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2015 A8 Issues

52K views 149 replies 45 participants last post by  MoparRocker74 
#1 ·
Let me first preface this post by saying that If i sound a bit jilted it's mostly because this 2015 Scat Pack is the worst car I've ever purchased - the list of issues I've had with this alleged car is so long that at this point the fact that my backup camera does not work is number 20 on my priority list .

In any case the biggest issue at the moment is the god awful A8 transmission and rough shifting during gentle slow down.
The issue has been there since pretty much day one , and has gotten progressively worst - The dealership has performed both a quick re-learn and a full-relearn (not sure what the difference is exactly), after both re-learns the issue seemed to have subsided and returned after 3 days or so with a vengeance, turning off hill assist seemed to have helped as well .

the issue itself - slowing down gently from 40MPH or so to a complete stop, the transmission goes through every gear almost a bit before it should and really roughly - there is no hard knocking noise or anything like that, the only way I can describe it is driving a manual and shifting down through every gear prematurely causing the vehicle to lurch slightly .

the funny thing is, when driving a bit more aggressively and stopping a bit more abruptly the problem is less noticeable . the issue is almost 100% upon deceleration, for the most part the A8 works fine when accelerating and works tremendously well when accelerating hard .

Now after some research online I've found folks using other Chrysler group application of this transmission describe everything from mild version of what I'm experiencing , claiming it's 100% normal to those who experience worst lurches with serious bumps.

Am I crazy to think that a modern automatic transmission shouldn't feel like it's down shifting hard between every gear when slowing down ? Any ideas ? short of just add "awful transmission" to everything else that's terrible about this car?
 
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#2 ·
The engineer I spoke to about the Auto trannys, 5 speed and 8, said they wanted them to have this "feel", like you are downshifting in a manual, without having to actually downshift. I don't agree with their thinking, and I notice that same feeling in my A5, but nothing that severe. There is a certain hill in my neighborhood where my car slows down, and if I let it, it would probably stop.
 
#3 ·
I've had an 11 RT A5 and it was not even in the same ballpark . The A5 pretty much felt like every other transmission at "parking lot speeds" or when slowing down gently . The A8 feels like a 13 year old is controlling my transmission somewhere with an Xbox controller.
Here is a fairly similar description of the issue on the Charger forums:
8-Speed Transmission Issues - Dodge Charger Forums
 
#6 ·
Something certainly doesn't sound right with those symptoms you've described.

I've driven my friends' '13 300S (V6) and the 8-speed was very smooth and responsive - drove it both around town and on freeway and 45mph boulevards and got to try it more aggressively to see how the responsiveness is.

I'd say yours had some issues that are with the valve body or the solenoids inside that control the shifting.

Yes, you'll have downshifts on decel (like slowing to stop) but it shouldn't be harsh or jerky.

I also have a 'Benz with the same A5 and have modded it with the AMG 'blue top' solenoids, so I have firmer upshifts and downshifts from stock, but its not abrupt or rough...
 
#9 ·
I dont want to make it seem like the downshifts are throwing me around the vehicle or anything.
It's pretty hard to convey "harsh" , in my opinion after 20 years of driving all sorts of automatic (and manual) transmissions, it feels way beyond anything else . Again, best way to explain is a slightly premature downshift by a person driving a manual. Not enough to really make the car lurch but enough to cause some breaking .

Now hitting the gas aggressively the transmission will act perfectly, shift crazy fast , and just feel great. It's the slowing down and gentle speeds that feels terrible
 
#7 · (Edited)
The 13 3.7 Mustangs and 14 5.0 auto's do this minus the firm shifting stock. I'm not sure how it helps or if it's part of the same things you are experience but it's the torque converter lockup clutch causing the "lurching" forward just before you stop. It's part of the fuel economy transmission strategy. As to the firm shifting, people pay to get the firm shifting and quick engine braking effects of the firm shifting upon slowing in Mustang autos. I'm enjoying mine thus far.

Edit: I'm sure the higher line pressure/firmer shifting makes this more noticeable and annoying for you.
 
#13 ·
So do you experience the same behavior ?
Slowing down gently to a full stop, would you say the transmission acts "smoothly" ?
 
