Hi,

I have had my 96 993 for a few months now and several times I have had a strange thing happen with the tiptronic trans.

With the gear selector in 'D', when I do a hard accel, the trans downshifts as it should. However on a few occasions after I let up on the accellerator, the transmission 'forgets' to upshift. Once when this happened I believe that it took about 10 seconds for the trans to figure out that it was time to upshift. Other times I have switched the trans to manual mode and upshifted.

Transmission fluid level is OK.

Any ideas ?

 

Mine does the same, I noticed that even in manual mode it shifts up and down at different rates depending on the throttle position or even if you are braking or cornering.

I hardly ever drive in full auto mode but I have noticed it take it's sweet time sometimes, but especially when, if it shifts it is going to a very low RPM.

 

You should read your manual. The trans is acting correctly. It is reacting to the way you raise the pedal. It is trying to keep the car in the performance powerband. The Tip is a great Trans and reacts more to the accelerator pedal than the gear selector. This gives you the advantage of double tap shifting, maintaining the powerband when you enter tight turns etc etc. It is all in the manual.

 

#1. Don't ever drive it in "D"
#2. Always drive it in manual mode.
#3. Here are some thoughts on shifting manually and matching revs on downshifts: regarding shifting up and down and matching revs. Start by paying attention to the lag time between when you shift and when the torque converter locks up the gear. This is the time that you have to blip the gas to get the revs up while the car is "between gears" - That space between when you shift and when you are solidly in the next gear is the time that if you blip the gas, the revs will rise enough so that your downshift does not act like a compression break, rather it keeps your speed constant and your revs up in the power band. I smooth out upshifts by easing my foot off the gas during that same space in the up shift. This takes the pressure off the transmission because I am not applying gas while the transmission is locking up the next gear. I shift up, while easing off the gas, I wait for the torque converter to lock up and then I am back on the gas. Just like driving a 6 speed, waiting for the torque converter is like waiting to let the clutch out before hammering the gas.

#4: a search on Tip, Tiptronic or this thread will be of interest to you:
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/199048-tip-poll-tiptronic-owners-only-please.html

:cheers

 

fbfisher,
#1 I agree
#2 I agree
#3 This is excellent information - Thanks!
#4

 

I was on a couple of spirited canyon drives with Fred before I even realized that he drives a Tip. Shows you what these Tips can do when handled properly.

 

Just curious, why did you guys choose tiptronic in your 993s? It seems like a real contradiction, I find them to be really out of place in a car like the 993... In the newer cars and boxsters, those cars are more Tip-oriented (i.e. more comfortable, softer, less demanding), so I can understand the typical boxster driver wanting an auto. But a 993 is really more a driver's car, and having an automatic 993 would seem buying expensive Nike golf *****, and then using wal-mart clubs.

I've never driven a 993 tip, but have driven a 968 tip and 996 tip before it just felt like a normal auto box. What I am impressed with, is that there seem to be few, if any, problems with the tip transmissions (at least from owners I've talked to, and surfing rennlist). I don't know if this is due to the average tip owner not really driving that hard, or because they're very well-built units. I know some people who use them on the track becuase of disabilities, and they haven't had any problems at all, which is good.

I'm guessing you're mostly using the 993 as work commuters? Just wondering

 

Reasons in rank order:
#1: I'm 6'6 and even with the seat moved back to the second set of holes, I was never really comfortable with the seating postion and related leg room challenges that come with the 3rd pedal in a 993 - particularly in spirited (canyon) driving conditions. (a 996/997 is a different story - I would be driving a 6 speed in one of those - I don't like the new 5 speed tips as well either - but that may be a seat time issue too).
#2: My car is my daily driver and while my commute these days rarely involves sitting in traffic, I remember the knee pain associated with sitting in L.A. bumper to bumper traffic with my manual Saab. Being able to extend my left until locked straight in the spot where the clutch isn't is a real treat, particularly on long hwy drives and as a brace in the canyons. If I had a dead pedal, that's where I would put it.
#3: In the search for THE car, this one came up and it happened to be a tip. The other two that I had PPI's and failed were 6 speeds. As I recall, this was the only Tip I looked at, all of the other cars were 6 speeds. It has turned out to be a good choice for me. I had lots of seat time in a Tip prior to my purchase because my sister has a '95 Tip and I drove her car daily for three months while she was out of town. I think this is why I was able to see the benefits of a Tip and not be put off by the option.
#4: People often describe the 993 as bullet proof - I tend to disagree with this premiss. However, the Tip transmission does appear to be, in fact, bullet proof. On a proportioinal basis, my observation is that clutch and transmission problems are far more frequently reported than Tip problems. I have can't recall any threads about TIp mechanical problems. Many here, with a few notable exceptions (Ray Calvo comes to mind) have replaced their clutch, a $2,500 - 3,000 repair that most with a 6 speed resign themselves to doing at some point. I have enjoyed spending that money on a new ROW M030 suspension (with $ left over), with the peace of mind of knowing that of all of the things that I will have to spend money on to keep this car in like new condition after 112,000 miles (so far), a clutch or transmission problems are not likely to be among them.

Just as with a 6 speed, it takes time and skill to drive a Tip well and as intended and in high performance situations. It is a high performance transmission built to be driven and used in ways that are entirely consistent with what a 993 is all about. Most who are critical have never had or taken the time to properly learn how to drive one.

Anyone who wants to see what it is capable of is welcome to my passenger seat and I'll be happy to show you.

p.s.: my opinion is not entirely positive. The tip has some of the same ratio challenges as the stock 6 speed. In certain conditions (tight hairpins that require 1st gear to exit in the powerband for example) the tip gearing is not ideal. A 6 speed, from what I have read, can be more easily re-geared to suit your driving preferences.

I hope this begins to answer your questions.

 

Our Boxster acts the same way. Its just letting you know that 'hey dude, lets party.' It does learn your driving style based on throttle input. There are several shift maps that it will adapt to. I personally like the tip as its not just another automatic.

 

Re-mapping a 993 is really fun. You really need to convince the computer that you are serious about pushing the car higher in the power band, on both up and down shifts. Once the computer is convinced, it becomes a different car. Rich (24fps), you may want to chime in here.

There is nothing "automatic" about a Tip driven properly in "M" mode.

 

Not sure about the 993, but IIRC, the 964 Tips have accelerometers that sense lateral G's and will not shift up or down in efforts to not upset the car. Truly a system ahead of its time, me thinks...

 

Amen Brother Fred!

From all I've read you are the maestro of the Tiptronic 993. I'd like to ride with you for a day to learn the finer point techniques of high performance Tip driving.

Tiptronic 993s may be a lot of things but one of them ISN"T a bland uninvolved driving experience.

Best wishes

 

WOW, I'm sold, I want one... hang on, I have one but it never sounded as good as that. Thank you for a well written post.

From now on any Tip bashers should be refered to this thread.

If there is one thing I don't love it is that it auto changes back to 2nd not 1st. I always like to take off in 1st.

Can this be reprogrammed???

 

put it in 3 instead of D and it will start in first gear.

 

I meant when in manual mode it only down shifts back to 2nd. I know that it will take off in 1st if you set it to 3.

Sorry about not being clear.