Hi Guys,

OK, I've got some beef. Let me first set the scene;

* I'm a former sports car nut, and this is my first automatic car.
* I've had the 380 for almost a year. I love the car, I love how smooth it is.

Now;

One thing that shits me to tears with this car, the transmission.

1. It is NEVER in the correct gear when accelerating. At 50km/h it's already in 5th!
2. Any slight acceleration it forces a kickdown 2-3 gears!
3. When turning a corner and accelerating out, its always still in 4th and needs a kickdown to 2nd to pull out of it.
4. When driving up a hill, you can hear the engine labouring for an extended period of time before it shifts down a gear.
5. Tiptronic mode is slushy when shifting up through the gears, a good 1 second delay before it changes.

What I would like to know is;

Can we alter the programming of the Transmission ECU to; (via Mitsubishi dealer, etc)

1. Hold gears longer before shifting up.
2. ONLY use 5th gear over 80km/h
3. Force it to downshift a lot earlier when slowing down for corners.

To hell with the fuel economy that results, I just want a nice neat, firm transmission setup.

Hi Guys,

OK, I've got some beef. Let me first set the scene;

* I'm a former sports car nut, and this is my first automatic car.
* I've had the 380 for almost a year. I love the car, I love how smooth it is.

Now;

One thing that shits me to tears with this car, the transmission.

1. It is NEVER in the correct gear when accelerating. At 50km/h it's already in 5th!
2. Any slight acceleration it forces a kickdown 2-3 gears!
3. When turning a corner and accelerating out, its always still in 4th and needs a kickdown to 2nd to pull out of it.
4. When driving up a hill, you can hear the engine labouring for an extended period of time before it shifts down a gear.
5. Tiptronic mode is slushy when shifting up through the gears, a good 1 second delay before it changes.

What I would like to know is;

Can we alter the programming of the Transmission ECU to; (via Mitsubishi dealer, etc)

1. Hold gears longer before shifting up.
2. ONLY use 5th gear over 80km/h
3. Force it to downshift a lot earlier when slowing down for corners.

To hell with the fuel economy that results, I just want a nice neat, firm transmission setup.


From memory, Mitsu deliberately programmed the box to shift to 5th at around 40km/hr. These transmissions are learning ones. Just need to drive harder and it will learn to hold gears longer.

Dare I say it, swap it for a manual!

Yeah, I know, easier said than done, manuals are rare and and even rarer with the good stuff (VRX, leather, sunroof etc), and you could take a big hit in the pocket, but if the auto peeves you that much and you can't get it to learn your preferences (well not as much as you would like anyway) then it sounds like a manual is the only thing that will keep you happy.

I sometimes wish I had bought an auto rather than a manual (mainly for stop start city traffic), but the stray thought lasts for a nanosecond before I remember just how much better the manual suits my driving style & preferences than the auto.

KJ.

Hi Guys,

OK, I've got some beef. Let me first set the scene;

* I'm a former sports car nut, and this is my first automatic car.
* I've had the 380 for almost a year. I love the car, I love how smooth it is.

Now;

One thing that shits me to tears with this car, the transmission.

1. It is NEVER in the correct gear when accelerating. At 50km/h it's already in 5th! (Changes into 5th at 60Km/h)
2. Any slight acceleration it forces a kickdown 2-3 gears! (Changes down a couple gears at about half throttle)
3. When turning a corner and accelerating out, its always still in 4th and needs a kickdown to 2nd to pull out of it.(mine is usually in 3rd, TCL Off will help a bit when pulling out of corners )
4. When driving up a hill, you can hear the engine labouring for an extended period of time before it shifts down a gear. (Any hint of load it will drop down to 4th)
5. Tiptronic mode is slushy when shifting up through the gears, a good 1 second delay before it changes. (Tiptronic is fairly quick in mine when acclerating hard, but when just driving responsibly it can be a bit slow at times)



I havnt had any of the issues you are experiencing. I have edited your post to what my car does.

