:: ECS Tuning :: NEW!! B8 S4 ECS Adjustable Short Shifter

[UnstableOS]

I tried to install it.... Had all the interior work completed any went to disconnect the shifter linkage only to realize I didn't have enough clearance underneath using ramps. Will attempt this weekend on jack stands.

One of the reasons I went with the JHM shifter.. can be installed from inside the car and doesn't need annual maintenance. This looks to be a pretty solid product, just a bit over-engineered imo.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

One of the reasons I went with the JHM shifter.. can be installed from inside the car and doesn't need annual maintenance. This looks to be a pretty solid product, just a bit over-engineered imo.

Ours is maintenance free as well! Not sure how you would install the JHM shifter from inside the car.. Seems like more hassle than it's worth to just remove the heat shield from underneath.. It connects to the transmission linkage in a similar fashion as ours does..

Jason

[SteveYem]

Assuming that I am happy with the height of the stock shifter, someone educate/sell me on the advantage of going with a complete shifter mechanism like ECS/Eurocode/JHM, versus just the short throw linkage like the Stratmosphere/Roc Euro product.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Assuming that I am happy with the height of the stock shifter, someone educate/sell me on the advantage of going with a complete shifter mechanism like ECS/Eurocode/JHM, versus just the short throw linkage like the Stratmosphere/Roc Euro product.

With our shifter you have the ability to dial in exactly how much or how little throw you want with 4 different positions. Our Shifter also features Nylatron NSM shifter plates for superior wear and noise resistance over Delrin blends and even brass. Thus giving you butter smooth shifter operation. Nylatron offers a friction level 2.7 times lower in comparison to brass, offering superior wear and noise resistance that makes it an ideal material for slide plate applications to extend part life.



Jason

[Brother Owl]

Nice product! Looks well built AND it's less expensive than the Eurocode
I'm in the market for aftermarket and since my Roc-Euro intake is on back-order I am really interested in this being my first upgrade.
Are you still looking for reviews? If you throw me a discount I would be happy to do a write up of my first impressions...

[socamonarch]

I wouldn't mind being your Canadian tester :)

[UnstableOS]

Nice product! Looks well built AND it's less expensive than the Eurocode
I'm in the market for aftermarket and since my Roc-Euro intake is on back-order I am really interested in this being my first upgrade.
Are you still looking for reviews? If you throw me a discount I would be happy to do a write up of my first impressions...

To be fair...Eurocode has matched this price..

It's nice that we now have 3 solid choices for an STS.. ECS/EC/JHM --all 3 are great vendors.

[Jones2012s4]

I truly appreciate ECS as a company! Love their products!

[UnstableOS]

Ours is maintenance free as well! Not sure how you would install the JHM shifter from inside the car.. Seems like more hassle than it's worth to just remove the heat shield from underneath.. It connects to the transmission linkage in a similar fashion as ours does..

Jason

Thanks for the maintenance correction. Why install from inside..? so I can do it in my driveway.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Thanks for the maintenance correction. Why install from inside..? so I can do it in my driveway.

You absolutely could install it in your drive way. But you would at least need jackstands/ramps. There's really no way you are even removing the whole shifter without getting under the car. The bolt for the linkage is below the body so you can't access it through the top. This goes for any style shifter that requires the removal of the OEM unit.

Jason

[imola02]

A long awaited review:

Installation
I had the best intended plans to install in my garage. Dismantling the interior went quite well-directions we quite accurate. I was not successful trying to disconnect the linkage underneath my car. I had my car up on jack stands but did not have enough room to disconnect linkage now. Additionally I have AWE resonated down pipes which made access even more challenging to do with limited room to move around. I unfortunately ended up paying a local shop for the install which took approximately 1.5 hrs.

Initial Impression
The install was completed yesterday afternoon so I have not had significant drive time nor any spirited driving. I set the throw to the second shortest throw. The feeling of the shifter is quite solid and very connected going into gear, almost a mechanical type of feeling. A very noticeable throw reduction and the shifter has very little play from side to side. The only SS I have to compare it to was my JHM SS I had in my B7.

I don't know if I would call this a negative yet but the shifter orientation is quite a bit forward as compared to the stock shifter. I am not able to have my arm on the arm rest and my hand on the ball of the shifter entering second gear. To put it in perspective 4th gear is in approximately the same position as neutral with the stock shifter. I need more drive time prior to determining if this is annoying or not.

Overall I have happy with the quality, feeling of the shifter. The price and the not having any associated maintenance was the selling point for me. I will update once I have had more drive time.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Thanks for writing up the review!

It will definitely take a bit of getting used to. As you drive more you'll get accustomed to the new feel.

