so i have a race coming up. i have a Z24 2.4L 4 speed auto. was wandering what the best way to race it. my buddy he has a V8 mustang and said he just leaves it in D but i noticed when i went through the gears (1,2,3, D ) that it was a lot quicker and faster. is there any secrets as to going even quicker than that this is my first race so im not too sure as to how to race an automatic

just as he said leave it in D its only imagination that it faster manually shifting it. ive tried it at the track and there was no difference



The one, the only, ME.

Wouldn't staying in gear longer with the manual shifts help his time? I don't know @!#$ about racing though.

The computer up-shifts for you once you hit redline, even if you were to leave the selector on 1 or 2. Try it sometime

not on mine. its sole purpose is to limit the car from shifting a gear up, in order to increase torque, granted I have never taken the car to redline in one of the numbers, but it seems like that would defeat the purpose.


"boobs now with Riboflabin"

Limit being the key word. If you hit like 4,000 RPMs and let off the gas, it will not upshift. Thats really the only difference. It still downshifts for you if you drop your rpm's too low and get back on the gas and upshifts if you hit red line.

But in D it will upshift at around 3000 instead of around 6000 right?

when i race it shifts when it hits redline.



Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!

You shoud still come off the line in 2nd gear to keep your traction control from kicking in, after you are through first and shift into 2nd put it into drive and you are off

Me, what I do. Jcavi our transmissions "4T40-E" will upshift even if left in second gear, unlike the 3 speeds.

• Check tire pressure, lower if you find it necessary. I have never found it to help on street tires.


• If you have adjustable struts, make the rear ones as hard as they go. Less weight transfer. I like to keep my fronts in the middle of the range.


• Do a VERY small tire spin...one full rotation to remove debris from the tires. NO BURNOUT unless on slicks.


• Do not do a burn out on street tires, and also avoid the water box.


• I come up to the lights and stage. Either stage deep or shallow, I almost always shallow stage. Thats up to you.


• I put her in neutral and rev once to about 3 grand, with my foot firmly on the brake peddle. This is to raise vacuum to allow a better power brake off the line. "You will feel the peddle sink closer to the floor."


• Put it in second, to remove traction control, or e-brake up one click.....if you do not have a shift-plus or auto-trans-interceptor.


• Rev till the car wants to over come the brakes, about 2200RPM on stock stall converter. "Left foot on brake firmly, and right on gas holding a steady RPM."


• Wait for last yellow of the three before green, and GO!


• Leave her in gear or shift her from second to third. Doesn't really mater she will do it for you anyway. Also shifting through the gears with our 4T40-E will do "nothing" to help your quarter mile times.


• A well maintained car will run a hell of a lot more consistent than an "ok" maintained car.


• Keep car as cool as possible in the staging lanes, and warm her up to operating temperature when it COLD. Lifting the hood in between runs helps a lot.

I think that covers it. Practice..Practice...Practice to get better 60 foot times, and reaction times.



PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO

my 2004 has never shifted if i leave it in just 1st it stays in whatever gear i leave it in even from the factory



The one, the only, ME.

There is another thread similiar to this in the Performance section but I put this to a test with my 98 cav 2.4 auto.First(on a roll) I stayed in drive but was in 2nd,punched it WOT and watched the tach when the computer shifted to 3rd,was at the end of the hash mark,which is what like 6200rpms?Then I(on a roll) had the the car in 2nd and punched it WOT watched the tach and it extended just past where the computer normally shifts the car,so maybe 6400rpms,before bogging down or whatever the term is that should be used.So,you CAN manually shift and SLIGHTLY extend past where the computer normally shifts.Does this give any gains?Probably not and it's probably not safe to be doing that all the time.I will try this at the track both ways and see if there is any difference.



15.2@89mph 2.171 60ft. 9.830 1/8 R.I.P. "LULU"

I have to agree with MD-LD9....except that the 4T40 will NOT upshift if it is anything other than D
The only time you want it in anything other than D is off the line. After that immediately put it in D. I tried the maunual thing plenty of times and you only risk hitting the rev limiter before shifting which will kill your time. When you add a less restrictive exhaust an auto will shift at a slightly higher rpm.

if you are stopped and put in 2nd your still taking off in 1st and it upshifts to 2nd.



15.2@89mph 2.171 60ft. 9.830 1/8 R.I.P. "LULU"

i have heard that on any car to just leave it in 3 cus manually shifting the car can mess up the tranny, my dad used to do it in his vette and fried his tranny but not sure if its cus its a different tranny, just an idea

My friend does it in his Acura Vigor (Fast as hell for what it is btw) But its because his torque convertor is going, or so he says. It doesnt shift right when left in D4 on his car.

As for it frying the tranny i have no clue.