How do you shift the s4?

[mioStile]

Okay - I've been driving stick for about 3 years and I can't seem to get my shifts right for the s4. It's just a little choppy unless you make real quick shifts (so the revs barely have a chance to go down). Can someone help me??? I almost have it, but I want it to be ppppperfect! The gearbox is so beautiful - I want have my shifts compliment it.

[MikeS4]

the s4 gearbox runs on a lottery system. sometimes you get a nice shift...most of the time you dont.

or at least thats what its like for me. i find when im driving more aggressively i shift smoother. normal day to day city driving it takes a inordinate amount of concentration to pull off nice shifts from 1-2. i still love it to death though.

i havent driven mine in awhile, (war on terror...grr.) but i think theres sortof a sweet spot in the rpm range where if you shift there it will drop enough from first to match nicely into second. gotta be quick though, try shifting qucikly between 4-5k rpm in first.

ymmv

Mike

best way to get better at is it to drive it more...tough assignment huh?

[JMG]

^interesting. I thought it was just me.

[oneseba]

I have no S4 but isn't all of smooth shifting based on the friction zone. Knowing where it is helps a lot and we all know every car is different. I've been using the same basic I know with friction zone from motorcycles to m3, 335ci, subies, acuras, minis, etc. and I get smooth shift 95% of the time. My first drive of the b7 a4 I thought the clutch have a really long throw and the friction zone was especially tricky from 1 to 2 (big gear difference?).

[H0LLYW00D]

I feel your pain. I always find myself wanting to be as smooth a shifter as possible, especially when i'm rolling around with a car full of hoochie-mama's. Ever since the first time i drove my s4, i noticed how hard it was to consistently shift smoothly (most notably the 1-2 shift, despite driving manual transmissions since i was 16). The only thing my car still needs is a snub mount, and i hear it does wonders for crisper shifting. Ordering one today, installing it when i get back home next week after i finish up my final exams. Hopefully that will help, but if the only drawbacks to the s4 is the occasional jerky shift and murder at the pump, i can deal.

[Jrunr]

will the snub mount alleviate any of this?

[earhythmic]

I just got an S4 a few days ago and I didnt think it was such a common problem. The 1st the 2nd thing is what I notice most...funny, I was just thinking about that this morning then I found this thread.

Hi, my name is Nick, and I'm a jerky shifter.

[S|Quattro|4]

From what I have read, the snub mount helps ALOT. I also had this rough shifting problem when I had my S4. One member suggested to leave in a little bit of throttle in between shifts. This worked wonders when I got it right and it was very consistent. But, in the beginning its a little tough finding the exact amount of throttle to leave in, but once you find that point, you'll be golden. I really suggest this method.

[40valve]

You are not alone. I've had mine for a month now and I still did not get used to it completely. About a week ago I installed JHM shortshifter and that has helped tremendously. I've read great things about ECS snub mount when it comes to helping with jerky shifts.
At first I was like OMG I can't drive manual anymore then went back and drove MKIV and realized it was S4 that was different.

[mioStile]

the s4 gearbox runs on a lottery system. sometimes you get a nice shift...most of the time you dont.

or at least thats what its like for me. i find when im driving more aggressively i shift smoother. normal day to day city driving it takes a inordinate amount of concentration to pull off nice shifts from 1-2. i still love it to death though.

i havent driven mine in awhile, (war on terror...grr.) but i think theres sortof a sweet spot in the rpm range where if you shift there it will drop enough from first to match nicely into second. gotta be quick though, try shifting qucikly between 4-5k rpm in first.

ymmv

Mike

best way to get better at is it to drive it more...tough assignment huh?

Haha - one assignment that I'm all over doing. Keep doing your thing overseas - we salute you!

I'm so relieved everyone is having a similar experience - I felt the same way. i was like, did I forget how to drive stick?

[SikhS4]

I recently installed the ECS snub mount and it made a huge difference in how smooth the shifts - especially 1 to 2. The stock mount allows a lot of movement and causes those jerky shifts if the engine is not rev-matched to the next gear.

