comfortmatic advise (1 Viewer)

[chippy63]

Have just picked up our new to us van, with 3.0ltr engine & comfortmatic & am a bit confused on how to drive it.

So in auto at an island gap in traffic foot down & it seems to think about then moves quite slowly, i thought it would just get & go am i doing something wrong.

next when doing roughly 40 ish it will change down to 4th & stay there if i manually change up it just
changes down again?

I assume there must be a way to get the best out of this box, tips please .

Also Need four tyres looking online anything from £60.00 to £150 a corner, suggestions on brand/type
I am not doing more than about 5k miles a year.

they are conti camper 215/70/16 on a IH Tio RL van.


Karl

 

[Theonlysue]

Perhaps @Brendan can help? I think he's got the same auto

 

[laird of Dunstan]

Ive got the 3 .0 liter with the comformatic box , it does change up and down by its own accord ,when i get to an incline at 60 ,it drops to 5th to maintain the momentum ,ive got used to the box and really like it ,its not a true automatic gear box,its a motorised manual ,you can always drive it using the manual shift if the auto is irritating you

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[Cat53]

We have the conformatic gear box too...and yes, it does have to think about it before performing. It's not as quick as a true automatic. You will get used to it though!

 

[bigguspeckus]

Have just picked up our new to us van, with 3.0ltr engine & comfortmatic & am a bit confused on how to drive it.

So in auto at an island gap in traffic foot down & it seems to think about then moves quite slowly, i thought it would just get & go am i doing something wrong.

next when doing roughly 40 ish it will change down to 4th & stay there if i manually change up it just
changes down again?

I assume there must be a way to get the best out of this box, tips please .

Also Need four tyres looking online anything from £60.00 to £150 a corner, suggestions on brand/type
I am not doing more than about 5k miles a year.

they are conti camper 215/70/16 on a IH Tio RL van.


Karl

Well Borr, we've had auto cars for many years so when we decided to buy a Moho our first test drive was a "semi automatic"...
We weren't impressed at ALL,,,
It had a "mind of its own" re which gear ratio it required, it still had a "silly stick" and it still had THREE pedals,?!!!
I mean, is it me,? is it really better than a manual,?

As a final consideration the box of tricks that works the gear changes are a whole lot more complex than a proper auto box or a clutch on a manual,,, as a consequence, its an absolute certainty that the semi auto is the most unreliable of the three types.

Go on, (all the semi auto fans out there) prove me wrong,,,

Sorry, cant help re the tyres.

 

[makems]

@bigguspeckus I dont know what semi auto you tried but all the ones I have driven only had two pedals including the fIat comfortmatic.

@chippy63 we have the 3.0 comfortmatic too and it does take getting used to.
You have to be fairly brutal with the loud pedal to get it to go especially on hill starts. But even with the 3.0 it is never going to be a sports car.
You will get used to the slight lag between mashing the pedal and the van moving and start to anticipate the lag and press the pedal a little sooner and harder.

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[musson]

I have a 3ltr and its ok as they all say takes some getting used, but I would not go back to a manual box again,sometimes you can judge when it will change just back the throttle of slightly it make a smother change it will never be a smooth as a auto on a car which I also drive.

 

[Lenny HB]

So in auto at an island gap in traffic foot down & it seems to think about then moves quite slowly, i thought it would just get & go am i doing something wrong.

Don't know how many miles your van has done but it gets better after 12-15k, the software is set up for a fully run in engine which which Fiat say is 15000 miles. Only seems to happen on roundabouts, you can either flip it into manual as you approach the junction and once you are moving and have changed up to 2nd you can then flip it back to auto or as you pull away flip it into 2nd and floor it, both methods work quite well. 4th at 40mph sounds about right for a 6 speed box .
I think you need to drive it for a while you soon get used to it's quirks.

 

[chippy63]

Don't know how many miles your van has done but it gets better after 12-15k, the software is set up for a fully run in engine which which Fiat say is 15000 miles. Only seems to happen on roundabouts, you can either flip it into manual as you approach the junction and once you are moving and have changed up to 2nd you can then flip it back to auto or as you pull away flip it into 2nd and floor it, both methods work quite well. 4th at 40mph sounds about right for a 6 speed box .
I think you need to drive it for a while you soon get used to it's quirks.

Its done 38k

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[Lenny HB]

Its done 38k

Probably just a case of getting used to it then.

 

[Brendan]

I believe Fiat have some sort of instruction manual with guidance on driving with the comfortmatic box, but I've never managed to find it.
As has been said by others it's something you get used to driving fairly quickly.
I think it was the laird who mentioned about the downchange when going uphill, it also seems to hold a lower gear when going downhill, presumably to make use of engine braking.

 

[rrusty]

Done 43k always use the manual option as the auto is to slow in first and second.

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[rrusty]

I believe Fiat have some sort of instruction manual with guidance on driving with the comfortmatic box, but I've never managed to find it.

 

[Mr Colpot]

I have adapted my driving for approaching roundabouts - I slow down and let it change into 1st before I enter the roundabout and then make sure there is a big enough gap to allow for the lag when pulling onto the roundabout. I got caught out a couple of times when I floored it just as it was changing from 2 to 1 and the left hand seat made some unrepeatable noises. Also it does tend to select a lower gear when going downhill and as has been said if you manually overide it it just changes back down - but I have got used to it and tend to just leave it alone to do its own thing now and still like it better than the manual versions I have had before.

 

[SpeedyDux]

That useful handbook appears to be for the X2/50 with Comfortmatic and is a 1st edition dated 2011.

Is there a 2nd edition updated for the X2/90? Are there any differences we should be aware of?

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[bigguspeckus]

I believe Fiat have some sort of instruction manual with guidance on driving with the comfortmatic box, but I've never managed to find it.
As has been said by others it's something you get used to driving fairly quickly.
I think it was the laird who mentioned about the downchange when going uphill, it also seems to hold a lower gear when going downhill, presumably to make use of engine braking.

WHAT?! goin downhill IN GEAR?!!! Struth Borr,,, think of arwl em whirrun transmissun cogs,,, strainun drive sharffts,,, puff suck un blows int tur'enjun,,, arwl that diesel bee'un burnt fur nowt,,,
kick the ruddy thang int'tur nuutrul Borr un get sum free wheelun...
Make'uz summut larff Borr when wees do'un 90, overtakun evree'thang un enjun jus tick'un ovur.

Yus'sur,,, ass'your grit'old life when yur freewheelun,!!!

 

[Lenny HB]

I believe Fiat have some sort of instruction manual with guidance on driving with the comfortmatic box, but I've never managed to find it.

Had one supplied with both our Comformatics only a little problem I can't read German.

Is there a 2nd edition updated for the X2/90? Are there any differences we should be aware of?

A few, if you try to start it in gear instead of squawking at you it selects neutral it'self and starts, much more civilised.
If the drivers door is not fully closed it goes into neutral, so no hanging out the door while reversing.
It has a hill descent control.