W212. Sport mode on transmission as default?

[ALFAitalia]

I think i know the answer to this...at least according to the handbook....but i wondered if any of you experts know better!
Being a Sport model I have three modes on the transmission, comfort, sport and manual.
I really don't like the way that when in comfort mode it pulls away in second. All that slipping from a standing start, unless you really gun it. And it makes pulling out into small gaps much more hit and miss. Sport makes it much nicer with an instant connection between pushing the throttle and the car briskly pulling away on first. Also all that slip must make for extra wear and heat...like pulling off in second in a manual gearbox car I know I can hit the Sport button each time I drive it....but is there anyway of making Sport the default setting?.....I think the answer is no ....but worth an ask in case anyone has a trick.

 

[Will]

I think i know the answer to this...at least according to the handbook....but i wondered if any of you experts know better!
Being a Sport model I have three modes on the transmission, comfort, sport and manual.
I really don't like the way that when in comfort mode it pulls away in second. All that slipping from a standing start, unless you really gun it. And it makes pulling out into small gaps much more hit and miss. Sport makes it much nicer with an instant connection between pushing the throttle and the car briskly pulling away on first. Also all that slip must make for extra wear and heat...like pulling off in second in a manual gearbox car I know I can hit the Sport button each time I drive it....but is there anyway of making Sport the default setting?.....I think the answer is no ....but worth an ask in case anyone has a trick.

I don’t think the transmission modes available on yours has any connection to it being a sport model.

But to answer your question, I think from the 212 era cars onwards the answer is no. I imagine it is to do with the recorded emissions data so it defaults to the standard settings each time.

Older cars (211) I am sure you could leave it in the mode selected. It’s annoying, I remember.

But in all honesty, I’m sure 90%+ of people just leave it in ‘C’

 

[ALFAitalia]

I thought as much....but thanks. And according to my handbook. S is sport mode.....pulling off in first, hanging onto revs longer and changing down earlier are the claimed changes... along with being slightly thirstier!....are the claimed differences.

 

[badgx]

S mode definitely uses 1st gear, with C mode using 2nd gear. There is also S+, the gear changes having shortened shift points. In older cars, like the nag1 transmission, it had S and W mode, W meaning for winter mode, essentially the gear started off from 2nd gear, to help deal in icey traction limited conditions. There were blue tops solenoids that helped with the firmness by increasing the speed at which the gear changed but it made the gear change less smooth.

TCU should help improve with shift points but I'm not entirely sure whether it could increase the speed/firmness? The old gearbox definitely needed the blue tops.

 

[whitenemesis]

it had S and W mode, W meaning for winter mode, essentially the gear started off from 2nd gear, to help deal in icey traction limited conditions

Except when the engine was cold, when it would use first gear and hold the revs to help speed up warming of the fluids. With a warm start it would use 2nd gear unless one accelerated hard when it would drop to 1st. Unless one has winter tyres W mode made bugger all difference to traction!

 

[Will]

I thought as much....but thanks. And according to my handbook. S is sport mode.....pulling off in first, hanging onto revs longer and changing down earlier are the claimed changes... along with being slightly thirstier!....are the claimed differences.

Yes that’s correct, but it’s got nothing to do with your car being a ‘sport’ - the gearbox and its mode of operation are exactly the same as any other trim/variant

 

[badgx]

Except when the engine was cold, when it would use first gear and hold the revs to help speed up warming of the fluids. With a warm start it would use 2nd gear unless one accelerated hard when it would drop to 1st. Unless one has winter tyres W mode made bugger all difference to traction!

^^^ x2

 

[badgx]

Brings back some memories, bit of a messy job

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