Hesitation issues 2017 vs. 2018
01-15-2018, 10:24 AM
#1
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Hesitation issues 2017 vs. 2018
I know the hesitation issue from a dead stop has been discussed here MANY times. I have a 2017 Premium plus that I took in for service recently and received a 2018 Premium as a loaner car. The 2018 seemed to have noticeably better throttle response and a much more linear power delivery than my 2017. Did they change something in the software/Transmission settings? Am I imagining this?
When I returned the loaner, I asked the service department if they changed anything for 2018 and they just looked at me funny like "what hesitation?"
When I returned the loaner, I asked the service department if they changed anything for 2018 and they just looked at me funny like "what hesitation?"
01-16-2018, 06:11 AM
#3
AudiWorld Member
I have a manual transmission A4, but I have experienced throttle lag with numerous Silvercar A4 rentals (which is one of the reasons I ordered a manual). It's similar to what I experienced when I owned a 2007 Q7 (i.e. hesitation when starting from a stop such as pulling out into traffic), and the problem with the Q7 was that over time the throttle mapping would change as the car supposedly adapted to the driver's style. It could be that the two A4s you drove were different because each had adapted differently. It only took a few days of driving for my Q7's throttle to go from linear and responsive to sluggish, so every time I filled it with gas I would manually reset the throttle as follows:
-With the ignition off, push the throttle to the floor and hold it there
-Turn on the ignition, but don't start the engine (i.e. press the start button without simultaneously pressing the brake pedal)
-With the ignition on, continue holding the throttle down for about 10 seconds
-Turn off the ignition and then release the throttle
Maybe the same procedure will reset throttle mapping for the A4.
-With the ignition off, push the throttle to the floor and hold it there
-Turn on the ignition, but don't start the engine (i.e. press the start button without simultaneously pressing the brake pedal)
-With the ignition on, continue holding the throttle down for about 10 seconds
-Turn off the ignition and then release the throttle
Maybe the same procedure will reset throttle mapping for the A4.
Last edited by SDakota; 01-16-2018 at 10:44 AM.
03-13-2019, 09:32 AM
#4
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I know the hesitation issue from a dead stop has been discussed here MANY times. I have a 2017 Premium plus that I took in for service recently and received a 2018 Premium as a loaner car. The 2018 seemed to have noticeably better throttle response and a much more linear power delivery than my 2017. Did they change something in the software/Transmission settings? Am I imagining this?
When I returned the loaner, I asked the service department if they changed anything for 2018 and they just looked at me funny like "what hesitation?"
When I returned the loaner, I asked the service department if they changed anything for 2018 and they just looked at me funny like "what hesitation?"
i have had had the exact same experience and was wondering if there was a solution found for it.
03-13-2019, 10:11 AM
#5
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Recently I drove A 2019 A4 loaner and noticed that it had a better throttle response than my 2017 as well. So I called the dealer to discuss and they had no idea what i was talking about with the throttle lag issue. They said there was no software upgrade or TSB for the issue .
BTW the 2019 I drove had the black optics package and the red stitched interior is very cool especially the perforated leather on the steering wheel and shift lever.
BTW the 2019 I drove had the black optics package and the red stitched interior is very cool especially the perforated leather on the steering wheel and shift lever.
03-13-2019, 10:18 AM
#6
I haven't seen this issue with my own 2017 A4 but wanted to mention something for what it's worth. I once owned a VW Eos (2.0 liter TFSI engine and DSG transmission) which had repeated problems with serious hedging when trying to accelerate from a dead stop. This was scariest when I was waiting to accelerate into a lane of fast-moving traffic. I'd see my opportunity and would nail the accelerator but there would be no power for a full second or more. This was unsettling enough in itself but it was made more frustrating but he fact that it was fairly intermittent, so I couldn't replicate it for the dealer. I also couldn't rely on the power to be there when I needed it, which was potentially dangerous.
