wstr75

Yesterday while running at 70 - 72 mph, a noticeable kick-down and kick-up could be felt on the Interstate going up and down modest elevational changes. I had not noticed this before. Car has 48.5K miles. Up to this point the car has been smooth as silk with cylinder deactivation/activation and upshifts/downshifts at highway speeds. Would love to know if any fellow P-AWS owners have experienced the noticeable kick-up/down at highway speeds.

outdoorlife99

Yes I have also, you described it better than I did in a post way back. I can be cruising down the interstate which is fairly flat here in the south, but a slight up or down grade, and I get the thud shift as I called it. I don't think it's even noticeable to anyone else, but I have read so much on the vehicles it's like I'm listening an feeling for something each time I drive it. Which ain't often thank goodness, wife's car.....

RLX-Sport Hybrid

Ok so here is a shot in the dark. When I had my 2014 MDX it had the 6sp AT. I remember a similar thing happening in that vehicle from time to time. My question is this: is the 6sp AT in the 2014 MDX the same as the one in the PAWS RLX? If so, then this is a design issue with the 6sp AT potentially.

TampaRLX-SH

I think it may be due to the tall top gear for the transmission. The slight incline only need to drop speed 2 or 3 mph for the ACC to react. Depending on torque, gearing etc, it may just be the sweet spot where the software requests a downshift. Then the car reached original speed and now that same sweet spot causes the up shift back to 6. You have the ACC logic trying to manage speed, where tranny logic is seeking optimal efficiency.

getakey

I'm thinking Tampa is correct. Slight acceleration in top gear causes shift. Under manual control, you typically allow speed to drop and then catch up on the downhill

wstr75

Yes, to Tampa's comment. However, I've driven that same stretch of highway countless times and not noticed the kick-down/kick-up shifting. My car has been silky smooth making unnoticeable shifts at Interstate speeds while dealing with inclines and declines. Yesterday it was not silky smooth and was strikingly noticeable.

Am reaching out to other P-AWS owners to see if they have experienced similar noticeable kick-down/kick-up shifts at those speeds. If it continues, I will obviously take car to the Acura dealer and may encourage them to change the transmission fluid. All advice is appreciated.

getakey

I have PAWS and notice a shift down/up for inclines at times, but there are so many variables. Were you always driving that 70-72 in previous times?

TampaRLX-SH

I would not be worried unless it repeats itself and you see a pattern. Being that modern transmissions are software driven by many variables, I do not think I know of any modern car that does not have a clumsy shift now and then. You should ride in my sister's Lexus. That tranny hiccups and burps sometime on most every ride. Yet the service adviser assures her it is normal. Not unlike our former RLs, the refinement and smoothness of these cars seem to call out things we would normally ignore in most other cars.

getakey

Now if the little red light comes on at the same time, that's a whole different ballgame <G>

wstr75

Thanks for the good advice. Will re-run that section of highway at differing speeds to see if the issue repeats itself.

TampaRLX-SH

RED ALERT!!! The warp core is about to blow!

getakey

Tampa is Scottie in disguise?

George Knighton

Ha ha ha ha ha ha..... :-)

You sound like the service manager I was talking to the other day.

George: When I do this and that, the car behaves like this and that.

Service Manager: Well, do you have to drive it like that?

0_o

getakey

ok - I paid close attention to this on my trip home today.
in driving 70 to 80 top gear could hold an incline without shifting. In fact, I could slowly accelerate from 70ish to 80 without a downshift
I had to go to moderate to aggressive acceleration to get a downshift and the shift was hardly noticeable unless aggressive
What I did feel was the cylinder activation during incline or slow acceleration on flat. I was watching tach and no change in rpm, but definitely felt the change more so than the gear shift.
I was surprised at the incline that could be accommodated without a gear change

victorber

I have 65k on ours and I have found that in all our travels the weight (luggage & passengers) has a lot to do with the drag, effecting the speed and will cause both the downshift or a change in the cylinder mgmt..