Scotten

Any of you 5G guys spot this story on Edmunds today? Links back to this thread...

2015 Acura TLX: Transmission Makes Abrupt Upshifts

Momyc

Yes, that kind of hesitation that I'm afraid of. It happened to me few times and it makes me to regret my TL. That one was always spot on and reacted without hesitation which made me very confident on my driving , but not with TLX anymore. Sometimes I found it to be very dangerous .
It's sad , otherwise TLX is a fine car . Like I said before TLX with 6 speed would have been a perfect car from my point of view.
After almost 6 months of owning I did find myself not be excited anymore to drive the TLX . I'm getting in the car and I feel , mahhh . Yes, it's nice car but not anymore a "thrill" to drive like the TL. Even when I drove my TL last time to the dealer I was thrilled and than I got the TLX with all the nice feature and I was kidding myself that I'll find the thrill , but not. Yes the last update did some improvements but is far from what I used to have.
While bells and whistle are nice , the pure driving pleasure cannot be replaced and that's what I'm missing.
Also , another point that I feel nobody mentioned is about SH-AWD . They said on TLX is x% more agressive than the TL , but my " butt " doesn't feel that at all.
Lucky I have only 2 1/2 to go with my TLX and surely next car will be a really engaging driving machine , whatever that will be in 2 years .
Sorry for divagation , but I wanted to get it out of my chest.

9SpeedTran

When it is cold, 2-3 is about as rough as the 6 speed shifts in my 2014MDX. After it warms up, it smooths out to be only slightly more noticeable than the others. When it is cold, I usually notice it when I am gently accelerating. When I am firmly accelerating, it is always smooth.

ostrich

Curiously, I notice this too - when I accelerate gently, the shift change is more noticeable (but still nowhere near "harsh") but if I firmly accelerate, then it is smooth like butter!!! How odd!

1Louder

I agree that the TLX with a 6 speed trans would be an amazing car.

I think the drawback in "butt feel" stems from the transmission. I have a very hard time driving it at the limits with confidence. For example you enter a corner and you want a brisk acceleration out the other side, but the transmission decides to downshift to 2nd and rockets you out of the corner in an uncontrolled manner. That's what this transmission will do to you. In my TSX, the transmission was VERY predictable. I could practically control the gear I was in by how hard I applied the throttle. In the TLX, there is nothing predictable about the 9 speed. In fact it's more random than predictable. Too many gears to choose from, and the car is trying to make too many decisions for you.

Even when I use the paddle shifters, it's just too many gears to deal with. I've often run into the need to get some quick power, and I have to downshift three or four times to get the engine RPM I want. There just isn't enough difference between the gears sometimes. I shouldn't have to downshift four times to get to a "passing gear".

This transmission is optimized for fuel economy, not for performance. It makes getting the SH-AWD a waste of money.

1Louder

I've noticed that if the 2-3 shift happens below 1800 RPM (or so), or above 3000 RPM (or so), it shifts smoothly. It's in between where the hesitation is most noticeable.

chrisr

Wow. I actually wrote letters to the editor of as many car websites I can think of several weeks ago. In those letters, I provided a link to this thread. In addition, several of us did 1-star reviews to several websites like Edmund's.com, cars.com, etc.

It seems this approach is somehow effective.

I encourage everyone who has not yet done so to write your 1-star review at any and all website you can find.

Maybe Acura will take this more seriously when they are made aware of the reviews.

Stew4HD

With mine, I have noticed it shifts hard for the 2-3 shift (not 3-4 like I had thought it was before) if between roughly 2 and 3k RPM.

If I am below 2K, then it seems to what feels like stall,hesitate a split second before hitting 3rd. This has started since the last update (not an update for the car).

ACR doesn't even respond to me anymore. I'll post some honest reviews on more of the automotive sites.

Momyc

1Louder , we are spot on. Same thing with the TL , it was predictable and more important linear , like you said , you could control the gears trough the pressure on the gas pedal. That was fun , fun...not anymore...