I have done a ECU reset on the transmission by disconecting the battery, some people says it resets it, some people say it doesnt. It doesnt hurt to give it a shot though. Just go through the relearning procedure for the 3rd gen 5spd auto.

Hi Guys,

1. It is NEVER in the correct gear when accelerating. At 50km/h it's already in 5th!
2. Any slight acceleration it forces a kickdown 2-3 gears!
3. When turning a corner and accelerating out, its always still in 4th and needs a kickdown to 2nd to pull out of it.
4. When driving up a hill, you can hear the engine labouring for an extended period of time before it shifts down a gear.
.

I found the perception of performance and shift points changed simply by fitting the 90mm Galant Intake with no other induction or exhaust modifications. If you have not fitted it yet, give it a try.

The difference was particularly noticeable pulling from 50 Km to 100 km on the slight incline northbound out of Tarcutta, the laboring you mention is gone.

Re running a manual, they might be nice however at freeway speeds they rev at around 1000 RPM more.

Hi Guys,

OK, I've got some beef. Let me first set the scene;

* I'm a former sports car nut, and this is my first automatic car.
* I've had the 380 for almost a year. I love the car, I love how smooth it is.

Now;

One thing that shits me to tears with this car, the transmission.

1. It is NEVER in the correct gear when accelerating. At 50km/h it's already in 5th!
2. Any slight acceleration it forces a kickdown 2-3 gears!
3. When turning a corner and accelerating out, its always still in 4th and needs a kickdown to 2nd to pull out of it.
4. When driving up a hill, you can hear the engine labouring for an extended period of time before it shifts down a gear.
5. Tiptronic mode is slushy when shifting up through the gears, a good 1 second delay before it changes.

What I would like to know is;

Can we alter the programming of the Transmission ECU to; (via Mitsubishi dealer, etc)

1. Hold gears longer before shifting up.
2. ONLY use 5th gear over 80km/h
3. Force it to downshift a lot earlier when slowing down for corners.

To hell with the fuel economy that results, I just want a nice neat, firm transmission setup.

I totally agree, went to my dealer with the same issues and they told me that they checked ecu and there is nothing wrong .This is about the only thing that frustrates me about the 380 this thing with changing to 5th at 60 is pathetic and should never have happened ,and the problem is even worse when a/c is on, have tried the battery disconect didnt seem to make that much diff.

I'm peeved with autos, full stop.

They simply aren't intelligent enough to know if you're slowing down or cruising, so they don't shift down until after you beg for some acceleration.
This means that an Auto will never be in the correct gear when accelerating out of a corner and I don't think any level of learning will fix this.
Not unless they program it to measure steering angle as well perhaps.

My Magna was horrible when I first got it, but then I tried a procedure that's meant to put the box into learning mode or something.
I think the procedure was to move the gear selector from N to D 5 times, pausing for 5 seconds in each one. Is this the same for the 380?
I don't know if it was a placebo effect, but I think the box started holding gears and downshifting sooner after that.

IMO, a manual changes gears about 5 seconds faster than an auto, simply because you slow for a corner, put it into 2nd, turn, accelerate and now the auto would be hunting from 4th down to 2nd but the manual was already there an eternity ago. Also, a manual from 5th to 2nd is quick, but our tiptronics seem to go 5-4-3-2 so take a while. Has anyone else noticed that or am I dreaming?

So if money was no object, the 2 things I'd change is more power and manual gearbox.
Since money is tight, I'll do suspension mods and learn how to use the tipronic properly.

I have done a ECU reset on the transmission by disconecting the battery, some people says it resets it, some people say it doesnt.
Thanks, I'll give this a shot first.


I found the perception of performance and shift points changed simply by fitting the 90mm Galant Intake with no other induction or exhaust modifications. If you have not fitted it yet, give it a try.


Excellent, I'll get one of these too :) (been meaning to anyway)


I totally agree, went to my dealer with the same issues and they told me that they checked ecu and there is nothing wrong

Hah, good to see I'm not the only one!

I actually like the auto transmission in my car, although it can be a bit temperamental at times. I usually use the tippy when terrain changes/fun driving requires it. especially going up hills as it expects you accelerate before it downshifts.. I prefer to think of drive as more of a pseudo cruise control option.

