I got a Bama tune for my Mustang about a month ago and it's a great difference, from a stop the car screams. But it didn't take care of the biggest thorn in my side, when I'm crusing and try to gun it the car just hangs, the gas pedal could be made of cheese for all the good it does. After a few seconds the car will downshift and THEN I go, at best that makes me look ridiculous and at worst I've just been broadsided by a semi. I've noticed an improvement if I click off the overdrive and downshift manually but it's a freakin automatic, what's the point of it then. The AOD in my old Thunderbird runs circles around this trans. Is there any tuning trick I can use to make it downshift quicker?
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2006 4.0 Mustang
Pony Package
Vortech V2 Supercharger Non-Intercooled @ 12 PSI
Snow Performance Stage II W/M Injection
Accel Super Coil with MSD Wires
Flowmaster A/T Axleback
Autometer Gauges
Pioneer Head Unit
idk what trick you can do but autos are slower at shifting. just yesterday me and my friend took his moms honda out and just abused it completly. i felt sorry for the car almost, until i remembered it was a honda. anyway, we were going down this straight in a parking lot, trying to get it sideways. well it was so funny because as we shift from first gear (it is an auto) to 2nd, the car just screams up to redline before the gear catches. we lose half the straight because it was basically in neutral with the throttle wide open. anyway, i think you should mess with your tuner a little bit. see if theres a different tune you can use to get what youre looking for.
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grimmreaper1221
2007 4.0L V6 Mustang
5-spd manual
Vista Blue Metallic
K&N air filter
Rear Black-Out Panel
You might try calling Doug at BAMA and see what he says/suggests to do.He might be able to correct your down shifts.I don't like hearing this.I was fixing to order from Doug a CAI/tuner combo with the 91 race tune also for my auto.Keep me posted on what happens concerning fixing your downshift problems.Hope it gets fixed to how you want it to shift.
idk what trick you can do but autos are slower at shifting. just yesterday me and my friend took his moms honda out and just abused it completly. i felt sorry for the car almost, until i remembered it was a honda. anyway, we were going down this straight in a parking lot, trying to get it sideways. well it was so funny because as we shift from first gear (it is an auto) to 2nd, the car just screams up to redline before the gear catches. we lose half the straight because it was basically in neutral with the throttle wide open. anyway, i think you should mess with your tuner a little bit. see if theres a different tune you can use to get what youre looking for.
A Honda is one thing but I happen to know Ford can do better than this, the Thunderbird I mentioned was built 25 years ago, it's got a 302 V8 and an AOD trans that hasn't been touched at all and it doesn't do any of that crap, it shifts up and then it shifts down as the throttle dictates. Ofcourse I drive it without the overdrive engaged most of the time but it's still much better. It's a little frustrating that automatics are apparently getting worse, not better. But then again maybe I'm wrong, maybe this can be tuned out. I'll ask Doug and see. Thanks.
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2006 4.0 Mustang
Pony Package
Vortech V2 Supercharger Non-Intercooled @ 12 PSI
Snow Performance Stage II W/M Injection
Accel Super Coil with MSD Wires
Flowmaster A/T Axleback
Autometer Gauges
Pioneer Head Unit
You might try calling Doug at BAMA and see what he says/suggests to do.He might be able to correct your down shifts.I don't like hearing this.I was fixing to order from Doug a CAI/tuner combo with the 91 race tune also for my auto.Keep me posted on what happens concerning fixing your downshift problems.Hope it gets fixed to how you want it to shift.
Good idea... I've had to do that on several occasions with Bama. He's very good about refining a tune for you.
Problem might be in your pedal. If I stomp it to the floor it downshifts fairly quickly (maybe 1/2 second delay if that much). I actually have to be careful not to downshift it too hard 'cause if I'm in a hurry to get in front of oncoming traffic during a merge or something it'll drop down so fast that I end up smoking a tire instead of moving...I reeaallly need better tires.
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2005 V6Mustang coupe. Automatic. Black with Charcoal Interior
Mods: JLT CAI, Bamachips 91 race tune, single Mustang V8 muffler, Mustang V8 swaybars
Looks: smoke front turn signals, sequential taillights, 14" shorty antenna, MRT rear window louvers and a little chrome for the interior 2000 C5 Corvette convertible, Torch Red with Black Interior. Full of options, Corsa exhaust 1990 Ford Bronco 351ci engine- it runs.
This gives me an idea for a new type of automatic transmission.
Since computers are getting smaller, faster, and more efficient, this could become a real possibility. A totally predictive unit probably wouldn't work, because there will always the chance for a computer to misinterpret what the user wants, so it would still have to be a responsive unit, but this could cut down the lag to a point where it feels instantaneous.
But basically, it would have cameras mounted inside the car and outside. If the car is approaching a hill, the computer would ready the transmission to downshift so that when it does hit the hill it will "instantly" downshift. The inside camera would use body language and cues (such as how the driver is sitting, where the driver is looking, changes in pupil size, etc.) to ready the transmission to respond to the most probable desired effect.
