How To: 4L60/65/70E trans tuning.

Shifting/TCC/TM (w/ Pics)

I made this guide back in March 2010 and posted it on my "home" site. You'll notice
that the guide has been designed around the 2004-2006 GTO but the principals remain
the same for other vehicles with the 4L6x series. The response has been positive.
Time to post it where I learned all the information in the first place and see what
the pros think. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Myself (CoolAid) as well as hptuners.com will NOT be held responsible

for nor claim responsibility for damage to a vehicle or loss of any warranty
coverage from members or guests that use this GUIDE. Use this How To as a guide and
reference ONLY. Do not directly copy numbers or values into your tune from this
write up without knowing what you are changing first! That being said, every
vehicle is different. As such, every driver is also different. Expectations of
driveability or performance will VARY so once again, use this write up as a GUIDE
and adjust your tables and tune to suit YOU and your goals/expectations.

I'll be using 2.23 BETA for this write up which isn't generally available for the
mass public yet.

The current stable release listed on the site is 2.22, so you may see some tables
or variables in my pics that don't completely match up with yours if you using
2.22. The general idea remains the same however. TCC apply/release speed is TCC
apply/release speed across all platforms. The tunes I will be comparing in this
guide are my bone stock 2006 GTO A4 file and my former bolt-on modified file.

My trans specs:
-4L65E fully built by Top Gear Motorsports.
-Stall: 4,200 billet 254mm (9 3/4'') single disk built by Circle D Specialties.

A little info to set the pace of this thread: My car is not a DD. I am going to use
my tune/car as a reference in this thread and you may see some settings that are
too harsh for a DD or "occasional" fun car. With me performance and reliability
comes first, ride/shift comfort is a very distance after thought. That's what
crappy beaters with good MPG are for. Anyway, lets continue.

First and foremost:

SAVE A COPY OF YOUR STOCK/CURRENT TUNE!. Lets make sure we have a back up tune if
need be. I recommend emailing it to yourself just in case your laptop hard drive
crashes you'll be able to access the file. I email all important tunes to my
various emails for backup. The files are small and its easy and free insurance.
Always name your tunes something different so you can differentiate them. I also
like to create txt files containing any changes I've made to the tunes naming the
txt file the same as the tune. I.E. Stock1.0.hpt for the tune and Stock1.0.txt for
the notepad txt file that you mark down what you've changed. HPT has a history, but
nothing is more detailed than your own personal account of things.

Speedometer Check:
In this section we make sure the speedo is in check. Most of the trans settings
rely on MPH input in order to function so we need to make sure your current rear
tire height is in on par with reality. First go to your tire manufactures website
and notate the exact height of the tire you use. For me this is a Nitto 555R
275/45/17 DR that is 25.63''. So we need to click the "Speedo" button on the
toolbar and enter the correct tire size into the box, correct rear end gear ratio
into the box (stock is 3.46) and click "Commit". This will help to dial in your
speedo correctly so that your MPH values reflect real world numbers.
Shift Point Tuning:
In this section we will deal with shift point tuning. This can be very hit and
miss. Just because you set a certain value does not guarantee that the trans will
shift at those EXACT values. It usually varies a hundred or so RPM and a MPH or
two. The goal here is trial and error (without going to jail trying to dial it
in!). Set it, test it. If its fine then great. If not, adjust accordingly to your
taste. First off the A4 needs to satisfy TWO variables before the shift is made. 1)
RPM 2) MPH. Lets say you have a 1>2 (meaning 1st to 2nd gear shift) set at 6,400
RPM and 40MPH. When the engine gets to 6,400 RPM then trans will generally wait
until it hits 40MPH before commanding the shift and vise versa. You'll want to give
yourself a smidgen of room here since it takes time for solenoids to activate,
springs to move, fluid to flow...etc. I.E If you want out at 6,500 at 40MPH try
setting it at 6,350 and 37MPH, it might just bang out right where you need it. If
not, readjust. A common mistake people make in this area is just addressing the WOT
shift points. It is important to increase/decrease the part throttle values by the
same % as the WOT values
. Computers can be finicky and if everything isn't set up right you may just find
yourself banging the limiter searching for that perfect shift and all the while the
problem is in the part throttle tables. Something to use that usually gives good
luck on predicting where to set shift RPM so it correlates with MPH is the VCM
scanner. First do a few log runs with the car with the VCM Scanner. Full pulls into
3rd (don't go to jail! legal areas only! Mexico seems to be a nice place to get
away with this stuff ). Notate where your trans is shifting out at: (This pic is
from a modified tune with built trans and DRs, not stock)

There you see in first gear I'm recording 6,300~ish RPM at 42~ish MPH. If you have
to, hold a gear up to your target RPM so it records the MPH at that speed. I.E. If
you want to check MPH at 6,500 and you have a tune that shifts you out at 6,200 and
you leave it in D, it will punch out before you get to your target. Adjust your
engine side rev limiter accordingly and hold a gear out manually if you have to.

