Tiptronic Question !!

[r34_skyline]

hey guys, is there a difference between an actual manual and a tiptronic manual ? besides the obvious(no clutch, shifts up down etc). do they both work just as well ?

also, would the gear ratio change when u shift it over to semi-manual ? or will the ratio be exactly the same as if it was crusing in auto ?

[Abo Bob]

a semi auto is actually an auto box that you can put in whatever gear you like and it will hold it. the ratios can't change.

[zymotic]

a manual is better, a tiptronic is 1/2 way as good as a manual from a normal auto IMHO

its good also being on boost (albiet lesser) when changing also, at least thats what it feels like.

its bad that there is a gap in the changes but this can be remedied with a shift kit so I have read on here.

and yes Bob u were right once I got used to the steering wheel shifts I find them better than the paddle, not a wank at all.

Being that equivalent manuals cost at least $5k more a tiptronic is not a bad option IMHO.

[r34_skyline]

lol thnx guys.

i'm thinking about gettin a tiptronic coz of peak hour traffic. but i also want some fun, so a semi manual sounds good.

[hungry6]

Just from my experiences

tipronic = auto

SMG = hydraulis actuated (proper manual with no third pedal)

DSG = electronically dual clutch system manual from Audi-Porsche

F1 = Ferrari is similar to above but is single plates and is very twitchy and sometime down right rude and aggresive, think of spinning wheels at lights take of on small accelerator openings.

Off all the above the SMG is the most problematic, my last M3 is REALLY my last M3, as for the F1 until you try it, you really never know what you're missing out on.

[MIVEC]

I drive a Mitsubishi FTO with Tiptronic transmission.

Most people don't understand exactly what it is Tiptronic is.....it is a totally automatic gearbox.

Untill you push the shift lever over into sports mode at which point the car becomes manual.....so to speak. You can take the car to redline and it will bounce off the rev limiter untill you change it (this may vary from model to model as I hear the XR's automatically change up if you bounce off the limiter) The car will not change gear untill you tell it to.

Disadvantages of tiptronics are that you can't really launch the car....unless you got your foot on the break to hold you there. Some people also tend to think that there is massive delay in between shifts....there isn't really, we're talking milliseconds here people.

Another disadvantage is that they're freakin expensive if they break!

Considering tiptronics are generally cheaper than manuals.....I say go for it......you can have just as much fun as manual but push it back into auto if you just wanna chill in traffic.

[satanic]

TIPTRONIC ALL THE WAY!

My only beef with it though on the R34 is that you have to turn the steering wheel paddles ON before you can use them!

Someone should make a mod where the paddles light up!

[r34_skyline]

I drive a Mitsubishi FTO with Tiptronic transmission.

Most people don't understand exactly what it is Tiptronic is.....it is a totally automatic gearbox.

Untill you push the shift lever over into sports mode at which point the car becomes manual.....so to speak.  You can take the car to redline and it will bounce off the rev limiter untill you change it (this may vary from model to model as I hear the XR's automatically change up if you bounce off the limiter)  The car will not change gear untill you tell it to.

Disadvantages of tiptronics are that you can't really launch the car....unless you got your foot on the break to hold you there.  Some people also tend to think that there is massive delay in between shifts....there isn't really, we're talking milliseconds here people.

Another disadvantage is that they're freakin expensive if they break!

Considering tiptronics are generally cheaper than manuals.....I say go for it......you can have just as much fun as manual but push it back into auto if you just wanna chill in traffic.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

cheers mate. nice info.

one more question. how do know what gear you're in ? say u're crusing in 4th gear and approach a traffic light(red), do u push the shift stick down 3 times(4-3-2-1) ? or push it up once to get it bak to 1 (4-1) ?

thnx every1 else.

[satanic]

You need to either push the paddle on the steering wheel 3 times to get it from 4th to first, or move the gear stick 3 times to get it from 4th to first.

That is the one downside.

Also, another thing that I've noticed is that you can down shift on demand, but you cannot up shift on demand (particaularly going from 3rd to 4th). You need to be at a certain speed or RPM (not sure which one) before you are "allowed" to shift.

I believe the SHIFT KIT fixes this slight problem.

[zymotic]

lol, i thought there was something wrong with the tranny when i couldn't change from 3rd to 4th. Even happened on the same stretch of road twice and i didn't figure it out.

[r34_skyline]

You need to either push the paddle on the steering wheel 3 times to get it from 4th to first, or move the gear stick 3 times to get it from 4th to first.

That is the one downside.

Also, another thing that I've noticed is that you can down shift on demand, but you cannot up shift on demand (particaularly going from 3rd to 4th).  You need to be at a certain speed or RPM (not sure which one) before you are "allowed" to shift.

I believe the SHIFT KIT fixes this slight problem.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

oh okies, cool.

