HarnessedLunacy

I want to know how you guys use your tip.

I don't know much about shifting or what speeds and rpms to be in certain gears.

In auto it is almost always in 5th.

I would appreciate any tips for using the tip because I know it has to be more fun than the auto mode, I just don't think I know how to use it!

NASA racer

The basic concept of a manual transmission is to keep the engine in it's power band. For normal driving on the S4, this is virtually anywhere from about 2500rpm to 5800rpm. Because of the torque, there is also an engine braking effect to help the car slow down. REVVING THE ENGINE INTO IT'S POWER BAND IS EASIER ON IT THAN LUGGING IT IN TOO HIGH OF A GEAR. The best analogy is riding a 10-speed bike. Is it easier to go up a hill pedalling fast in a low gear or pedalling slow in a high gear? The same is true for a car.

The idea is, if you want power at your command, you would select a gear based on the rpm you know will give it to you. If you are cruising at 3k rpm, and punch it, the car will take off like a scalded cat. If you punch it at 1200rpm, the car will take off like a turtle (well, relative to it's own performance).

How does this relate to street driving? Well, say I'm driving along in a 35 zone with some curves ahead. If I want to have the option of using engine braking to slow down, I'd probably be driving in 3rd, maybe 4th but looking at the tach to be sure I'm around 2500-3k rpm. As I approach the curve, I use my handly thumb shifter to downshift to 2nd and go drive around the curve. If you leave it in auto, you are going to approach the curve in 5th and be basically coasting around the curve (because the rpms are so low, the engine will be near idle speed). This is BAD if you are actually driving sportilly, you need some power on at all times entering a corner.

The tip won't let you downshift to a gear which would cause the engine to rev much above 5k rpm. If you come up to a curve at 100mph and start clicking down the gears, it'll ignore your frantic clicking until it thinks the car is slow enough to "safely" downshift (from the engine/tranny point of view). It is a bit on the conservative side, so you have to get a feel for driving on twisty roads to know when the downshifts will actually take place.

Hope this helps. BTW, driving "sportilly"; (i.e., keeping the car around 3k rpm for normal driving) will seriously hurt gas mileage. However, if you look at the tach, and are constantly accelerating hard from under 2k rpm, this lugs the engine and is hard on the engine and tranny.

When manually upshifting, the torque of the S4 is such that there is little need to shift above 3-4k rpm unless you are racing or something. Shifting manually under 3k rpm when accelerating is just exercising your finger and you might as well leave it in automatic mode.

Also remember, that there is a KICKDOWN mode when the pedal is past the hard spot (sit in the car and push the pedal to the floor and you'll see what I mean) which will cause the car to downshift no matter if you're in tip OR auto mode. The car will always upshift to 2nd at about 2krpm and won't downshift to 1st (which my wife's tip A4 will do...go figure). If you accelerate past the "kickdown" spot from a standing start, that will override the 1st to 2nd shift.

Hope you didn't fall asleep reading this!<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/carssmall4.jpg">
00 S4 tip
Silver/Black
GIAC ECU/tip chips
V1

MLN

I test drove an S4 Tip a few weeks ago and it seemed to make the 1-2 shift automatically, even when in "Tip-mode." Is this normal? This is not the case in my friend's A4 2.8. 1st gear holds until his moves the selector forward. NASA Racer, in your post you speak of accelerating past the "kickdown spot" - is that the only way to prevent automatic 1-2 shifts?

MLN

Nevermind, just read thread below that confirms the 1-2 shift even in tip-mode....

NASA racer

<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/carssmall4.jpg">
00 S4 tip
Silver/Black
GIAC ECU/tip chips
V1

NASA racer

If you are at a standing start with no throttle, then FLOOR IT. The ECU flashes "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" and the car doesn't respond until Hal gets his act together (about a second).<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/carssmall4.jpg">
00 S4 tip
Silver/Black
GIAC ECU/tip chips
V1

Sander

This limits the upshift to 5th while still doing all of the thinking for you. I find the tip mode quite nice but the engine is so smooth an quiet that together with some music it's difficult to find the right shift points. I don't look too much at the gauges because outside is where the action is :-)<p>--
2000 S4 Silver/Silver Tip/Conv/Cold/Bose
SF-Bay Area

Bubba-SanŽ

I have a friend who sells Hondas (We were friends first and you need to help your buds through the tough times). A woman brought her brand new Prelude back to the dealer complaining that the engine sounded funny. Turns out she had it in Tip 1st gear and had never shifted!

Two observations:
I guess Hondas don't automatically upshift.
Its a good thing those things rev to hell and back!<p>'00 Silver S4
UUC Shortshifter - 40%
Neuspeed 19mm Rear Bar
StonGard Clear Bra
Tenzo Pedals
Red Calipers

NASA racer

Somewhere out there is some moron with no brain but Larry H. Parker's phone number who the car manufacturers have to account for when they design the level of "idiot proofness".<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/carssmall4.jpg">
00 S4 tip
Silver/Black
GIAC ECU/tip chips
V1

BenM@University Audi

Nice explanation! Very thorough, I'm sure that will help lots of people. Glad I don't have a tip!!