Now lets apply our new found info to the tune. Click on the "Trans" tab on the
toolbar and under the "Auto Shift Speed" tab find "Full Throttle Shift Speed
Normal" and click the "Normal" tab and you'll see something like this (stock file
in this pic):

I like to set the MPH low, and let the RPM be the trigger spot for the shift and
you'll see this in my tune. Meaning, I like to get the MPH variable satisfied so
that the TCM just waits for the RPM to hit and then bang (remember, 2 variables
needed, RPM and MPH) A good 4-5 or so below actual MPH is a good buffer for MPH
variables. Don't set it too far off though. If its too far off it may miss the
shift. I.E. if you have the MPH set at 70 and the shift should occur at 86 its too
much of a discrepancy for the TCM to decipher. Try to keep it close +/- 4 or 5MPH
max. Remember it probably wont hit dead nuts spot on either RPM or MPH due to the
things I mentioned before (internal part actuation...etc). Now lets change that
variable to reflect what we need. We will need to do this in "Normal" and
"Performance" or "Pattern B" (if using 2.23 Beta).

Here you see I've adjusted the MPH UP 1MPH in 1st (didnt need much) and 9MPH in
second and so on. You can either highlight the box you want to change and enter the
number in the box in the upper corner of the window and hit the = button or just
type the number into the variable box once selected.
Also, we need to adjust the downshift MPH by the same percentage that we adjusted
the upshift MPH. Although, the uphift MPH has to remain higher than the downshift
MPH. You'll see how I modified those variables as well. Notice I added about 2-3MPH
to each upshift point except for the 3>2 downshift. This is where further custom
tweaking comes in. For me, I dont want my trans downshifting into 2nd gear at 79
MPH if I go WOT or manually pull down because I feel it is too close to the shift
out point and dont want the engine screaming for a second before it shifts. It
generally feels like its holding back and slower when the downshift is really close
to where the upshift is. Id rather just stay in the gear Im in (this case 3rd) and
continue to climb. Adjust to your tastes.

Now we need to go into "Part Throttle Shift Normal" to adjust a few things:

Now we need to copy over the 100 (WOT) values from the Full Throttle Shift Speed
area to the Part Throttle Shift Normal. In my readings, this isnt 100% mandatory,
but many good tuners like to make them match up so the TCM doesnt have any variance
issues and I like to follow suit with that idea so here goes:

Now that we have that squared away its time to tackle RPM. This one is pretty
straight forward and if you've set up your MPH correctly and have given it a 4-5MPH
buffer before actual you should be able to get your RPMs to hit pretty close. If
not, like anything else, adjust accordingly. Lets start off by opening the "Full
Throttle Shift RPM Normal", "Normal" tab and the "Performance" or "Pattern B" (if
using 2.23 Beta) tab as well:

Now adjust the values to your liking:

Now I usually punch out of first around 6,300 and 2nd and 3rd at around 6,450-
6,500. This is where that variance stuff comes in. Since I know I'll have a small
but of time before actual shift, since I want the 2nd and 3rd out at 6,500 I've set
them to punch in the tune at 6,300. This mixed with my MPH settings have worked for
me. You will need to test and tune them to your flavor. That pretty much wraps it
up as far as shift point tuning. If I've left anything out of this section feel
free to comment and I will add it in.

Shift Pressures:
As far as shift pressures go I leave them at stock levels and so do many of the
major builders/tuners out there. The stock levels in the GTO are max @ 90psi and
are plenty fine for quick shifts. The correct way to increase shift pressures is
mechanically with a shift kit. The kit will include pieces that are built to handle
the increased pressure such as different springs and metal parts that replace
plastic parts I.E. the boost valve. Beyond this people who boost up the pressure
through the tune are risking mechanical failure for no great reason. If torque
management is gone 90psi is plenty of pressure even in a stock trans to make a
quick shift. Remember: its not about how HARD the trans shifts, its about how QUICK
it does it. That old school nonsense about a trans that slams the tires in every
gear and hits hard on shifts is just that. Nonsense. My trans is very smooth and
while it definitely hits and lets you know its there, its emphasis is on speed
rather than force.

