NRS78

I have noticed that there are more than a few comments about transmission issues here. As was recommended by another member, I wanted to start a separate thread dedicated to the 4cy 8sp DCT problems.

One my car, I have had issues from day one. Basically, when the car is cold (as in hasn't been driven for about 3 hours or more) it shifts pretty hard 1-2, 2-3, etc. regardless of the IDS mode. However, it seems that it is less pronounced in "econ" mode, probably because it softens the shifts a bit. Sometimes it is more noticeable than other times. It also seems that it is even slipping a bit when accelerating from a stop, kind of like in a manual transmission when you let the clutch slip too much. When the car warms up to operating temp, I really don't notice it shifting hard at all, and in fact the shifts are almost imperceptible 90-95% of the time.

The other issue I have noticed, is that when coming to a stop, sometimes it really slams into first gear, and I mean hard enough to shake the car. This happens rarely, but when it does its very disconcerting.

I have taken it into the dealership, and they confirmed what I was describing. The other 4cy they had on the lot they claim was doing the same thing. However, they said Acura had no resolution to it at this time. From the last One-Pack video, it seems Acura is aware of it. So for everyone who is having similar issues, please post your symptoms and conditions. Hopefully, Acura can sort this out through software updates. Other than the transmission, I really like this car.

tlxsteve

Personally I have not seen any transmission issues, but I can understand there is a problem. I will watch this thread closely.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I get crisp shifts from 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 when the car is cold - however they're not what I would consider jerky or troubling - more like back in my old manual days when I drove MT's and was doing the shifting myself. They definitely smooth out a bit once the car/DCT is warmed up and they seem smoother when you're on the gas more. Most any shift from 3 on up is very smooth and hardly noticeable which is good as they happen quick and often in econ and normal modes.

I'll be surprised if we don't see a TSB come out sometime over the next year or so to tweak the DCT behaviour a bit. For the record Honda had 2 TSB's for the CVT in my 2013 Accord EXL in the two years I owned it. Mine was really smooth (i never had the updates done) but some cars had severe juddering from time to time.

I think that's the way things work nowadays for new models with new powertrains and it seems Honda/Acura isn't immune to it. Early adopters beware

rkornfein

Thanks for this.
I posted a new thread concerning this plus my additional problem of occasional unannounced jumps into neutral at low speeds.

I will be checking in here and at at the dealership on a regular basis for any updates on this issue.

Praj Prasai

[quite=NRS78;15223136]I have noticed that there are more than a few comments about transmission issues here. As was recommended by another member, I wanted to start a separate thread dedicated to the 4cy 8sp DCT problems.

One my car, I have had issues from day one. Basically, when the car is cold (as in hasn't been driven for about 3 hours or more) it shifts pretty hard 1-2, 2-3, etc. regardless of the IDS mode. However, it seems that it is less pronounced in "econ" mode, probably because it softens the shifts a bit. Sometimes it is more noticeable than other times. It also seems that it is even slipping a bit when accelerating from a stop, kind of like in a manual transmission when you let the clutch slip too much. When the car warms up to operating temp, I really don't notice it shifting hard at all, and in fact the shifts are almost imperceptible 90-95% of the time.

The other issue I have noticed, is that when coming to a stop, sometimes it really slams into first gear, and I mean hard enough to shake the car. This happens rarely, but when it does its very disconcerting.

I have taken it into the dealership, and they confirmed what I was describing. The other 4cy they had on the lot they claim was doing the same thing. However, they said Acura had no resolution to it at this time. From the last One-Pack video, it seems Acura is aware of it. So for everyone who is having similar issues, please post your symptoms and conditions. Hopefully, Acura can sort this out through software updates. Other than the transmission, I really like this car.[/QUOTE]

I am having the exact same problem. My car also have abrupt shifting on stop and go traffic which is really annoying. This kind of transmission should not be in any car of any price point, especially from a brand like honda/ acura . people buy their cars because they are reliable and are good cars overall. Acura needs to quickly focus on this issue and come out with a fix. Otherwise this will have a huge impact on their reputation and many unhappy TLX owners.

Praj Prasai

I am having the exact same problem. My car also have abrupt shifting on stop and go traffic which is really annoying. This kind of transmission should not be in any car of any price point, especially from a brand like honda/ acura . people buy their cars because they are reliable and are good cars overall. Acura needs to quickly focus on this issue and come out with a fix. Otherwise this will have a huge impact on their reputation and many unhappy TLX owners.

Alexboculon

I've definitely experienced the hard jerk from 2 to 1 when coming to a stop and the car is cold. I'm decelerating from like 3 mph to 2 mph and the car decides to go from 2nd gear to 1st without using enough clutch, so the car lurches forward.


On a good day it gives only the slight impression that my brake rotors are warped and the car is just pulsing its way to a stop. On a bad day, it's a noticeable lunge forward, exactly as if I were driving a manual and accidentally dropped the clutch at the wrong time.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you must not know of the Honda Transmission woes of 1999-2008.