[MIVEC]

one more question. how do know what gear you're in ? say u're crusing in 4th gear and approach a traffic light(red), do u push the shift stick down 3 times(4-3-2-1) ? or push it up once to get it bak to 1 (4-1) ?

Not sure about the R34 but the tiptronic FTO has a gear indicator on the speedo so that when you're in tip mode you can just look at the speedo to see what gear you're in.

And when it comes to stopping....you can downshift to 1st if you want or you can just roll to a stop and the car will automatically shift down to 1st once the RPM's are low enough.

[zymotic]

Not sure about the R34 but the tiptronic FTO has a gear indicator on the speedo so that when you're in tip mode you can just look at the speedo to see what gear you're in.

And when it comes to stopping....you can downshift to 1st if you want or you can just roll to a stop and the car will automatically shift down to 1st once the RPM's are low enough.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ya GTT is the same, number on speedo, definately shifts down from 2nd to 1st by itself not sure about the rest of the downshifts yet.

[satanic]

lol, i thought there was something wrong with the tranny when i couldn't change from 3rd to 4th. Even happened on the same stretch of road twice and i didn't figure it out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah same dude... I was driving at 40kmh and full trying to get the gears up. I just sat there pushing and pushing the gear stick but nothing. Got kinda worried up until i figured it out

[dezz]

Yeah same dude... I was driving at 40kmh and full trying to get the gears up.  I just sat there pushing and pushing the gear stick but nothing.  Got kinda worried up until i figured it out

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the only tiptronic i've driven is my dads BA...and it sounds the same as your skylines and FTO's

with the fords, when you push the stick over to the left (and dont move it up or down) it goes into performance mode, which is the same as the "power" and "econ" switch on the older ford autos and holdens too... it is still fully auto, but will rev higher than when its in normal auto mode.

then if you move the stick up or down, it will go into tiptronic and you have to do the changing...you can bounce off the limiter, and it'll hold the gear. the only time it really changes a gear itself, is if say for example you approach a red light in 4th, and dont gear down, when the car gets to about 20km/h it'll drop straight into first, and you cant engage second until you're over 20km/h

definitely good fun...as others said, its half way between an auto and a manual...

[scathing]

Most Tiptronics are just autos with a tarted up shift gate. Most of the Euro cars will not hold gear at redline (a scary prospect when you're barrelling towards a hairpin in a rented Boxster and the f**king things upshifts on you and surges forward past your comfortable braking point.....)

Some are better than others, and they will hold whatever gear you put them in, but that's not an inherently Tiptronic function. The old Mazda autos had a "hold" button (but no fancy paddles or toggles), and it held the car in whatever gear the shifter was in. So if I put it in 2 with the hold button at a set of lights, it'd take off in 2nd gear. And if I used the stick, it would change pretty much then and their.

In the end, that's a programming feature rather than an inherent engineering advantage.

After driving a couple of Tiptronic-equipped cars, I wouldn't buy them thinking they're a good compromise between a manual and "auto". They still have all the problems of an automatic, but with the problem that you expect more from it and so it frustrates you more when it acts stupid.

The Tiptronics don't necessarily kick down immediately (the Boxster's needs 2 presses and a little bit of time to drop from 3rd to 2nd, but it'll upchange as quick as the technology will let it) and they still have the same torque converter losses that your regular slushbox have.

If you can get a true clutchless manual then that's great (since they're a true clutch gearbox, but hydraulically actuated), but the cheapest car after the Alfas to have them is the BMW M3 SMG. After that, you're talking about Aston Martins, Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

The DSG gearbox would be great too, but only VW has them so far. Those things have two driveshafts and a clutch for each pair of gears, so as you change gears it disengages one clutch and engages the next. Seamless power...

[zymotic]

I wouldn't buy them thinking they're a good compromise between a manual and "auto".

Being able to control gear changes is a good compromise to me.

They still have all the problems of an automatic, but with the problem that you expect more from it and so it frustrates you more when it acts stupid.

No such problems with mine, it has never acted "stupid". Good compromise between auto and manual functions so far.

[siddr20]

Another thing I would like to ask is, Once you go into that triptronic mode, does it chu petrol like crazy???

[dezz]

Another thing I would like to ask is, Once you go into that triptronic mode, does it chu petrol like crazy???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

personally i think it can be used to go either way.

when i use it in my dads BA, its coz i want to have a bit of fun...so i let the revs go higher then change etc....quicker take offs etc

but if you put it in tiptronic, you can put it in 4th earlier, and take off slower , keeping the revs low as.

[zymotic]

Another thing I would like to ask is, Once you go into that triptronic mode, does it chu petrol like crazy???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no, doesn't really make a dif. more % of time spent on boost = more fuel used.

this can be done in auto or tiptronic.