#15 · (Edited)
Hi Stanz,

I do not know if you are experiencing abnormally firm down shifts or not. The A8 in my 2015 Challenger behaves exactly as I have always wished automatic transmissions would. I describe the behavior below hoping it will help you resolve your issue. Maybe yours is displaying too much of a good thing?

My 2015 A8 has crisp mildly perceptible down shifting and just the right amount of engine breaking when coming to a stop. However, mine in no way feels like "a 13 year old with an xbox". Mine feels like a transmission being expertly shifted with just the right amount of feedback. In sport mode it is more aggressive.

When I apply light brake pressure entering a corner, settling the suspension, the transmission chooses a lower gear with slight lockup. It behaves much like a manual in gear during the corner. I cannot express how much I love this feature.

When descending a hill, a momentary hint of throttle causes the transmission to descend in a relatively high gear giving minimal engine breaking. A little brake and it downshifts giving more engine breaking (lock-up). In sport mode it provides downhill engine breaking closer to a manual transmission.

I have always disliked automatics that provide no feed back during deceleration, as if one has just thrown the transmission into neutral. Then there is that tiny moment of spool-up-then-catch as one transitions from brake to gas in a fast sweeping corner. Even worse is a "runaway" feeling when descending hills.
 
#17 ·
Hi Stanz,

I do not know if you are experiencing abnormally firm down shifts or not. The A8 in my 2015 Challenger behaves exactly as I have always wished automatic transmissions would. I describe the behavior below hoping it will help you resolve your issue. Maybe yours is displaying too much of a good thing?

My 2015 A8 has crisp mildly perceptible down shifting and just the right amount of engine breaking when coming to a stop. However, mine in no way feels like "a 13 year old with an xbox". Mine feels like a transmission being expertly shifted with just the right amount of engine breaking and feedback. In sport mode it is more aggressive.

When I apply light breaking pressure entering a corner, settling the suspension, the transmission chooses a lower gear with slight lockup. It behaves much like a manual in gear during the corner. I cannot express how much I love this feature.

When descending a hill, a momentary hint of throttle causes the transmission to descend in a relatively high gear giving minimal engine breaking. A little brake and it downshifts giving more engine breaking (lock-up). In sport mode it provides downhill engine breaking closer to a manual transmission.

I have always disliked automatics that provide no feed back during deceleration, as if one has just thrown the transmission into neutral. Then there is that tiny moment of spool-up-then-catch as one transitions from brake to gas in a fast sweeping corner. Even worse is a "runaway" feeling when descending hills.
dont you find it odd that myself and scat_pack_3 identify this as an issue (see SP3's above post wishing for a flash update) , you experience the same issue (engine breaking , very noticeable downshifts etc,) and see it as a feature, while other's say the transmission should be smooth as silk.

I don't expect (nor do I want) this thing to act like a soul-less CVT , but what I'm experiencing now in my opinion is just excessive and makes driving the car an overall terrible experience .

The closest transmission I drove to the A8 was the ZF 9 speed in a friend's 200S . I could feel ever so slight down shifts but nothing on this scale (granted theres a big difference in power trains)

I really do need to get behind the wheel of another 6.4L with an A8
At that point there are two options

1. There is something wrong with mine
2. There is nothing wrong with mine, and this is just the most awful transmission for daily driving .
 
#20 ·
I have this transmission in both my 14 Ram and 15 Challenger R/T. They are the best transmissions I have ever had. You can "feel" the downshifts but nothing like you are describing. I think you have a serious defect with yours.
 
#22 ·
Wouldn't be surprised
Pretty much everything else went wrong with it
(waiting for my engine to explode at this point)
 
#21 ·
My A5 downshifts but is not that aggressive to cause a lurching or decal movement when slowing. That'll happen if I auto stick it. The only problem I have experienced is when it's cold out, 40 - 45 deg, and when I accelerate the 2-3 shift is really slow, almost like a band or something was slipping or delaying the shift. Driving in auto stick or track mode under the same conditions, no problem. Hit the gas pedal, no problem. After 3 trips to the dealer and each time no problem found, I gave up. If the trans decides to blow up because of this, I hope it does it under warranty, lol...


As a test though, I loaded up the Diablo tune and set the trans option to "factory" shift firmness and the problem virtually went away. Once the trans warms up, it shifts fine, no matter if I auto stick or place it into track mode.
 
