07 TL - S

Anyone else notice a harsh downshift when slowing down at about 20 MPH. As soon as I slow down to 20 MPH there is a harsh downshift to the lower gear that kind of pulls you forward. I have an automatic 07 TL - S. i had the dealer look at it and they said that the noticed it but it was within spec so it was normal. I am always a little skeptical of the dealership.

thx

 

Err, try doing a search on this topic... it gets posted and beaten to death about once every 2-3 weeks...

The short answer is that this is a normal thing and most people have noticeable downshifting on their auto TL's. Most people blame it on the grade logic but I have a different theory:

Suppose you are driving at around 40mph and you notice a red light a couple of blocks up. You start slowing down for the red light until you get down to 20mph, then the car downshifts. Then the light changes to green and you hit the gas. The car has already pre-emptively gone through the trouble of downshifting so as soon as you press the gas you get immediate power - you don't have to wait for the car to downshift first and then go.

That's my theory anyway. Anyway, again, most auto TL's do this. It's normal... the stealership wasn't yankin your chain.

 

Thanks Desert - It look at the same way - not necessarily a bad thing. The car is in gear and ready to take off. That is one of the things that I love about the car. It is noticeable but agree it is a trade off.. My previous car was Mercedes E350, and it struggled to find the right gear. When you stepped on the accelerator, it was like mush. The car did not respond at all. The car was a lemon and i got my money back and swore that I would get something fast, fun to drive and reliable - so far the TL has been all that.

thanks again

 

One side note: the transmission will also adapt to your driving style, so the harsh downshifts may disappear shortly.
My TL auto has very nice, smooth shifting. The downshifts are barely noticeable when lifting throttle and slowing down. The car still accelerates very well with quick throttle application despite learning my granny-style driving habits.
Welcome to Acurazine!

 

I've noticed the same type of harsh downshift in my TL-S at 20 MPH. It seems to have become less harsh over time (I've got 2500 miles on it). I think maybe it gets less harsh as the transmission breaks in. Anyway, I still feel it but not as much.

 

My 08 TL has only about 400 miles on it. I and the other two drivers of the car have all noticed the downshift issue.

 

its not an "issue"...its totally normal...designed for a more sport oriented driving experience...and its also know as grade logic...

 

My Pilot has the same feature, but I don't think it's for the reason you stated.

I found that I can count on it and reduce my use on brakes. I've got 54K on the brakes and still have tons of pad left with no rotor damage whatsoever.

 

your pilot may have the same feature...but if you were to read the discreption of grade logic transmission on the acura website, then you would know what i am talking about....

 

There are noticable similarities from what you described in manual cars.
When slowing down, manual cars can shift down and ease on the clutch or drop it completely for the vehicle to slow down on itself, which helps braking power/distance. The same seems to be applied for the automatic cars.
It seems that it'll find the right gear for when you slow down to give you extra braking power or slow down better. Which.. when you start stepping on the accelerator, you are back into the torque-zone[most likely] and you are ready for take off!!!!!111one