Alright, this is not a place to yell OMG GET STICK CUZ THEY PWNZ.

Yes, I can drive stick, but this is for automatics. For the guys who own an automatic for whatever reason, I was wondering your methods for kicking it off the line. Most people just slam that accelerator down in normal D, but are there ways to get better times than just hitting the pedal down to the floorboard?

For example, has anyone noticed better acceleration by starting in 3(overdrive?) then kicking it to normal D after a certain gear or mph? Also, the tC has a noticeable "gear jump" delay when you accelerate hard, but i noticed it doesn't happen when you give off a tiny bit when first going, then driving into it hard.

So I'm basically asking, is there a way to get off the line quicker than just slamming that pedal down? We have minimal control over the behaviors of our gears but I'm sure people out there have their own methods of getting that auto moving quicker.

 

noticed that too.
I have a S/C so my car goes off the line

 

some ppl shift using L 2 3 drive but i hear it can screw up your tranny idk tho

 

I don't slam on the accelerator, I gradually do it. If you do gun it on low/1st, make sure you shift at low rpms. If you leave it on 2, it will change gears for you (1st-2nd). That method does beat up on your tranny, so be careful. At least that is my opinion, if anyone thinks this is wrong, please correct me.

 

i do 2-L-2-3-D.....i can feel the VVT-i..LOL

 

^^ It is a lot more fun to do it that way.

 

...you drive an automatic...you push the pedal more or less depending on how much you want it to acceleraate.

now, your engine and transmission has some learning to it because it tries to adapt to your driving style.

so if you drive your car gently, it will do gently and try to get the best mpg, if you flog the gas pedal, it will become more aggressive and faster.

but anyway, no, there is no way to make your automatic faster by manumatic shifting a transmission that isn't designed for it. infact, car and driver tested an infiniti recently, and stated that "using the manumatic sport shifting is actually faster, which is unusual" when explaining how it obtained its fasted acceleration times.

now look, your automatic transmission will shift depending on pedal position, engine load and driving style. if you pedal position is low (light on the throttle) the car wil upshift at lower rpms for better mpg, and shift slower and smoother, while if you have the pedal to the metal, it will go to redline before upshifting, and shift harder and faster.

the transmission is programmed to operate with peak efficiency. you can't shift it faster or better by doing the lame "l, 2, 3, OD nonsense. you are actually hindering the car from operating efficiently because it has to wait for you to make the upshift instead of doing it at what has been prefigured to be the best time.

anyway, toyota didn't build this transmission with performance in mind, they made it for people who for some reason don't want to shift. it ain't a high performance piece of hardware, and there isn't anything a driver can do to make it perform better.

 

I thought the tC had a servo controlled throttle body. If it is I would think the throttle would only open as fast etc as the engine control unit would allow. Isn't the auto transmission computer controlled also? Just thinking I bought mine for MPG and I am happy with the amount of power it does have. If I wanted a fast car I think I would have picked up a 911 or an M5.

 

the tc has a drive by wire throttle system. so pedal position plays a big part of when the transmission shifts.

but if my previous statement was too long, i'll shorten it up.

you bought an automatic, you therefore do not shift for any reason pertaining to superior acceleration.

it is an automatic transmission, there are NO performance shifting techniques.

 

Well put. I will try to restrain myself. I've been good for a while.

 

Actually, I've found that if you press the pedal about half way down off the line for a second to get the car going and then pushing it all the way down it responds better. When you floor it off the line it feels like it lags for a second.

 

For an automatic, the best way to take off is by power braking. Also by all means do not rev up the engine in neutral then slam it into gear, not good for your transmission.

 

i hold the break with my left and keep my right
over the gas, put it in 2, and when light goes green,
floor it. Tends to peal out a bit.

 

so you guys like harming your automatics, great way to beat on them.

 

hahaha i guess we do =/

 

I find it pulls harder if i give half throttle then punch it.......if i just punch it the car just winds up and shifts........but giving it a half throttle then punching it it jumps hard and winds faster.........also leave it off the floor just a smidgen..........seems to do better when not fully punched...........

I bought the car to have a nice car not to go fast..........honestly it is a great looking car...........when i feel like fast again.........I will go FI...........

 

+1

 

Brake Stall FTMFW. Just dont neutral drop it, its so hella bad for it..... True story I blew up my rental Corolla doing that....... Showed them to take 40 days to get me my car....

 

Yeah thats what I was talking about.

 

I also have heard and tried using the brake+throttle technique, I'm not sure if it harms the tranny, but you do launch better. Hold the brake firmly with left foot and rev with right foot, I wouldn't rev very high, esp on stock tires, then fully release the brake.