Gearbox software

[Mark.]

Following on from all the reviews I guess us i4 fans will be looking for gearbox software....

What's the opinion on the A45s standard software and what tuning options are there out there?

 

[teamvxracing]

a45s , thats 4wd ?

 

[Mark.]

Do Merc offer any gearbox 8 speed DCT front wheel drive?

Maybe there are torque/power limits on the gearbox that are coming in to play here making the software conservative

 

[DJManc]

Following on from all the reviews I guess us i4 fans will be looking for gearbox software....

What's the opinion on the A45s standard software and what tuning options are there out there?

I heard recently that the gearbox ECU on the A45s is locked preventing software updates from outside sources. Not sure how true this is or if in fact it can be decoded/unlocked somehow to modify. Also, I am no techie but I wonder if the hesitancy of the Emira transmission has anything to do with the Bosch control unit that Lotus uses in the Emira set up which is mentioned in the recent 'The Smoking Tyre' review.

 

[Nova]

Do Merc offer any gearbox 8 speed DCT front wheel drive?

Maybe there are torque/power limits on the gearbox that are coming in to play here making the software conservative

The short answer is that the 8G-DCT is perfectly suitable for front-wheel-drive applications since it has the transverse axle outputs built-in, which is why it's being used here in the Emira. The only other transmission Mercedes has that can be used this way is the 7G-DCT, but we don't know if that transmission can fit the M139 or handle its torque output.

Regardless, there is no technical reason why the 8G-DCT can't be more responsive. The slow-shifting speed, especially on the downshift, was not such a significant complaint for A45S so I am not sure why it behaves this way in the Emira.

 

[Nova]

I heard recently that the gearbox ECU on the A45s is locked preventing software updates from outside sources. Not sure how true this is or if in fact it can be decoded/unlocked somehow to modify. Also, I am no techie but I wonder if the hesitancy of the Emira transmission has anything to do with the Bosch control unit that Lotus uses in the Emira set up which is mentioned in the recent 'The Smoking Tyre' review.

I'm not sure what that's about. There are shops out there offering TCU tunes for the 8G-DCT in the A45S for faster shifts. With all car reviews, there are opportunities for misunderstandings and translation errors. We don't know what they meant when they said that the engine and transmission are sealed and locked down. It may just mean that the unit arrives fully built and Lotus doesn't do anything other than fit it into a chassis.

 

[teamvxracing]

I've got the winols file for the m139 , if you know your way around the Funktionsrahmen

 

[Mark.]

One other comment that worried me in all the i4 reviews was the lack of feel / click to the paddles.

Interesting all the reviewers say this but not seen any owners with an auto v6 make the same comment. I assume the wheel / paddles will be the same...

 

[kitkat]

One other comment that worried me in all the i4 reviews was the lack of feel / click to the paddles.

Interesting all the reviewers say this but not seen any owners with an auto v6 make the same comment. I assume the wheel / paddles will be the same...

Very few paddles out there have a clicky feel to them, just some of the exotics really. Not a lot of people complain about the lack of feedback from the paddle clicks if the shifts happen quickly, it's just more apparently with the DCT in the Emira because of the lack of responsiveness.

I'm sure someone like JQWerks in the future could make some retrofit-able magnetic paddle shifters.

 

[NigeT]

One other comment that worried me in all the i4 reviews was the lack of feel / click to the paddles.

Interesting all the reviewers say this but not seen any owners with an auto v6 make the same comment. I assume the wheel / paddles will be the same...

I have a v6 auto and not noticed and lag with the paddles.

 

[MPD]

I have a v6 auto and not noticed and lag with the paddles.

Do you drive in manual mode much or just in auto? Just curious if manual is still good enough as opposed to a real DCT

 

[NigeT]

Do you drive in manual mode much or just in auto? Just curious if manual is still good enough as opposed to a real DCT

I tend to drive in manual of country lanes quite a lot in sport mode & in auto in towns, traffic & on motorways.