This went on for a year and a half, with multiple trips to the dealer to resolve it. It initially took me a while to convince them that I wasn't talking about turbo lag. They made all manner of fruitless checks to the transmission hardware and software, as well as some accelerator and engine components, and gave me the procedures for resetting the transmission "learning" software (similar to what is described above). Everything repeatedly checked out. The issue was finally resolved by a dedicated service supervisor who discovered that the culprit was a faulty brake light sensor. It turns out that the DSG transmission had a protection mechanism designed to buffer itself from too much initial torque. So if you hit the gas too hard and the system showed the brakes were still engaged, it would prevent power delivery. My car had a flawed sensor with a micro-delay in transmitting that the brakes were off so it was blocking the accelerator input. They changed out that sensor and I never had a problem like that again.
I realize that the S-Tronic transmissions on these B9's are different than the DSG Tip-tronics. But I wanted to mention this experience in case this might be something else to have them check in the event that VW/Audi are still handing transmission torque protection this way.
This went on for a year and a half, with multiple trips to the dealer to resolve it. It initially took me a while to convince them that I wasn't talking about turbo lag. They made all manner of fruitless checks to the transmission hardware and software, as well as some accelerator and engine components, and gave me the procedures for resetting the transmission "learning" software (similar to what is described above). Everything repeatedly checked out. The issue was finally resolved by a dedicated service supervisor who discovered that the culprit was a faulty brake light sensor. It turns out that the DSG transmission had a protection mechanism designed to buffer itself from too much initial torque. So if you hit the gas too hard and the system showed the brakes were still engaged, it would prevent power delivery. My car had a flawed sensor with a micro-delay in transmitting that the brakes were off so it was blocking the accelerator input. They changed out that sensor and I never had a problem like that again.
I realize that the S-Tronic transmissions on these B9's are different than the DSG Tip-tronics. But I wanted to mention this experience in case this might be something else to have them check in the event that VW/Audi are still handing transmission torque protection this way.
03-13-2019, 10:24 AM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
I haven't seen this issue with my own 2017 A4 but wanted to mention something for what it's worth. I once owned a VW Eos (2.0 liter TFSI engine and DSG transmission) which had repeated problems with serious hedging when trying to accelerate from a dead stop. This was scariest when I was waiting to accelerate into a lane of fast-moving traffic. I'd see my opportunity and would nail the accelerator but there would be no power for a full second or more. This was unsettling enough in itself but it was made more frustrating but he fact that it was fairly intermittent, so I couldn't replicate it for the dealer. I also couldn't rely on the power to be there when I needed it, which was potentially dangerous.
This went on for a year and a half, with multiple trips to the dealer to resolve it. It initially took me a while to convince them that I wasn't talking about turbo lag. They made all manner of fruitless checks to the transmission hardware and software, as well as some accelerator and engine components, and gave me the procedures for resetting the transmission "learning" software (similar to what is described above). Everything repeatedly checked out. The issue was finally resolved by a dedicated service supervisor who discovered that the culprit was a faulty brake light sensor. It turns out that the DSG transmission had a protection mechanism designed to buffer itself from too much initial torque. So if you hit the gas too hard and the system showed the brakes were still engaged, it would prevent power delivery. My car had a flawed sensor with a micro-delay in transmitting that the brakes were off so it was blocking the accelerator input. They changed out that sensor and I never had a problem like that again.
I realize that the S-Tronic transmissions on these B9's are different than the DSG Tip-tronics. But I wanted to mention this experience in case this might be something else to have them check in the event that VW/Audi are still handing transmission torque protection this way.
This went on for a year and a half, with multiple trips to the dealer to resolve it. It initially took me a while to convince them that I wasn't talking about turbo lag. They made all manner of fruitless checks to the transmission hardware and software, as well as some accelerator and engine components, and gave me the procedures for resetting the transmission "learning" software (similar to what is described above). Everything repeatedly checked out. The issue was finally resolved by a dedicated service supervisor who discovered that the culprit was a faulty brake light sensor. It turns out that the DSG transmission had a protection mechanism designed to buffer itself from too much initial torque. So if you hit the gas too hard and the system showed the brakes were still engaged, it would prevent power delivery. My car had a flawed sensor with a micro-delay in transmitting that the brakes were off so it was blocking the accelerator input. They changed out that sensor and I never had a problem like that again.
