General Tips and tricks with selespeed or how to?

[Djomla]

Hi there,

I recently bought stilo abarth with salespeed but never had a chance to drive my beloved car (I'm working abroad). My brother in law said that there is a lag of approx. 1-2 sec when changing gears and says that he had feeling like it takes forever. I would appreciate if you can explain your driving technique with salespeed.

Mladjen

 

[7zark7]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

There is a bit of lag but 1-2 seconds sounds a bit high.

 

[Stu DemonD]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

1-2 seconds? Hmmm, not experienced that length of time, to be honest.

How does your brother in law drive the car i.e. in Manual or Auto mode? Personally, I drive mine solely in Manual.

I also drive it relatively hard, but can't really say that the lag has been noticeable or off-putting.

 

[Acordis]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

Hi Djomal. I have the 5 door Abarth (whey hey let's hear it for the 5 door boys!!)

Your brother-in-law is correct that the change is slower than you can probably get from a discrete manual. I keep mine in Auto mode and just keep a firm pressure on the accelerator pedal to accelerate smoothy. The electronics take care of the engine speed when the gear change takes place so you don't actually have to back off when it changes gear. Indeed this can lead to some jumpy changes if you back off when it is changing.

Where the changes do speed up is if you floor it, say on a motorway, and it will change down in about 0.7 of a second (and up as you burn off that nice BMW behind you )

The beauty of the selespeed is even in Auto mode you can still call changes up and down and it will obey what you want (within the engine parameters), it also adapts to your driving style. Drive gently and it changes up early, razz it and it holds onto the revs before changing up.

I find gentle acceleration when starting off from cold is best for a smooth get away, and the 1st to 2nd gear change is a bit learner driver, but it gets better as it gets up the box.

That's how I drive but there will be others who have a different style but we all get happily from A to B

 

[Djomla]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

He drove in manual mode. I was disappointed when I heard that it’s not smooth as I expected. I’m now a bit relieved, probably he need more experience. Can you tell me when you change gears do you lift your foot from gas pedal or not.

Thanks

 

[Stu DemonD]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

I think we all adopt different driving styles, and you will find your own smoothness.

If I am flooring it, then I do just that - foot nailed to the floor, and let the box/paddles do the rest.

 

[Djomla]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

Thanks guys that was very usefull. Now I can sleep well again.

 

[Steven]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

It's Selespeed. Just for the record.

 

[Stu DemonD]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

Cheers Steve - didn't spot that typo, have changed the thread title, for future searches

 

[radicool]

Re: Tips and tricks with salespeed or how to?

I used to drive an Alfa 147 selespeed which I'm assuming must be exactly the same. I also never used to take my foot off the accelerator when changing, like some people do, because I found the car's electronics manage the throttle far better.

As I understand it, the speed of gear changes depends on your revs because the lower your revs, the smoother it changes gears so it will be slower, but if you're being a boyracer and revving high, then the selespeed knows you don't mind a little bit more of a faster and jerkier change.

And I also think that people perceive it as slow because when you change gears in a selespeed (in manual mode), you're not actually doing much, just kinda sitting there flicking the lever, whereas changing on a manual, even if it also takes a second or so, you're busy the whole time, off accelerator, clutch in, change gears, clutch out, back on accelerator, so in your mind the time seems to pass quicker.

 

[braden]

IMHO it is no better or worse than any other auto box paddles or not. If there had been a manual available when I got mine I'd have taken it in a heart beat.

 

[Koa]

Well i took my car into a garage the other day for some work and i didn't notice they had switched it to auto mode ( idiots) and for a couple of days the car was a bit jerky when i changed gear and there was quite a bit of lag. I switched it back to manual when i noticed, and it's gone back to it's very fast responce time.
I tend to drive it fairly fast so thats why i never noticed the auto mode was on as i was changing up before the gearbox would kick in.

When in manual mode, i flick the paddle before i take my foot off the gas and as i feel the change i then lift off very slightly and put my foot back down straight after the change. I have tried numerous ways to get a smooth change and this is by far the fastest and smoothest method in manual mode and it's all done in half the time and effort it would take a car with a clutch..

 

[Ben R]

Well i took my car into a garage the other day for some work and i didn't notice they had switched it to auto mode ( idiots) and for a couple of days the car was a bit jerky when i changed gear and there was quite a bit of lag. I switched it back to manual when i noticed, and it's gone back to it's very fast responce time.
I tend to drive it fairly fast so thats why i never noticed the auto mode was on as i was changing up before the gearbox would kick in.

When in manual mode, i flick the paddle before i take my foot off the gas and as i feel the change i then lift off very slightly and put my foot back down straight after the change. I have tried numerous ways to get a smooth change and this is by far the fastest and smoothest method in manual mode and it's all done in half the time and effort it would take a car with a clutch..

What about half way? That's what I do & I've never had any lag at all.

 

[Koa]

What about half way? That's what I do & I've never had any lag at all.

Yeah maybe a bit more than half though... somewhere in that region