Program modes and shift tuning

Deep dive into the 8 programs (P1-P8) and the shift logic behind them. Community guide, based on the firmware V10.75 calibration plus the official manual and 8speed.au. Verify against your own map and test carefully, wrong shift or pressure settings can damage the gearbox. See also the 8 modes overview and torque setup.

The eight programs

The TCU ships with eight driving programs. The driver selects the active one with a rotary switch, buttons or a CAN selector. Every program is fully configurable in TunerPro, so the names below are just the base-map defaults.

What you set per program

The “program selector table” in the tuning software is a per-program row of these settings (in the XDF they live across the Automatic, RPM Limit, Gear Start, Torque Reduction and Lockup categories, tied to the program number):

• Auto (0-3) — 0 = manual only (no auto upshift, bounces off the limiter). 1/2/3 pick progressively later/sportier automatic shift schedules. This value selects a row in the Selector/Gear swap map (see shift chain below).
• TimeUp / TimeDown (0-2) — upshift / downshift firmness and speed. 0 softest, 2 fastest and firmest. Shift times run roughly 50-150 ms.
• Start Gear (1 or 2) — gear engaged from a standstill. 2 for a gentle or low-traction launch.
• End Gear (1 or 2) — lowest selectable gear. 2 locks out 1st (useful for sequential shifters and to keep RPM up; stationary requests below it go to neutral).
• Torque Reduction (0-2) — selects one of three torque-cut tables (see below). 0 minimal cut (sharpest), higher = smoother.
• Lock (0-2) — converter lockup strategy. 0 loosest (street/drift), 2 tightest (track/dyno).
• AWD — selects the AWD map (only on AWD builds).

There are also per-program flags in the calibration: Enable slip P1..P8, Enable Launch P1..P8, and P1..P8 activate limited lockup slip.

The shift-point chain

Automatic shifting is a three-stage lookup. Understanding it is the key to editing shift points:

1. Program Auto value (0/1/2/3) on the active program.
2. Selector/Gear swap map (8 maps × 3) — for each auto mode and gear, picks which shift map number to use.
3. Automatic gear change UP TPS% and Automatic gear change DOWN TPS% (11 × 8) — the actual thresholds per gear and throttle position. Higher value = later shift.

Alongside these, the per-gear RPM limits (Max. RPM Limit, Semi-Auto Upshift, the Max. RPM Downshift Allowance tables for positive and negative torque, and the Min. RPM Limit downshift tables) cap how far the box will go in each gear.

Shift-loop warning

If an upshift threshold sits below the matching downshift threshold at the same throttle, the box upshifts, immediately meets the downshift condition, downshifts, and loops. Always keep downshift thresholds well below upshift thresholds (at least a few hundred RPM) in every cell, and test the full throttle range in every gear after editing.

Example shift maps

Up- and down-shift maps decoded from the BMW E90 Petrol 8HP70 base map. Each row is a shift map number (what Selector/Gear swap map points to); columns are throttle %; cells are the RPM threshold. Notice the downshift RPMs sit well below the upshift RPMs, that gap is what stops a loop.

Upshift thresholds (RPM):

Downshift thresholds (RPM):

Open your own .bin in the interactive map viewer to see your real shift maps as heatmaps or editable grids.

Torque reduction tables

The Torque Reduction column picks one of three real tables, each 17 RPM × 10 NM: Torque Reduction Table "0", "1", "2". They set how much torque cut the TCU requests during a shift. Comfort modes use a big cut (smooth, slight power dip); track/drag use little or none (sharpest shift, no dip, but needs accurate pressure to avoid flare). The cut is delivered on pin 33 (switched), pin 50 (0-5V analog) or over CAN. Supporting tables: Torque Reduction Advance Time (per gear), Ramp ON/OFF.

Lockup per program

The Lock value selects the lockup strategy; the detail lives in the lockup tables (Lockup ON RPM/TPS 10 × 8, slip targets, warmup). Loose (0) keeps the converter free at low speed and in drift; tight (2) locks early for efficiency on track and for accurate dyno numbers.

Example configurations

• Street: early smooth shifts, max torque cut, gentle lockup. Set the UP table for early upshifts at light throttle, late only at full throttle; keep downshifts from being twitchy on lift.
• Sport/track: manual or latest auto, firm fast shifts, tight lockup, minimal cut. Set RPM limits high so the engine limiter governs upshifts. Run blip/rev-match if available.
• Drag: manual only (trans-brake needs it), no torque cut, locked converter, high-stall converter recommended. RPM limits well above your shift points.
• Drift: manual, 1st locked out, loose converter so revs stay up in slides, handbrake wired to neutral, virtual clutch live. Set P7 RPM limits high so it never force-upshifts.
• Dyno: one gear held, tight lockup (no converter slip in the number), max torque cut to protect the box over repeated pulls.

Sport options

• Trans-brake / launch (manual modes): holds the car against full power by applying opposing clutches. Parameters include T-Brake Linear/Launch Press., T-Brake/Launch Max RPM, T-Brake/Launch Torque Reduction, plus Enable Launch P1..P8. Activate with brake + upshift, build boost, release to launch. It can damage the box and driveshafts, use deliberately.
• Bump (stage the car on the trans-brake): Bump base clutch pressure, Bump Torque pressure correction, Bump Max distance, first jump / next jump, Bump distance Clutch press. up, Enable Bump, Enable ramp, pressure reduction. The box counts output-shaft pulses (40 per revolution) to roll a set distance.
• Blip (rev-match downshifts): Blip TQ Target, Min RPM for blip, Max TPS/Max TQ for blip, Blip Strategy ON. The TCU requests the blip; the ECU opens the throttle (so it needs CAN or an analog throttle path, not available on a pure carb setup).

The box matters: ratios and torque limits

Base maps are not interchangeable between gearboxes. Decoded from the official base maps (firmware V10.75): the 8HP50 runs a different ratio set, and the configured torque limit scales with the box. Always start from the base map made for your exact gearbox (download.turbolamik.eu).

Treat ~5500 RPM as a ceiling in 7th and 8th (an 8HP design limit, not something to tune around). Supported variants run 8HP45/50/55/70/75/90/95 (51 and 76 need the matching valve body).

Sources: firmware V10.75 XDF (table and parameter names), default programs, 8speed.au program selector table and automatic shift points, and the manual’s trans-brake / bump pages.