Jason

[boss2k]

A long awaited review:

Installation
I had the best intended plans to install in my garage. Dismantling the interior went quite well-directions we quite accurate. I was not successful trying to disconnect the linkage underneath my car. I had my car up on jack stands but did not have enough room to disconnect linkage now. Additionally I have AWE resonated down pipes which made access even more challenging to do with limited room to move around. I unfortunately ended up paying a local shop for the install which took approximately 1.5 hrs.

Initial Impression
The install was completed yesterday afternoon so I have not had significant drive time nor any spirited driving. I set the throw to the second shortest throw. The feeling of the shifter is quite solid and very connected going into gear, almost a mechanical type of feeling. A very noticeable throw reduction and the shifter has very little play from side to side. The only SS I have to compare it to was my JHM SS I had in my B7.

I don't know if I would call this a negative yet but the shifter orientation is quite a bit forward as compared to the stock shifter. I am not able to have my arm on the arm rest and my hand on the ball of the shifter entering second gear. To put it in perspective 4th gear is in approximately the same position as neutral with the stock shifter. I need more drive time prior to determining if this is annoying or not.

Overall I have happy with the quality, feeling of the shifter. The price and the not having any associated maintenance was the selling point for me. I will update once I have had more drive time.

Isnt there an adjustment for front to back for shifter , if not this would really bother me. I know eurocode has such adjustment

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Isnt there an adjustment for front to back for shifter , if not this would really bother me. I know eurocode has such adjustment

What exactly do you mean by front to back for the shifter? Like throw adjustments?

Jason

[MisterB8er]

I think he means position of shift knob when in gear or neutral. Like, can it be adjusted for a more rearward or forward position?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

I think he means position of shift knob when in gear or neutral. Like, can it be adjusted for a more rearward or forward position?

It can indeed. This is a feature your vehicle comes with. There's a T45 torx screw that allows you to slide the shifter housing back and fourth to center it within the console.

Chances are if its set too far forward he'll need to readjust it. This can be done from the inside of the vehicle.

Jason

[Brother Owl]

New Install:
Just got ECS Tuning short shifter installed today by BlueWater Performance - install took 2.5hrs. Had shifter installed in shortest throw position.

First impressions:
Very crisp throws with a subtle but welcome increase in resistance when entering each gate. Vague sloppiness of stock shifter is now a distant memory. Extremely short throws were unusual at first but after a half hour or so of driving around town I found downshifts to be fast and engaging, encouraging me to drive with more purpose than my routine slog to work.

I have noticed a slight mechanical whirr from the transmission when entering 2nd and 4th but only if shifter is pushed down hard, and really only noticeable during spirited driving. Not enough to be a concern as I'm hoping it's just an aspect of the new setup.
My shifter knob does seem to be more centered unlike imola02's experience but may be more related to it being in the shortest throw position than the shifter housing having to be adjusted. It is a little more forward bias than stock.

Finally the only caveat I have is that the shift from reverse to nuetral keeps getting hung up. Shifter needs to be coaxed a little forward to get it into nuetral instead of just dropping in like stock. Gabe at Bluewater tried moving the shift housing around to accommodate the reverse issue but would run into a similar issue with the other shift gates. Seemed he was unable to clear all the forward gears and reverse at the same time. Whether the shifter hung up on a forward gear or reverse the issue remained persistent. As of now I am happy having a little trouble with reverse because the forward 6 are so smooth.

Overall I'm very pleased other than the shift linkage getting caught up in the transition from reverse to neutral.
Anybody else noticing this issue or have any advice?

[Brother Owl]

A long awaited review:

Installation
I had the best intended plans to install in my garage. Dismantling the interior went quite well-directions we quite accurate. I was not successful trying to disconnect the linkage underneath my car. I had my car up on jack stands but did not have enough room to disconnect linkage now. Additionally I have AWE resonated down pipes which made access even more challenging to do with limited room to move around. I unfortunately ended up paying a local shop for the install which took approximately 1.5 hrs.

Initial Impression
The install was completed yesterday afternoon so I have not had significant drive time nor any spirited driving. I set the throw to the second shortest throw. The feeling of the shifter is quite solid and very connected going into gear, almost a mechanical type of feeling. A very noticeable throw reduction and the shifter has very little play from side to side. The only SS I have to compare it to was my JHM SS I had in my B7.

I don't know if I would call this a negative yet but the shifter orientation is quite a bit forward as compared to the stock shifter. I am not able to have my arm on the arm rest and my hand on the ball of the shifter entering second gear. To put it in perspective 4th gear is in approximately the same position as neutral with the stock shifter. I need more drive time prior to determining if this is annoying or not.

Overall I have happy with the quality, feeling of the shifter. The price and the not having any associated maintenance was the selling point for me. I will update once I have had more drive time.