Torque Converter Tuning

Torque Converter Clutch Duty Cycle (TCC) Maximum & Minimum Pressure:
This section deals with the TCC PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) Apply/Release
pressure. Modifying these values is recommended for high stall or aftermarket
torque converter users. Most good aftermarket torque converters contain high carbon
lockup clutches that are strong and allow you to lock them solidly, thus saving
wear on the clutch and increasing longevity/durability. This is going to be one of
those "driveability" settings. This is how much pressure is given to apply or
release the lockup clutch. Therefore, more pressure equals a more harsh feel and
solid lockup, less equals a softer engagement and a smooth feel. The draw backs to
this "smooth feel" however is that the lockup clutch is literally slipping into
place as opposed to solidly applying itself. The more slip, the less durability and
the more wear on the clutch. The more positive and quick you can get that clutch to
lock in there the less wear however with my upcoming recommended settings you WILL
feel that bitch lock in. It feels like a 4th shift. So the question is are you
willing to sacrifice a smooth lockup feel for the increased durability of your
lockup clutch? To access this sections variables you need to click the "Auto TCC"
tab in the Transmission section. Find the "TCC Duty Cycle" area and open the
"Maximum" and "Minimum" windows. The stock settings on a GTO are:

Time to put these bitches to full capacity. Enter "100" in all of the "Maximum"
boxes and "90" in all of the "Minimum boxes. Like so:

Note: If you have a shift kit these pressures are generally set to max
mechanically. I like to set them to full even though I have a shift kit.

Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) Apply/Release Speed aka Lockup Speed

In this section we'll go over the TCC Apply/Release Speeds. As in, at what MPH the
converter will lock and unlock. This is another trial and error section like the
shift point tuning. First off unless you have a multi-disk converter or one
designed specifically for WOT lockup it is highly recommended that you tune out WOT
lockup. It is simply too hard on the single disk and common "Stage 1 & 2"
converters. Force locking it on the dyno to get good numbers is one thing, but
locking through 3rd or 4th flat out with a converter that is not designed for it on
the street/strip is asking for a blown converter that will then spit busted clutch
material into your trans which will waste it as well. So lets go ahead and disable
WOT lock by finding the "Full Throttle Normal" area of the Apply/Release Speed
section in the Auto TCC tab and click the "Normal" and "Performance" or "Pattern B"
(if using 2.23 Beta):

Now lets go ahead and max those bitches out by placing the max value in all of the
Apply boxes, and 1 less MPH in all of the release boxes in both windows (should be
318 in all years, if not, find the max variable at the bottom right corner of the
window and enter it in the boxes).

Now its on to the part throttle stuff. In these tables we can adjust what MPH and
throttle % the lockup occurs and also what it unlocks at. Look for "Apply/Release
Speed Normal" under the "Auto TCC" tab and open the window by clicking on the
"Normal" button (stock settings are shown below, no need to open Performance or
Pattern B on this one as those tables are maxed from the factory and dont apply to
this):
Notice how the Apply speeds are always higher than the Release speeds even when
maxing it out (318 apply, 317 release). This needs to be the case even after we
modify them. Also notice how 2nd gear is maxed out. No need to lock in second. In
fact, there is really no need to lock in third either and most modders dont
including myself. I dont want the car stuck in 1:1 locked up at low speed when I
can be in overdrive unlocked with more low speed pull power at light throttle %
(since traffic ebbs and flows at low speeds). Most people have 4th gear lockup come
in around 40-45MPH. This can depend on what type of cam you have in the car as
well. Certain big cams like to buck at low speed lockup (which is another reason
modded cars dont lock 3rd) and if you feel the car buck or surge or bog out try
raising the lock MPH. Here is my table that I use with my 4,200 stall:

Pretty straight forward no? You can see where I maxed out 3rd gear lock by entering
max values in 3rd Apply and 1 less numeral in 3rd Release (remember that whole
"apply has to be more than release thing?). Also take note of where I dropped in
max value on 4th apply. Lets focus on that window for a minute and I'll try to
describe whats going on:

