SneakAttack

I'm really hoping the TL community here will be able to help me with this issue. I bought my 2007 TLS 6MT in February of 2012 with 53k miles on it. The car currently has 75k miles on it. During my test drive I noticed the clutch was slipping, so the dealership replaced the clutch prior to my acquisition of the car - which was awesome.

During my first few weeks with the car I found it very difficult to engage first gear without having the car jerk/buck violently. I just assumed that it was me, seeing as the car was new to me and would take some time to adjust to. Before I continue I would like to state that the TLS is the third car I have owned with a manual transmission, and I've been driving stick for the past 6 years. I've also driven countless other stick shifts and have never once encountered this issue.

It's been a year and a half and this is still an issue. Sometimes I will go stretches where the car appears to drive perfectly fine. I will engage first gear normally with no issues. But lately, it seems that, more often than not, the car will jerk/buck when getting into first gear. It is absolutely infuriating. The problem appears to be getting worse because lately after switching to second, I can sometimes feel the jerking/bucking (although not nearly as violent). I've also felt it in third and on rare occasions, fourth gear.

I can't make sense of it, and it makes me feel like a damn n00b every time it happens, which is almost every time! I am not mechanically inclined, an oil change is about the extent of my abilities. What I CAN say is that the clutch doesn't feel like the problem - it catches quickly and it is very smooth when switching gears. The problem presents itself when I apply the gas.

When I fully disengaged clutch and start to feel the car jerk/buck I will sometimes ease off the gas entirely, leaving the car to roll while in first gear (no bucking/clutch completely disengaged), I will then very slowly apply the gas, only to feel the bucking start again - the more gas, the more violent. The only way to stop it is to switch gears, but even then I can feel a slight jerking sensation in second gear (it goes away quickly once I apply more gas).

I have had friends drive my car and reproduce the same issue, reaffirming that it is not me. However, I took the car to the dealership and they were unable to reproduce the issue. I got behind the wheel with a tech in the car and it took me a few tries before it happened. The tech said it was me, but I don't believe a word out of his filthy mouth! I know there is something wrong with the car, because when the car is behaving as it should, I will try everything in my power to have it jerk/buck and it will not.

Sorry for the long post. I love everything about my TLS, but this issue driving me insane. I hope someone on here can relate and offer some advice. Please help, I don't want to sell my TLS :-(

AccordFlex

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like a bad motor mount.

I would start in this order.

1. Slave cylinder valve delete
2. Replace motor mounts with some XLR8 62A
3. Buy a NGR or XLR8 Torque dampener

These three mods will cost you no more than $500 if you can do the work yourself and will make the car feel much more planted to the ground than ever before.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

Well he said he can't do more than an oil change. But I would take it to a mechanic to inspect motor mounts if I were you

AccordFlex

iTrader: (1)

Im sure you can find someone to replace the mounts for around 2 hours mechanical labor.

Jackass

Motor mounts causing the car to buck and jerk? I would have guessed more so the APP sensor than a mount causing jerking. A would describe a bad mount as feeling the engine flopping around than bucking and jerking.

SneakAttack

For some reason I wasn't receiving any e-mail notifications that anyone had replied to my thread. Anyway, thank you all for your responses, as useless as they were. Except for you Jackass, you were spot on!

I was driving back from a wedding this past weekend when I got a check engine light. Brought it to the dealership the following day and they told me the Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor had shit the bed. They replaced it (covered under my third party warranty) and voila! I'm assuming the sensor had been malfunctioning all along, causing the jerking/bucking that I'd bee experiencing.

My TLS is like new now. Absolutely no issues in first gear, or any other gear. I wish I would have checked these responses sooner, Jackass would have solved my issues months ago. Anyway, I'm just happy to have my TLS in working condition. The car is a pleasure to drive now, I have absolutely no intentions of selling it anymore. Thanks again internet strangers, I hope this thread will help someone else down the line....

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

Congrats

E11426

Just joined the forum, and have this same problem with my '07 TL-S. Will look into APP issue as the cause. Thanks.

SneakAttack

Let me know what you find out!