CPR

My TSB "fix", lasted all of 3 days, before reverting back to the "hard" 2-3 shift pattern
I ONLY drive in Sport mode. I'm starting to think that depending how hard you press the accelerator, affects the shift pattern dramatically. I know that's not a solution. Over the weekend, I "slammed" the pedal, at 30mph; WHOOSH, is all I can say. Up a steep hill was no match for the VTEC SH-AWD 6 cylinder.
As stated previously, I love this Acura, more than any of the previous 5
If they could only find a REAL tranny solution, I'd be elated

Stew4HD

I agree, 100%

weather

...and I'd be INFLATED!

1Louder

I agree also. I still think it's too many gears, but a smooth shift would go a long way.

Acura contacted me about my comments about the failed attempts with the recent service bulletins. I sent them VIN info - curious to see what they say.

Rocketsfan

I only had the 038 update installed back when it came out. The dealer really didn't want to do the 040 update when I took the TSB in for that one - probably because the VIN numbers for the FWD and AWD were flipped on it. I think I knew more about what all was going on than they did, but I can't blame them. Back when I had the 038 update applied, it improved the shifting dramatically that first day, but I swear it got a bit worse since then, but is still better than what it used to be. And by "since then", I mean I started noticing the harsh shifting again just a day or two later. Maybe I was just lucky that first day - who knows. For the life of me, I can't remember if this issue was there when I first bought the car. In my opinion, I think we're pretty much stuck with the voodoo in this transmission (in its many forms).

Stew4HD

I expect you'll get more "I apologize for the problems you are having but we have no fix for the issues you are having...." since that is all Acura has ever given me.

.. I am just trying to make the best of it since it's all I can do for the moment

ATXTLX

I almost rear ended somebody with my TLX yesterday. I was leaving work, and there is a stoplight at the end of a downhill right when I turn out of my parking lot. Traffic was building up, so there was a car in front of me. We were braking / slowing as we approached the stoplight, and the wonderful 5-4 shift happened and the car shifted into neutral for about an entire second, before hitting 4th and engaging the transmission brake again. My collision mitigation kicked in, and my car stopped about 6 inches from the car in front of me.

I love my TLX, but this transmission is unsafe and very unpredictable (maybe my personal opinion, but it is scary). If anyone wants to PM me, I will give you my lawyers information. I told him I know many others experiencing the same issues as me.

1Louder

Good one sentence summary of how I feel. There are days when I feel like the whole 2-3 shift bump can be lived with (at least until the lease is up), and there are days when I get a real scare because of how this transmission hesitates.

Unfortunately when you look at car defects that actually caused identifiable accidents (e.g. Toyota's spontaneous acceleration issue), you still don't see an overwhelming response by the car makers. I suspect that a transmission that is just scary at times just won't get any real attention. At best, Acura will quietly go with another transmission in the Gen 2 car and that will be that.

datadr

Hi guys. I have about 300 miles on my V6 TLX now. I think I've experienced everything mentioned here, but the 5-4 downshift doesn't feel that weird to me. I agree that it is different than the other shifts (without the dog clutch) but having driven standard for so long, I always experienced that neutral freewheel when downshifting. I'd gotten pretty good at heel-toe downshifting, but still is a common feeling for me.

Maybe I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but with me understanding how the transmission is designed (with the dog clutches), it just doesn't seem bother me. Maybe my opinion will change as I get more seat time... this transmission has 4 overdrive gears and when I go to pass, I don't let my foot dictate what gear I want... I flip the paddles to downshift ahead of time (just like I did in my 6MT) and then go. I find even going down 4 gears to pass is pretty close to the time it took to clutch-in, downshift, and clutch-out.

I think my perspective is just because of my history with a manual... for someone who's driven and auto for years, I can see how this can be frustrating.

jeich182

A couple weeks after my software update and the hard 2-3 shift has returned. The only improvement is the elimination of a pre-shift hesitation which the last software update introduced.

I suppose I could get used to the dog clutch delays but with so many gears on offer I wish Acura would make the trans more eager to downshift like their old 6AT. That said if you're tracing a line through a corner at 35-40mph and give it a little gas on exit and it happens to be over the 5-4 dog shift, the car momentarily begins to plow out of the turn while the power is disconnected and then regains the line when power is applied. That's a very lousy feeling in an otherwise nice car.

Maklbc

I do the same and downshift first with the paddles, in sport mode not sport+, and then give it gas to speed up quickly. I do this because the initial downshift and gas doesn't kick in quick enough and will cause problems when you're changing lanes but not gaining speed (as everyone notes). I really only drive in sport+ mode if I want to hold gears longer for curvey roads and what not, but the majority of the time I keep it in sport and downshift when needing to accelerate and then upshift if the car hasn't already done so automatically.

