Is it just me, or is the tranny in the auto TSX a bit sluggish at low speeds? When I accelerate sometimes, it feels like the tranny is searching for the right gear before it actually takes off. Anybody else experiencing something like this?

 

yeah i know what you mean,
i stomp on the gas and it take a couple sec. to react

 

^Try shift in Sports mode, paddle shift down to a lower gear. I tried that on a loaner TSX and seems to work pretty well.

As for a slight hesistation when you stomp on the gas pedal, our car has drive-by-wire throttle, takes a bit to get used to. At least our system is no having any of the problem like what some Toyota owners are experiencing.

 

actually you are not alone. My car did same thing, too. Iwhen you step on it at low speed. it feels like hestiated to go foward it unless you stomp it. so is it normal? I also feel like when i start from the stop the car also react not smooth at all. it feels like engine sluggish.

 

BTW, What is drive-by-wire throttle?

 

^"Drive-By-Wire," or Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) is a system which severs the direct connection between the accelerator pedal and the throttle control in the engine.

Up until recently, most automobiles had a cable attached to the accelerator leading to the throttle which controlled how much of the gas/air mixture went into the cylinders. Nowadays, however, a lot of cars come with Drive-by-wire systems that send a signal to an electric motor that opens and closes the throttle.

 

this what i came across
"The cost of DbW systems is often greater than conventional systems. The extra costs stem from greater complexity, development costs and the redundant elements needed to make the system safe. Failures in the control system could theoretically cause a runaway vehicle (although this is no different from the throttle return spring snapping on a traditional mechanical throttle vehicle). The vehicle could still be stopped by turning the ignition off if this occurred. Another disadvantage is that manufacturers often reduce throttle sensitivity in the low-mid throttle range to make the car easier or safer to control - or to protect the drivetrain (gearbox, clutch, etc) from driver abuse. The feeling to the driver is that the throttle feels less responsive. There are aftermarket electronic kits to increase throttle sensitivity, to re-gain a more direct-feeling relationship between pedal position and throttle valve opening.
In early 2010, several Toyota models which employ drive-by-wire throttle control were the subject of a recall due to out-of-control acceleration. At the time, Toyota denied that the DbW systems were the culprit."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_by_wire

 

This is from Acura website:

DRIVE-BY-WIRE™ THROTTLE SYSTEM
In place of a conventional mechanical throttle linkage, the TSX uses a Drive-by-Wire™ throttle system. The result is more accurate and precise throttle control, along with reduced weight and less clutter under the hood. A DC motor controls the throttle-body butterfly position in the intake tract. This allows the ratio between pedal movement and throttle motion to be altered to suit the driving conditions. The system monitors throttle pedal position, throttle butterfly position, road speed, engine speed and engine vacuum. This information is used to define the throttle control sensitivity. The system also alters response based on the calculated road slope, providing more throttle gain uphill and less downhill, and also reduces changes in gain on curvy roads to make the car easier to control.

The Drive-by-Wire™ throttle system works with the Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission to make shifts smooth and quick. With coordination of the throttle opening and the transmission's shifting functions, shift shock and delay are reduced.

 

acura needs to push out an update for our computer then, it has a delay on throttle response

 

^Agree. It's even more annoying for those of us driving the 6MT as we have to work with both throttle and clutch to ensure smooth up/downshift.

 

Well you can try this I hear it works great for manual and auto's.
http://www.sprintboostersales.com/de...TSX&engine=Gas

 

I heard this has been fixed in the 2010 models. My advice, take it back to the dealer.

 

Hmh, interesting. Not sure if I want to mess with aftermarket DriveByWire product, thinking of safety and warranty issue. My main issue is not in startup or low to mid throttle, it's when the vehicle is moving at moderate speed and you hit the gas pedal (delay).

I remember the problem as more pronounced when I drove the 5AT loaner from the dealer, could be the way the system works w/ auto tranny.

 

OK, I looked at this. Am I the only one who does not know what perurlance is? It is not in the dictionary.

