Race+ configuration is found under Transmission in CANTCU Configurator.
Race+ settings are adjusted live while connected to the vehicle. Changes to supported transmission behaviour do not require reflashing the TCM.
¶ General
¶ Gear limits
- Minimum Gear sets the lowest gear that can be used.
- Maximum Gear sets the highest gear that can be used.
- Disable automatic downshift in Manual mode prevents automatic downshifts while driving in Manual mode.
¶ Auto-upshift in Manual
Auto-upshift in Manual automatically requests the next gear while driving in Manual mode when the configured RPM is reached.
The RPM setting is global and applies to all forward gears. Predictive RPM compensation is used so the upshift request can be made slightly before the configured RPM, helping the actual shift occur closer to the selected target.
When disabled, Manual mode continues to operate normally without automatic upshifts.
¶ Predictive downshifts
Predictive downshifts helps the transmission react more naturally to braking by selecting a lower gear earlier when stronger deceleration is detected.
This gives a more responsive feel on corner entry and during more aggressive braking, helping the transmission better match the driver's intent.
- Drive enables the function in Drive mode.
- Sport enables the function in Sport mode.
- Maximum RPM increase adjusts how much earlier the downshift is triggered during braking.
¶ Torque Converter Lockup
The Torque Converter Lockup map sets the minimum RPM at which converter lockup is allowed. A user-definable 2D or 3D map with freely selectable axes can be used.
Allowing the converter to unlock at low RPM can help bring the engine into its useful powerband or improve turbo spool during low-RPM transitions.
¶ Neutral Idle Control
Neutral Idle Control enables or disables the Neutral Idle Clutch function. When active, the transmission decouples while stationary in 1st or 2nd gear, removing converter push.
This is especially useful with high or irregular idle RPM. The transmission re-engages smoothly when the brake is released.
¶ RPM Limits
RPM Limits define the upshift and downshift RPM limits used by CANTCU-controlled shifting.
Important: Set Max RPM and Downshift RPM to the same values used when Race+ was flashed with the 8HP TCM Tool. Incorrect values may cause unexpected shifting behaviour.
¶ Transbrake + Bump
Warning: Transbrake and Bump are racing functions and should only be used in a controlled environment with sufficient clear space around the vehicle. An unintended release can cause the vehicle to move or launch immediately. Never use these functions where an unexpected vehicle movement could result in a collision, injury or property damage.
The Transbrake can be activated while the transmission is in 1st or 2nd gear, the brake is held and the vehicle is stationary.
¶ Activation
Transbrake Activation Source selects how the Transbrake and Bump functions are controlled:
- Input Activated uses the normal CANTCU input configuration. Assign the Transbrake and Bump functions to suitable digital, analog or CAN inputs.
- Shifter Activated uses supported buttons or lever movements on the selected shifter. No additional input is required.
- Paddle Activated uses both shift paddles to control Transbrake and Bump.
Paddle Activated is independent of the selected shifter and can be used wherever CANTCU receives two independent paddle inputs.
Shifter and Paddle activation only modify the controls while Race+ is active. Normal shifter and paddle operation is unchanged when Race+ is not active.
¶ Paddle Activated
Paddle Activated allows the complete Transbrake and Bump sequence to be controlled from the shift paddles:
- Pull and hold both paddles to activate the Transbrake.
- Once the Transbrake is active, release either paddle while continuing to hold the other.
- The paddle still being held now keeps the Transbrake active.
- The released paddle becomes the Bump control. Pull and release it to perform a bump.
- Repeat the Bump paddle as many times as required while continuing to hold the Transbrake paddle.
- When ready to launch, release the paddle that is still being held. The Transbrake releases immediately.
While Paddle Activated is in use, these paddle movements are consumed by the Transbrake function and do not trigger normal gear shifts.
Both paddle inputs must be available independently to CANTCU. When using analog paddle inputs, complete the paddle calibration including the Both Paddles position.
¶ Supported Shifters for Transbrake + Bump activation
| Shifter | Transbrake activation | Bump |
|---|---|---|
| BMW E6/7x LCI / E8/9x DCT & E9x M3 DCT | Hold Park | Unlock button |
| BMW Fxx DCT | Hold lever - (up) | Separate Input |
| BMW F/G-Series 8HP, F90 M5 & Toyota A90 Supra | Hold Park | Separate Input |
| BMW E46 M3 SMG | Hold lever - (up) | Separate Input |
| Land Rover L494 / X540 | Hold Park | Separate Input |
| Dodge Stick / Charger Column | Hold Park | Separate Input |
| Iveco 8AS 6thGen | Hold Park | Separate Input |
| Mercedes-Benz VGS/NAG2 C216 column | Hold Park | Separate Input |
| Keypads & Universal Shifter | Use Input Activated | Separate Input |
For Park-activated shifters, release the Park button to launch. Normal Park operation is temporarily inhibited after the Transbrake is released to prevent an accidental Park request.
For the BMW Fxx DCT and BMW E46 SMG shifters, a short - movement remains a normal downshift. Hold - for approximately 700 ms to activate the Transbrake.
