slicky rick

ok gents i was on a downhill run through the mountains yesterday and noticed something peculiar and not so exciting pdk nuance. as i was going down faster and faster i needed to downshift..as i pulled on the paddle to downshift the car. i would feel the transmission releasing the gear and the car seemed to coast down faster before the pdk engaged the lower gear. Now we have heard pdk downshifting producing throttle blips as we approach corners on a track but the pdk literally feeling it let go for a few seconds before coming on again….is this normal?

Hatzenbach

That is weird. Let me try this and I'll tell you how it's with mine
I had a scary moment today when I quickly changed lanes and wanted to accelerate via kick down (the PDK was - like usual - in like 6th gear with 15 mph)
So I change lanes do a kickdown and there was a 1 sec pause (felt like a year) where nothing happened until the PDK found a gear and the car finally accelerated.

ADias

Next time brake first. Brakes are used to slow down. The PDK would follow downshifting. I hope you had Sport Chrono Sport activated too.

ADias

Right, but… if you were driving a 6th speed manual at low speed (15MPH sounds too low), how long would it take you to engage a lower gear and accelerate?

Contrary to conventional wisdom, in slow traffic the PDK should be driven in M mode, exactly to have full/quick control.

slicky rick

Was in normal mode. But i would think that feeling should not be part of the porsche experience even if its in normal mode. Its like loosing control for a second

rodsky

Why do you ever use normal mode? That's designed to give you the Lexus experience and maximize gas mileage. You got what you selected..

Still not sure it should take 1 second to kickdown - maybe it does in normal mode, I just never use it.

robbonds

i hate how the pdk downshifts for me in manual when i step on it...how is it manual mode if the compute is downshifting for me?? sometimes i miss my MT

slicky rick

Was not really in attack mode and cruising down the mountain. But should the pdk do that? Like i said felt like loosing control for about a second when everything in the drivetrain seems to just disconnect! Until pdk reengages a gear. And it did that repeatedly everytime i paddled down on downslopes.

beden1

The DCT in my BMW 335is acts the same way as you describe. It hesitates to engage the downshift until the RPMs rev match. The other thing I don't like (aside from the fact that I find it boring to drive as compared to a stick) is that I can't skip a gear when downshifting - like from 4th to 2nd when approaching a sharp corner.

I have found that in sport+ auto mode while having a spirited drive, that the DCT does shift pretty spot on without having to use the paddle shifters. It selects the gear that I would have wanted about 97% of the time.

mdrums

Slicky...I still say you need to sell that car...I've never seen more issues with a car on these forums than yours.

I've never noticed anything like you are describing with my PDK.

stronbl

I have experienced a delay in downshift (manual mode) only when executing such a shift would over rev past redline - harder braking to slow car and engine, then I am able to execute the shift. But never in the manner you have described. Can we assume as your speed increased it was due to gravity and not pushing the accelerator towards the floor? Perhaps you have just discovered a new "econo" mode where the PDK slips out of gear when there is a true no-load coasting opportunity!

slicky rick

stronbl, you are right, the speed is increasing due to the incline of the road. the release happens when the downshift is iniitated.
hi Mike, maybe the car is not made for us ordinary drivers and being too light on them brings out the nuisance. your a lot better driver of porsches than i am, for sure, and maybe the car is better suited to your style. Nevertheless, i was hoping some of our brothers would chime in and maybe share their experiences.
i have brought the issue to my dealer and the car has an appointment to check the pdk software for any errors reported and if there is a new software to upgrade the system
Our porsches are of course the best driving experiences around for us ordinary drivers, and as i can see the experts.

ADias

Please read post #3 above. If you are going down an incline and want to slowdown, brake and downshift afterwards, not the other way around. This is a basic driving rule, with PDK or any other transmission. If you do not apply brakes and instead downshift, in a condition where the car is accelerating due to gravity, it confuses the transmission logic which is programmed to react according to the well established rule book - brake first and downshift.

slicky rick

i guess like i said, i bring out the nuances of the car. have to learn better driving. still, i do not think that it should give the feeling of the drivetrain letting go. i do not know what logic the transmission is thinking except that i initiated a downshift. i also noticed something very nice in driving in mountainous areas. there are times that the pdk keeps the gear and actually prevents an upshift even in downhill situations. in other automatics, the situation would cause the transmission to upshift. the pdk does not. it kinda knows im in a mountain and will engage a corner soon. technology…amazing.

rodsky

If you are driving a manual down the hill and depress the clutch to down shift - guess what happens!! You will feel exactly what you describe. A PDK is an automated manual. So why would you expect anything different. Listen to Adias and brake if you want to reduce speed and then down shift - so you have control.

Sports mode is not for attack mode - by the way. It should be the only mode you use Unless you are in manual, then use sports plus.