 

172lb-ft of torque might have something to do with it

 

how do we explain this to Acura for sure they will right away say its normal for this kind of car and low powered engine to perform this way. This is the same bullshit reasons I got when I asked my service advisor why did my TSX ping. Clearly it explains he is not aware of car electronics at a very advance level and how they function.

 

"Clearly it explains he is not aware of car electronics at a very advance level and how they function."

Or it's the same BS Toyota gave me on a dangerous hesitating 2005 vehicle I owned and dumped after one year. The auto companies, more than likely, are advised to deny a problem until it becomes undeniable.

 

cuz it is

 

Wish it was, my 2010 does the same thing.

 

Believe it or not, this made a difference for us. We noticed the same thing comparing 08's to 09's when we were test driving them back when the 09's just came out. Simply not the same responsiveness and get up and go. We sided for the 09's because the body style simply was that much better. Massive improvement in style. Anyways, one of the early mods I did was a make my own SRI since one didn't exist yet. Adding this changed how it sounded and also how it launched. Considerably more in line with our 08 experiences.

Wife is happy as well because when she wants to make it move... it does... otherwise it sounds quite normal. All I am hoping is that someone comes out with an aftermarket 4-2-1 header and mate it to a catback.

 

What does SRI stand for?

 

Short Ram Intake instead of a Cold Air Intake (CAI) which usually runs down to the bumper. SRI stays in the engine bay. Since nothing was available, a little PVC piping, a few mods to support the MAF sensor, and a K&N barrel filter (large).. then remove the top of the air box and the filter and rest the new filter in the lower airbox. Here is a pic to show you what I mean :

 

nice

 

hey bsc7080tec,
would you mind giving us clearer pictures of your sri?
i have an old AEM filter that i wouldnt mind using on my TSX.

 

Do these help ?

 

is the white tie-wrap holding the MAF sensor to your pipe?

 

Yes... kind of hack I know. It's a heavy duty strap. Pretty thick. It was to be temporary only, because my plan was to buy another top piece for the airbox and cut the tube from that. The PVC pipe setup was a test if this setup would even work to begin with. In the end, I found that it held just fine and the whole setup seemed to work on its own quite well. It has been since we purchased the vehicle new. I check it periodically, figuring fate may not be on my side some day... It remains intact. Even without the strap, it fits pretty snug. Now that I recall, I may have even swapped out the rubber o-ring for one that was just a tad thicker... it was a long time ago so the "how" fades away slightly. Back then it was just a grand experience with 'momma' waiting in the wings wondering what I was doing to her baby and if she would survive the upgrade. Near 2 years and 15k miles, she still is.

All that said, if anyone has recommendations of how I might be able to fabricate screw posts that will stay in place that won't protrude into the chamber, let me know. Always room for improvement needless to say.

 

If you didn't catch before, there is a 1 inch hole in the main pipe in which I placed a trimmed ring from the T-coupler (1 inch pvc pipe), which is a snug fit for the hole, and leaving a smaller diameter opening which was a snug fit for the maf sensor. So the maf sensor is in fact sitting on flat level surface mated with no gaps. The trimmed pvc ring rises above the main pipe...essentially the same as the stock setup. There was no appreciable loss in mileage either. We have seen 22 in town driving only, 33 mixed, and near 40 highway only. So I can only figure that whatever I did seems to be working.

 

Thank you

 

Just a follow-up. I made a statement about hoping for a 4-2-1 race header for the TSX. Duh... that won't happen. The header is more or less a component of the engine itself, and almost immeadiately goes into catalytic converter. The most we could hope for is a catback exhaust aftermarket setup. Just would like to beef up the sound a bit... some of a low mellow tone.

The SRI... is still working like a charm well into 2 years later.

 

I think it's a software problem. All they need to do is change the software. Mine shifts strangely from 2nd to 3rd only when I'm not accelerating briskly. This can be annoying since I live in SF and that's about the speed I drive at most. It does not do it all the time. All they need is to push a software update to the dealers.

 

This is snake-oil at its finest.

All it does is trick your system into thinking you've pushed the gas pedal in farther than you have.

It does nothing else.