
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I have the same problem... I thought it was my imagination at least I know now I’m not alone
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Old Feb 4, 2005 | 08:30 AM
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wow thats scary. Get it checked up on at the dealer
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Old Feb 4, 2005 | 08:35 AM
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I thought that is was the "AMG Transmission" at work. The manual states that in "S" mode during hard driving the transmission will try to keep the engine in the "optimal gear" for acceleration. So if you punch it, go thru 1st, 2nd, into 3rd and let off it will hold it in 3rd for a few secs to see if you want to accelerate again before up shifting.

is this what you mean? Or are you saying your having the old Audi 90 "unintended acceleration" problem?
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Old Feb 4, 2005 | 09:13 AM
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No, sure it should keep the current gear, but you don't expect it to keep the current engine speed also....
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Old Feb 4, 2005 | 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by FourBore
No, sure it should keep the current gear, but you don't expect it to keep the current engine speed also....
that's never good....


sorry man
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Old Feb 5, 2005 | 11:02 AM
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DRCrowder is correct. it has to do with the transmission and it is meant to do that. If you are on the track or taking corners you would want your rpms to hang a bit to keep you in the pwr band instead of dropping out of it. make sense to you???
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Old Feb 5, 2005 | 01:39 PM
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My CLK500 does the same thing...it's holding the gear which helps in acceleration and also braking, example: entering a turn and then more power is needed coming out of the turn for the straight; it's normal and I think a great feature
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Old Feb 5, 2005 | 02:20 PM
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I believe its part of the ECU. For emissions purposes, the throttle no longer "blips". The engine continues at the same rev to burn off excess gas, vapors, etc., which would otherwise be expelled into the environment.
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Old Feb 5, 2005 | 05:26 PM
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Originally Posted by DRCrowder
I thought that is was the "AMG Transmission" at work. The manual states that in "S" mode during hard driving the transmission will try to keep the engine in the "optimal gear" for acceleration. So if you punch it, go thru 1st, 2nd, into 3rd and let off it will hold it in 3rd for a few secs to see if you want to accelerate again before up shifting.

is this what you mean? Or are you saying your having the old Audi 90 "unintended acceleration" problem?
I had this exact same problem with my brand new 2005 which now has 502 miles. I took into to my dealer and had the shop floorman drive the car with me. He basically said the computer thinks that you want hard acceleration when you put your foot down and it holds it for a few secs after you take your foot off. He said it's normal on the AMG's. I have to say it does feel weird.

MBH
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Old Feb 5, 2005 | 10:20 PM
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When I drove an auto e36m3 non smg it did the same thing.Its supposed to stay in gear.

If I was doing 40 and flored it and let off really quick it would keep the rpms at 4k for about 5 seconds.It changed with how agressive you would drive it.

My friends auto 300z does the same thing to keep boost built.
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Old Feb 5, 2005 | 11:23 PM
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It's called "Drive by wire", most all cars that don't have a direct linkage between the gas pedal and the throttle plate have a form of it. Some just have it more than others. Supercharged cars cannot dump the boost fast enough to allow the RPM's to drop like you were driving a Ferrari 575, for example. Drive the car for a little bit, and you will learn to handle the characteristics beset upon you by the AMG gods.
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Old Feb 6, 2005 | 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by nick 55
It's called "Drive by wire", most all cars that don't have a direct linkage between the gas pedal and the throttle plate have a form of it. Some just have it more than others. Supercharged cars cannot dump the boost fast enough to allow the RPM's to drop like you were driving a Ferrari 575, for example. Drive the car for a little bit, and you will learn to handle the characteristics beset upon you by the AMG gods.
It has nothing to do with what you said.Boost does not keep your car in a given gear.

E36 m3's and 300zs were not "drive by wire" and they do it.

It's to save the tranny from shifting more when your on the gas and let off for a sec.

