5th Gear??

[Redtag]

Hi folks.
I was wondering if anyone has found a good reason to use 5th gear in the auto box!?
From what my Ultragauge tells me, at just about all the speeds I travel at the engine load in 5th gear is always greater than the load in 4th at the same speed. So theoretically using 4th should be more economical.
Then there is the TC slip in 5th, which is quite easy to spot with the Automate LED. 4th locks the TC solid for me over a wide range of road speeds. It's interesting that Automate offers the option of ignoring 5th gear altogether.
So other than offering a quitter ride, reduced mean piston speed and the possibility of claiming a land speed record at Bonneville, what DOES 5th gear offer?
regards
Redtag

[old Jack]

Your observations are correct.
Factory AT program is poor so it will unlock 5th and hang on too long before it changes down the locked 4th.

This behaviour is corrected by Auto Mate, for example the trans will not change out of 4th locked to 5th locked to about 80kph 85kph.
On the factory program unlocked 5th is selected at about 55kph!
But even with Auto Mate sometimes the AT hunts between 4th and 5th so this is why there is a 5th gear lock out function. Alternatively you drive in Auto Mate Sports Tiptronic mode and select what gear you want to be in.

OJ.

[PeePee]

Your observations are correct.
Factory AT program is poor so it will unlock 5th and hang on too long before it changes down the locked 4th.

This behaviour is corrected by Auto Mate, for example the trans will not change out of 4th locked to 5th locked to about 80kph 85kph.
On the factory program unlocked 5th is selected at about 55kph!
But even with Auto Mate sometimes the AT hunts between 4th and 5th so this is why there is a 5th gear lock out function. Alternatively you drive in Auto Mate Sports Tiptronic mode and select what gear you want to be in.

OJ.

The auto mate has changed my car, I love it. The 5th lock out is great too on windy roads.

[Redtag]

The auto mate has changed my car, I love it. The 5th lock out is great too on windy roads.

Same for me, it's great to drive with the Automate and I'm glad I got it.
But back to my original question - on what occasions (even with Automate operating) is it beneficial to use 5th instead of 4th?

Redtag

[old Jack]

Same for me, it's great to drive with the Automate and I'm glad I got it.
But back to my original question - on what occasions (even with Automate operating) is it beneficial to use 5th instead of 4th?

Redtag

Generally I let Auto Mate decide when to use 5th gear, but if I find the auto hunting between locked 4th and locked 5th, I drop it back to 4th. I would only use the 5th gear lock out function of Auto Mate if I was towing heavy and didn't want the trans to go into 5th.

I use the load percentage display on my Scangauge II and if you see the load increasing in 5th sometimes I will select 4th early. This is because I can see what is happening to the road ahead whereas Auto Mate reacts the vehicle speed, engine load and accelerator position. With practice you can sense when the load is climbing too high and fast and you do not have to refer to the Scangauge II. It's just the same as driving a manual trans, you are aware of decreased speed and increased accelerator inputs so you change down a gear.

OJ.