From Accords to TL's to Odyssey's to MDX's to any other six cylinder J-series engine mated transmission.

there was even a class action law suit for the 1999-2003 TL's.



P.s. these were all Honda in-house transmissions.
guess where the 8DCT is built!?

granted its mated to a four cylinder and Honda's 4 cylinder trannies are pretty bullet proof....


but still.

not the greatest track record, especially for a brand new DCT design

TSXtravis

I am also having this issue and it only seems to happen when the car is cold and is shifting 1-2 or 3-2 or 2-1. It just started last week and I am at 800 miles. I was going to contact my service advisor, but seems as its a known issue so I will hold off for a few weeks.

jaynatlanta

I have noticed similar issues with my transmission. I have about 1400 miles on mine so far have noticed the hard bump when coming to a stop a few times but as others have said it does not do this all the time. It also does feel like it it slipping sometimes especially when accelerating from almost stopping like coming up to a traffic light then it changes before coming to a complete stop. I took my car in to the dealer today to get the software update done to the navi system and I mentioned this behavior of the transmission. They checked it out and said that they drove it and it was not driving right so they are still investigating it to see if they can determine the problem. I hope to know something about it tomorrow.

bdwpac81

Jay, if you don't mind me asking, which dealership are you using? My TLX is at Nalley for other issues right now. I have asked them to take care of the software update while it is there and they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about. I had to take a screenshot of owners.Acura.com and show it to them.

jaynatlanta

I use Ed Voyles Acura in Chamblee. When I called about the software update they knew about it and they did do the update today.

jeich182

I'd take it in. The more successive complaints that come in will prompt a greater sense of urgency within Acura to solve the problem.

TSXtravis

True.

jaynatlanta

I picked up my TLX from the dealer today and they told me that they performed an ECU update to correct the transmission issues that they noticed. I do not know the specifics of what this update does and I think the senior tech they had working on it had to contact Acura about it. So far I have only driven it a few miles from the dealer back to work but so far it does feel better at low speeds. I will update again after I drive it some more to see if it is better when cold.

jeich182

Potentially good news for DCT owners. Kind of surprised word of an update wasn't posted here prior to it being in dealer's hands, usually word gets out quickly on this forum.

TSXtravis

This is good news! Keep us posted.

NRS78

Please let us know if you notice a difference in shift quality when the car is cold. I would like to know more about this ECU update as well. Has anyone else heard about an update?

Comfy

It's disconcerting to hear about transmission issues in a new car like TLX. My RDX shifts really smooth and without any hesitation. Too bad the TLX was one of the cars I was looking forward to.

jaynatlanta

The shift quality did seem better this morning when I drove in to work. It was about 40 degrees out this morning. The shift from 1 - 2 is till a little crisp at first but better and not bothersome at all now. It quickly gets smoother after a few minutes when the car warms up. I also have not felt the hard shift down to 1 when coming to a stop as I did before. As far as the ECU update, the service adviser did not really have many details to tell me about it or if it is something that Acura has released to all dealers. It does feel like it has improved the low speed issues that I was experiencing.

Praj Prasai

The service rep here does not know anything about the software update. Which honda dealership did you get your update done and which state? Thanks for the information

tlxsteve

It's listed on the owners.acura.com site.

Praj Prasai

I don't see any update for ecu that helps sort out the transmission issue. All I see is the update for navigation system which I don't I have.

Triscuit

Just a quick question. Do people not warm up their cars anymore? In my ILX I still turn on my car for at least 2-3 minutes before I drive off. All transmissions will be hard to shift when cold. The transmission fluid doesn't not have coolant to warm it up as the engine does.

tlxsteve

When I lived in Maryland in the winter, I would let the car warm up. In Florida I don't and just drive it out of the garage.

jim256

Here's an opinion on both transmissions from the LA Times auto critic, David Undercoffler:

The base model offers a new four-cylinder engine, good for 206 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. It's mated to an also-new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This drivetrain is rated at 24 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. In a week of testing in mostly city driving, we averaged 22 mpg.

The pairing is excellent. The gearbox delivers quick and seamless shifts. The engine is smooth, quiet and eager from a stop. It should offer more power on the highway, but a majority of TLX buyers won't mind.

>>>and...

While the V-6 engine's 290 horses felt and sounded plenty robust, the transmission was having none of the fun. With so many speeds to choose from, the gearbox often needed two or three sleepy downshifts before it could pull any useful power out of the engine.

This is a symptom of other nine-speed transmissions on the market, and it had us wishing for the alacrity of the dual-clutch setup in the four-cylinder TLX. Fortunately, all models come with various driving modes for the car, and leaving the TLX in Sport cured some of these ills.

>>>

I'm happy with my 4 cylinder and 8 sp. DCT. Alacrity to some may be abrupt to others, I guess.

tlxsteve

I can agree fully with your opinion. My I4 drives great and is fun to drive.

jik1001

I was at my Acura dealership with my wife's Odyssey for service and I started talking to the general manager today. He was asking me how I liked my new TLX (2.4 L, 8DCT) and when I started talking about the tranny shifting when it was cold he was all ears. He informed me that Acura was fully aware of this problem and he was flying out to CA next week for a meeting with Acura corporate. He asked that I give him a call the following week so that he could come with me on a test drive. It seems like a fix is in the works!

