I got my Tl-p about 4 months ago and baby the hell out of since it only has 55k which is damn good for a 10 year old car, anyway..

-When i accelerate from a stop it is never smooth, like i press the gas and the car kind of jolts forward. To me this feels unusual, like it spins up then catches. I thought it might be my driving but I honestly don't accelerate faster than average and race from stop lights or signs.

-Could it be: dirty throttle body not responding quick enough when i depress the pedal?

- Idk if its the tranny, Im pretty sure it doesn't slip..i think i would know if it did..

 

if the throttle feels like its sticking lube the cable and clean the TB and butterfly.

If that seems smooth its possibly a trans issue.

 

jumping from a stop, could be the tq conveter, tranny slippage, motor mounts, cv joints. if the tb is sticking, adjust the tension of the cables. post a video if you can.

 

What do you mean by it spins up then catches but you are pretty sure it's not slipping ?
If your engine RPM goes up but the car doesn't speed up then you have a slip condition.

 

I have the same problem with my TL, when at a stop and press the gas it jolts forward but it dont slip during acceleration? even if i floor it hard.

 

Drain and fill the ATF, 3x3?

 

I have a 03' TL that i just got and I kinda get a jumpy acceleration too. I think it is just the way the car is designed (I THINK) Don't trust me. But when I step on the gas on other cars the same way as my TL it accelerates smoothly. I have to step on it really slowly and smoothly to make it accelerate without the jump. And after I get the initial start, then I can go smooth even if I step on it harder. But if your car jumps even if you tap the gas a little bit then you do what they said.

 

may be tranny issue...? does it happen immediately when you hit the gas..? or just a second or two later..? could be a delay from changing from first to second gear...causing the jump..just a shot in the dark??

 

im thinking tranny issue too...my 02 TL would jump about 2 seconds later, it definitely had a delay. now here i am getting my third transmission. the delay from accelerating from a stop was the first thing i noticed about the transmission going. hopefully this isn't the case for the OP.

 

I had this issue as well. I cleaned the throttle body and it actually helped alot. I explained the problem to someone and they said to clean the throttle body and it worked. It smoothed out the idle too. Usually when i would go over several speed bumps, id barely press the gas after each one, and it would jerk forward. I cleaned the plate real good with carb cleaner and now it feels alot better. When i get home from work i am going to tighten the throttle cable slightly and put some WD 40 or silicone lube on the throttle spring mechanism thing (as i was told to do so). I hope this helped.

 

Motor mounts

 

Seafoam and deep creep will fix the sticky throttle. It was a regular annoyance with me.

 

What i mean is that from a dead stop I go to accelerate and it feels like the car lags then it catches up and results in a jumpy quick acceleration NOT smooth feeling to me.

 

Could be your TPS is dirty or faulty.

 

You can check your TPS with a volt meter (analog or digital) to the middle pin of your TPS. Throttle plate fully close should be .05V fully open should be 4.5V if not, you can try to adjust it.

-loosen screws that attach TPS to TB.
-turn key to ignition.
-attach voltmeter to middle PIN on the harness and slowly rotate the TPS until the desired voltage is reached. (in this case, between 0.45-0.50 volts)
-tighten down screws finger tight and test for correct voltage at 0 throttle and at WOT (WOT = 4.45 or higher).
-if voltage is correct, tighten down screws, but not too tight or you will crack your TPS.
-turn on car and you should have a perfectly working TPS

 

when you are accelerating do the rpm's climb, then you feel a delay for second or two and then the cars jerks forward? If so it's a tranny issue most likely. If the rpm's don't climb then it's probably your TB getting stuck from not being cleaned.

 

I am having a similar issue.

I just had the transmission and the ECU of my 2003 Acura 3.2TL replaced at the dealership two weeks ago (yes, it was 3 months out of warranty and cost me $1500+). The transmission they gave me was re-manufactured.

The symptom of my car is: when I start from a stop and accelerate, the tachometer shows that the rpm goes up gradually until about 2.5K (20~30 mph), then it suddenly jump back to 2K. If I continue accelerate, it will catch up and pass 2.5K without jumping back again. I can feel an obvious lag when the rpm jumps.

Now as you mentioned it, I think I also feel jerking forward a little after the lag.

Any comments?

 

Just out of wild curiosity, does it do the same thing if you start off in D4?

 

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

mc- get the car back to the dealer- something wasnt hooked back up right

the throttle cable has no reason to suddenly need adjustment
remove cable from mechanism at TB and lube inside-
a $3 `cable lube tool` for motorcycles at `harbor freight tools` will make life great~ (15 bucks at bike store for same tool)

trying to shoot deep creep (my preferred cleaner and lube combo) inside the cable housing is not the easiest thing to do cleanly or very well-
using the tool made just for that job-simple!
lubed cable and especially the springs- gives better feel and smooth action

Some carb cleaner (or seafoam spray-Deep Creep) will remove sludge from both parts and lube the springs plus the hinge pin inside the TB

Air plate- remove hose from air filter box to TB- look inside TB and spray away- wipe up residue- open with throttle mechanism and clean other side- especially the edges so it seals at idle
Car will run funny at start and then smoth

DO a full seafoam cleaning of 1 can in just under 1/2 tank of gas- 2 oz per gallon fuel
and do the intake manifold port direct.. for immediate action on the intake valves and pistons

wont hurt to replace spark plugs if over 50-60kmiles on them
noobs repeat seafoam gas and manifold in a month or 2- then good for a year/15

When ready for next oil change- throw 1/3 can in the oil and drive 30 minutes or more solid time- engine running- then change when hot- or after 15 minute warm up drive before oil change-needs that heat to turn everything liquid so it drains out for you

seafoam deglazes parts and desludges, restoring clean to the oil gallies that makes vtec work = that runs off oil pressure and changes

when I have a car with odd running- seafoam clean it and ck the plugs- they tell all