Horribly slow 1st gear? "Auto trans"

[Kdouglas89]

So, my 99 gsx has an awful 1st gear until it hits boost at around 2800 rpm. Like, I have a small hill by my house that I pretty much have to floor it, to hit boost, to make it up . I know auto's are famous for having a crap 1st gear, but should it really be that bad?

 

[jekyl]

I have a gst so don't deal with awd however if I punched it the tires would break loose every time. Any sputtering at all? Especially if you're in boost range you shouldn't be having any issues. We talking basically the stock set up?

 

[spoonman]

Is the TCU stuck in 3rd gear? Do you know it is shifting

 

[black97spyder]

^ check and make sure its not in limp mode and stuck in 3rd gear. Also check your trans fluid with the car running and in neutral to make sure its full.

my first gear in both my auto fwd and auto awd pull crazy hard and easily go past red line. With stock boost not so much past red line but still pulls great!

theres gotta be something else going on

 

[Kdouglas89]

^ check and make sure its not in limp mode and stuck in 3rd gear. Also check your trans fluid with the car running and in neutral to make sure its full.

my first gear in both my auto fwd and auto awd pull crazy hard and easily go past red line. With stock boost not so much past red line but still pulls great!

theres gotta be something else going on

Yes, it changes gears fine. It will pull extremely hard once it hits boost. 700rpm-2000 rpm is a nightmare though. I can floor it, and it slowly climbs rpms untill past like 2300 rpm, than it shoots off like a rocket.

 

[jongreene]

any updates? have you tried a fluid and filter change?

im having the same feeling with my tsi, so far ive changed a gallon of the ATF and it got a little better but i still need to drain more and do the filter.

even if i brake boost it from a dig, it doesnt "launch" whatsoever.

 

[Bud92gsx]

any updates? have you tried a fluid and filter change?

im having the same feeling with my tsi, so far ive changed a gallon of the ATF and it got a little better but i still need to drain more and do the filter.

even if i brake boost it from a dig, it doesnt "launch" whatsoever.

Stock auto ecu?

Id have to complain 1st gear is too damm short.

 

[thomcasey]

+1 on ECU. Put a manual ECU in there and you will see better response

 

[jongreene]

so swap in an ecu from a 96+ 5spd car and itll have better response?

how does that change anything, i thought the tcu did all the trans stuff?

 

[Bud92gsx]

so swap in an ecu from a 96+ 5spd car and itll have better response?

how does that change anything, i thought the tcu did all the trans stuff?

Did I say 2g manual ecu, no I did not.

Get a manual 1g ecu and you can brake boost for days.

If you want to turn the 1g auto into a 450cc car you will need the manual ecu,manual fpr, and 450s.

Now if you want to flow 450 ccs your gonna need a afc or a tune, with the auto fpr flowing 43 psi of fuel pressure.Rather than 38 on the manual setup.

Throttle position controls the tcu not the ecu.Your next mod should be a shift box.

 

[thomcasey]

OP has a 2g, so I suggested 2g. There is a different timing map when using the 1g Auto ECU. Car will pull timing and prevent much of the brake boosting. A 1G auto, with a 5-speed ECU, 450's and 14b is lots of fun

 

[Bud92gsx]

Since the op has a 2g then I meant 2g manual ecu.

 

[black97spyder]

Mine did the same thing the day after I drove 10 hours from kansas to Denver to visit family.. Felt like I could push the car harder than it would move, let it set a few days and it got better... this was also with a brand new stall converter so I could have been breaking in the stators on it, idk. I do know that it went away and pulls fine from a stop sign now but the problem had me worried at first.

Could it be the 1st gear clutch pack slipping? Just an idea, not an auto trams guru but know a decent amount

 

[4G63gst1990]

could the transmission springs in the valve body be weak or it need adjusted i am thinking i may go auto so i kinda want to know things that could be problem area

 

[jongreene]

Since the op has a 2g then I meant 2g manual ecu.

yep. we're both talking about 2g's here.

ill keep an eye out for a 2g 5spd ecu. already have 14b on it.

 

[BurrowZ]

yep. we're both talking about 2g's here.

ill keep an eye out for a 2g 5spd ecu. already have 14b on it.

I had no idea the 2G ECU governed anything that deals with the trans, including timing retard from launching. I switched from my stocker 97 ECU to a 95 EPROM when I went with Link and noticed no difference in launching at all.

 

[jared98gst]

Could launch my 2g gst auto no prob
With a 16g it was a pig down low but I mean its a low comp heavy auto car
Not a whole lot f power before 2k haha
Nothing I felt that was an issue

 

[99GSEclipsekamloops]

Is the car missfiring?? or doing some other stuff like backfiring when accelerating from a stop? It sounds like more of a fuel/air problem to me rather than a tranny issue. If it goes like stink when you hit boost it could be that the turbo is producing enough pressure to give it good acceleration after it kicks in. I would highly suspect a boost leak or something. I would look around for the usual suspects: boost leak, plugs, wires, fuel system.

 

[black97spyder]

could the transmission springs in the valve body be weak or it need adjusted i am thinking i may go auto so i kinda want to know things that could be problem area

^^ you could be onto something with the valve body springs being wore out.... Although now that I think about they only control how hard/fast the trans shifts so that cant be it.

You could try dropping the trans pan and screwing in the pressure adjustment on the side of the valve body.... it takes a 4.5mm socket. Screw it all the way in and then back it out 1.5-2 full turns and it could help your situation... the further in it is screwed the higher the shift pressure according to the IPT shift kit install video. Mine is turned 1.75 turns out from being all the way tightened.

I def think it is a trans issue not a tune issue.

 

[sleepertalon]

Sounds to me like the torque converter is not fully engaging

 

[jongreene]

Sounds to me like the torque converter is not fully engaging

can you elaborate on that?

i did change my filter and fluid today and it did improve shift quality, but im still having a hard time believing its that slow in 1st gear. i did another brake boost, built 5 psi...not a spectacular launch.

would a vented BOV really dog it down?
im just waiting on my uicp in the mail so i can go back to a 1g BOV.

 

[91stocker]

Have you checked for boost leaks?

 

[98Spyder_GS]

Keep this up! This happens to mine at cold starts, it seems to do it only after sitting all night. When i start it up and drive off, it feels like theres no power or i really have to step on the gas to get it to go...when it does, it feels like it has to build up power or warm up for it to "feel" like its operating correctly. As if there's an air leak somewhere? Mines 2.4 Liter N/A though but automatic...

 

[jongreene]

so is it just that the ecu is pulling timing when i brake boost?

i can build 5-10psi, launch and it feels kind of like a deadspot from 2.5k-3k and then it pulls.

 

[Bud92gsx]

so is it just that the ecu is pulling timing when i brake boost?

i can build 5-10psi, launch and it feels kind of like a deadspot from 2.5k-3k and then it pulls.

Yes.

For reference tho. I make 13/14 psi @2300 rpms, after that my brakes cant hold the car back.