NRS78

I haven't felt the need to warm up my cars for years. With electronically controlled engines and drivetrains, you should not have to warm up a newer car anymore. I also keep my car in the garage where it usually only gets down to 60 or so this time of year here.

NRS78

It is good to hear that Acura is aware of a problem, and is hopefully working on a fix. My issue seems to be getting a bit worse. It really feels like it is not engaging the clutches at the appropriate pressures. I notice it more so when cold, but even when it is warm sometimes now it will feel like it is slipping the clutch and then slam into gear. I can watch the tach when it upshifts into the next gear, and it will jump sometimes 500RPM before the next gear is engaged- especially in the first few gears (this is in normal mode on the IDS). When it is shifting correctly, the shifts are fast and smooth. At other times however, it is really noticeable that something is not right.

jaynatlanta

I am in Atlanta, GA and the dealership is Ed Voyles Acura. There are two updates that I was referring to. One of them if for the navigation, audio and phone system software to improve its functionality and all dealers should know about this update. The other is an ECU update that the service advisor told me they performed on my car to improve the transmission. I don't know any specifics of this update and I do feel it did improve the low speed operation of my car. There are still some things that are different at low speeds like a little bit of a slip feeling sometimes but its better. Overall the transmission is great and shifts are faster than any automatic I have ever had. I see from other posts that Acura is aware of these issues and they are working on it.

xiaosongz

I went to the dealer to did a oil change and update my Infortaiment system last Wednesday. I asked them if there are an ECU update to correct the transmission behavior, but they told me they did heard about more and more complains about the jerkiness, but they didn't got any solution from ACURA yet.

PS: I reported the unexpected behavior of the 8 DCT to my dealer back in Mid August, they promise me they will contact me once they got anything from Acura.

Praj Prasai

Today after cold start and driving just few miles on econ mode and coming to a complete stop I got this very aggressive lurching as if someone rear ended me .this has happened few times really bad when the engine is cold.

Praj Prasai

Ok here are few lists (senerios) when My 8 speed DCT transmission is not normal :

1. Evertime cold start 1-2 shifts are hard.
2. on stop and go traffic the trasmission is jerky (almost everytime)
3.After driving 1mile or so and coming to a complete stop especially during cold start the transmission lurches forward very hard ( like some one rear ended) doesn't happen all the time but happens often to dislike.
4. when slowing down (say coming to a traffic light and not coming to complete stop and making right or left turn at say about 10mph speed or so and hit on the gas pedal to speed up, the transmission hesitates and doesnt know which gear to engage thus making very jery feel.

Acura needs fix the transmission problems asap because its making me and other who bought TLX feel like we made the wrong choice..

bdwpac81

Please contact Acura Client Relations at (800) 382-2238 in the US. They need to hear from every single one of us with this and other problems so that something will finally be done.

JTSteelman

My new TLX was also showing many of the signs and symptoms outlined above so I was sure to bring it to the technician's attention this morning while having it in for a remote start install. Of course, little to nothing occurred during my test drive with the service technician and he was unaware of any known problems with the model line. I assured him that it is something that happens on a somewhat regular but sporadic basis and that it has even caused my car to hesitate on several occasions when crossing oncoming traffic. I also brought in my iPad to cite the numerous complaints and threads posted by the rest of you. With some encouragement, he agreed to hook it up and log some data on another test drive. It finally hard shifted several times and stuttered on a rolling stop and start. After calling and uploading the data to Acura, the technician was informed of a ECU/PCM update that could be performed. According to Acura, it is indeed a known issue and another update, in addition to this one, should be released within the next 2-3 weeks. After installing the remote start and new ECU/PCM update, the car shifts and even idles noticeably smoother. As I told the technician, I knew a new Acura shouldn't be shifting and idling rougher and louder than my 12 year old Grand Prix GTP. I'll keep everyone posted as to whether I continue to notice an improvement and when they call me to have the next update performed. It should, as they said, be within the next several weeks.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

Good to hear and thanks for the detailed report!

Typical "new model issues" IMO - I suspect we'll see an official TSB for this sooner rather than later!

Praj Prasai

Which state and acura dealership did the update on the ECU when you went to get your remote starter installed?So does all the Acura dealership know about the ECU update? Also I have already complained to Acura client relation about the issue.

tlxsteve

Is there any documentation on the ECU update that I can show my service representative?

JTSteelman

I currently live in IA and as I said in my post, my Acura dealership or technician didn't know of any ECU/PCM updates that could be performed until contacting Acura.

My service invoice reads as follows:

"Customer states the transmission shifts hard when going between first and second gear when accelerating and decelerating slowly. Check and advise to test drive with technician.

Updated PCM Software

Test drove with customer. Took several snapshots of transmission software. Called the tech line #364-5292. Updated the PCM software. Will be coming out with another software update at the end of the month. Miles in 2383. Miles out 2389."