Hi Ron. As long as you dont have to slip the clutch more than you would if you had started in first, you wont break anything, just going to be slower on the start.
I always start in first and go third, these car have so much power you dont even notice you skipped a gear
Thank you for that info! I appreciate it!
Ron
 
  • Like
Reactions: Keith Tedford
From my recent short experience with the week in a 2017 A8; even in manual mode the car would go down to first stopped at light regardless of the gear you were in when coming up to the stop. Then take off in 1st. This was a Stingray not a Z06 though.
Let us know if your car will actually start off in 2nd Ron. I might have been missing something or using the mode wrong somehow. I didn't even glance at the owners manual. Now this is getting fun.
D
 
From my recent short experience with the week in a 2017 A8; even in manual mode the car would go down to first stopped at light regardless of the gear you were in when coming up to the stop. Then take off in 1st. This was a Stingray not a Z06 though.
Let us know if your car will actually start off in 2nd Ron. I might have been missing something or using the mode wrong somehow. I didn't even glance at the owners manual. Now this is getting fun.
D
From my recent short experience with the week in a 2017 A8; even in manual mode the car would go down to first stopped at light regardless of the gear you were in when coming up to the stop. Then take off in 1st. This was a Stingray not a Z06 though.
Let us know if your car will actually start off in 2nd Ron. I might have been missing something or using the mode wrong somehow. I didn't even glance at the owners manual. Now this is getting fun.
D
My 8 speed automatic in manual mode, does start off in 2nd.
Ron
 
Ron apparently yes your A8 will start off in 2nd if selected while stopped in manual mode. Also the owners manual recommends this in certain driving conditions.

From the 2017 owners manual:

"While the Manual Paddle Shift gear selection system is active, the transmission will automatically downshift through the gears as the vehicle slows. The transmission will select 1 (First) gear as the vehicle stops. From a stop, the vehicle will start from and hold 1 (First) gear unless the manual paddle shifts are used to shift into a different gear, or D (Drive) is selected."

Also this is in the manual... although not likely an issue for you, what I take from it is that it is ok to select and take off in 2nd gear from a stop with your A8.

"When accelerating the vehicle from a stop in snowy and icy conditions, shifting to 2 (Second) gear allows the vehicle to gain more traction."

There are lots of shifting selection features and modes on your car that I didn't realize till I read that section just now. I have the M7 so I wasn't interested till you started this discussion.

The driver control modes do not seem to be associated with gear selection when taking off from a stop and only mentions the transmission shift points and firmness associated with the expectations of the driving style in each mode.

Anyway looks like your car will come to a stop in 1st but can be shifted to 2nd for the take off from a complete stop.
If your car takes off in 2nd while in D mode under light throttle it is not specifically mentioned. I don't remember that happening when I drove the A8 but was not specifically looking for that either.

Fun topic Ron

Derek.
 
Ron apparently yes your A8 will start off in 2nd if selected while stopped in manual mode. Also the owners manual recommends this in certain driving conditions.

From the 2017 owners manual:

"While the Manual Paddle Shift gear selection system is active, the transmission will automatically downshift through the gears as the vehicle slows. The transmission will select 1 (First) gear as the vehicle stops. From a stop, the vehicle will start from and hold 1 (First) gear unless the manual paddle shifts are used to shift into a different gear, or D (Drive) is selected."

Also this is in the manual... although not likely an issue for you, what I take from it is that it is ok to select and take off in 2nd gear from a stop with your A8.

"When accelerating the vehicle from a stop in snowy and icy conditions, shifting to 2 (Second) gear allows the vehicle to gain more traction."

There are lots of shifting selection features and modes on your car that I didn't realize till I read that section just now. I have the M7 so I wasn't interested till you started this discussion.

The driver control modes do not seem to be associated with gear selection when taking off from a stop and only mentions the transmission shift points and firmness associated with the expectations of the driving style in each mode.

Anyway looks like your car will come to a stop in 1st but can be shifted to 2nd for the take off from a complete stop.
If your car takes off in 2nd while in D mode under light throttle it is not specifically mentioned. I don't remember that happening when I drove the A8 but was not specifically looking for that either.

Fun topic Ron

Derek.
Thanks, for all your research Derek. Much appreciated.
Ron
 
  • Like
Reactions: ddgermann
Interesting.

I was baffled by something similar, but in my 1966 MB 230SL that I just inherited in the spring. It's a 4 speed auto, and for the life of me from a dead start I could only hear it shift twice. The engine likes to rev but I kept thinking where is the 4th gear. After some research, it turns out it always starts in 2nd, unless you use the gear selector and put it into 2nd, then it will start from first.

Mike
 
  • Like
Reactions: ddgermann
Interesting.

I was baffled by something similar, but in my 1966 MB 230SL that I just inherited in the spring. It's a 4 speed auto, and for the life of me from a dead start I could only hear it shift twice. The engine likes to rev but I kept thinking where is the 4th gear. After some research, it turns out it always starts in 2nd, unless you use the gear selector and put it into 2nd, then it will start from first.

Mike

That is interesting Mike. Accomplished when NASA barely managed to get people into orbit with computers that filled a room with less power than phone now. This age was just coming to play and orbital trajectories being confirmed by hand. Yet cars were already becoming smarter. MB living up to its standard even back then.
This must have been a pressure system using valves based on shifter position? Or something clever to determine the configuration for launching the car. Any idea how it was done?

Derek
 
Derek,

I'm still learning, but my understanding is there linkage from the throttle and the tranny. when the shifter is in 2 or you do WOT from start, the linkage tells the transfer to start from first.

The engine loves to review, seems it's tune to shift under moderate acceleration at 3500rpm. cruising at 70mph it's turning about 4000 rpm.

heading to a Pagoda (what is model is known as) meet in Virginia in the AM for 2 days of technical hands on. Looking fwd to learning a lot more

Mike
 
  • Like
Reactions: ddgermann
Thanks Mike.
It really is amazing what these guys did with rods, pulleys and things to achieve obedience in mechanical systems. Back when there was no other way.
40 years later a computer does it all...
"Open the door HAL!" Yikes! :D

Have a great trip Mike. Sounds like a lot of fun.
Look forward to hearing about it.

D
 

Users who are viewing this thread