Trans Stays in 4th Uphill

I have a 2008 3 with AT that has some weird shift point issues. This car is a replacement for a 2004 3 that did not have these issues. When I go up an incline at 60-65 mph, the car shifts to 4th. No matter how little pedal I give, it will not shift back to 5th. Also, when I am going down a slight incline and apply slight braking, the car downshifts from 5th to 4th, and sometimes from 4th to 3rd depending on speed. The shifts are very noticable, and almost feel like more brake is being applied than what I am actually doing. Took it to the dealer and they said there was a slight mod in this year's shift points but this is the way it should be. Bad driving experience if you ask me.

the down shift is probably due to an engine brake my gf's toyota has this where if you apply the brake and it senses the car still speeding up it thinks you are on a big decline and helps to save your brakes by using the engine brake. as far as staying in a lower gear while going up a hill i have no idea.

by staying in fourth uphill its saving you gas milage cuz you dont have to dump air and fuel in to get 5th to have enough torque to pull you up the hill. the automatic engine braking is pretty cool too, it keeps you from destroying your brakes. most drivers try to ride their brakes all the way down a hill, use the engine instead. also i have the same car, flip it into man mode if u dont like it doing that.

I'd rather replace brakes than a transmission...

engine breaking should have no negative effects on a properly cared for a/t

tsunami said:

engine breaking should have no negative effects on a properly cared for a/t

Click to expand...

word.

ckukshtel, just get used to it. Welcome to modern automobiling. If you understood why it did what it does, you could save the worry and appreciate that it saves you brake lining and engine lugging