Why does the RL shift to 4th under 30MPH?
 

First I have to say I love the RL and every day I get into it I can't believe what a great purchase it was. I figure every car has its quarks and the RL's quarks, regardless of the price of the car, are minor.

I'd like to know if anyone else is experiencing the same behavior I am. When in automatic mode, it shifts into fourth gear at low speeds.

I've noticed when in traffic and slow accelerating up to 30MPH that by between 25 and 35 it shifts into fourth. I notice it only because as traffic speeds up and I have to accelerate quicker it dives a bit and down shifts 2 gears to second and then goes. I proved it to myself that last few days when in traffic and in automatic mode I switched it to manual mode at less then 30MPH and saw that it was in fourth.

This is only a pain when in traffic and you are going back and forth between 30 and 50.

Is there something wrong with the computer in my RL or do others experience this?

Chris

Mine does the same :dunno:

I believe that the scenario you describe is the exact reason for the D3 option. This is a no win situation for Acura - if the transmission didn't upshift, we'd have people on this forum complaining about the mileage that the RL gets.

I love the mileage the RL gets even when I frequently use the horsepower (which I'm suprised at how great the mpg I get) but being in the computer software industry I can't believe you wouldn't write an if statement in the RL software that says if the car isn't to speed say 40 don't shift to 4th. I can't believe the car can shift itself to 4th gear at less then 30 miles per hour. Anyway ... I know what it is .. and to tell you the truth I forgot about the D3 and will try that on my route home. I use the paddle shifters most of the time except in traffic.

Thanks for your feedback. Chris

yeah it is weird how it goes into 4th at super low speeds and wont go into 5th until above 60km/h or about 40 mph.

Apart from the mileage issue, Acura was trying to make the RL as smooth and quiet as possible - ergo the upshifts. Any car is a little quieter and seems a little smoother at 1500 rpm than at 2300 rpm. It is not a huge difference, but for a luxury car buyer, it could make the difference during a test drive. This may be the reason that I found the M35's ride a bit more harsh during my test drive - the M35 doesn't upshift as early and as often which gives it a sportier, less luxurious feeling ride (to me anyway). The D3 option and the paddle shifters are included for those buyers interested in the sporty side of the RL.

My Volvo 850 Turbo had an "econ/sport" switch that changed the shift RPMs but retained all gears, which as a very nice feature. However, it was so much more fun using "sport" mode that I hardly ever used the econ mode-of course, gas was a bit cheaper a few years ago! That feature would seem to be possible for any car with an electronocally controlled tranny. For me, the manual shift gives me at least as much sport response as the Volvo's switch, with much more control over the shift points.

I have noticed this more with the new transimission software applied from TSB05-027.