BA SSS Owners - Do you use it?

[Laminge]

An absolute must on the Ts

But agree, turning corners can be amusing!

[Falchoon]

Originally Posted by RED_EL_XR8

All the time, though mainly for engine braking, or locking the o/drive out

Same here. It's great on the highway too for overtaking.

[Danny]

I drive Mum's XR6 quite a bit, and while it was a novelty at first, I usually just put it into sports mode and drive with it in that, rather than SSS. I like the feel of the kickdowns as soon as you hit the throttle rather than tapping the tiptronic down a gear, waiting for it to change, then givig it to it.

[GlennBA]

Originally Posted by Danny

I drive Mum's XR6 quite a bit, and while it was a novelty at first, I usually just put it into sports mode and drive with it in that, rather than SSS. I like the feel of the kickdowns as soon as you hit the throttle rather than tapping the tiptronic down a gear, waiting for it to change, then givig it to it.

i agree.. dads turbo feels heaps better in performance mode then it does in sequential.

[FRDXR6]

After driving a BA XR6 SSS i had high expectations but its absolute crap and i would rather just leave it in auto mode or get a real manual. It just never felt right and i never felt i was really in control of the gears.

Then i hopped in my mates new Alfa 156 selespeed recently and thats what i call a semi-auto :eclipsee_

[Danny]

Originally Posted by FRDXR6

Then i hopped in my mates new Alfa 156 selespeed recently and thats what i call a semi-auto :eclipsee_

Yeah my mate has one too. The selespeed is a brilliant thing! Its a clutchless manual, where when you select a gear, it disengages, selects next gear, and engages all for you, all without you doing the clutch thing. Its really good.

Actually, ford have something like that on the Fiesta called 'Durashift'. Its only available overseas though :

[Dez]

i use SSS when i drive my dads fairmont...just for some fun and something different.

didnt know that just shifting the stick to the left changed the mode, i thought it just stayed as normal auto until you manually selected a gear for the first time, so i'll give that a go next time

[b2tf]

Whenever Im in a BA with it I use it. Love it.

[Racecraft]

left is 'performance mode' ... it just replaces the power/economy switch in the earlier cars

[Dez]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

left is 'performance mode' ... it just replaces the power/economy switch in the earlier cars

yeah i learnt that the other day talking to Rod about his TT BOSS

[RED_EL_XR8]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

left is 'performance mode' ... it just replaces the power/economy switch in the earlier cars

But the power switch didn't entirely lock out 4th gear, like the BA left will do without a manual selection.

[GlennBA]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

left is 'performance mode' ... it just replaces the power/economy switch in the earlier cars

is it on all ba's or just performance models?

[Racecraft]

i'm lead to belive it is all BA's , well on the two i have anyway an '03 Futura and a '04 Xt, so surely if it is on the base models it'd be on everything

[b2tf]

Performance mode is on all BA Autos.

[bathurst77]

Push to the left and it is in PERFormance auto mode. Holds gears longer on upshifts, kicksdown sooner, 4th is locked out until 140kph.
So if your cruising at 80-130 in 4th and hit it to the left, it is instant change to 3rd.
But it still is a full auto box.

If you then either push forward(2nd) or pullback (4th) on the lever to override the autoselected gear it then becomes a semi-auto tranny and will hold that gear to the cutout and not change up. However it will change down when necessary, just not back up again. you have to go back to adp mode to get it to change up by itself again.
This can lead to embarrassing moments....

This is on ALL SSS BAs.

[Mechan1k]

I use it for towing quite a bit in the Territory ... saves on the brakes a bit ... and can be good for merging from the left lane at traffic lights. Also as mentioned is good for overtaking on the highway.

I mainly leave it in ADP mode though ... as it copes pretty well anyway.

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

I use it for towing quite a bit in the Territory ... saves on the brakes a bit ...

When I did advanced driving course, the instructor saw me using gears for braking assist. I told him it was to save the brakes a bit. He said
"yehhh... but brakes are cheaper to replace than gearboxes and clutches"

I still do it at times tho.

