How-to: Launch an Automatic Transmission equipped car.

[Bitter]

1. Find your stall speed.
a. In an empty parking lot, or somewhere desolate, put one foot down HARD on the brake pedal and then slowly apply the gas pedal until the rpms come up and stop rising. that is the stall speed that I will refer to later.
b. write this number down, mark it on your guage face with a non permanent marker, or memorize the needles position. you will need this later.

2. Practice.
a. Using the 2 foot technique (one on gas and one on brake) determine the amount of brake pedal pressure needed to hold the car in place with the engine at the stall RPM.
b. Now with your foot on the brake with the needed amount of pressure slowly raise the engine RPM to the stall, then drop back from the stall by 200 RPM.
c. Finally, this is the tricky part where you need cordination. Release the brake pedal WHILE mashing the gas. the 2 actions have to happen at the same time, if you bounce off the stall your launch is ruined.

3. Experiment
a. Find at what engine rpm you feel like you get the best launch from. different cars with different mods have different power bands. some may launch the best right at stall while others may do better several hundred rpm below stall.


there, now you know how to launch an automatic, or atleast how i was (self) taught. will you get the tire smoking burnouts that a 5spd will? nope. will you get slightly better 60ft times? maybe

[SlOwFaCeKiLla]

I can't believe that owners of automatic vehicles don't know this...in my opinion this should be made a sticky so that way people don't ask the age old question of "How do I launch my automatic car" and that will be atleast one n00b question possibly eliminated.

[Doric]

Bitter, thanks for the write-up. I'm going to move this to Drag Racing Tech, though.

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by Doric

Bitter, thanks for the write-up. I'm going to move this to Drag Racing Tech, though.

i didnt even know we had that. all i see are street racing stories :rice:

[Bitter]

could this be stuck? not that it'll be dropped anytime soon because no one posts here.

[4thsydecustom]

i say revv the car up to 6 grand in neutral, then drop it into gear ...... LOL

[untbballer21]

Good Info to know.

[Scootie714]

Nice how to, is everyones stall speed usually the same or always different? Also when you tell how to figure out the stall speed do you mean keep slowly applying more gas or just go like 25% throttle and stop and watch where the rpms stop rising?

[Bitter]

slowly apply throttle, at that stage your only purpose is to find the stall. dont just assume where it is, actually take the few minutes to find it and take note of it. i can launch any automatic car by feel with or without a tach. this isnt hard to do alot easier than a manual transmission.

i'll see if i can make a video sometime in the next months.

[chkaczsn]

so in simpler terms...my 02 GT sporty cuts off the stall at 2000rpm's or just about.

First, power brake: press down hard on the brake petal

Second, stick it into neutral for a few revs

Third, Back into drive food still on brake hard

Forth, apply gas until RPM is 2000

When I am ready to go I release the brake and floor it.

Sometimes I get a chirp...I wouldn't say it takes too much coordination, unless you know a tricky secret.

[Jambolito]

nope.

i actually have some questions (listed in my new thread) but as this thread says to do, all you do is:

1. stand on the break, and press your gas up to your desired rpm

2. practice stalling it at 2000, 2100, 2200 to see where you can still grip

3. let off the brake to launch, wait half a sec til the tires get movin, and floor it.

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by chkaczsn

so in simpler terms...my 02 GT sporty cuts off the stall at 2000rpm's or just about.

First, power brake: press down hard on the brake petal

Second, stick it into neutral for a few revs

Third, Back into drive food still on brake hard

Forth, apply gas until RPM is 2000

When I am ready to go I release the brake and floor it.

Sometimes I get a chirp...I wouldn't say it takes too much coordination, unless you know a tricky secret.

you do not go into nuetral, you have to release the brake pedal at the same time you lay harder into the gas, thats where the coordination comes into play. you cant just mash the gas and have it bounce off the stall limit, that ruins the launch. you have to hold it just below your stall limit by 100-200 rpm while on the brake, then when ready to go you have to, at exactly the same time, mash the gas pedal and let go of the brake.