I realize that the S-Tronic transmissions on these B9's are different than the DSG Tip-tronics. But I wanted to mention this experience in case this might be something else to have them check in the event that VW/Audi are still handing transmission torque protection this way.
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03-14-2019, 04:31 AM
#8
I haven't seen this issue with my own 2017 A4 but wanted to mention something for what it's worth. I once owned a VW Eos (2.0 liter TFSI engine and DSG transmission) which had repeated problems with serious hedging when trying to accelerate from a dead stop. This was scariest when I was waiting to accelerate into a lane of fast-moving traffic. I'd see my opportunity and would nail the accelerator but there would be no power for a full second or more. This was unsettling enough in itself but it was made more frustrating but he fact that it was fairly intermittent, so I couldn't replicate it for the dealer. I also couldn't rely on the power to be there when I needed it, which was potentially dangerous.
This went on for a year and a half, with multiple trips to the dealer to resolve it. It initially took me a while to convince them that I wasn't talking about turbo lag. They made all manner of fruitless checks to the transmission hardware and software, as well as some accelerator and engine components, and gave me the procedures for resetting the transmission "learning" software (similar to what is described above). Everything repeatedly checked out. The issue was finally resolved by a dedicated service supervisor who discovered that the culprit was a faulty brake light sensor. It turns out that the DSG transmission had a protection mechanism designed to buffer itself from too much initial torque. So if you hit the gas too hard and the system showed the brakes were still engaged, it would prevent power delivery. My car had a flawed sensor with a micro-delay in transmitting that the brakes were off so it was blocking the accelerator input. They changed out that sensor and I never had a problem like that again.
I realize that the S-Tronic transmissions on these B9's are different than the DSG Tip-tronics. But I wanted to mention this experience in case this might be something else to have them check in the event that VW/Audi are still handing transmission torque protection this way.
This went on for a year and a half, with multiple trips to the dealer to resolve it. It initially took me a while to convince them that I wasn't talking about turbo lag. They made all manner of fruitless checks to the transmission hardware and software, as well as some accelerator and engine components, and gave me the procedures for resetting the transmission "learning" software (similar to what is described above). Everything repeatedly checked out. The issue was finally resolved by a dedicated service supervisor who discovered that the culprit was a faulty brake light sensor. It turns out that the DSG transmission had a protection mechanism designed to buffer itself from too much initial torque. So if you hit the gas too hard and the system showed the brakes were still engaged, it would prevent power delivery. My car had a flawed sensor with a micro-delay in transmitting that the brakes were off so it was blocking the accelerator input. They changed out that sensor and I never had a problem like that again.
I realize that the S-Tronic transmissions on these B9's are different than the DSG Tip-tronics. But I wanted to mention this experience in case this might be something else to have them check in the event that VW/Audi are still handing transmission torque protection this way.
03-15-2019, 02:51 AM
#9
AudiWorld Senior Member
I have now put approx 4K miles on my Allroad and have not yet experienced the hesitation, and hesitation is something I am very sensitive to since years ago I had MB buy back a 2011 ML that had horrible hesitation issues.. IME that vehicle was so dangerous that you literally had to plan you next maneuver in advance because the hesitation / delay was so bad.
Anyway, I usually drive the Allroad in Dynamic with the trans in "D", and even when I am in Auto I still don't really feel any hesitation. Sure I occasionally may feel some lag in "D" but never in "S", but that is something I was expecting with the the 2.0 turbo, but even that hasn't bothered me too much.
Anyway, I usually drive the Allroad in Dynamic with the trans in "D", and even when I am in Auto I still don't really feel any hesitation. Sure I occasionally may feel some lag in "D" but never in "S", but that is something I was expecting with the the 2.0 turbo, but even that hasn't bothered me too much.
