I will admit up front that I would much rather have a M6. I have even considered saving the estimated $3500 to do the conversion. Anyway, I will be driving the A4 for a few years so my question is about the durability of the 4l60e. I did a search and saw a lot of people say it's stressful on your auto to constantly shift it yourself via 1,2,3. However, they usually referred to the stress factor being caused on forced manual downshifts.

I don't care about manually downshifting but I do love to put it in 1 at a light and shift manually all the way up to drive. Then I leave it in drive till the next time I'm stopped. Now I don't bother with this in a 30-40 MPH zone but I have a fair amount of 45-50 mph roads in my area to have a little upshifting fun with. Is this stressful on my trans? I know the computer shifts faster but this is merely from a dead stop and for the fun factor.

So anyone know if I am shortening the life of my trans doing this or is it all the same wear and tear wise?

 

It'll probably have some impact on the total life of your tranny ... how much, who knows? ... Maybe your tranny was going to last 100K. Now it'll only last 80K ... Then again it may crap out on you tomorrow.

Personally I put a lot of stress on my tranny at the track and those times when I'm hitting the road for the specific purpose of doing some performance driving ... routine driving, I baby it and just let the computer do it's job ...

Good Luck

 

You're not faster than the PCM, so let it do it's job

 

At a track you will be faster letting the transmission shift itself...

But my tranny has been through lots pf abuse and its still hanging in there.... Lots of nitrous use, shifting though nitrous, downshifting with nitrous flowing.. ect... the 46le is a hoss thus far..

 

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I know the computer shifts faster but this is merely from a dead stop and for the fun factor.

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Don't get me wrong. I don't manualy shift my A4 every time I am stopped. This is a case where I am at a red light in a 50-55 mph road and I put it in first. The light goes green and I punch it, wait till 5500 rpm's and shift to second, wait till 5500 rpm's and shift to third and wait till 5500 rpm's and shift to 4th/drive. Now admitedly I am about 80 mph so I need to tap my brakes to get down to 60 but it's alot of fun.

I drive in D 90% of the time and would never consider doing this at the track (I want every advantage I can get) but if I do that manual shift once/twice a day does it hurt my trans or is it all the same wear and tear regardless of whether the computer did it or I did?

 

I don't know about daily drving but if you are punching it pretty hard and your manually shifting, its not recommended. I know someone who blew their tranny twice manually shifting, but he was drag racing.