Faster gear changes · Increased torque capacity · Bespoke mapping · All automatic gearboxes
Automatic gearbox remapping in Bordeaux
The Shiftech Bordeaux team welcomes motorists from the Gironde region to Mérignac who wish to fine-tune the performance of their automatic gearbox. Whether you’re looking to complement an engine upgrade you’ve already had carried out or simply to recalibrate the automatic gearbox on a vehicle that’s still in its original condition, the centre has the necessary remapping tools to work on virtually all automatic gearboxes on the market.
Why reprogram your automatic gearbox?
Three reasons recur regularly amongst the enquiries handled at the Mérignac centre.
1. To have a Stage 1, 2 or 3 engine remap carried out
It is torque, not power, that causes problems for an automatic gearbox following engine tuning. Upgrading an Audi S3 or a Golf GTI to Stage 2 increases available torque by 20 to 40 per cent, and the gearbox’s original mapping was never designed to handle these levels. The most common symptom is clutch slippage that sets in gradually, until one day the ECU switches to a limited-performance mode without warning. Synchronising the gearbox with the engine as soon as the tuning is carried out prevents this from happening.
2. To make the gearbox more responsive for sporty driving
A factory-spec BMW M3, Cayman or RS3 often hides its potential better than its technical specifications suggest: manufacturers deliberately calibrate gear changes to reassure rather than excite. On the A63 towards Spain, where long stretches of straight road follow one after another, this choice comes at the cost of lost responsiveness every time you kick down to overtake. Reprogramming the gearbox doesn’t involve any mechanical modifications: it simply involves allowing the system to express what it’s already capable of.
3. To correct unsatisfactory factory-set behaviour
Certain gearboxes have a less-than-flattering reputation straight from the factory: the EAT8 from Stellantis, the PowerShift from Ford, or the dry-type DSG 7, which doesn’t cope well with repeated stops. Yet the Bordeaux ring road, during rush hour, is precisely where these periods of stop-and-go traffic occur, during which the gearbox hesitates between two gears. Adjusting the mapping is usually enough to smooth out these transitions, without any mechanical parts being affected.
What reprogramming does NOT do: it does not fix a mechanically faulty gearbox. If your automatic gearbox has proven slippage issues, leaks or abnormal noises, start with a diagnostic check and a MotulEvo oil change before considering reprogramming.
What is included in the automatic gearbox remapping service at Shiftech Bordeaux?
Torque limiters
Gear-change mapping
Clutch pressure
Clutch cooling
Overhead traffic scheme
Removal of kickdown
Engine remapping only vs engine remapping + automatic gearbox: what the difference is
|
Criterion |
Engine remapping only |
Engine remapping + automatic gearbox at Shiftech |
|
Permissible torque |
Unchanged (risk of wheel spin) |
Increased depending on the map |
|
Gear changes |
Delayed or abrupt |
Optimised, faster and smoother |
|
Gearbox safety mechanisms |
Incompatible with the new torque |
Recalibrated |
|
Gearbox lifespan |
Reduced |
Maintained |
|
Driving experience |
Inconsistent |
Consistent |
This is the most popular configuration at Shiftech Bordeaux, and by far the most effective: simultaneously remapping the engine and the automatic gearbox. Here’s why this combination is so effective:
- The remapped engine delivers higher torque than the original gearbox can utilise to its full potential
- The reprogrammed gearbox shifts faster and handles the extra torque better
- The two mapping profiles are synchronised to ensure consistent performance
Reprogrammable automatic gearboxes in the centre of Bordeaux
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Automatic gearbox remapping is not limited to tuned vehicles. On a standard vehicle, it enables faster gear changes, better-timed shifts within the rev range, and more responsive gear changes. This is a separate modification in its own right, distinct from engine tuning.
The vast majority of dual-clutch gearboxes (DSG, S tronic, PDK, DKG, EDC) and torque converter gearboxes (EAT, ZF 8HP, Tiptronic) are compatible. CVTs are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the centre with your vehicle’s details (make, model, version) to confirm compatibility.
When carried out correctly, automatic gearbox remapping does not compromise the transmission. By calibrating the safety mechanisms and clutch pressure in line with the engine’s actual torque, it actually reduces the risk of slippage and overheating, which damageunmodified gearboxes.
Yes, this is in fact the recommended procedure. Both remappings are carried out during the same appointment, with validation on a dynamometer. The consistency between the engine mapping and the gearbox mapping is checked before the vehicle is returned.
Between 1 and 2 hours by appointment, including a test drive to check the result before the vehicle is returned.
Your Shiftech centre in Bordeaux (Mérignac)
Open since August 2022, the Mérignac centre is managed by Thomas.
Address: 4 Av. Jacqueline Auriol, 33700 Mérignac
Telephone: 05 54 54 40 01
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday · 9.00 am–12.30 pm and 2.00 pm–6.00 pm · Closed on Mondays and Sundays
Our clients mainly come from Bordeaux, Mérignac, Pessac, Talence, Le Bouscat, Bègles, Gradignan, Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, Arcachon and Libourne, with occasional visitors from across the Gironde region.
Our additional services in Bordeaux
A service for an automatic gearbox often leads to further work, in this logical sequence:
→ Checking that the mechanical components can cope with the work: recalibrating the mapping on a gearbox whose oil has never been changed makes no sense. Thomas always recommends a MotulEvo oil change beforehand if the service history raises any doubts. → Why change the gearbox oil before remapping it
→ Unlock the corresponding power: a request for gearbox remapping often masks a broader engine upgrade project, such as Stage 1 to 3 tuning or conversion to E85. The two ECUs are then recalibrated together to ensure the driving feel remains consistent from first to last gear. → Optimise your engine at Shiftech Bordeaux
→ Ruling out a fault before altering the software: on a vehicle already exhibiting questionable behaviour, a comprehensive electronic diagnostic check beforehand helps distinguish between mechanical issues and those related to the engine mapping, before any reprogramming takes place. → Electronic diagnostics before any reprogramming