It will stay in gear to see if you want to get on it again rather than drop 2 gears and downshift again 2 seconds later.
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Old Feb 7, 2005 | 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by FourBore
If I am accelerating hard, i.e. foot right to the floor, once I have been doing this for long enough to be hitting a high speed, I find that if I take my foot off the accelerator there is a very noticeable lag before the revs drop. Although the lag is less than a second, it is very disconcerting especially at high speed as it feels for that moment as if the throttle is stuck. If I am pushing hard and I ease off, it is usually for good reason and I expect instant response otherwise it is just plain scary.

I have never had this with any of my other cars, either supercharged, turbocharged or n/a.

Is it just my car?
FourBore - I am no one's tech head when it comes to this or any other car, but I did have the same issue when I got my car (stayed in low gear a good bit after accelerating hard and then backing off the throttle). I chalked this up to the "S" transmission mode as I found that the "C" mode the tranny upshifts much more quickly once you pull off the throttle under the same circumstances.
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Old Feb 7, 2005 | 08:18 PM
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To All,

I had the same concern when I first got my E55. But here is how you overcome the transmission thinking you still want to be in "Race" mode. After you floor it and then let off on the pedal, the engine still continues to race at a high rpm - just hit the right button on your steering wheel telling the ECU to upshift or nudge the transmission shift gear to the right. Then the engine will shift to the lower gear and all is well again. I have been impressed with the reponse that the ECU will not only downshift when you ask it, but it will also upshift as well.

I have been doing this since 1K miles and it has worked on great.

amgB
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Old Feb 7, 2005 | 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by FourBore
If I am accelerating hard, i.e. foot right to the floor, once I have been doing this for long enough to be hitting a high speed, I find that if I take my foot off the accelerator there is a very noticeable lag before the revs drop.

Is it just my car?

This is not a flaw, error, mistake, or bug.
It's part of the computerized response to aggressive acceleration, which allows you to reaccelerate easily if necessary, without having to climb all the way back up the torque curve to harness max power.
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Old Feb 8, 2005 | 08:14 AM
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I get it too and it's normal for AMG.
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Old Feb 8, 2005 | 09:20 AM
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Ok, it's reassuring to know that my car is not abnormal.

However, I am struggling to understand why this feature is a good thing.

And just to clarify, I'm talking about the RPMs being held when lifting off, not the current gear being held, which of course is a very good thing.

If I am accelerating hard and I lift off, it is because I don't want to continue at the same speed. I don't have a clutch so I don't need to lift off for any other reason. If I wanted to keep the revs up, I wouldn't lift off. So what possible benefit is there in the car doing this for me?

Regarding the suggestion that it is to prevent having to climb back up the torque curve, if I'm going to re-accelerate within the short space of time that the system is keeping my revs up, I won't really have dropped that many RPMs anyway so it won't be an issue.

Every time I experience this it feels unnatural and gives me a micro-panic moment. And as I said before, no other car of mine has ever done this, and I have owned a variety of quick cars in both normally aspirated and forced induction spec.

If it's such a great feature why don't other manufacturers use it?
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Old Feb 8, 2005 | 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by FourBore
If it's such a great feature why don't other manufacturers use it?
I think you are mistaking us answering your question for being an aadvocate of the feature. You asked, we answered. No one, especially me, said it was good or bad, we just said what it is. If you are unhappy with it drive in "C" or see if MB can disable this "feature" for you.
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Old Feb 8, 2005 | 11:26 AM
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Originally Posted by FourBore
Ok, it's reassuring to know that my car is not abnormal.

However, I am struggling to understand why this feature is a good thing.

This is a good thing that it wont wear out your tranny as much from shifting more.

And just to clarify, I'm talking about the RPMs being held when lifting off, not the current gear being held, which of course is a very good thing.

Your car is keeping it in a gear.

If I am accelerating hard and I lift off, it is because I don't want to continue at the same speed. I don't have a clutch so I don't need to lift off for any other reason. If I wanted to keep the revs up, I wouldn't lift off. So what possible benefit is there in the car doing this for me?

The car dosnt waste time shifting the tranny more.When you drive a standard do you always shift every 5 sec or keep the car in its sweet spot?

