Driving Styles........

[Conan_the_Librarian]

One of the hottest topics on here is the transmission's foibles. I have now had 4 of ZFs finest on 3 8s. None have failed, all have performed flawlessly. Except the one I kicked back onto the TC and broke the oil pump!

We talk about servicing as the only variable in the transmissions life, but I have got to thinking about driving styles. So I thought I would run a little poll to see how we all use our transmissions.

I always drive in Tip; and I use engine breaking at all times to reduce brake wear, with the exception of spirited track and private B roads runs. I will change down through the gears long before I would need to brake for junctions or lights and see it as a point of honor to not put my brakes on until I'm in 1st.

This means my transmission valve body is getting a good workout all the time and I wonder if that's why I have had no problems.

Thoughts?

[Adrian E]

Mix of D and tip for me with brakes for braking - must admit it is VERY rare for me to use anything other than D unless I'm on a country road and will then use S to keep the engine on the boil.

Tip is basically for playing silly buggers with slower cars when I want to make a point like blowing the Cooper S into the weeds that was climbing all over the back of the car through a 30 so stuck it in tip and 2nd gear to show him how a proper car accelerates

Not sure any of this makes a difference to gearbox life unless you spend all your time cooking the gearbox oil with left foot braking, aggressive launches etc etc

Big difference with mine after the gearbox oil was changed was how sweet the box felt and smoother changing between D and R

[ainarssems]

Mostly tip as I can switch in higher gear sooner and keep in higher gear for longer making engine work at lower revs this has improved mpg by 1-2 mpg on short local runs. It also allows to preselect lower gear saving time on downshifts when flooring. I do use engine braking selecting lower gears but combined with brakes in all gears not like Mike only using brakes in 1st gear.

[Amanda]

You have missed my driving style out ...........lead stiletto flattened to the floor at all times

[gninnam]

Tend to leave in D to be honest.
Every now and then I will use the tip but not often.

So far (touch wood) no issues with the 'box

[Singh]

The RS6 is currently my daily driver, and when I'm going to work I just 'pootle' along, but I am constantly putting it in a higher gear using tip as it can comfortably cruise in 4th when the computer is deciding that it should be in third, ideally I would like it in fifth but the TCU won't allow it. I use sport mode in country lanes for when you slow down for a corner, the car is holding the revs just right for when you put your foot down again. But most of the time it is in D with me giving it some assistance now and again, very occasionally I'll use tip to go down a gear when overtaking someone, but there is so much torque from the twin turbos I hardly ever need too, and kick down works fine too.

[Conan_the_Librarian]

Originally Posted by Amanda

You have missed my driving style out ...........lead stiletto flattened to the floor at all times

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by Adrian E

Mix of D and tip for me with brakes for braking - must admit it is VERY rare for me to use anything other than D unless I'm on a country road and will then use S to keep the engine on the boil.

Tip is basically for playing silly buggers with slower cars when I want to make a point

Pretty much sums it up for me too, very rarely need to use Tip.
Though I do occasionally do Amar's trick of "tipping up" when "pootling" to get into 4th or 5th as appropriate when it doesn't want to.

But mine does have a slightly reprogrammed controller, done long ago by the previous owner (chip replacement) so is quicker to drop a cog in the mid-range and isn't limited.

[Dezzy]

I changed my driving style and now use a mixture of both but tend to use tip for coming down the box to save on the brakes, i have cooked and warped 2 sets of front disc's now, and i'm sure that was down to leaving in D and using the brakes then holding on the foot until clear to go causing localised heating on the disc's. The route i drive a lot has duel carriageway into roundabouts.

So just to be awkward i use a mixture of D and tip with tip for braking.