I think there's a bit of confusion here. In performance mode the trans CAN change into 4th only if you're going 150kph. But it won't change into 4th at that speed under WOT as it's not near max revs in 3rd.

Dutchie - exactly what Zeke has advised.

Shifter in normal D position = four speed auto which will adapt its change points according to your driving style - hammer it and it will hang onto gear longer, drive sedately and the shifts will be nearlt impercetible.

You can move the shifter left and whilst you remain in automtaic mode there are a different set of change points called performance ratios designated by PERF in the display on the speedo. Those revised change points are much higher and will not allow the vehicle to change into 4th at roadspeeds below 150kph. That is why when driving normally in D mode, moving the change lever to the left and selecting PERF mode will cause the vehicle to change down to 3rd.

With the lever to the left in PERF mode moving it forwards or backwards then puts you in manual selection mode where you can choose any gear you wish provided that your roadspeed is within max and min limits set in the logic.

You can try and select 4th at 6kph according to the display but the transmission will not actually slot into 4th until the vehicle is travelling a little faster. You can select 1st at high speed (please don't try this in case something in the logic fails) and it should not engage 1st until the vehicle is travelling sufficieintly slowly to be within safe rev limits.

Lock it into 4th and slowly reduce your roadspeed to a stop and you will see that despite having selected 4th it will progressively change down through the gears as you slow until at a standstill it has selected 1st gear. It's pretty idiot-proof in its design logic.

Dingah

Thanks guys.........much more clearer..........(I think)..............ummmmmmm

With enough road, no obstacles, and an accommodating speed limit, I find these are appropriate change points

take off in 1st

speedo reaches about 60-70 km/h, change into 2nd

speedo reaches about 110 km/h, change into 3rd

This is pushing the engine quite hard, and changing according to the tacho (eg, 2,500 rpm, as someone suggested) would result in changes at lower speeds.

I always drive in SSS auto mode, as its become habit and on the occasion I drive off in auto mode I'll be coming up to lights and go to down shift to 2nd and DOH! I'm in neutral!! LoL so now I always drive in SSS mode.

Regarding shifting upshifting has never been a problem, the box always upshifts when you want (unless your trying to do something rediculous like climb a hill at 20kph in 4th). My only problem has been getting the SSS to down shift at speed, some times having to jab the shifter twice to get the box to down shift coming into a corner BUT belive me if you are having the same problem then you are just plain going into the corner TOO HOT and should be using your breaks more before going to slot down a gear. Reason I know better is from a drive day at Eastern Creek, I had absloutly no problems with the box sloting down a gear every time when I needed it to (althogh there is a definate delay), it slotted down beautifully every time I needed it to and even on occasion coming out of turn 2 it even sloted back to 1st (but slamed straight into the rev limited, qucik up shift required), the only problem I had was on the main straight, approx 3qtr straight the T is doing around 185, and aroung 5500rpm, shift to 4th and BIG delay by the time the car shifts and gets real rpm power down you get bout 190 before the corner, NOW BIG problem going into turn 1, lift off the throltle and slot her down a gear (intention to use compression to slow you a bit with a little break then be right in the rpm sweet spot to punch it to turn 2), gearbox says NOCHANCE wont slot back from 4th to third at 180-170-165?? so after hitting the shifter a few times your past the apex other the corner then loss time getting the power back down. So after several laps similar results, I found just holding it in 3rd tacho hittin very near 6000rpm 190odd kph in 3rd was best, amasingly didnt hit the rev limiter but the T at 6000rpm at the end of the straight and just backing off the throttle into turn one letting it BARK thru trun 1 then punching it up to turn 2 again SOUNDED F&**ing beautiful so said a few spectators and that's with the stock exhaust.

Any ways I'm by no means any pro driver this was my first time on a track but in regards to the gear box it is SLOW at shifting especially in the higher gears, down the striaght there was NO speed advantage shifting from 3rd to 4th simply because doing so would take so long you would not get any more speed (probably less) then just holding it in third. Regarding downshifting it except for 4th to 3rd it performed ok, I think after a few more days at the Creek down shifting in the lower will also seam SLOW or non effective so deffinate GEARBOX upgrade. recommended.

Oh regarding drive days EVERYONE should give it a go, AWESOME fun especially blasting past WRXs :-)

And catching Porshes under breaks, this guy flew between us and the WRX we just over took down the straight, but we caught him into turn one and held onto him for several corners but then he got a much better run thru turns 6 to 9 and was gone.

Heres the T in action -

The Creek

Oh one guy out there you wouldnt want to mess with was in a damn nice HSV Senator 300kw but I suspect more that 300kw under that bonnet his number plates wre something like ISTARR, ?? doesnt ring a bell to me but a freinldy Asian guy we were chating to on the day says hes been in several mags with his cars, and damn he was fast, keeping lap times with full race cars like the yellow one here -

Senator

Supercar

Sounds like heaps of fun, I bet it was an eye opener going through turn 1 flat chat for the first time, along with the chase on conrod straight, the notorious corner on the back stretch of adelaide, turn 1 at eastern creek is one of ther best spectator corners in Australia, no mater what form of motor sport.

BTW - How did the tyres look after you had finished.

Dazza.