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Does the A8 pull timing on upshifts?

4K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  08blackrt 
#1 ·
This is the first Dodge I have ever owned and I'm loving it. One thing I have noticed different than any of my other cars is that when I hammer it right before it upshifts it feels like it drops a bit of timing and makes a weird pop noise right before it hits the next gear.

It feels like it's pulling a bit of timing for a split second. Is this to protect the transmission or what. I'm used to powerful cars having a shift kit and the shifts at WOT are pretty hard. I wonder if a tune could take that out.

It would seem to certainly improve 1/4 mile times a bit since it hesitates a split second when timing is pulled per shift.
 
#2 · (Edited)
When I put my welded mufflers on and deleted the Resonators, you can hear a "baugh" sound when it shifts (1-2 2-3). Kind of like a "pop off valve" or something in the exhaust. Especially when manually shifting it or using sport mode and hammering it.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if it is VVT related. Low RPMS the cam would be advanced, it would be "retarded" at upper rpms and when it shifts it would spin back to advanced again. In higher gears it is not as prevalent as the rpms at gear changed are not as far apart higher up.
 
#3 ·
Yes, I've noticed it in my 2016 SPS. It is a weird noise. I kind of like it, but it is unusual.

If I had to guess, I'd say the torque management system is trying to protect the transmission from banging too hard. It's the same reason it's hard to hammer it coming out of a slow turn and have anything dramatic happen. These cars would be truly *fierce* if the torque management would just go away.
 
#5 ·
I have no evidence to add, But I know on my Sport bike YZF R1,000 The quick shifter drops Ignition for a milli second to make the shift without load. I would bet they are doing the same thing from the sound it generates. As far as lose of performance, It would still be way less than clutching would do.
 
#6 ·
If you try a long decel via engine braking in a lower gear, is it a similar sound (except longer duration than a shift event)? Maybe that is just the sound of momentary engine braking during the shift event (computer quickly goes off-throttle, and the driveline is essentially spinning the engine, as opposed to the opposite)? I'm sure the timing does change as well pre/post shift event, but that may just be a matter of whatever is the appropriate timing for whatever rpm the engine is operating in one gear vs the next one.
 
#16 ·
Hmm, mine is more apparent at WOT, I don't even really feel it much at part throttle. But different people notice different things.

I don't think it's the active exhaust, since you can kind of feel a slight pause in acceleration along with the sound.
 
#14 ·
Not sure what it is but I'd agree that it's letting off to shift under less/no load. All I do know for sure is that I absolutely love that sound!! Especially after my muffler delete on my 15 R/T Shaker. The sound actually really attracted me towards an automatic instead of manual.
 
#17 ·
There is certainly nothing wrong with the sound, it makes it sound more like manual transmission shifting which is a good thing, IMO. But the slight acceleration pause is a hair annoying. Under hard acceleration my SPS doesn't even chirp second with the A8, and I'm sure that's a result of the torque management. Don't get me wrong, it's fast and accelerates very fast, but it's missing a little of that bang-shift muscle car brutality because of this "feature". Maybe at 3750 miles it will pick up a bit. Something to hope for, at least.
 
#15 ·
The loud bangs at shift have been a part of the factory tuning on these cars since at least 2005, it's nothing new. It goes away with a tune when the torque management is removed. It is a cool sound though!
 
#20 ·
With my 5.7 and the Corsa Extreme cat back, she BARKS at the shift points! Personally, I love it!! :grin2:

I think I read somewhere it had to do with the VVT at the shifts. I don't know... it doesn't bother me, so...

Mine also is much more noticeable at WOT shifts. When I'm just putting along, it doesn't make any noise at shifts. When I have the hammer down... BARK!!

I'm also only at 1500 miles or so on a 2016, so....
 
#22 ·
Don't pretty much all cars do this now? I know the 4th generation F-Body cars did it, and I'm pretty sure Mustangs have all along.
 
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