Originally Posted by Jambolito

nope.

i actually have some questions (listed in my new thread) but as this thread says to do, all you do is:

1. stand on the break, and press your gas up to your desired rpm

2. practice stalling it at 2000, 2100, 2200 to see where you can still grip

3. let off the brake to launch, wait half a sec til the tires get movin, and floor it.

you can ask here, i'll respond.

Originally Posted by Jambolito

Ive searched and read and cant really find a definitive answer.

If i stall to 2200, or even 2000 for that matter, i spin my tires. I can launch at 1900, let it go for half a sec, then floor it, and not spin. (like the "how to's" say to do)

Should i do that, or stall as high as i can (2200)?
Does being higher in the RPM's and closer to my powerband make up for the spinning tires?

Why would i buy a high stall, if i cant even launch at 2000 and maintain my grip, unless the answer to the second question was to spin...

thanks

you need stickier tires, if you're spinning you're not going anywhere. the point behind a good launch is to get a faster 60ft and overall 1/4 mile time. what tires, what size, and what pressures are you running now? no point making power if you cant use it

the high stall converter is so you can launch closer to your peak torque, the closer you are to that when you launch the more of it you have available right away, you dont have to rev up into the torque as far.


heres a cali GT's dyno from RRE, you can see where power peaks

you can see why launching at 2000 or 2200 gives you more power from the start than just flooring it from a 750rpm idle.

[Jambolito]

ok, so you're saying that the people that get the 2400 or 2600 from rezlo can grip launching from those rpms? (with better tires, lower tire pressure in the front tires, etc...)

(im on street tires(sumitomo 225/40/18's), tread not great, regular tire pressure)
(not at the track, just practicing)

[Bitter]

yes, generally people who get the higher stall converters have other upgrades like turbo or nitrous. they also have the rubber to grip the road. which sumis do you have?

[Jambolito]

im at work now, cant really check, they werent incredibly expensive. (and worn down)

[Eclipse_kid]

will having a TQ installed, regardless of wether you have N/A or an FI application, make a difference in your launching? I launch my car by smashing the brake and floor the gas, and my rpms went to about 2200 and then release the brake to launch my car.

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by Eclipse_kid

will having a TQ installed, regardless of wether you have N/A or an FI application, make a difference in your launching? I launch my car by smashing the brake and floor the gas, and my rpms went to about 2200 and then release the brake to launch my car.

i thought i already went over this here?

Originally Posted by Bitter

the high stall converter is so you can launch closer to your peak torque, the closer you are to that when you launch the more of it you have available right away, you dont have to rev up into the torque as far.


heres a cali GT's dyno from RRE, you can see where power peaks

you can see why launching at 2000 or 2200 gives you more power from the start than just flooring it from a 750rpm idle.

[ltd]

lol nice way to kill your tranny.

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by ltd

lol nice way to kill your tranny.

way to bring back a year old thread for a pointless post.

[WorldWind]

the correct answer to the OP's question is......













with a trebuchet.

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by WorldWind

the correct answer to the OP's question is......













with a trebuchet.

while that may be, the performance gap between a high end automatic and a manual transmission is getting very narrow, and it seems the automatics are winning.

[WorldWind]

True.

But for the 3g, that has neither a high end automatic, or a high end clutch and drive train. The fact remains, even if you have the mods to get traction to two wheels, its still two wheels and front wheels at that.

So I stand on my expressed option.

[USMCinfinity]

When I'm trying to find the stall speed, do I push slowly the pedal until the end, or just like half way and see where it stops? please explain.

[spyderbite03]

Nice write up bitter. Isaw the thread and was like wow people dont know this. Last time i was at the track racing my friend he didnt know it and i was pullin 1 to 1 1/2 cars and him at the track off the line and he has a same car as mine except his ia a hard top.

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by USMCinfinity

When I'm trying to find the stall speed, do I push slowly the pedal until the end, or just like half way and see where it stops? please explain.

i thought it was pretty clear in the first post, read it again.

