I just acquired a new 06 RL and have put around 1500 miles on it. I like the car but I have noticed that I have a slight hesitation when I try and accelerate from coasting at about 25 or 30mph to a higher speed. It almost feels as if the car is downshifting.

I am not pushing hard on the accelerator when this happens, just normal pressure to accelerate.

Is this normal??

Thanks for your help

 

Could it be the torque converter lock-up? Same thing happened in my 2003 TL-S. I haven't noticed it in my RL though.

 

Downshifting?

 

The RL will downshift first and then the engine spools up.

 

I have found my 06 RL (3000 miles) hunts for the right gear sometimes when I'm going slowly ( could be in the 20-30 mph range). So maybe what you're finding is that the RL is at a higher gear than it wants to be once you give it more gas, so it shifts down. Try switching it to the sportshift manual mode and go at 20-30 mph, then give it some gas without changing gear. You should not get the hesitation/downshift thing then.

 

same thing on my 06 RL. the hesitation is worse on Lexus's.

 

I think you are right...it is looking for the right gear and seems to go down....I see it on the Tach....I wonder if Acura could adjust the software to find the right gear faster.....
or,
base the decision on whether to go to the lower gear or stay in higher gear by how hard you are accelerating....i.e. if you are pushing the accelerator lightly, stay in gear and maybe accelerate slower but smoother. What do you think????

Thanks

 

Some cars will build in the hesitation because otherwise their tranny will blow out. Surprisingly, from what I know, the RL isn't in this camp. Mercedes does this I know and I think Lexus, too. This hesitation is why I prefer manual transmissions. The RDX does provide a nice features which is that even if the car is in automatic you can still downshift for a few seconds while passing, for example, then the car goes back into automatic. I doubt this feature will find its way into the RL because it is Japanese.

 

My 05 RL does the same thing. When I make a turn on a city street and decell then accelerate, it hunts for a lower gear. It's kind of annoying but I've gotten use to it. Funny though, my 06 TL 5AT doesn't do it.