As far as I know there aren't any kosher provisions to mess with the auto-transmission or the ECU.. also from what Ive gathered no ones actually trying to get into the ECU because the 380s have been discontinued and there is a fairly small market.

i never use the tippy mode except for engine braking. always feel that the car knows when to change better than i do so goes harder in auto mode. always seems to change right on the mark. its a fairly good auto. i was surprised when i drove it after only having experience with old tech - my magnas full auto and my mums ba falcon tiptronic. leave both of those for dead. (extra gear helps i think!)

I have no issues with the gearbox apart from changing into 5th too early (50 ish)
The tippy box on mine is flawless. Quick smooth changes up and down and 'fun to drive'.:beer:
PS Having Kings lows fitted on Monday. Will send pics ( do I need a REAR wheel alignment as well as front/ ) Sorry off topic a bit

Put a blower on and you won't use as much throttle.

Just remember most have got a car heavily discounted from what it would otherwise be.

And remember it was never intended as a sports car.

It is a compromise betwen handling,performance and fuel economy.

We would all be carrying on about how much juice it uses if the gear ratios were longer.

Ask an AWD magna owner what he thinks of fuel economy.....(20% more)

Same with a manual 380, more fuel around town.

I reallly miss the 6 speed ZF auto in the FG Falcon I had. It was so fast to kick down - it also always seemed to be in the right gear.

I agree with the original poster - the 380 gearbox is smooth but it is too slow. I find myself waiting too long when I mash the throttle for it to kick down.

I agree with Blackstar, supercharge it.

You will use next to no throttle in normal driving & the extra torque makes it a real nice drive.

The box will learn your driving style & some performance add ons will help with throttle response. You may also need a tranny flush?? maybe. An oil cooler will also sharpen up the changes as this hot weather we are having can make it a bit doey on the changes once the fluid gets hot.

I would love to agree with Blackstar and Fooz but I know I cant drop 5 gees into the car

ix9

use the tippy It is easier to control the cars braking and you shift when you want to

COST to you = $0

Thread update :)

Fitted the 90mm intake - noticed the car breathes easier, better throttle response (although minuscule)

Transmission seems to kickdown less when going around corners, still goes to 5th gear @ 45kms, GRRR!

End result: A _little_ nicer to drive.

Yet to service the transmission (will do it in another 4000kms, with the next oil change) - will post results when it'd done :)

Thread update :)

Fitted the 90mm intake - noticed the car breathes easier, better throttle response (although minuscule)

Transmission seems to kickdown less when going around corners, still goes to 5th gear @ 45kms, GRRR!

End result: A _little_ nicer to drive.

Yet to service the transmission (will do it in another 4000kms, with the next oil change) - will post results when it'd done :)

I've said this too many times already. Mitsubishi deliberately programmed the 380 auto boxes to shift into 5th at 40kph as a fuel saving measure. I actually manually shift mine to 5th at 40kph as well.

Tippy it for a week

it will hold gears longer once it realises you want it too

Tippy it for a week

it will hold gears longer once it realises you want it too
Absolutely correct. It learns what you want it to do. Mine changes at over 50kph

I think if you try fitting a transmission cooler you should notice a difference along with the galant intake you already have. I don't recommend using the tiptronic for slowing the vehicle as it f#*ks them they not designed for that, up is ok. I know 2 mates that had to get theirs fixed by doin that. By the way change the oil in em every 20k if you want it to be reliable. Hope that helps.

I drive tippy like a manual 90% of the time

only time I do auto is when I CBF but my econ has DROPPED dramatically since changing to tippy

I am very happy

I checked when my auto is changing into 5th since I've been using the tippy most of the time. Its around 60kph

I must have a different car because from brand new mine has consistently only shifted into fifth just above 60kmh (and I mean 61 ~62).

I must have a different car because from brand new mine has consistently only shifted into fifth just above 60kmh (and I mean 61 ~62).

:stoopid:

Soon as mine drops below that speed, it automatically drops into 4th.

