Scott

I have heard that the auto can only handle 220hp, what can a person do to make it handle more and how much would it cost??<p>thanks<br>Scott

Nick

If you are talking about an auto tranny, the lexus goes over 280hp and it's automatic.

Scott

sa

anonymous

Dunno where the weak points are...I have heard rumors that the torque converter is what goes, but hard to say...nobody has posted details here.<p>My experience with automatics in a previous car was that high horsepower does damage in two places: In the torque converter, you always have some slip unless the unit is in lockup. Well, the slip causes heat. That heat can get outrageous if you have tons of power input....you will COOK your tranny fluid. Cooked tranny fluid won't do it's job right & you have to change it more often. That heat itself can apparently do damage to the torque converter vanes...if they are damaged, you get even more slip & heat...vicious cycle. Second, the planetary gears are only able to handle so much power...you may start to hear grinding sounds at shifts (especially when shifting into overdrive gear(s), they seem to be the weakest). When those start to go, it's downhill from there.<p>Most "hop-up" kits for auto trannies from Ford & Chevy are just new valve bodies to increase line pressure in the converter to limit slip during shifts. This will cut down on heat & should help some. Also, new converters with different stall speeds to better match engine hp output can help. But nothing helps if you're overdoing it at the planetary gears. That's where guys buy entirely reworked transmissions with beefier components throughout. On a tranny like ours, this doesn't exist yet...but you can bet it will be in the $3000+ range with core.<p>steve

Chris K

besides that you can't really do much. If you try to overload the auto transmission with too much hp, you're going to blow your torque converter which will cost you lots of $$$ to replace.<p>Chris K<br>98.5 1.8TQTS Tap Stage II

Steve S.

BTW, John...thanks for the info. You da man.<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM

Philip M

Bet it throws some orange. I'm sure an example will be up on audiusa.com any day now! ( .. uhh .. yeah ..)

Zam A Loomstein

This problem with the transmission is why pes and other high performance companies reprogram the automatic transmission. If you want more power with the automatic transmission, the key is to get it reprogramed. (the fault is not in the unit, but in the code). Also, you can further improve your transmission by reducing the shift change time (if you reprogram). Curently, the stock trasnsmission program takes about a second to swich gears. It is possable to modifty it to shift mush faster. (The fastest I've seen is .1 seconds). Check with the company if you get it reprogramed. Your dealor might help, if you get the right kind of person helping you.