What are the proper shift points on the 99.5 A41.8QMS? I'm having rough starts from standstill and occassionally hear a thump sound in higher gears. is this normal and one other stupid question..what the heck is heel-toe shifting. How do you do it.

When entering first anything over 1700rpm will work, I find that around 2500 rpm gives me the best results. If the a/c is on, you'll need to rev it a little higher (2700-3000rpm). These points will give you a strong, smooth launch. Can't help with the thump sound, though I can tell you the engine and transmission smooth out a lot in the first 10,000 miles.

Heel-toe shifting is a technique used to keep the revs up and speed up shifting. For example, you are preparing to enter a corner, normally it goes something like clutch in, blip throttle (to match revs) and downshift, clutch out, brake, enter turn and maintain speed (don't want to accelerate or brake during a turn (in a perfect world), accelerate out of turn. If you heel-toe down shift, that makes things a bit quicker: left foot - clutch in and right foot - brake AND blip throttle and downshift. Everything takes place pretty much at once, more efficient. Practice on a straight open road til you get comfortable with it. Also, find the position for your right foot on the throttle and brake at the same time that works best for you. For me, the ball of my foot is on the brake and outer edge is on the gas. The pedals aren't set up real well for it, but not too bad either.

Regards,
Rodney

'99 A4 1.8tqms