Slight thump when driving off after shifting into gear
08-24-2018, 10:59 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Slight thump when driving off after shifting into gear
Just curious if others experien into ce this as well. I've only had my '13 GTS for a few months so not sure about all its characteristics just yet. The car runs great and all the maintenance is up to date, including fluids in the transfer case and front/rear differentials. From day 1, it seems to take an extra second or two for the car to shift from park or reverse to drive. If I happen to shift and begin to move a bit too quickly, the car will move but it feels like the transmission engages a second too late. Now, I will say my habit has always been to shift into drive while the car is still slightly rolling back in reverse and start moving forward (I know a bad habit that I don't practice on the Cayenne except out of muscle memory) but I've never had a car that took this long to engage fully in drive. Anyone else impatient like me feeling this effect? I'm hoping everyone is just going to chastise me for the bad habit instead of some horrible diagnosis. Lol.
08-25-2018, 07:19 AM
#2
Drifting
With the title of your post I thought this was going to be yet another TC thread, but this sounds different.
“An extra second or two” for the shift to occur does not seem normal to me, a bit excessive, especially with it to the point you notice it enough to ask about it here. I’ve not experienced that symptom in either of my CTTs. I’ll leave it to others here more experienced mechanically to suggest possible causes.
“An extra second or two” for the shift to occur does not seem normal to me, a bit excessive, especially with it to the point you notice it enough to ask about it here. I’ve not experienced that symptom in either of my CTTs. I’ll leave it to others here more experienced mechanically to suggest possible causes.
08-25-2018, 10:05 AM
#3
Rennlist Member
You might check the transmission fluid level and or replace the transmission fluid and filter. See if the fluid passes the smell check ( not burnt ). Good luck.
08-25-2018, 11:24 AM
#4
Instructor
Thread Starter
Thanks for the replies. That was my thought too. Transmission fluid exchange is next on the maintenance list. I should have mentioned that the same feeling is present ( but not as noticeable) when I use the auto start/stop feature. When the car is off at a red light and then turns back on, I've learned to really ease onto the gas pedal. Otherwise, I feel the same thump, except it's less noticeable. Im guessing it may have something to do with the transmission valve body but wonder if a transmission adaptation would have some positive effect as a first step. Is there any way to diagnose a bad valve body? No check engine lights but I do have a Durametric enthusiast cable I can use. Sadly that tool does very little on the 958 models.
09-07-2018, 12:54 PM
#5
Instructor
Thread Starter
Just to close the loop on this. I had my dealer look into the issue while the car is in their shop. I'm glad to hear what I'm experiencing is apparently normal. Others have complained about it too but it seems the common denominator is being a bit too impatient when shifting between reverse and drive.
He says the transmission isn't as quick to shift between reverse and drive and what some people feel when they shift and hit the throttle too quickly is a thud or a jolt. That's simply the drive gear engaging while the RPM's are higher than they should be. He also said unless you feel such a thud, thump or jolt while actually driving, it's nothing to worry about. Just be a bit patient before driving off.
Apparently the 2018 models are similar except Porsche changed the design a bit to address this issue. He says if you start the car and throw it in drive before all the systems have had a chance to come up to speed, it'll feel like the clutch is slipping. The RPM's go up but you don't really move until there's adequate pressure built up to safely operate the transmission.
He says the transmission isn't as quick to shift between reverse and drive and what some people feel when they shift and hit the throttle too quickly is a thud or a jolt. That's simply the drive gear engaging while the RPM's are higher than they should be. He also said unless you feel such a thud, thump or jolt while actually driving, it's nothing to worry about. Just be a bit patient before driving off.
Apparently the 2018 models are similar except Porsche changed the design a bit to address this issue. He says if you start the car and throw it in drive before all the systems have had a chance to come up to speed, it'll feel like the clutch is slipping. The RPM's go up but you don't really move until there's adequate pressure built up to safely operate the transmission.
09-08-2018, 12:19 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
Automatic transmissions depend upon the fluid being pumped to pressure and delivered to all the various components. During start a lot happens and if the fluid hasn't gotten everywhere yet there's likely going to be symptoms like you describe.