#24 ·
Are you driving yours in Street or Sport mode? If Sport, try Street and you should get more of what you expect of an automatic transmission. Details below.

I will say this; this is the first time I've had to get used to an automatic transmission in order to drive it smoothly. Now, after about 2000 miles, I enjoy it and love the transmission. But it operates and feels more like a manual being shifted automatically than a typical "slushbox" and that takes some getting used to.

If I put mine in my SRT into Sport or Track, I find it nearly impossible to drive it smoothly in parking lots. It always seems to want to stick in a lower gear than really needed so if you just drop a feather on the gas pedal, it lunges forward. So I keep mine in Street mode and it is perfect in that mode: only thing I'd change it make firmer shifts in Street mode (more like Sport). In Sport mode, I can also feel the downshifting more and it can feel a little harsh: also a reason I leave mine in Street mode.

I have more complaints about the A8 upshifting than I do downshifting. In street mode it wants to get into 3rd gear before you get to 20 MPH and feeling two shifts in 2 seconds is a bit bumpy sometimes. I do think a flash update could smooth things out and help separate the true street mode from the performance modes.

Mike
 
#29 ·
This is in street mode . Slowing down from around 40MPH gently to a full stop, you'll get some serious harsh down shifts and engine breaking .

I do know this thing is not some slushbox , and you will feel some downshifts, but nothing on this level.

It's pretty hard to convey "harsh" it means different things to different people.
 
#25 ·
Hey Stantz, I will gladly meet up with you if you want to drive my car. I'm at 350 miles and this tranny does take some getting used to. It's a bit lurchy and surgy at times, mainly slow speeds or start/stop situations, almost like it's got a high stall converter or something. A little unusual, but hey, we are living in the future - right? LOL

Overall I love it, still just getting a feel for it. I still am very happy I chose the A8.

BTW, I read it will not auto-upshift at redline in sport mode with you paddle shift it in drive(not M mode), but it definitely does. Damn this thing is quick!
 
#30 ·
Yea , well have to arrange that for sure, since we pretty much have identical cars (options included)
I saw your old car yesterday proudly displayed front and center outside dealership.
, and did you really go with pitch black again? glutton for punishment?
 
#26 · (Edited)
The A8 in my 2014 Jeep GC is what you call smooth as silk. It almost feels like a CVT. Even the shifts in Sport are only slightly firm.

The A8 in my Scat Pack is smooth in standard mode. No harsh stops or anything like that. I do agree that the upshifts happens a little to quickly. I have resorted to using manual mode a lot and it really makes driving the car more pleasant. I wind each gear out to 2,000 - 2,500.

The down shifting is a bit harsh in Sport mode, but I've gotten used to it. It will "thud" into 1st sometimes and the throttle response is VERY touchy in Sport.

Personally, while I love the smoothness in my GC, I wouldn't want that all the time in my Challenger. Standard mode is smooth enough and Sport mode is what it is. I think it upshifts and downshifts like a performance transmission.

If they could fix the light throttle upshifts, I would have zero complaints.
 
#27 ·
If they could fix the light throttle upshifts, I would have zero complaints.
I agree. That's really my only tangible complaint. I wanted to mention though, on the SRT, Eco mode solves the above completely. When set to Eco mode, it starts out in second gear, thus eliminating the 1-2-3 bumpiness on light starts. So sometimes when I'm in town just crawling between lights, I'll hit the Eco mode to smooth things out.

Mike
 
#34 ·
i have the a5 in my challenger & does a noticeable downshift that i really like, almost like a perfect manual downshift. i also have fords a6 dual clutch in my other car. it has no noticeable downshift at all & wish it did. haven't driven an a8 to compare so don't know it.
 
#36 ·
stantz:
i had tranny issue with my sho that took over a month & multi visits to dealer to finally fix. when you have tranny problems it certainly takes away from the fun of driving. hope you get it resolved. with mine tried software fix that made slipping worst, turned out to be speed sensors, but yours doesn't sound anything like mine.
good luck & hope pleasure of driving comes back
 
#38 ·
Have to remember...this is 6.4 L of high compression v8 acting through a transmission that extends to very short ratios on the low end, along with a 3.08 axle. Just like it magnifies torque to accelerate, it will magnify torque fluctuations on downshifts. Unless it incorporates throttle blips on downshift, you're gonna feel it. Dodge probably avoids that for safety reasons (throttle addition enabled opens the door to UA potential, if there is a malfunction). If lockup stays on for lower gears as Mikey says, that means you don't even get the cushion effect of the fluid torque convertor. Add all these factors together and you get a situation that is not friendly at all for smooth downshifts. The physics are just not there to support it. If they could ever put a SMT or DCG in a Challenger, this is about as close as it would feel like.
 
