Auto Gearbox

[Noeleter]

Wondering opinions of the auto gearbox change speeds etc?. Can things be improved with a tune? Having nightmares now as have gone the auto to keep the lady happy.

Don't claim to be an expert but I know Holden released some updated software for the TCM in some of the VEs. Maybe they will release a "fix" for the VFs.

 

[torana355]

Lol you guys are going to give him nightmares. The gearbox tune was heavily revised for VF so ignore anyone commenting with a VE. Anyone with a VF claiming it's a bad box might have got a dud. The response to tiptronic commands is actually quite good, downshifts are immediate (helped by the rev matching) and upshifts vary from immediate to less than a second. You also double tap the shifter and it will drop 2 gears at once, instantly. VE was a real dog, it took its sweet ass time to do what you told it to. An auto makes or breaks the car, this auto does not break the car at all, whereas in VE it did (and hence why I never bought a VE auto). Not the case with VF though. Leave it in performance mode and it's extremely good. There are two tiers within performance mode, when you really start pushing it, it enters what it calls "performance shift" (displays on the screen) where it holds the revs extremely high at all times and rev matches the down shifts. Reaction time is very good, helped by the fact that it's already in a low gear. It's MUCH better than Ford's ZF performance mode. The only complaint is sometimes, in drive, cruising in a high gear and putting your foot down, it takes a moment to drop all of the gears. It's not that it's slow to react- it will start dropping them immediately, but it will go from 6th to 4th, then 4th to 2nd. The process takes maybe 1-1.5 seconds. It's only really an issue if you're in 6th gear and even then it's only a mild gripe. I had 3 ZFs and that was a truly great auto. The GM auto beats it in performance mode, not quite as good dropping from higher gears but still acceptable, beats it in downshifts (immediacy and rev matching) and around town (ie when not thrashing) it's almost as smooth.

I've had no flaring with mine and I beat the **** out of it all the time through the mountains. In that second tier performance mode I actually prefer it to a manual sometimes. That import enthusiast wanker from MotiveDVD also preferred the auto in general over the manual. It ain't no VE.

Most of the features you list there are in the VE, like Downshift rev matching and performance shift (it does not flash up on the screen however) The VF has a much better tune but the physical box is very similar (i pretty sure the TCM controller has been upgraded though). My main gripe is the flaring and slow response from high gears when you put the foot down under certain conditions, in a straight line its fine but if im pulling out from behind a car to change lanes and overtake from 6th gear at low revs it hesitates before dropping back. Im not surprised that some VF owners are having similar issues as the box is very similar in design. A guy at work has a VF SS and he has the exact same issues.

 

[Davison]

Most of the features you list there are in the VE, like Downshift rev matching and performance shift (it does not flash up on the screen however) The VF has a much better tune but the physical box is very similar (i pretty sure the TCM controller has been upgraded though). My main gripe is the flaring and slow response from high gears when you put the foot down under certain conditions, in a straight line its fine but if im pulling out from behind a car to change lanes and overtake from 6th gear at low revs it hesitates before dropping back. Im not surprised that some VF owners are having similar issues as the box is very similar in design. A guy at work has a VF SS and he has the exact same issues.

I believe the box itself is identical, it's all in the TCM really. I do believe the trans mounts were revised for VF though. I was impressed when first trying out the VEII with the rev match feature, but the rest of the box just wasn't there. Particularly commanding gears through the tiptronic gate, it was just too laggy for me. Kind of like the first ZF autos in the Fords during the BF era- it was a good box but the tune was shocking. It wasn't until FG that they really got that box right. I think it's the same deal with Holden, after half a decade of fiddling I think they've got this auto to about as good as it's able to perform.

Like anything there might be some variability with the boxes, although my two mates with auto VFs haven't had any issues either so I'm yet to experience one personally. After 60,000 fairly hard kays mine is yet to flare, touch wood! There might just be some duds getting around.

 

[torana355]

I believe the box itself is identical, it's all in the TCM really. I do believe the trans mounts were revised for VF though. I was impressed when first trying out the VEII with the rev match feature, but the rest of the box just wasn't there. Particularly commanding gears through the tiptronic gate, it was just too laggy for me. Kind of like the first ZF autos in the Fords during the BF era- it was a good box but the tune was shocking. It wasn't until FG that they really got that box right. I think it's the same deal with Holden, after half a decade of fiddling I think they've got this auto to about as good as it's able to perform.

Like anything there might be some variability with the boxes, although my two mates with auto VFs haven't had any issues either so I'm yet to experience one personally. After 60,000 fairly hard kays mine is yet to flare, touch wood! There might just be some duds getting around.

Yep agree on all counts. I will say the best part of of the 6 speed box on my VE is the full manual mode. Mine is very responsive and shifts almost immediately and i love the rev matching feature, i really cant fault it in that regard. Its when im in Drive where most of my issues lie. Im convinced a good tune would eliminate most of the issues but you can only polish a turd so much.

 

[$lipknot]

I will say the best part of of the 6 speed box on my VE is the full manual mode. Mine is very responsive and shifts almost immediately

Mine definitely has a slight lag when in manual mode.. was never instant, even when brand new.

 

[revster]

Yep agree on all counts. I will say the best part of of the 6 speed box on my VE is the full manual mode. Mine is very responsive and shifts almost immediately and i love the rev matching feature, i really cant fault it in that regard. Its when im in Drive where most of my issues lie. Im convinced a good tune would eliminate most of the issues but you can only polish a turd so much.

I have a 2014 CalaisV. having come from a Ford with the ZF. With stock tune there was a 90 degree left turn corner that I used to take at low speed and the box often was confused and lagged a little in dropping back a gear. Apart from that it was great, no flaring. Ater my first tune the box improved even further and upshifted almost instantly in drive. But from time to time that same corner confused it. After I had the car tuned for E85 the box became perfect and was never confused again. Maybe it was the extra low down torgue. In any event I think the box is great, better then the ZF now as far as I am concerned.

 

[torana355]

Im very jealous of people with gearboxes that don't flare, it pisses me off and really ruins what is otherwise a nice overall experience with my SSV, well other then the god damb piston slap lol.

 

[Pallbag]

What is "flare"?

 

[AD07]

What is "flare"?

The engine will rev high before selecting a gear.

 

[Forg]

Yeah, we ain't got no gearbox flaring, we've just got slowness to change gears - which I assume is just because it's an old gearbox design. It's like driving a 90's automatic, just with a couple of extra gears.