I've got the base 2.2 with the auto tranny and prior to this car I had a 5 spd Sunfire.

I've noticed that the auto tranny is not very responsive comared to the 5 spd.

My question is: Is there anything that can be done to incarease the responsiveness with the auto tranny?

I've noticed that when I floor the gas, it speeds up slowly then it kicks in and goes quickly to redline.. with the 5spd I just felt like it was more responsive and I could definitely control the rpms better...

any ideas?

(I really miss the 5 spd.. I should have gotten the 5 spd!!!)

 

I am pretty sure you are going to have to wait until they come out with something to tune these cars with to be able to change the way it shifts.

 

talk to halfcent, he already built his tranny with a few parts from ipt, i think an lsd, shift kit, high stall converter and not sure what else, i plan on doing this later on as well

 

I read somewhere in the manual that if you put your foot half way down the pedal the car down shifts one gear and i think two gears if you floor the pedal on the auto.

 

i read in the manual that for overpassing on the hwy ot says to depress the gas pedal halfway only, not sure why though

 

The lag you experience is not your transmissions fault. If I'm guessing correctly, you only have this problem in first gear, when launching from a stop, right? It's your engines fault, not your trans.

You engine isn't making good torque until it gets to a few thousand RPM's. When you accelerate from a stop, your engine is only at about 2500 RPM. Once it gets going, at full throttle, the shift to 2nd will keep the RPM's still pretty high, around 4000, and therefor still in the power band.

The reason you are feeling the difference is because of the first gear ratio difference between the auto and the manual. An auto stays in first gear longer then a manual, so the power is more spread out, and not as available right away.

Things you can do:
Increase your engines power via any of the available tuning means.
Get a high stall converter.
Launch using a brake torque start.

 

yeah i agree, but also its the traction control sensing the tires slightly losing grip, its better to press and hold the brake and press the gass and release the brake for the best launches, im planning on getting a high stall torqe converter

 

excellent responses by everyone.. i guess driving a stick shift for 4 yrs then going to auto.. you can really tell the difference right away. over time i'm hoping I will get used to it.. but for now, i guess i'll have to press the gas 1/2 way or figure something out

thanks everyone

 

i just hope someone with tuning capabilities realizes us autos need a traction control delete in our ecu

 

AMEN!! Brother!

 

the only thing i can do right now if i wanna have tc off when in D i have to pull up the ebrake just before it engages and tc turns off then when i launch let it go and that works but is a major pain in the ass

 

Well it really depends on what he's refferring to as "lag". From his description, I don't think he's talking about the same type of lag you are refferring to. You are talking about the car feeling sluggish/unresponsive when taking off in 1st gear due to a taller 1st gear ratio in the auto, whereas I think Steeltown is refferring to the lag when you punch the gas from a roll and it takes a few seconds to kick down and engage a lower gear. He might also be refferring to the poorer throttle response of autos in general; when you punch the gas in a manual its practically instantaneos; when you punch the gas it an auto from a roll, it has to engage the correct gear, take up the slack in the torque converter, and then it starts to accelerate.

The torque converter being a fluid coupling plays a large role in the general unresponsiveness of automatic transmissions. I know on my auto, even with a shift kit, the TC has about 500RPM's of slack in it at any given RPM. Meaning if you hold the lever in 1st, take the RPM's up, let off the gas, and then punch it again, there is a +/-500RPM variance between where the TC engine brakes and grabs again.

The best thing you can do to make your auto perform better is to get a shift kit. Something like the Autotrans Interceptor or B&M ShiftPlus, not sure of those are out for the Cobalts yet though. They're basically plug-and-play modules that turn up the line pressure in the trans in order to make it shift harder and faster. I have the Autotrans Interceptor on my car, it definitely helps.

I suppose its a little late to realize you should have bought a 5-speed

 

you can turn the TC off by shifting down to first gear, you dont have to pull the e-brake to diasable the TC.

 

wesman - you said it perfectly, I'm used to controlling the gas with a stick shift and getting an instant response while with an auto trans, there is definitely a lag that I have to get used to.

Now with that autotrans interceptor..will that damage the transmission? I believe I have heard about it but it tends to make the transmission run a lot hotter than normal and may cause premature breakdown. Is there any truth to this?

I was hoping that maybe adding an air intake may help inprove responsiveness. I remember adding one to my car previously in the 5 spd and it helped the engine rev a lot easier and it may help the auto tranny respond a bit faster and reduce lag. (I'm hoping it will)

 

a short ram definately help response in my auto

 

I have both a short ram intake as well as an Autotrans Interceptor shift kit on my Cavalier. The intake it worth it whether you go for the shift kit or not, it makes a nice difference in sound and gives you a noticeable bump in power over stock.

As for the Interceptor damaging the transmission, it shouldn't hurt it at all. It basically just turns up the line pressure, which causes it to shift harder and faster. It actually helps in the respect that the clutch packs and bands slip less during shifts, which results in less wear on the internals. I don't think it runs any hotter than normal either, since theres actually less slippage going on inside the trans, and slippage = friction, and friction causes heat buildup. Also note that you can manually adjust the shift firmness on the Interceptor via the dial located on the unit, anywhere from stock pressure to a 100% increase. I have mine set on 50% for daily driving and its been fine.

Hope that helps.

 

another thing that you could do is just install a switch. Cuz when you pull the ebrake up it disconnects a circuit i believe. therefore sending signals to your computer. but if u just set up a switch to hit it will trick the computer and u can just keep ur ebrake down and TC will be off. While astleast i think it is possible. Sounds right but id really have to look at it first.

 

If you are racing or something you'd be better off in low-range mode in the automatic anyways. So you just drop it into low-range it shuts traction control off you brake torque the car launch get up to about 60 and throw the car in drive and keep going. I think that's the quickest way to do it with an auto Cobalt.

 

please try and figure that out and give us a how to on it that would be great