Say you are driving on the highway and approaching a slow car. The external camera would see that you are approaching the car, while the internal camera would pick up on body language cues, so the computer would predict that the driver is either planning to pass or not pass the car. If it determines you are about to pass the car in front, it would ready the transmission to downshift so even if you don't full out step on the gas pedal, it will still downshift to give you that extra acceleration.
Another scenario is it could determine how you want to drive. If you want to go on a nice, peaceful cruise out in the country, the internal cameras could sense the body language and make the transmission shifting "calmer." Then, say the driver suddenly decides that they want to get pulled into their seat a bit and guns it. By then, small changes in body language right before the driver guns it would have told the computer of the driver's intentions and the car would be ready to almost instantly respond.
Say the same cruise, with this time the driver doesn't decide to gun it, but they do need to accelerate 5 or 10 mph faster. The computer would gauge that the driver didn't want a fast downshift acceleration, and thus wouldn't downshift unless really pushed.
A driver's body language would also express if he wanted a more thrilling ride, and would be ready to shift through the gears faster than someone looking for a smooth ride.
This type of predictive-response system could really improve driver satisfaction as it would allow much more control over the car (while a purely predictive car would be dangerous since you would be trying to respond to the car trying to predict what you want); almost like it knows what you want to do before even you do. It could also increase gas mileage without sacrificing performance by reducing shifting when the driver didn't want it, and give the driver shifting when they do want it.
Increasing camera vision around the car could also improve safety, where it could predict the possibility of an emergency acceleration to avoid a situation, and would thus be more prepared to downshift and provide maximum acceleration. Other systems could tap into the cameras to provide warning or diagnostic messages about what is happening around you (ie car approaching quickly, or if the car close to you is demonstrating erratic behavior)
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2006 4.6L V8 Mustang GT - - Black with soon-to-be Red Over-The-Top and Side Stripes - - Black Leather Interior - - Interior Upgrade Package - -Shaker 1000 - - Red Calipers
R.I.P.: 6-26-2007 to6-18-2008 at 11:58am: 2007 4.0L V6 Mustang - - 5-speed - - Black w/ White Racing Stripes
Well Doug responded with a modified version of the tune that seems to make the car less upshift happy. I've been driving it since Wednesday night and I'd call it an improvement, perhaps not perfect but definately better. I'll continue to get a feel for it in the next few days.
__________________
2006 4.0 Mustang
Pony Package
Vortech V2 Supercharger Non-Intercooled @ 12 PSI
Snow Performance Stage II W/M Injection
Accel Super Coil with MSD Wires
Flowmaster A/T Axleback
Autometer Gauges
Pioneer Head Unit
This gives me an idea for a new type of automatic transmission.
Since computers are getting smaller, faster, and more efficient, this could become a real possibility. A totally predictive unit probably wouldn't work, because there will always the chance for a computer to misinterpret what the user wants, so it would still have to be a responsive unit, but this could cut down the lag to a point where it feels instantaneous.
But basically, it would have cameras mounted inside the car and outside. If the car is approaching a hill, the computer would ready the transmission to downshift so that when it does hit the hill it will "instantly" downshift. The inside camera would use body language and cues (such as how the driver is sitting, where the driver is looking, changes in pupil size, etc.) to ready the transmission to respond to the most probable desired effect.
Say you are driving on the highway and approaching a slow car. The external camera would see that you are approaching the car, while the internal camera would pick up on body language cues, so the computer would predict that the driver is either planning to pass or not pass the car. If it determines you are about to pass the car in front, it would ready the transmission to downshift so even if you don't full out step on the gas pedal, it will still downshift to give you that extra acceleration.
Another scenario is it could determine how you want to drive. If you want to go on a nice, peaceful cruise out in the country, the internal cameras could sense the body language and make the transmission shifting "calmer." Then, say the driver suddenly decides that they want to get pulled into their seat a bit and guns it. By then, small changes in body language right before the driver guns it would have told the computer of the driver's intentions and the car would be ready to almost instantly respond.
Say the same cruise, with this time the driver doesn't decide to gun it, but they do need to accelerate 5 or 10 mph faster. The computer would gauge that the driver didn't want a fast downshift acceleration, and thus wouldn't downshift unless really pushed.
A driver's body language would also express if he wanted a more thrilling ride, and would be ready to shift through the gears faster than someone looking for a smooth ride.
This type of predictive-response system could really improve driver satisfaction as it would allow much more control over the car (while a purely predictive car would be dangerous since you would be trying to respond to the car trying to predict what you want); almost like it knows what you want to do before even you do. It could also increase gas mileage without sacrificing performance by reducing shifting when the driver didn't want it, and give the driver shifting when they do want it.
Increasing camera vision around the car could also improve safety, where it could predict the possibility of an emergency acceleration to avoid a situation, and would thus be more prepared to downshift and provide maximum acceleration. Other systems could tap into the cameras to provide warning or diagnostic messages about what is happening around you (ie car approaching quickly, or if the car close to you is demonstrating erratic behavior)
What are you smoking? you want 3200 cameras on the car to predict response? The weight alone would bog the car down as it is. Quit watching Star Wars.
Downshifts are driving me nuts 