In other vehicles signs of this happening has also been attributed to problems with the in-line filter used for transmission fluid. I don't know that Porsche has any filter in the transmission setup or not. How many miles are on your '13? Do you know if the transmission fluid has been changed?
I saw exactly what you describe in a previous vehicle. My driveway is sloped, with the front higher when pulling in to park. Jump in, start the car, yank it back into reverse and it'd start rolling without the accelerator being applied. With gravity alone, roll back, turn for proper direction in the street, put it into Drive and there'd be a slight hesitation (rev up, thump into gear). Giving the engine a few more seconds to 'get things pumping' before putting it into Reverse largely solved the problem. I don't see the same kind of problem in my '17 GTS, but then maybe years of re-training myself with the last car help me avoid causing the problem.
In other vehicles signs of this happening has also been attributed to problems with the in-line filter used for transmission fluid. I don't know that Porsche has any filter in the transmission setup or not. How many miles are on your '13? Do you know if the transmission fluid has been changed?
I saw exactly what you describe in a previous vehicle. My driveway is sloped, with the front higher when pulling in to park. Jump in, start the car, yank it back into reverse and it'd start rolling without the accelerator being applied. With gravity alone, roll back, turn for proper direction in the street, put it into Drive and there'd be a slight hesitation (rev up, thump into gear). Giving the engine a few more seconds to 'get things pumping' before putting it into Reverse largely solved the problem. I don't see the same kind of problem in my '17 GTS, but then maybe years of re-training myself with the last car help me avoid causing the problem.
09-08-2018, 01:31 PM
#7
Instructor
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by wkearney99
Automatic transmissions depend upon the fluid being pumped to pressure and delivered to all the various components. During start a lot happens and if the fluid hasn't gotten everywhere yet there's likely going to be symptoms like you describe.
In other vehicles signs of this happening has also been attributed to problems with the in-line filter used for transmission fluid. I don't know that Porsche has any filter in the transmission setup or not. How many miles are on your '13? Do you know if the transmission fluid has been changed?
I saw exactly what you describe in a previous vehicle. My driveway is sloped, with the front higher when pulling in to park. Jump in, start the car, yank it back into reverse and it'd start rolling without the accelerator being applied. With gravity alone, roll back, turn for proper direction in the street, put it into Drive and there'd be a slight hesitation (rev up, thump into gear). Giving the engine a few more seconds to 'get things pumping' before putting it into Reverse largely solved the problem. I don't see the same kind of problem in my '17 GTS, but then maybe years of re-training myself with the last car help me avoid causing the problem.
In other vehicles signs of this happening has also been attributed to problems with the in-line filter used for transmission fluid. I don't know that Porsche has any filter in the transmission setup or not. How many miles are on your '13? Do you know if the transmission fluid has been changed?
I saw exactly what you describe in a previous vehicle. My driveway is sloped, with the front higher when pulling in to park. Jump in, start the car, yank it back into reverse and it'd start rolling without the accelerator being applied. With gravity alone, roll back, turn for proper direction in the street, put it into Drive and there'd be a slight hesitation (rev up, thump into gear). Giving the engine a few more seconds to 'get things pumping' before putting it into Reverse largely solved the problem. I don't see the same kind of problem in my '17 GTS, but then maybe years of re-training myself with the last car help me avoid causing the problem.
The only other time I feel inadequate driveoff performance is when I'm using the auto start/stop function and the car turns off at a red light. When the light turns green and I lift my foot off the brake, the car restarts. At this point, if I get on the gas a bit too quickly, I feel sponginess for a couple of seconds until everything comes back up to speed so to speak. Basically it feels like the car simply isn't ready to get going yet. But if I do the same and time it properly where I give the vehicle a second to get the transmission pressure back up, it's perfectly fine. Basically, I get off the brake before the light turns green so everything is good to go by the time I have to accelerate. It's a little annoying so I simply turned off the auto start/stop feature. Tranny oil hasn't been changed yet but that's next on the maintenance list. I'm sure it will only help matters.