[oxygen]

Hi, I was reading your post here and i have a question. Sorry to bring this back from the dead first of all. I've launched w/ an auto many times, in a Maxima, where I could hold the gas and the brake at the same time to the floor and not lurch forward or drift forward at all. I'm now working on launching a Civic, and when I hold both to the floor, the Civic cannot hold the pressure and begins to drift forward eventhough the brakes are applied fully. This results in me faulting at the track. Could this be a result of a bad brake master cylinder, crappy pads, or crappy rotors, or do I just need to re-evaluate and find that "stall" mark that you mentioned in the first post? There is plenty of brake fluid, already checked that.

Thanks for your replies

[Bitter]

re-try that stall thing you're thinking about. some cars don't have the brakes to hold the car with the gas pedal all the way down. you could try pumping the brakes up and holding them down harder to try to get them to lock down on the rotors. also make sure the rear drum brakes are well adjusted, that will really help hold the car in place.

it all really just comes down to practice with this.

[Bitter]

re-try that stall thing you're thinking about. some cars don't have the brakes to hold the car with the gas pedal all the way down. you could try pumping the brakes up and holding them down harder to try to get them to lock down on the rotors. also make sure the rear drum brakes are well adjusted, that will really help hold the car in place.

it all really just comes down to practice with this.

[oxygen]

Thanks for the reply. I have a non-tach gauge cluster right now, so once I get my cluster with a tach that should help me find the stall point.
I wonder if I should consider swapping my rear's from drum to disc then...do you think this will help significantly or might it have no impact at all?

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by oxygen

Thanks for the reply. I have a non-tach gauge cluster right now, so once I get my cluster with a tach that should help me find the stall point.
I wonder if I should consider swapping my rear's from drum to disc then...do you think this will help significantly or might it have no impact at all?

yes to both, knowing what rpm you're at will help and rear disc will also help alot too. disc brakes are constantly sell adjusting and should be able to hold it better than the drums do.

may be a little better suited to a civic forum though

[oxygen]

yes but the civic forum = constant people flaming me

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by oxygen

yes but the civic forum = constant people flaming me

having once been in your situation (crappy slow car) i won't flame but simply tell you from experience that no matter how you polish a turd its still a turd. may be a little more fun to drive but still... i spent too much money on it and sort of now look back and wish i hadn't of. would have left me more money to squander on other things

[oxygen]

i def agree with you, this car is not being built for a daily driver, it's being built for the track only. I've always wanted a car I could take to the track, have a little bit of fun with, and enjoy the atmosphere. Luckily my income has finally picked up and I am able to finally build the car I always wanted to build, which is the Civic hatch. As for my DD, I had a 2002 Maxima which was an OK car. Had an accident with it and it was totalled. Got a nice sum from the insurance co. and that will be going into a much more luxurious daily driver.

I agree with you 100% on what you said, but I do just want a little car I can have some fun with. Nothing beats the thrill of the 1/4 mile. I just want to spend money on power adders, and not a tranny swap right off the bat. I'm decent at driving stick but I really like the consistency of the automatic.

[Bitter]

well if thats the case look into a higher stall converter, built trans, etc. you could get into bracket racing since autos run very consistent times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracket_racing

you don't need to be fast to be good, just need to be consistent about the times you run.

[oxygen]

I was just thinking, and I remembered, when I held the E brake, foot brake, and gas at the same time I am able to keep the car still, but then I have to let off the e brake, and footbrake and stomp the gas all at the same time. It requires a lot of coordination and also provided for crappy reaction times and lots of faults. This brings me more assurance that the rear disc conversion is what I need for more successful, no drift launches.

Comments appreciated. I found a good set of trailing arms, calipers, rotors, pads, e brake cables, the whole 9 yards for around $200 picked up ...not a bad deal.

[Bitter]

good luck, you can make a thread in other cars or members rides to log your progress.

[JermTheElf]

Originally Posted by 4thsydecustom

i say revv the car up to 6 grand in neutral, then drop it into gear ...... LOL

Lmao, I just made a thread, I was dumb enough to do this and seeing this post made me feel absolutely retarded lol. Blew a motor mount