The RED circle is showing us that the lockup clutch will apply at 43MPH at any
throttle up to 25%. It will not apply under 43MPH at any throttle % with those
settings. Also if I was to speed up to 51MPH and let off on the pedal down below
32% throttle it would also lock. Now as far as kicking it out of lock or
"releasing" it, the BLUE circle shows us that anything below 43MPH will unlock the
converter no matter the throttle %. The YELLOW circle shows us how I set up my
lockup cruise so that it doesnt kick in and out of lock at light to semi light
throttle. This is nice when your cruising at lets say 65, want to get around
someone thats driving slow but dont need to floor it and dont want to kick it out
of lock. The YELLOW circle shows us that I can give it as much as 50% throttle
under 65MPH without it kicking out of lock. If I hit 56% throttle @ 65 however, it
would kick it out of lock. This is where the trial and error stuff comes into play
and fine tuning these settings for your taste could take some time. At the low
speed lockup areas you want to keep the apply and release close. Notice how my
apply is 43 for the first couple boxes and the corresponding release boxes are all
within 1MPH. Past my initial "city cruise" lockup and throttle points (Usually
45MPH and 25% throttle is par for the course so thats why the settings) I have
opened up the gap between the apply and release a bit. Scale it according to where
you want your lock to kick in/out. Once it gets faster the gap opens wider as I
want the lock to stay applied below 50% throttle all the way up to 80 or so but
dont want it to release if say, I cruise up to 75 and have to let off the pedal for
a bit. When I get back on it should stay locked as long as I dont go over 50%. I
hope I'm making sense here Anyway thats the jist of part throttle apply/release
converter tuning.

Torque Management (TM):

In this final section we will deal with Torque Management, or TM as its called are
settings that are on both the engine side of the tune and the trans side of the
tune for A4s. M6 cars do not have trans side TM in the tune. For those that dont
know TM is something GM added to the tune to dial back the engine timing during
shifts and also add a shift time delay. This helps protect the trans from breakage
but also makes for slow shifts and with timing being pulled and RWHP reduced
because of it TM can put a serious hindrance on performance. Most modern vehicles
have TM. For reference the stock torque rating for the 4L60E is 360 ft/lbs and 380
ft/lbs for the 65E. I personally dont recommend more than a 50% reduction of TM on
a stock trans. Some people go further. 75% is fairly common and some even pull it
out all together 100%. As far as a built trans, let it all hang out. Thats what
they are for. On my trans I have it pulled out 100% since it is built to take the
abuse. As far as how much YOU should pull out, well thats up to your personal
preference. Do some research and be careful with your decisions. That being said
lets get to it. In the "Transmission" section, find your way over to the "Torque
Management" tab. Find the "Torque Reduction" area and there you'll find the "Torque
Reduction vs Torque vs Shift" button or something along those lines. Unfortunately
I dont remember what it says because 2.23 Beta has it listed as "Pattern X". This
will be one of the main TM variables. There are a few others but this one makes the
largest impact. Maybe someone can post up with what its called in 2.22 and I'll
amend this write up. The pic below is from my stock tune:

Now the reason people say "-x%" is because these numbers are kind of arbitrary and
dont really work out to be 1-100 in scale. So basically, looking at the 230 ft/lb
area on the sixth box in for the 1>2 shift you'll see an 8. Obviously, a -50%
reduction for that box would be 4. If you are going to do -50% then do it across
the board. So, -50% on the first set of numbers 8, 11, 20 would be 4, 5.5,
10...etc. Now as far as the 5.5 thing HPT wont let you enter that so I usually
would round up so 4, 6, 10...etc. If you want to go -100% drop 0s in every box.

Next lets check out "Abuse Mode". This is something the tune will reference if it
feels like its getting the Ike Turner treatment. Here we have "Torque Reduction"
and "Reduction Duration" buttons. Pop em open and lets see whats inside:

Lets go ahead and leave the Duration vs Trans Temp completely alone for all %
reductions except 100%. If your taking out all TM then 0 out this entire table.
Next we see the Trans Abuse Mode Torque Reduction vs RPM at the top right of the
pic. Just like the Torque Reduction vs Shift from before if you are going to pull
out a % of TM the the 90, 100, 100...etc would be 45, 50, 50...etc down the line
for -50%. Once again if you are taking out all TM then 0 out the entire table.

Next we'll go over to the "TCC Limit" area and you'll see the Tq Reduction drop
down disabled. Under that, you'll see an are where you can enter in the max torque
numbers. This is the maximum TCC limit torque. If you have an aftermarket quality
converter lets max this out by entering the max possible value in the box, with my
car it says that its 6042. It can be found in the lower right corner of the window:

There we have it! Thats my write up. I trust that everything I have put in here is
spot on accurate but as always I am open to any and all criticism. This entire
thing came off the top of my head and if I missed something I'd like to hear it so
I can add it in. Thanks to the members of LS2GTO.com, HPT forums and LS1Tech. Its
where I gathered all of my info over the last couple years and if I can give back
then I'm more then happy to because without all of us working together and sharing
knowledge this hobby is flat hard to figure out sometimes. Good luck with your
trans tunes and take things slow until you fully learn the ropes and what you are
doing. There is a little more elbow room doing trans tunes for the first time since
its a bit harder to blow things up like you can easily with motor tunes. Have at
it!

Cheers