I tried searching for the thread where someone mentioned in Sport Mode (PASM Normal or Sport) there is a hard downshift from 2nd to 1st - this is related to a software update?

Can this be addressed? Is it hurting the PDK doing that hard of a downshift?

 

Can you clarify your scenario and definition of hard? Ie, approaching a steep switchback in anger, or just tooling through the line awaiting your turn to go in the right turn lane? Auto or manual shift?

 

Were you braking to a stop? Slow brake profile?

 

Have a look at posts 16 and 17 of https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...rmal-or-2.html . Even though the thread is about being "assertive" [ADias] on throttle up, the reverse applies.

I can duplicate what you are experiencing in Sport mode if I do not brake "assertively" to a dead stop. If I brake as I do in nonSport mode, it will happen. Just increase your braking rate TO A FULL STOP and it will not happen. There is a thread on this but I could not find it.

I've read that Porsche updated the firmware in the PDK and it resolved this and "softened" other shift points. I do not permit my dealer to do any updates tot he car without a conversation and my consent. I like mine the way it is.

 

Hi, I have had my 2010 997.2 PDK for a couple of months now, and yes, I experience this issue also. At first I found it very disconcerting as it's a very pronounced jolt, but I have learned to live with it and drive around it. If I am braking harder I find it's nowhere near as bad, it's predominately in traffic & around town. Personally in those situations I prefer driving the car in manual mode, and only change down as far as second when coming to a stop. That way the car will still change to first on its own as you stop, but not produce the jolt that it does in sports mode/Auto.

 

Don't crawl to a stop in Sport mode while in fully automatic mode, the shift from 2nd to 1st can get your attention.

 

While that is programed behavior, my car was doing the same thing. I changed the PDK fluid and filter and that down shift was softened quiet a bit.

 

I always take out my car out of Sport mode when the speeds go lower then - let's say - 25 mph, because the downshifts (and stop and go) is really rough with the PDK.
My car is MY 2009, but the (replacement) PDK is maybe 4 years old, so it should be on the latest firmware release

 

Same, once I’m in suburban streets with low speed limits or a traffic-y freeway, it doesn’t really make sense to keep it in sport due to the 2-1 shifts.

 

As others have said, what's your definition of "hard"? And I have another question. Are you in auto or manual mode? We all have our individual driving styles and preferences. Me, I'm always in manual sport + once the oil is up to temp. Even in auto/sport while warming up I don't sense the hard downshift you describe from second to first so if in auto mode this could be a software issue as you mentioned. I don't have what you describe on my 2011 GTS so not knowing what year your car is we could have different PDK software.

For what it's worth, manual mode is greatly underrated imo. You choose when to shift and once you get the hang of it you downshift with minimal "hard" sense of it and as a bonus you hardly have to use the brakes. Just go through the gears as you slow down and the engine will do the braking for you. I do this coming to a red light to second gear without even touching the breaks. And I don't mess with getting into first gear in manual mode. Once I'm in second, the car takes it to first automatically and perfectly smooth. Nothing "hard" about it even in manual sport +.

 

Apologies it's taken a few days to respond to everyone's comments. I am in Sport Mode - PDK in Auto. As some have also shared it is only noticed during city driving where I am slowing to a stop sign or intersection to turn, I drove a diesel truck for the last 10 years so the downshift seemed "hard" to me but it makes sense what others have shared. I'll try out the method of being in manual mode and simply not going to 1st (although I can't stand the shift buttons and this may drive me to get a 991.2 wheel with paddles) - I have also just turned Sport mode off when exiting highways or knowing a stop light is coming.

As I've come to expect with this forum, great ideas and feedback on every post - much appreciated all!

 

Get used to the buttons before you dis them. I like that I can upshift and downshift from either side. I also like that I can roll the base of my thumb or squeeze my ring finger to shift with minimal disturbance to my grip on the wheel. They are a lot better than the paddles, IMHO. The Porsche paddles are squishy, especially when compared to those on my wife's AMG. But as good as the AMG paddles are, I still prefer the buttons. The Porsche engineers got it right with the buttons.

 

Just a suggestion but before you buy a different car because of the PDK buttons...(which I wasn't crazy about either in my -09 C4S), have you tried using the gear lever in manual mode instead? I have the paddles on my car and they're no doubt a step up from the buttons. At least to me but still, I rarely use them. Instead I keep my right hand on the gear lever as if driving a manual. As said in a previous post, I'm always in manual sport + mode once the oil is warmed up.

Not the same engagement as a traditional manual but at least it takes shifting gears a step closer to a manual for those who miss it rather than pushing buttons or flipping paddles on the steering wheel. Forward and aft instead of the H pattern and you don't need your left leg. Never mind the millisecond PDK shifts in sport +. Manual mode only though unless tracking since auto mode in sport + holds the gears to redline. Not really practical for street use.

 

I pressed the buttons too many times accidentally with the meaty part of my hands and switched to a paddle steering wheel

 

I did that once in a high-speed turn and almost went off the side of the mountain! 3rd to 4th gear...