SteveG

Car is 2012 CS pdk. Did autox last weekend. On the track, off the line on about the 5th run the car was not shifting to a higher gear. I believe it was staying in 2nd. Lifting did not cause it to shift into a higher gear. I'm a complete newby to autox. I believe the first time it did this,I was in sport mode. I turned sport off but it continued this behaviour. I went off course (aborting the run) and tried using paddle shifting to get to the staging area. Paddles worked, but the shifter was in the right (manual) position and paddles should not have operated shifts, at least I think that what is supposed to happen. On the way home in auto mode it would shift normally if I was not flooring it as I did on the course. If I floored and then used paddle, both red lights in the pod were on simultaneously indicating that I was in auto and manual at the same time. See pic. The shifter was not in the left position, it was in auto as in normal street driving In about 10 to 15 seconds the left (manual) light would go out as if it was timed out, but the shifter was always in auto (right) position. This is only the second time I have auto crossed, first time on this course. It never did this before. Am I missing something? It can't be right that both lights illuminate simultaneously. Pic was taken days later when I took it to rural area and could recreate the issue; and stopped in breakdown lane before the light timed out.

Robert Nixon

My guess is that no, it should not have both modes light up at the same time! For autocross I just shift manually, which I think helps go from 1 to 2 later (higher RPMs) in getting a better launch. From there, most autoX courses are built so that you can stay in 2nd.

Possibly a sensor or a mechanical issue with the gear lever?

badabing

There is nothing wrong with the car. If your car has sports chrono and it was in the sports plus mode it will hold the gear until redline and then upshift, unless you manually shift with gear shifter or paddles.

Paddles will work in auto or manual mode.

Both lights in the display (D & M) will be lit when the car is in auto mode and you manually shift with the paddles or gear shift. This indicates that it is temporarily in manual mode.

If you do not execute another manual shift within a short time, it will return to normal auto mode and the M light will extinguish.

On second thought, your transmission is fooked and I'd be willing to take the car off your hands cheap.

SteveG

Thank you both. To be clear, I was in Sport, not Sport Plus mode, for one run and put it back in normal for all subsequent runs. It is probable that I never reached red line

Racer Boy

For autocrossing, just put it in Sport Plus and let the PDK figure out what gear to be in, especially since most autocross courses are second gear once you get moving. That works for me and pretty much everyone else I've talked to that autocrosses.

Under most circumstances - especially if you are a novice, the PDK brain will do a better job of selecting the correct gear than you will (sorry, but true!).

badabing

If not in sport plus, other possibilities to explain the behavior in the OP is that you may have unknowingly or inadvertently engaged the temporary manual mode while the gear shift was in auto (as previously discussed) or pushed the throttle past the full throttle position actuating the button or detent which activates transmission kickdown mode.