Lunching an autobox with hard launches

You should never, ever knock an auto 'box into D from N whilst on the throttle! It's a completely stupid thing to do.

As for standing on the brakes and giving it some throttle, I only do that when instigating a burnout :o
 
amigafan2003, how does that not result in a massive burnout? :D Must be a real low torque mill that Cosworth engine, or a real soft torque convertor, not to be overpowering the brakes by that point :p

If I slipped my Corvette into drive, stood on the brakes, and just teased the pedal, you could light the rear tires up without any effort. Great fun.

Autoboxes don't mind being given hard launches or wound up a bit before takeoff - as the torque convertor takes the shock out of the transmission - but dumping them from neutral>drive is a very bad idea and puts immense strain on the assembly, as well as the rest of your drivetrain. It's about the worst thing you can do to them, besides running them low on fluid.

Booting it from a standstill won't do it any harm, either, again for the same reasons.

Heat is the real killer of autoboxes, so if you keep them cool enough they'll take pretty much anything you can throw at them, within reason.
 
Last edited:
I'm curious now, would my e36 do this I wonder?

If I was not off work ill, I would have to give it a try..... :o :(
 
Of course it will, I could even do it in a 90BHP automatic Triumph! Best to lock it in 1st (or low, or whatever your equivalent is :))

Be like this guy:


Automatic Accents for the win!

:D
 
Last edited:
You should never, ever knock an auto 'box into D from N whilst on the throttle! It's a completely stupid thing to do.

Fun though, esp if you don't care about the car :-)

amigafan2003, how does that not result in a massive burnout? :D Must be a real low torque mill that Cosworth engine, or a real soft torque convertor, not to be overpowering the brakes by that point :p

I have to stand on the brakes VERY hard to stop the rear wheels lighting up.

I can only imagine the brakes on the Corvette are pee poor if a tickle of the throttle can overpower them :-) Did the Corvette not have drum brakes at the rear?

The Lexus - which despite having an extra litre of capacity, two extra cylinders and 40bhp more than the Cosworth - wont do burnouts - the converter is very soft on that car.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My launch method on the supra (hich I got from the owners club forum) was to put it in first (tiptronic), apply the hand break to max and stand on the brake with left foot, apply throttle until the breaks an unly just hold the car then release hand break and come off the break, worked a treat.
 
I can only imagine the brakes on the Corvette are pee poor if a tickle of the throttle can overpower them :-) Did the Corvette not have drum brakes at the rear?

The Lexus - which despite having an extra litre of capacity, two extra cylinders and 40bhp more than the Cosworth - wont do burnouts - the converter is very soft on that car.

Nah, 12" vented discs, limited-slip differential.

There's no rear discs that can stop 340ft.lb just off idle in a relatively light car :D You've only got to start running the engine over 1500RPM for the torque, delivered through the good strong autobox, to start lighting up the rears :)

I could do a burnout real easily in an LS400 so I think there's either something wrong with yours, or you're doing it wrong! :p

 
Last edited:
I think you'd only damage it by clicking it from N to D while holding the revs up. Not really designed to take punishment like that.
 
I can confirm (in the interest of OC/UK serious research you understand) that in damp conditions at least, my e36 328i Auto will happily overcome its rear brakes....

And next Spring (when its dry again!) I may see if it does it in the dry too.

:)
 
Back
Top Bottom