irenesbob

I got a new 2106 A6 2.0 P+ Quattro this past Saturday. I returned my 2013 A6 2.0 Premium + Quattro at the same time and having driven that car for a few years I had expected the new car to be very similar. At this point there are 300 miles on the car. I am experiencing a situation with the transmission as follows: When driving on a road very familiar to me (the Taconic Parkway) in D with cruise on at 58 mph (8th gear). I came to a hill on which the old A6 would automatically downshift to D7 (a few mph lower and it would downshift to D6). The new car just stayed in 8th and the drivetrain started lugging/shaking, the speed dropped to 56 as the car could not keep up the set 58 mph in top gear, but the transmission never downshifted. I put the shift to S and it still did not downshift, so after about 10 seconds I used the paddles to manually downshift to D7 and it felt normal. I experimented after that and at speeds over 50, there seems to no difference between D and S in terms of shift points. Below 35 mph or so there is a downshift when shifting from D to S. If I am at 55 mph in D and just gradually slow, it stays in 8th way down to like 42 mph, even if I move the selector to S. Also, at speeds over 50 the transmission never wants to downshift. It gets into 8th gear by 46-50 mph (D or S) and stays in that gear.
I called the dealer’s service department a few minutes ago and explained this situation to the service advisor. He said it can take the car 500-10000 miles to learn my style of driving and I should just wait until the car starts shifting the way I want it to. If the current situation persists after 1000 miles to call back for an appointment.
Does this make sense?
I would think that even out of the box the transmission would not let the car stay in 8th down to like 1200 rpm on a hill and still not get out of top gear. I am confused and realize that the benchmark for me (my departed 2013 A6) had a lot of miles on it to have learned my driving style, so maybe I cannot expect the new one to be at that point yet. Still, I am bothered by this situation.
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snagitseven

There is some "adaptation" involved as the software detects your driving style on a new car. If you feel the car lugging, just give it some more gas to force the downshift. As the service guy said, give it some time. If nothing improves, have one of there techs take a drive with you. Could be a simple matter of them reloading the transmission module software.

irenesbob

OK

newmoon

There are dozens of transmission shift maps, not just D and S. Also, it isn't just a certain speed = a specific gear. The car constantly changes between maps depending on lots of factors like road conditions, engine load, driver inputs, etc. Putting the lever in D or S, or using Drive Select Comfort, Auto or Dynamic modes just makes the car more likely to choose a map at the appropriate part of the spectrum.

For example, you can select S or Dynamic and it will start off in a sporty map, but if you drive sedately for a while or perhaps put it on cruise control (thereby removing driver inputs and speed changes), it will eventually change to a comfort oriented map.

The opposite is also possible. If you just leave the lever in D or have Drive Select in Auto or Comfort mode, once you start stabbing the gas (or brakes) and driving aggressively, the car will get the hint and change to a sporty map.

So part of it is probably you getting used to the throttle response, and also how the car changes the transmission maps depending on how you use the gas pedal.

irenesbob

So far I have been driving it just like I did my 2006 A4, 2008 A4, 2010 A6 3.0 and 2013 A6 2.0 Audi’s with Tiptronic transmissions (none of which acted this way at this number of miles), so I will wait to see what happens. The way it is now, it shudders and shakes at 1000 rpm in D8 on a long fairly steep uphill (whether in S or D), never downshifting – something none my previous fairly recent 4 Audi's since 2005 ever did. That is why I am concerned. On this new car (as well as the previous cars mentioned here) I use cruise frequently, but never before has that led to the transmission in either D or S not downshifting regardless of how steep the incline at anything over about 48 mph.

Acuransx

My 2 cents. Take a trip back to dealer tomorrow a.m. This is clearly bothering you (and I would not presume to minimize your worry -- it would bother me too). If your A6 has the same transmission as my /15 3.0T -- the ZF 8 speed -- I can tell you that my car has never exhibited the behavior you describe and I do have a very long moderately steep hill that I traverse on my daily commute. If I'm going up that hill and have to slow down car downshifts and no bogging/lugging/shudder. I'm sure your dealer will have no problem having the service manager or one of the techs go for a drive with you to experience what you describe. Nothing to be lost by doing that IMHO. Sorry you are having this issue -- not best way to start off but hopefully a minor "teething problem".


Best,
Jeff

luv2sleep

Transmission adaptation or not, it's definitely not normal. I'd take your car in. The transmission shaking and not downshifting is never normal.

jjsC6

I don't for a minute believe a car should or does need to "learn" to downshift to maintain a set speed on the cruise control. I think those of you who suggested that, and the dealer overlooked the fact that he had the cruise set.

The whole concept of learning is pretty stupid to me, true or not. More accelerator pedal should always result in the same action by the car.

fEArmE

+1

Not to mention it is a brand new car.

snagitseven

I don't believe Bob mentioned his cruise control was activated during his observations, just that it didn't seem to downshift while maintaining the same gas pedal pressure going up a hill. Also, as another poster mentioned, there dozens of software algorithm maps that come into play depending on various driver input factors, pedal pressure and speed to name just two, and adaptation is a valid process. I'm not saying he doesn't have an issue that shouldn't be checked out (it should) but what he was told by his service guy is not necessarily incorrect.