Say your doing 80 and about to take a nasty corner but you are going a little to fast.You let off the gas and get right back on the take the corner with the revs still up.Its more of a sporty feature.

Regarding the suggestion that it is to prevent having to climb back up the torque curve, if I'm going to re-accelerate within the short space of time that the system is keeping my revs up, I won't really have dropped that many RPMs anyway so it won't be an issue.

Every time I experience this it feels unnatural and gives me a micro-panic moment. And as I said before, no other car of mine has ever done this, and I have owned a variety of quick cars in both normally aspirated and forced induction spec.

If it's such a great feature why don't other manufacturers use it?
I have never drove an e55 so I dont know how it feels but I drove and auto 300z and auto e36 m3 and they do it.The m3 stays in gear for like 5 seconds after getting off the gas.

Its a track street car and needs to keeps the revs on in corners.
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Old Feb 9, 2005 | 01:34 PM
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Originally Posted by skratch77
I have never drove an e55 so I dont know how it feels but I drove and auto 300z and auto e36 m3 and they do it.The m3 stays in gear for like 5 seconds after getting off the gas.

Its a track street car and needs to keeps the revs on in corners.
I think his point isn't that it stays in gear...its that the revs stay high. That would scare me too.
My CLK55 doesn't do that, and if it did I would get it fixed!
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Old Feb 9, 2005 | 03:19 PM
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The revs are staying high BECAUSE the tranny is holding the gear.

As long as the car is no longer pulling/accelerating when you let off the gas, then you should be safe.

In spirited driving you are actually saving the tranny from excess shifting up and down constantly.
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Old Feb 9, 2005 | 06:45 PM
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I think maybe I have confused some people.

1. I like the fact that the gear is held when lifting off the accelerator under hard acceleration. This is normal and feels natural and is not my complaint at all.

2. Totally unrelated to 1. above, I hate the fact that under hard acceleration, I lift off and the engine speed does not drop at all - it feels as if my foot is still on the accelerator - not accelerating but not slowing either. Although it lasts for a very short while it feels totally unnatural and scary and makes me go for the brake.

As several people have said this is normal, I would just like to understand the reasoning behind it. This has nothing to do with the gear being held - under more moderate acceleration the gear is also held after lifting off but engine braking starts immediately.
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Old Feb 9, 2005 | 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by FourBore
I think maybe I have confused some people.

1. I like the fact that the gear is held when lifting off the accelerator under hard acceleration. This is normal and feels natural and is not my complaint at all.

2. Totally unrelated to 1. above, I hate the fact that under hard acceleration, I lift off and the engine speed does not drop at all - it feels as if my foot is still on the accelerator - not accelerating but not slowing either. Although it lasts for a very short while it feels totally unnatural and scary and makes me go for the brake.

As several people have said this is normal, I would just like to understand the reasoning behind it. This has nothing to do with the gear being held - under more moderate acceleration the gear is also held after lifting off but engine braking starts immediately.
omg thats what staying in the gear does.The car prolly acts a little different to the way your driving it.

The reason is to save your tourqe converter from blowing up.

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR CAR
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Old Feb 9, 2005 | 07:16 PM
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#1 and #2 is related to eachother. When an automatic transmission holds a gear, after you floor the car the transmission fluids carries a lot of energy and it will keep the engine reving until all that energy is absorbed by the powertrain. That is why other luxury cars tend to tune their auto tranny less aggresive to avoid this kind of behaviours.

Originally Posted by FourBore
I think maybe I have confused some people.

1. I like the fact that the gear is held when lifting off the accelerator under hard acceleration. This is normal and feels natural and is not my complaint at all.

2. Totally unrelated to 1. above, I hate the fact that under hard acceleration, I lift off and the engine speed does not drop at all - it feels as if my foot is still on the accelerator - not accelerating but not slowing either. Although it lasts for a very short while it feels totally unnatural and scary and makes me go for the brake.

As several people have said this is normal, I would just like to understand the reasoning behind it. This has nothing to do with the gear being held - under more moderate acceleration the gear is also held after lifting off but engine braking starts immediately.
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