#40 ·
I wouldn't mind feeling some downshifting, thats all fine and well . It's the extent and the timing of these downshifts .
There is never any knock or noise at all, nothing sounds "broken" , it's almost as if the programming just shifts way earlier than it needs to , causing a bit of engine breaking , and a rough shift .
Car is going back in on Monday and well see what happens, at this point it went through re-programming twice .
 
#41 ·
I think you should probably have them check it out. Maybe you could test drive another 392 A8 while you are there so you don't just have to take "that's normal" as their word. In street mode, my SRT is so smooth downshifting on deceleration that you can't even feel the downshifts. Only time I can feel anything is if I just let off the gas and don't brake at all at about 35 MPH. Then I feel some slight engine braking... but I still can't feel the gear shifts. They are 100% smooth. Sounds like yours might need some attention.

Mike
 
#45 ·
Well just got a call back from dealership

Good news - service manager drove it and felt exactly what I was talking about, and according to him (which I already knew) , it does not drive like it's supposed to at all. Felt all the harsh downshifts etc . So at least the dealership (and by extension Chrysler) admits that there's something wrong.

Bad news - no current service bulletin , all software resets options have been exhausted - next step according to manager is to actually " go into transmission" and see what's going on .

So that's where i am right now

On a slightly stranger note, when I arrived , I commented on an absolute gorgeous granite metallic SP with appearance group that was just sitting there in service department with all stickers still on . Apparently it showed up with about 25 miles and complete engine failure - that made me feel just a tad better about my own car.
 
#46 ·
There was a TSB out for the same transmission as recently as 2014 on other Chrysler vehicles: the Charger and 300C come to mind but not 100% sure. The TSB outlined replacing the valve body with an updated one. As I recall, it's a relatively simple procedure that doesn't require replacing the entire transmission. Hopefully that's all it is. Glad you got it checked out and they didn't give you the old "that's normal". ;)

Mike
 
#52 ·
Plot thickens
Dealership called me back yesterday , they were about the replace the valve body when Chrysler told them not to . They literally said they wont pay for it . Basically the car has not gone through enough "shifts" yet for Chrysler to approve the valve body replacement, apparently I have another 1K miles to drive or so and X amount of shifts . Needless to say I was pissed.
their logic is basically: car still needs to go through a certain initial adaptive period and until that's complete , they wont mess with anything mechanical - terrific .
 
#53 ·
Whoaaaaa - and WOW. I have never heard of that happening before. And besides why would Chrysler back out of the valve body replacement at the 11th hour?? They and the dealer obviously both new the in service date and your mileage when they promised you a valve body replacement in the very beginning. I have been following this thread because I have a new 2014 Ram 3.6 with the A8 trans and feel the 2nd to first downshift just before you come to a complete stop is also harsh and abrupt. Of course I only have 700 miles on it so I`m riding it out for now to see if it changes after a more thorough breakin. I have real all posts and maybe missed the mileage on your car, but how many miles do you have on it? And how many "shift cycles" is Mopar saying it needs to satisfy them?? A thousand, 10,000, a million??? I mean.... C`mon Man!!
 
#55 ·
Yup, the dealership was just as dismayed as I am, I have a case opened with chrysler and once I found out info from dealership I left case manager a few messages (and email) and have yet to hear back .
The exact issue according to them was not the miles, but more the "number of shifts" (which are apparently logged)
I have had the car for almost 4 months and have exactly 2K miles on it.
Dealership is just as dismayed as I am, service manager said he certainly felt the issue, techs recommended valve body replacement, were starting to get everything going when Chrysler got back and said "nope, we don't approve - we need the full adaptive period to go through before we replace it"
Messed up huh?
 
#54 ·
Also Stantz, and maybe you have done this already and have a case# open -- but have you called Chrysler 1-800 and gotten a Star case opened with them at customer support?
Most likely you have but can`t hurt if you have not already done so......
 
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