Imola02 are you noticing any issue with reverse to nuetral getting hung up?

[UnstableOS]

A long awaited review:

Installation
I had the best intended plans to install in my garage. Dismantling the interior went quite well-directions we quite accurate. I was not successful trying to disconnect the linkage underneath my car. I had my car up on jack stands but did not have enough room to disconnect linkage now. Additionally I have AWE resonated down pipes which made access even more challenging to do with limited room to move around. I unfortunately ended up paying a local shop for the install which took approximately 1.5 hrs.

Initial Impression
The install was completed yesterday afternoon so I have not had significant drive time nor any spirited driving. I set the throw to the second shortest throw. The feeling of the shifter is quite solid and very connected going into gear, almost a mechanical type of feeling. A very noticeable throw reduction and the shifter has very little play from side to side. The only SS I have to compare it to was my JHM SS I had in my B7.

I don't know if I would call this a negative yet but the shifter orientation is quite a bit forward as compared to the stock shifter. I am not able to have my arm on the arm rest and my hand on the ball of the shifter entering second gear. To put it in perspective 4th gear is in approximately the same position as neutral with the stock shifter. I need more drive time prior to determining if this is annoying or not.

Overall I have happy with the quality, feeling of the shifter. The price and the not having any associated maintenance was the selling point for me. I will update once I have had more drive time.

Sounds like your installation may be a bit flawed. Take it back in and have them adjust for proper placement. I don't understand how the shifter could be that far forward without the install being messed up. Sounds like the installer may have had it in 2nd gear and not Neutral when tightening it all down..

[UnstableOS]

Just got shifter installed today by BlueWater Performance - install took 2.5hrs. Had shifter installed in shortest throw position.
First impressions: very crisp throws with a subtle but welcome increase in resistance when entering each gate. Vague sloppiness of stock shifter is now a distant memory. Extremely short throws were unusual at first but after a half hour or so of driving around town I found downshifts to be fast and engaging, encouraging me to drive with more purpose than my routine slog to work.
I have noticed a slight mechanical whirr from the transmission when entering 2nd and 4th but only if shifter is pushed down hard, and really only noticeable during spirited driving. Not enough to be a concern as I'm hoping it's just an aspect of the new setup.
My shifter knob does seem to be more centered unlike imola02's experience but may be more related to it being in the shortest throw position than the shifter housing having to be adjusted. It is a little more forward bias than stock.
Finally the only caveat I have is that the shift from reverse to nuetral keeps getting hung up. Shifter needs to be coaxed a little forward to get it into nuetral instead of just dropping in like stock. Gabe at Bluewater tried moving the shift housing around to accommodate the reverse issue but would run into a similar issue with the other shift gates. Seemed he was unable to clear all the forward gears and reverse at the same time. Whether the shifter hung up on a forward gear or reverse the issue remained persistent. As of now I am happy having a little trouble with reverse because the forward 6 are so smooth.
Overall I'm very pleased other than the shift linkage getting caught up in the transition from reverse to neutral. Anybody else noticing this issue or have any advice?
Thanks

Also sounds like your installation is a bit flawed. I would return it to the installer and have them correct. You should be experiencing no hang ups from Reverse to Neutral..the shifter should have a nice crisp snap-back to neutral.

[imola02]

I am not having any issues shifting into reverse, firmly clicks in and out. I will try the adjustment Jason referred to which will hopefully work to move it back some. The stick is coming close to hitting the front of the shifter cavity.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

New Install:
Just got ECS Tuning short shifter installed today by BlueWater Performance - install took 2.5hrs. Had shifter installed in shortest throw position.

First impressions:
Very crisp throws with a subtle but welcome increase in resistance when entering each gate. Vague sloppiness of stock shifter is now a distant memory. Extremely short throws were unusual at first but after a half hour or so of driving around town I found downshifts to be fast and engaging, encouraging me to drive with more purpose than my routine slog to work.

I have noticed a slight mechanical whirr from the transmission when entering 2nd and 4th but only if shifter is pushed down hard, and really only noticeable during spirited driving. Not enough to be a concern as I'm hoping it's just an aspect of the new setup.
My shifter knob does seem to be more centered unlike imola02's experience but may be more related to it being in the shortest throw position than the shifter housing having to be adjusted. It is a little more forward bias than stock.

Finally the only caveat I have is that the shift from reverse to nuetral keeps getting hung up. Shifter needs to be coaxed a little forward to get it into nuetral instead of just dropping in like stock. Gabe at Bluewater tried moving the shift housing around to accommodate the reverse issue but would run into a similar issue with the other shift gates. Seemed he was unable to clear all the forward gears and reverse at the same time. Whether the shifter hung up on a forward gear or reverse the issue remained persistent. As of now I am happy having a little trouble with reverse because the forward 6 are so smooth.