[Citric GT]

One thing I've noticed with the SSS is that the base model cars dont change up to 4th until about 80 whereas the XRs I've driven would change into 4th at around 40 on a light throttle.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

When I did advanced driving course, the instructor saw me using gears for braking assist. I told him it was to save the brakes a bit. He said
"yehhh... but brakes are cheaper to replace than gearboxes and clutches"

I still do it at times tho.

I mean saving on the brakes as in steep downhill runs where engine braking is a necessity instead of ride the brakes .. and ending up with none at all.

Pretty much all of the time in traffic I use the brakes ... as they are cheaper to replace than a gearbox ... but when you need to pull your vehicle on a steep downhill ... I NEVER ride the brakes ... I like to have them there in an emergency. Hence I use the box in conjection with light-moderate brake application.

[RED_EL_XR8]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

When I did advanced driving course, the instructor saw me using gears for braking assist. I told him it was to save the brakes a bit. He said
"yehhh... but brakes are cheaper to replace than gearboxes and clutches"

I still do it at times tho.

And Transmissions dont catch fire when you've loaded them up for an 80K dawdle down Mt Ousley. Use the correct tool for the job. If the instructor dismissed engine braking out of hand, he shouldn't be instructing, there are times to use either/both.

[megsy]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

I mean saving on the brakes as in steep downhill runs where engine braking is a necessity instead of ride the brakes .. and ending up with none at all.

Pretty much all of the time in traffic I use the brakes ... as they are cheaper to replace than a gearbox ... but when you need to pull your vehicle on a steep downhill ... I NEVER ride the brakes ... I like to have them there in an emergency. Hence I use the box in conjection with light-moderate brake application.

Just going to say the same thing. ;)
if you come down off mt hotham and not use the gearbox, your brakes will overheat and become useless before you reach the bottom (not fun).

Originally Posted by bathurst77

When I did advanced driving course, the instructor saw me using gears for braking assist. I told him it was to save the brakes a bit.

different situations call for different measures, sometimes you need to pull up quickly and using the gearbox and the brakes in combination will work better than just hitting the brakes hard.

if he thinks that in all cases you should just use the brakes then he needs his instructor licence revoked.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by RED_EL_XR8

And Transmissions dont cach fire cos you've loaded them up for an 80K dawdle down Mt Ousley. Use the correct tool for the job. If the instructor dismissed engine braking out of hand, he shouldn't be instructing, there are times to use either/both.

I know what Mt Ousley is like ... especially when on your towing limit with a horse float and 2 decent sized horses on the back.

I have been in a mate's car going down Bulli pass where he rode the brakes all the way down ... it was getting scarey near the bottom where he actually had to use the transmission to slow up ... I'd rather the other way around ... save my brakes for last in extreme conditions.

[mcflux]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

left is 'performance mode' ... it just replaces the power/economy switch in the earlier cars

Interesting I hadn't thought about that before. I still have my old power/econ button hooked up, so I wonder what will happen when I shift the BA shifter into PERF and have the Power button on? Hmmmm I'll have to find out!

-Dave-

PS the shift kit still isn't hooked up, my attempts kept on sending the damn ecu into limp home mode dammit! (SSS works 100%, but I'm adding a shift kit to firm it up a bit)

[EA2BA]

Dave, when you put the shifter into SS mode if you have wired it correct will turn on power mode, if you have it in power mode already i leave mine in it, nothing changes.

[mcflux]

Bah! Ahh well... looks like I need to hook up the shift kit sooner rather than later then...

[Road Games]

What is goin on here ????

[Deadman]

Originally Posted by DAZZLER351

What is goin on here ????

You're digging up an incredibly old ( > 2yrs old ) thread?? :

[Road Games]

I didnt dig it up... : I was reading in the pub and this popped up as the latest (2005 FTW) admin says someone has found it and voted ????? Stuffs me ,i thought something was wrong with the timeframe ......

[Deadman]

Yeah, when someone votes in a thread, it's the same as someone posting in it (except it's not visible).

[Green X]

yeah i use it in the XR6T every now and then with the ZF6 speed, You go from a BA SSS to the ZF SSS and you relies how much better the ZF is, it's just so smooth and refined.

I find performance mode good until you get out on the hwy and it revs a bit high as it doesn't change up to a higher gear for cruising.