yangstein

Hi,
I have an 07' S8 with 70K miles... This is my DD as 911 TurboS and F-430 are my weekend rollers...

I always use paddle shift and do not use regular "D" mode. Recently, I started noticing when I come to a complete stop and downshift to "1", I get a hard "Clink" when rpm is about 2000 acting as if it was in neutral for a second then car jumps and the tranny engaged in the first gear.

It doesn not happen if I use "D" or "S" modes. Is this a symptom for the clutch going bad???

Other than that, I do not have any upshift or downshift problem.

Any opinion or similar experience from other S8's?

MP4.2+6.0

First suggestion given the symptoms is to check the AT fluid level. Take it to a qualified shop if not familiar with it. The fill plug has to be opened with it running and warmed up. If it was ever opened with the motor switched off, it will be low. Otherwise if it proves low, obviously look for a leak.

Besides that, consider a fluid change if you find it full and/or symptoms persist. S8s are very hard though to get the pan off to change the filter--you have to drop the front exhaust basically. So if you did it, it either becomes more involved or you may decide just to drain and refill fluid without filter change. Typically at least twice, best three times (especially w/ no pan drop) to get most of it changed given what stays in the bottom of the pan and the torque converter each time. Lots of recent posts on fluid changes if you search.

All D3's have the same general transmission, with some added cooling circuits for the S8 and W12.

dvs_dave

Nice garage. Try driving it in D or S for a while and not useing the paddle shifters. The tiptronic/paddle shift mode is not designed to be used all of the time. I suspect the Trans ECU has forgotten it's learned adaption settings so needs to re teach itself.

I would also very strongly suggest an ATF and filter change at that mileage too. Especially as it sounds like you drive it very hard.

yangstein

Thank you all for the advise... Appreciate it..

Have a wonderful long weekend.

volvopentaman

Yes, the paddle shifting tries to "override" the learned shift patterns, and that is what messes up the shifting.

Do as dvs_dave said, drive it in D or S modes for a few days, so it can relearn itself.

My car shifts very smooth in D and S modes, but with paddle shifting it doesn't shift as smooth, as the tranny can't anticipate at which time it should prepare a shift, and ask to cut down engine power from the ECM(s).

Maybe you don't know, but when the transmission is about to shift gears, it sends a signal to the ECM that it is about to shift gear, and that power reduction is needed for a smoother gearshift.

When you shift manually with paddles, the time between the gear shift command from your paddles, and the actual gear shift is shorter, than it would be in D or S mode. This is why the shifts with paddles aren't as smooth.

And also, do a fluid swap (preferrably filter too) and reset the gearbox adaptations with VCDS or VAS.