Overall I'm very pleased other than the shift linkage getting caught up in the transition from reverse to neutral.
Anybody else noticing this issue or have any advice?

Thanks for the review!

Likely it needs to be adjusted better. This is why marking on the shift rod selector is very important. If it's not lined up exactly how it was removed you can have issues with gear selection. Our DIY explains this in detail as well.

Jason

[Brother Owl]

Now waiting for next Tuesday to have shop install shifter correctly.

Here's a pic of the kit as sent by ECS:



Here are some shots of the stock forward gears:




And the shifter travel after the install:




As you can see the shifter does have a forward bias compared to stock - not sure if it's as far forward as imola02....
My current problem with reverse gear needing to bump down/back to get into neutral might coincide with this

[Brother Owl]

Here are some pics of 1st and 2nd pre-install:



And post-install:



Hopefully this helps illustrates how low the shifter is now

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

If my memory serves me right the positions look very similar to how they are in our vehicle. Though some tweaking may be needed to the linkage connection or "selector rod" to rid your reverse issues.

Thank you for all the great feed back!

Jason

[SteveYem]

Does this shifter require trimming (shortening) of the stock linkage rod (the rod that goes into the transmission, I don't know the technical term for it) in B8.5's? I know at least one other aftermarket shifter linkage requires this, but I haven't attempted an installation yet so I'm not clear why it's required.....but I do know that using a cutoff wheel to shorten that rod doesn't sound appealing to me..

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Does this shifter require trimming (shortening) of the stock linkage rod (the rod that goes into the transmission, I don't know the technical term for it) in B8.5's? I know at least one other aftermarket shifter linkage requires this, but I haven't attempted an installation yet so I'm not clear why it's required.....but I do know that using a cutoff wheel to shorten that rod doesn't sound appealing to me..

Not that I am aware of. We have this installed on our B8 A4 and our B8.5 S4 we never modified the linkage selector rod on either vehicle.

Jason

[IceAero]

A semi-related question:

If there is excessive play in gear (both side-to-side, and front-to-back), is that a symptom that the selector (8K0798151) needs to be replaced?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

A semi-related question:

If there is excessive play in gear (both side-to-side, and front-to-back), is that a symptom that the selector (8K0798151) needs to be replaced?

Nope! Our shifter features a maintenance free stainless bearing that never needs to be replaced!

• Spherical 440c Stainless steel, self-lubricating, precision ground, heat treated, PTFE lined shifter bearing
• Maintenance-free

Jason

[IceAero]

Ah, my mistake, I don't have your shifter yet. I'm stock currently, and considering it.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Ah, my mistake, I don't have your shifter yet. I'm stock currently, and considering it.

Oh OK. But if you are experiencing sloppiness out of your OE shifter it could definitely mean that the bearing needs replacement. Which would be perfect timing to replace the entire unit with something better and allows for a wider range of personal preference. Not to mention never have to worry about bearing issues for the life time you own the vehicle again!

Jason

[achilleas101]

for you guys having issues with reverse, it probably IS an installation alignment issue. I had a problem with my Eurocode shifter when i first put it in that sounds very similar to what a couple of you guys described here.

If you get under the car when you have the heat shield off, you can see the plastic housing that sits around the shifter. On the under side, there's a notch into which the shifter clicks into when you put it into reverse. The shifter has a corresponding notch on it. You can see it on the ECS one in this pic


So if you're doing the install yourself, or want to check it out after someone else did it, get under the car and see the shifter's travel as you're (or a helper is) putting it into reverse. You probably need to align the rod a little bit better.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

MMMMM... Nylatron

Jason

[jimrobbington]

This is nice! However, JHM comes with different springs for different tensions on the reverse push (or at least it used to). Any reason you don't provide springs?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

This is nice! However, JHM comes with different springs for different tensions on the reverse push (or at least it used to). Any reason you don't provide springs?

We felt that the OEM feel was the best option for that so there was no need to offer different springs.

Jason

[Brother Owl]

FWIW I'm using the stock spring and not having any issues with accidental reverse engagement. Shifting is crisp and after 2nd look and adjustment I'm no longer having issues with the shifter getting hung up in reverse

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

FWIW I'm using the stock spring and not having any issues with accidental reverse engagement. Shifting is crisp and after 2nd look and adjustment I'm no longer having issues with the shifter getting hung up in reverse

Glad you were able to get it straightened out!

Jason

[einreb92]

Hi Jason. What is your return policy, if I order and don't like it?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Hi Jason. What is your return policy, if I order and don't like it?

PM'd

Jason

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Click HERE to order or for more information


Still in stock!!

Jason