YEA.... Normally there is a BUTTON to disable traction control, depending on the car. NTM, traction control is NOT IN ALL CARS, so do you even really know what ur talking about? Traction control is OPTIONAL in the cobalt, it is not standard ( unless u bought a 2008+ ).

SOOO, my ignorant automatic owner, about that traction contral crap that spewed from your mouth like diarrhea, was just that, CRAP.

 

Unfortunately for us, the traction control button was not introduced until the '08 models.

It's not even that we want the capability to change gears. I want to know how to shift the autos because it will greatly decrease my 1/4 mile times at the track.

 

HELLO.....this is the 2.4 section....Ding, ding, ding.....the 2.4 auto came with TC...I'm not discussing every car -- just the Cobalt 2.4 version because we're in the 2.4 section.

 

You...can't....shift....an....AUTO


—Synonyms 2. Automatic, involuntary, spontaneous all mean not under the control of the will.

 

DUDE.... Find a good chip, or tuner, and you can have good shift points, without the hassle of trying to shift the auto.

To give you an example ( even thought this is a Ford ), the mustang GT 99-04 normally does about 14.3-14.5 with an automatic tranny. With a good tune ( or chip ), you can easily see low 14's high 13's. Thats a pretty decent increase.

 

The only thing you can do with autos is change the gear timing. And to do that you need to tune.

 

On the dragstrip start out in "L" even if you have TC control with a button.

Another arguement that will start is whether or not to power-break the converter. -- For your own decision/learning experience try it both ways and see which gives you the best Elapsed Time:

1: hold brake, push throttle until stall is reached, floor it just before the green light.
2: Engine at idle, floor it on the last yellow light. (my recommendation)

 

WRONG AGAIN! The 07's had OPTIONAL traction control. As I stated ABOVE, any 2008+ HAS traction control STANDARD.

http://www.cars.com/go/crp/research....=&aff=national

DING DING DING! You have no clue what ur talking about.

He could use the ebrake instead. That might work a little better.

 

Ok I'll clear a few things up here.

Shifting an auto car "manually" will NOT hurt the tranny as long as you aren’t down shifting it or aren't over revving the car and shifting which causes shock to the tranny.

BUT there is no point in shifting an automatic manually for a few reasons. Revving the car out more won't necessarily make you run faster times, it can actually hurt your times. If the car makes peak power a 5700rpms there is not point in revving the car to 6500. The computer knows when to shift and is tuned to shift at a certain rpm to make peak power in every gear at WOT. Human error can screw you over too, letting the car stay in one gear to long can cause you to hit the rev limiter since you have to shift earlier than what you want the car to, do to slight computer lag when manually shifting, usually 300-500rpms. This means you want to shift the car at 6000 you actually shift at 5500-5700rpms. Another problem is hitting the shifter to hard and accidentally going into drive, this isn’t actually bad but it takes a second for the tranny to figure out what gear it should be in which again slows the car down.

I see people do this all the time at the track and I laugh because they think they are going to run faster times doing this and the fact is they don’t.

If you want to run faster times in an auto you need to “flash” the converter at the light, buy a bigger stall converter, gears (if they make them for your car), and get a tune to firm up shifts and to figure out where your car needs to shift at to get peak performance.

A shift kit wouldn’t hurt either if they make one for your car.

 

unbelieveable after explaning the low to I several times and y it is better to start in low there are still some that just dont get it. well us auto guys get it. its just funny if u look through the thread how many times it is explained

 

Buy a new car... thats manual or do what i did / going to do. Get a shift plus kit and then when you get the money have some one tune it. Best/safest way IMO

 

My 07 2.4 was stuck with traction control, I usually launched in L to avoid it. My cousin just drove an 08(apparently) G5 GT home, basically the same car, but he has a traction control override on the dash, should he just launch in Drive to pull his best ET? He wants to meet in the 1/4, but I still have no clue how to drive my 5 speed

 

Start in low -- one more time -- when the shifter is in low "L" or "I" it increases the transmission's internal line pressure and assists the low one-way clutch (Factory service manual wording -- NOT mine). You cannot control the shift points of the Cobalts' automatic....PERIOD. Whether you are in "L" or "I" the 1st gear shifts out at 6750. the most important thing is that in "L" on 06 and 07 (that's 07...as in my Cobalt SO I KNOW) it disables the TC. If the TC is active and you get wheel spin then you lose power and your times will be slower. After you upshift into second gear, shift into "I" for the remainder of the 1/4 mile -- unless you find your car is one-in-a-million that needs 4th gear to get to the traps.

And 04YellowGT metioned flashing the converter...this is done by flooring the car from an idle, not power braking....if you contact transmission performance shops they will tell you this too.

 

Every thing this man said......IS CORRECT.....

 

Shifting an automatic is as bad as putting it in neutral on a hill, so people think you have a manual.

If you wanted to shift, why didnt you buy a manual?

I know with the auto you have a choice between I,L or just D. But come on, an Automatic is for people who cant multitask and drive while actually deciding in your head how fast you want your car to go.

 

see thats where you are ignorant.. when you shift it manually there is more line pressure so it shifts harder at alittle higher RPM.. plus from a dig if your in Low then it disables traction control. I personally have a auto 2.4 because I use the car as a daily driver.... I am very distinguished with manual transmissions, over the years i would estimate that i have changed gears for well over half a million miles..

another thing is that if you notice or new anything about drag racing you would know that some of the fastest cars are autos, most use a th400 or a powerglide trans, reason being is less room for human error and better consistency.. which is crucial for both drag racing and bracket racing..

 

It is not about shifting, it's about knowing what is on your car, how it works, why it works, and using it to your advantage.

if we all drove the same car with the same equipment life would sure be boring......

 

And that didn't answer his question at all. You're better off getting Shiftplus than to be "Shifting" with your auto.

"Shifting" an auto makes you look like a poser.

 

It's hard to believe that so many manual owners don't get it.......When you position an automatic tranny in "L" it increases line pressure AND applies the low/reverse band to assist the low one-way roller -- it sets the transmission up to accept increased torque by making sure the low one-way roller assembly doesn't slip. It is accomplished via the manual valve in the valve body that you move with the shift lever. No shift kit or shiftplus does this.

AND because most auto 2.4L Cobalts have the idiotic traction control you have to put the shifter in "L" to disengage the TC -- if you don't and you get wheel spin the engine power is reduced by retarding the timing and shutting off fuel injectors. (I haven't met a 2.4L auto owner yet that doesn't have TC)

"Lack of education can be a dangerous thing...I prefer to know what my car has so I can use it all to my advantage"

 

yea red07ssns its amazing how many times it has been explained im with u but we seem to be arguing one thing and they keep finding others things to bring up

 

I feel compelled to educate my Cobalt owning bretheren

 

I know that.

I was saying that shifting it manually in an every day situation is stupid.

 

That's why I do it every day....cause I can....and knowing that it irritates manual owners makes it even sweeter....because when shifting it tires me out, I can just put it in "D" and relax and you can't

 

my tcm is tuned...but how did you turn off your traction control in D?

 

If he did turn it off it, it would have to be in the ECM. The Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM) gets a signal from the wheel when it spins without brakes applied, then the EBCM sends a signal to the ECM to reduce torque by retarding timing and shutting off fuel injectors. It would have to be a feature in the ECM that would allow you to disable the TC.