¶ Bump
- Bump target pressure sets the clutch pressure used during a bump.
- Bump hold time sets how long the target pressure is held.
Start with a near-zero target pressure and a short hold time. Increase the hold time until the desired bump distance is achieved. Bump aggressiveness will vary depending on the load on the transmission.
Transbrake Active and Bump State realtime values can be used for monitoring or as dash indicators.
¶ Virtual Clutch
Virtual Clutch controls the B clutch through an analog or CAN input configured as Clutch Pedal.
- Engagement point sets the pressure point at which the clutch starts to grab.
- Scaling adjusts the pressure range controlled by the 0–100% clutch pedal input.
Use the Clutch Pedal % realtime value when setting up and testing the Virtual Clutch. A smaller Scaling value provides finer pressure modulation over a smaller range.
¶ Shift Maps
The Drive and Sport Shift Maps define the automatic upshift and downshift points used when Drive or Sport mode is active.
Important: The shift maps are not set up automatically. Before driving, generate or enter suitable maps for both Drive and Sport, and check that no cells are shown in red.
¶ Reading the map
- Each row is one shift. 1→2 is the upshift from 1st to 2nd, 2→1 the downshift from 2nd to 1st, and so on.
- Each column is a pedal position from 0% to 100%. KD is used during kickdown.
- The values are engine RPM. An upshift is made when RPM rises above the upshift value, and a downshift when RPM falls below the downshift value, at the current pedal position.
- Show upshifts and Show downshifts only hide rows from view. Hidden values are kept and remain active.
- While connected, the cells for the current gear and pedal position are highlighted live.
Hold the Spacebar while the map is selected to see the resulting RPM after the shift, i.e. the engine RPM the shift lands at in the new gear. This view is calculated from the gear ratios and is read-only. Release the Spacebar to return to normal editing.
Values can be typed in directly. + / − adjust the selected cells in 50 RPM steps, Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V copy and paste, and Ctrl+Z undoes the last change. Right-click the selected cells and choose Interpolate X axis to fill in the values between the first and last selected cell of each row.
¶ Red cells
A cell pair shown in red has an upshift and downshift point that are too close together for that gear pair and pedal position.
After an upshift the engine RPM drops by the gear ratio step. If it lands below the downshift point of the same gear pair, the transmission would immediately downshift again and the gears would hunt back and forth. Both the upshift cell and the matching downshift cell in that column are marked.
To fix a red pair, raise the upshift RPM or lower the downshift RPM until the red marking disappears. Holding the Spacebar shows where the upshift lands and makes the overlap easy to see.
Red cells are a warning only. The values are still saved, so correct all red cells before driving.
¶ Generate
Generate… creates a complete starting map from two values:
- Minimum shift RPM is the upshift RPM at 0% pedal.
- Maximum shift RPM is the upshift RPM at 100% pedal and kickdown.
Upshifts rise progressively between the two values, staying lower through the middle of the pedal range. Downshifts are calculated from the gear ratios so that the generated map contains no red cells. The Sport map is generated with downshifts placed closer to the upshifts for a more responsive feel.
Default values are 1500 / 6500 RPM for Drive and 2000 / 7000 RPM for Sport. Generate replaces the complete map, and the new map is sent to CANTCU immediately. It can be fine-tuned afterwards by editing cells or with Autolearn.
¶ Autolearn
Autolearn creates shift points from real driving. Instead of typing values, you shift manually where you want the transmission to shift, and Autolearn records those points into the map.
- Click Autolearn on the Drive or Sport map. The map becomes read-only and shows Learning… with a count of recorded upshifts (▲) and downshifts (▼).
- Drive in Manual mode and shift with the paddles or shifter at the RPM and pedal position you want for that shift.
- Each shift you request is recorded with the RPM and pedal position from just before the shift. An upshift teaches the upshift row, a downshift the downshift row of that gear pair.
- Review the learned cells, then use Confirm Row / Discard Row for the selected row, or Confirm All / Discard All.
- Click Stop Learn when finished. If unconfirmed changes remain, you are asked whether to discard them.
How shifts are learned:
- A shift between two pedal columns adjusts both neighbouring columns, the nearer column more strongly. A later shift at the same position replaces the earlier one.
- Cells between learned columns in the same row are filled in by interpolation. Cells outside the learned range are not changed.
- Only shifts requested by the driver in Manual mode are learned. Automatic shifts made by the transmission are ignored, and the KD column is never learned.
- Learned cells are coloured green (recorded), blue (interpolated) or red (RPM falls as pedal increases; check this before confirming).
- Nothing is written to the map until it is confirmed. Confirmed changes are sent to CANTCU and can be undone with Ctrl+Z.
Generate… is disabled while Autolearn is active. After confirming, check the map for red cells.
¶ Shift Map - User-Defined
The User-Defined Shift Map provides an additional shift map activated through the User-Defined Shift Map Active input.
When active, it overrides the Drive and Sport shift maps as well as Manual mode. The X-axis can be configured to use a suitable realtime value.