I must have a different car because from brand new mine has consistently only shifted into fifth just above 60kmh (and I mean 61 ~62).


:stoopid:

Soon as mine drops below that speed, it automatically drops into 4th.

:stoopid: x 2

I think if you try fitting a transmission cooler you should notice a difference along with the galant intake you already have. I don't recommend using the tiptronic for slowing the vehicle as it f#*ks them they not designed for that, up is ok. I know 2 mates that had to get theirs fixed by doin that. By the way change the oil in em every 20k if you want it to be reliable. Hope that helps.
Thats interesting, I have been using the tippy to slowdown as I would a manual. Better stop I guess

So mitsubishi was falsly advertising in their tv ad where a middle aged guy quickly downshifted when perving at a girl in a covertible when the girls boyfriend sat up in his seat? I've done it since day one without a problem (knock on wood) and isn't the 380 auto the same as the 3rd gen 5spd ones?

So mitsubishi was falsly advertising in their tv ad where a middle aged guy quickly downshifted when perving at a girl in a covertible when the girls boyfriend sat up in his seat? I've done it since day one without a problem (knock on wood) and isn't the 380 auto the same as the 3rd gen 5spd ones?

Nope, they are different. They have been "beefed up" compared to the Magna 5 speed. I got told that by a ex Mitsi Engineer a couple weeks ago.

EDIT: If my transmission stuffed up because I was using tiptronic, I would be getting a warranty claim done (Sounds like a defect with the trans)

Nope, they are different. They have been "beefed up" compared to the Magna 5 speed. I got told that by a ex Mitsi Engineer a couple weeks ago.

In what way were they "beefed", and why would Mitsubishi have bothered spending resources that are not apparent to the buying public? Was it perhaps a reliability upgrade from known (by MMAL) problems? Just curious.

I dont know the full details, I was just told the automatic transmission was strengthened compared to the magna varient.

Probably to handle the extra torque. The magna ones were able to handle the extra power already (180 from the ralliart) and I thought the AWD ones were also modified to handle not the extra torque but extra torque loading due to extra grip inherant in AWDs.

I was driving back on the northern expressway today and the usual kilometres of roadworks with 60kph limit. I kept checking going from auto to tippy what gear I was in. I found the auto wasnt changing up to 5th until 61-62 kph. In fact the tippy wouldnt let me select 5th under that speed. So I'm guessing that the gearbox has learned my driving style through not selecting 5th in the tippy till over 60kph.

Yeh that goes the same for me. As for the using the auto for slowing the car its apparently got clutches in it or something and they are waffer thin and wear out.

Yeh that goes the same for me. As for the using the auto for slowing the car its apparently got clutches in it or something and they are waffer thin and wear out.

:eeek: dammit... I have always wondered about this. I always use the tippy to engine brake, especially when entering a tight corner, I often flick it over to tippy as I enter and knock it down at least two gears to power through the corner. Also always use it to slow down at lights.
I did this on my BA ford for years with no ill effect, is the 380 transmission just a bit flawed in this regard?
I agree completely about the auto shift pattern, I really wish it had a "Sports mode" that would just hold gear a bit longer. Unless I practically WOT mine, it pretty much always shifts straight to second by about 20-30Kms

:eeek: dammit... I have always wondered about this. I always use the tippy to engine brake, especially when entering a tight corner, I often flick it over to tippy as I enter and knock it down at least two gears to power through the corner. Also always use it to slow down at lights.
I did this on my BA ford for years with no ill effect, is the 380 transmission just a bit flawed in this regard?
I agree completely about the auto shift pattern, I really wish it had a "Sports mode" that would just hold gear a bit longer. Unless I practically WOT mine, it pretty much always shifts straight to second by about 20-30Kms

I wouldnt worry about using the tippy too much. I know a few people that use it soley and they have never had an issue. I would think if there was an issue caused by the tippy, it would be covered under warranty.

BTW, the 380 5 speed automatic is a beefed up version of the 5 speed in the Magna. I havnt heard of any Magna transmissions having faults caused by using the tiptronic.