[Eteled]

I noticed a large improvement in 1 to 2nd shifting after installing the JHM solid SSK. Shifting is much easier, requiring little effort to be smooth.

I'd assume that the snub mount would make things even better for the above average driver. Once APR's new place opens up, I'm going to have them install it in my car and I'll post the difference.

I had the Strat Hyper shifter in there previously. 1 to 2 was 50/50 smooth or not. I never have had issues outside 1 to 2nd gear.

[Speedymon]

Had my S for about two months and thought the tranny was jacked up. Glad to see its "normal". For smoother shifting its either luck or i try to wind it out and shift at 3k plus.

[wwb4]

Sounds like a good snub mount coupled with a good ssk would help out considerably with this issue.

[ItzDarrellS4]

practice + snub mount =

[lowbee]

Can someone give a more technical explanation of how Snub mount helps smooth out the shift in S4 ? Thx...

[RAudi Driver]

Practice is your friend.

[rs4guyfolife]

Can someone give a more technical explanation of how Snub mount helps smooth out the shift in S4 ? Thx...

2x

[REDHS4]

"Sounds like a good snub mount coupled with a good ssk would help out considerably with this issue."

And maybe a little blip on the throttle before shifting? And then maybe not?

[S4B6Dave]

Can someone give a more technical explanation of how Snub mount helps smooth out the shift in S4 ? Thx...

I'll take a whack at it since nobody else has, if there is a real tech on here, feel free to correct my ignorance.
My understanding of whats going on: As you accelerate, especially hard, the torque on the drivetrain causes the motor to tilt back or pull up on the mount. When you let off to shift, the motor rocks back forward, which if you are changing gears at the same time, changes the linkage/cable throw on shifter, causing not so precise shifting. The same thing happens when the clutch is let out, causing the torque take up to again rock the engine and therefor ever so slightly changing the clutch take up. By putting in a more solid mount, less rocking equals more stable shift linkage and clutch take up since the distance isn't varying, and the motor isn't oscillating. This also helps put more torque to the driveline instead of losing it to a rubber mount. You can feel this happening by lightly resting your hand on top of the shifter as you accelerate and let off, it will probably move back and forth, with the new snub, I bet it is much less or even gone.

[S4B6Dave]

That reminds me, an issue that has popped up on BMW's lately, and other makes as well, is that the manufacturer is putting a restriction in the clutch hydraulic line that basically keeps you from releasing the clutch quickly, to prevent premature clutch wear from someone trying to do burnouts, etc. Anyone know if our cars have something like this? This helps someone new to a manual not dropping the clutch and causing a jerk, but hinders those of us that know how to modulate the pedal properly. The BMW guys just take the inline restrictor out say that it makes a huge difference.

Check out this link: http://e46m3performance.com/installs...alve/index.htm

[NYCS4Avant]

Having only had about 2 days in the driver seat, i understand the sentiment many have expressed about the 1-2shift. The car certainly appreciates a slight throttle "blip" to help smooth out the shifts.

[lmmike]

Where can a snub mount be purchased? Over the last week my shifter has been especially jerky when shifting.

[Laconvail]

Ive noticed that the engine speed on 4.2's (S4, S5, RS4) drops quickly between shifts when the clutch is depressed. Ive found that getting on the gas a bit earlier helps smooth out things.

[$4c@b]

it took a lot of practice to get the feel right...but bring up the revs before you let out the clutch, or don't let the revs fall too far before letting out the clutch.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS!! but when I first got my car in 2006, my friend with 20 years of SCCA racing took me for a spin in my car. other than the initial take off in first gear, he rowed through the gears 2-6 WITHOUT using the clutch. Then he did the same thing from 6 back down to 1. I never felt the gear changes. His only complaint was the revs didn't fall FAST enough (when compared to his track car) but he praised the transmission for how smooth and precise it felt.

practice, practice, practice

[channad]

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS!! but when I first got my car in 2006, my friend with 20 years of SCCA racing took me for a spin in my car. other than the initial take off in first gear, he rowed through the gears 2-6 WITHOUT using the clutch. Then he did the same thing from 6 back down to 1. I never felt the gear changes. His only complaint was the revs didn't fall FAST enough (when compared to his track car) but he praised the transmission for how smooth and precise it felt.