I have a 2018 Macan Turbo loaner from the dealer this weekend and the performance is amazing. The transmission's gear engagement at takeoff when using the auto start/stop is seamless. I'm a little underwhelmed with the interior design and feel like the handling is a little sloppy compared to a Cayenne. The lack of PDCC while driving up in the hills last night was wholly evident in terms of experiencing some body roll. HOWEVER... the performance of the 3.0 liter twin turbo engine is phenomenal.
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09-08-2018, 02:44 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
The Macan is indeed a lively, fun vehicle to drive. A bit too small inside for my liking though (rear seating, cargo).
I'd get the trans fluid service done and see how that affects the situation. When buying a used vehicle you don't know how the previous owners drove it. Always a good idea to have all fluids changed, and send samples out for analysis. This would help reveal if there's potential problems. Best to know this ahead of time and plan accordingly, rather than having something die and leave you stranded.
You're lucky with being able to turn off stop/start. As of '17 it's not something you can disable and have stored that way. There's an aftermarket module you can add that will do it though (which I've done to mine).
I'd get the trans fluid service done and see how that affects the situation. When buying a used vehicle you don't know how the previous owners drove it. Always a good idea to have all fluids changed, and send samples out for analysis. This would help reveal if there's potential problems. Best to know this ahead of time and plan accordingly, rather than having something die and leave you stranded.
You're lucky with being able to turn off stop/start. As of '17 it's not something you can disable and have stored that way. There's an aftermarket module you can add that will do it though (which I've done to mine).
10-03-2022, 10:18 PM
#9
2nd Gear
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I have 73,000 miles on the 2013 GTS. Glad to hear someone else has experienced this too. I also live on a slope so I experience the whole rolling and shifting issue from time to time. I've basically learned to come to a complete stop and be patient (which is precisely what we should do in the first place).
The only other time I feel inadequate driveoff performance is when I'm using the auto start/stop function and the car turns off at a red light. When the light turns green and I lift my foot off the brake, the car restarts. At this point, if I get on the gas a bit too quickly, I feel sponginess for a couple of seconds until everything comes back up to speed so to speak. Basically it feels like the car simply isn't ready to get going yet. But if I do the same and time it properly where I give the vehicle a second to get the transmission pressure back up, it's perfectly fine. Basically, I get off the brake before the light turns green so everything is good to go by the time I have to accelerate. It's a little annoying so I simply turned off the auto start/stop feature. Tranny oil hasn't been changed yet but that's next on the maintenance list. I'm sure it will only help matters.
I have a 2018 Macan Turbo loaner from the dealer this weekend and the performance is amazing. The transmission's gear engagement at takeoff when using the auto start/stop is seamless. I'm a little underwhelmed with the interior design and feel like the handling is a little sloppy compared to a Cayenne. The lack of PDCC while driving up in the hills last night was wholly evident in terms of experiencing some body roll. HOWEVER... the performance of the 3.0 liter twin turbo engine is phenomenal.
The only other time I feel inadequate driveoff performance is when I'm using the auto start/stop function and the car turns off at a red light. When the light turns green and I lift my foot off the brake, the car restarts. At this point, if I get on the gas a bit too quickly, I feel sponginess for a couple of seconds until everything comes back up to speed so to speak. Basically it feels like the car simply isn't ready to get going yet. But if I do the same and time it properly where I give the vehicle a second to get the transmission pressure back up, it's perfectly fine. Basically, I get off the brake before the light turns green so everything is good to go by the time I have to accelerate. It's a little annoying so I simply turned off the auto start/stop feature. Tranny oil hasn't been changed yet but that's next on the maintenance list. I'm sure it will only help matters.
I have a 2018 Macan Turbo loaner from the dealer this weekend and the performance is amazing. The transmission's gear engagement at takeoff when using the auto start/stop is seamless. I'm a little underwhelmed with the interior design and feel like the handling is a little sloppy compared to a Cayenne. The lack of PDCC while driving up in the hills last night was wholly evident in terms of experiencing some body roll. HOWEVER... the performance of the 3.0 liter twin turbo engine is phenomenal.