 

[daveparky84]

Yeh I’m a bit worried about the slow changes on the paddles I’ve seen in the reviews.. seems very odd.. with all that incredible technology and it’s shifting seemingly slower than an A110.. I think everyone was expecting very snappy shifts. Now ofcourse I haven’t driven the i4 yet and it might be fine for a causal weekend user like me but it comes down to $.. paying this much I want snappy shifts.. it’s 2023!! should be a non-issue.

 

[FST]

One other comment that worried me in all the i4 reviews was the lack of feel / click to the paddles.

Interesting all the reviewers say this but not seen any owners with an auto v6 make the same comment. I assume the wheel / paddles will be the same...

i did post about this earlier when test drove the auto v6, same feeling… no feedback, no click

 

[FST]

Very few paddles out there have a clicky feel to them, just some of the exotics really. Not a lot of people complain about the lack of feedback from the paddle clicks if the shifts happen quickly, it's just more apparently with the DCT in the Emira because of the lack of responsiveness.

I'm sure someone like JQWerks in the future could make some retrofit-able magnetic paddle shifters.

Driving a vw atm and the paddle shifters have a distinct ‘click’ when pushing the paddles.. this is missing in the emira unfortunately, when i test drove the auto v6 this was evident (also did my post share here on the forum about it), when you downshift in the emira and you dont here the click and there is a short delay in shifts you start looking for answers on the screen.. not intuitive with feeling, engine sound, etc

 

[kb21]

I own an A45S and have been considering an Emira. After seeing that review of the i4 with the “upshift Lag” upon pulling the paddle, I can say that it is certainly not the case with the A45S- It’s instantaneous and very aggressive at that. So that leads me to believe this might be a software/calibration issue. Also, the Merc paddles are solid aluminium and have a definite deep CLICK to them, so I hope Lotus changes the feel in the Emira.

 

[EZcheezy]

my favorite software of theirs is Borderlands personally /s

 

[Porter]

If the shifting on any DCT gearbox is slower than the shifts on the common ZF 8-speed (torque converter) automatic, then it should be considered broken or otherwise not fit for purpose. The ENTIRE POINT of a dual clutch gearbox is for the shifts to be faster than a traditional auto.

The upshifts and downshifts on my 10 year old BMW with the ZF8HP are immediate, without any appreciable delay. The actuation itself is not as fast as something like a Porsche PDK, but the shift begins absolutely immediately upon user input.

What people are describing with the Emira AMG gearbox seems like some kind of software delay, which is absolutely unacceptable. If not locked out of the shift request by current RPM state, the system should respond instantaneously to user inputs.

 

[kb21]

If the shifting on any DCT gearbox is slower than the shifts on the common ZF 8-speed (torque converter) automatic, then it should be considered broken or otherwise not fit for purpose. The ENTIRE POINT of a dual clutch gearbox is for the shifts to be faster than a traditional auto.

The upshifts and downshifts on my 10 year old BMW with the ZF8HP are immediate, without any appreciable delay. The actuation itself is not as fast as something like a Porsche PDK, but the shift begins absolutely immediately upon user input.

What people are describing with the Emira AMG gearbox seems like some kind of software delay, which is absolutely unacceptable. If not locked out of the shift request by current RPM state, the system should respond instantaneously to user inputs.

Yeah I agree. This sounds like a software lockout, given that the Merc with the same gearbox doesn’t do this. Are we certain all engine/transmission controller components are the same? Perhaps something was changed and that accounts for the apparent issue/delay.

The ZF8HP is an amazing gearbox btw.

 

[M3DOC]

If the shifting on any DCT gearbox is slower than the shifts on the common ZF 8-speed (torque converter) automatic, then it should be considered broken or otherwise not fit for purpose. The ENTIRE POINT of a dual clutch gearbox is for the shifts to be faster than a traditional auto.

The upshifts and downshifts on my 10 year old BMW with the ZF8HP are immediate, without any appreciable delay. The actuation itself is not as fast as something like a Porsche PDK, but the shift begins absolutely immediately upon user input.

What people are describing with the Emira AMG gearbox seems like some kind of software delay, which is absolutely unacceptable. If not locked out of the shift request by current RPM state, the system should respond instantaneously to user inputs.

This.