That method of 'power shifting' is pretty tough to get down. It's basically a timing thing. As you let off the gas, you can slide the shifter out of gear without using the clutch, and without grinding. Then, when the RPMs are correct, you can shift up into gear without using the clutch. It just slides in. This takes TONS OF PRACTICE to do it right. I was able to do this on one of my old cars after a loooooong while.

to the OP...you just have to get use to the car. I let my friend drive it last night. He just said, "wow, it really wants you to go fast." Shift faster!

[$4c@b]

That method of 'power shifting' is pretty tough to get down. It's basically a timing thing. As you let off the gas, you can slide the shifter out of gear without using the clutch, and without grinding.

at higher rpms, it will come out very easily when you lift off the gas.

It's all about matching ratios and a lot of feel.

I don't ever try putting it in gear though without my clutch.

[Meradin]

I find that my best shifts came after I got used to the car. I notice that I barely lift off the gas when I shift so that the rpms don't drop to fast. When I first started driving my S4 I noticed that the engine responded extremely quickly to any input from the gas so keeping control over your right foot is just as important as the clutch.

[Auditude2.0T]

shift like a bastard.

[ngng]

I have no S4 but isn't all of smooth shifting based on the friction zone. Knowing where it is helps a lot and we all know every car is different. I've been using the same basic I know with friction zone from motorcycles to m3, 335ci, subies, acuras, minis, etc. and I get smooth shift 95% of the time. My first drive of the b7 a4 I thought the clutch have a really long throw and the friction zone was especially tricky from 1 to 2 (big gear difference?).

nice body position :o

[oneseba]

nice body position :o

Courtesy of Keith Code

[Brian@AudiMV]

From what I have read, the snub mount helps ALOT. I also had this rough shifting problem when I had my S4. One member suggested to leave in a little bit of throttle in between shifts. This worked wonders when I got it right and it was very consistent. But, in the beginning its a little tough finding the exact amount of throttle to leave in, but once you find that point, you'll be golden. I really suggest this method.

This is what I do when I drive S4s and it also works wonders. Whenever I'm on test drives in MT6 S4s I recommend this before I let the customer drive and it always works.

I think it's because the cars are throttle by wire that they don't come back up immediately after putting the clutch in like on most cars. Who knows!

[mioStile]

This is what I do when I drive S4s and it also works wonders. Whenever I'm on test drives in MT6 S4s I recommend this before I let the customer drive and it always works.

I think it's because the cars are throttle by wire that they don't come back up immediately after putting the clutch in like on most cars. Who knows!

Does this have the potential for having the clutch wear out prematurely?

[Storm33]

How easy is it to install the snub mount? I'm no grease monkey but I can do some minor tasks. Is it something I could do in an hour or two, or is it best left to a dealership or tuner shop?

[kloover]

I've heard that snub mounts are a huge PITA to install...4-6 hour job if you DIY. Again, this is only what I've heard, not from personal experience. Good luck :)

[kloover]

Anyone?

Does this have the potential for having the clutch wear out prematurely?

[40valve]

I've also noticed that when I have APR turned on shifts are a lot smoother. I think i've seen someone else mention the same thing on here recently.

[Storm33]

I've heard that snub mounts are a huge PITA to install...4-6 hour job if you DIY. Again, this is only what I've heard, not from personal experience. Good luck :)

Thanks for the advice...I'll let the Audi guys take care of it.

[ghoonk]

Suddenly, I don't feel all alone in this. I have the same problem in my RS4 and I thought my shifting just sucked, or worse, that I'd bought a lemon.

I'd been driving Evos for the last 4 years and never had this problem, and now this.

Guess I'll have to drive more aggressively from now on :D

[dennisS4]

I find you need to let out the clutch kinda slow in first gear, than shift whenever you like, i like around 3500 to 4500 and let the rpm's drop 2000 rpm's before releasing the clutch otherwise it will pull too hard sometimes and ride the clutch(something audi has to not let you beat too hard on your car). Also, when downshifting rev that engine or you'll be tossed around.