I too almost was in an accident today on the 405 freeway. The car in front of me stopped abruptly and I hit the brakes and tried to downshift, but I know that the car doesn't downshift while braking at high speeds so I had to use the HOV lane to avoid the car in front of me. Has anyone else experienced not being able to downshift while braking at speeds over ~40 mph? I haven't really tested when exactly it lets you downshift but I remember it always going down to 4th gear. If you don't have your foot on the brake, you can downshift anytime.

Rocket_man

I have over 100,000 miles on a manual transmission but I never counted on engine braking to stop my car. Sure I'd use it to slow the car at times, but if I was coming up on stopped or slowing traffic it is brakes all the way. If you are so close to the cars in front of you that braking can't stop you and you rely on engine braking then you are following too close. Remember, if you hit someone from behind it is 99% certain you are going to be found at fault.

I agree that a car's transmission needs to be predictable, but this transmission certainly isn't, so you can't treat it like it is.

ATXTLX

True, yes. When I almost rear ended someone, though, my brake was applied at about 25%, and when the car shifted to neutral for that second, I didn't catch it and had to change my brake pressure to account for the acceleration (add about another 25%.) I was not used to doing that (when you get used to a car, you go into semi autonomous mode). Therefore, the car in front of me approached a lot faster than I was expecting.

You bet I am going to leave about 2 car lengths in front of me if I am ever braking downhill, and my car is downshifting.

le^2

Guys, I just took possession of a v6 sh-awd, after a day of driving, I notice my 3rd gear shift is not like the rest. Whether gently accelerating or forcefully, it feels like just before going into 3rd the engine trails off for a split second before clunking into 3rd. It's not terrible, but I'd like to take it in to get the ecu flashed. Would I be correct in identifying this issue with the 38/40 TSB and printing that off?

Edit - Printed both 38 and 40 out. Will bring it by the dealer soon.

Maklbc

Yes you should take it in to the dealer with the 040 v2 print out. At the very least they will do the idle process re-learn, which helped out with my car.
It's been a little over a week since I received my car back from the dealer to do the updates and I feel like the car has been driving much smoother now. Hopefully it doesn't regress, but I'll add another update in another week or so.

1Louder

Your results may vary. I expected 38 and 40 to make things better and they did not. But I applied 40 right after it came out - not sure what v2 is. I'm about due for my first oil change and I'll look into it.

I'd say for must of us posting in this thread, a majority did not see any improvement with either SB.

le^2

Thanks, everything about the car I'm loving and my 1-2 shifts are "buttah" as well. Just need to iron out this 3rd gear shift and everything'll be gravy!

chrisr

If you guys feel that this transmission issue may pose a safety issue, you may want to file a report with NHTSA. I've already done this a couple of months ago. If NHTSA sides with us, then they may force Acura to do a recall. Then Acura will be forced to fix the issue. Here's the link:

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

joflewbyu2

The first day after trading my 14 TSX, the V6's 9 speed auto felt different. Now it has been 1 week and I do not notice anything. I believe the trans adapted to my driving. I find the car fun and much much more powerful the the 4 cyl TSX. Filled up already and 1st tank average was only 2 mpg less than my TSX. I would take the power and 9 speed anyday over the TSX. The TSX was at 2300 rpm at 70 and the TLX is at 1500 rpm at the same speed. Quieter, smoother and handles much better with P-AWS than the TSX ever did.

le^2

I've printed off TSB 38 + 40 and took it in to my Canadian dealer. To my surprise, the service rep stated that American TSB's do not apply the Acura Canada... After going back and forth for a bit, the rep agreed to take my car in tomorrow evening and have a tech ride with me to verify the 2-3 shift symptom. So much hassle just to get it checked out

neoshi

It's sad that Acura treats the Canadian market as totally separate from the American in terms of fixes because of the different legal requirements, so you pretty much need to gather up enough of your fellow drivers that have had just ABOAT enough of their shinanigans in order for them to "start" the research process (which is probably just a risk vs rewards exercise) that could lead to a fix they already have just across the border.

mapleloaf

As I read this and other threads, I am not so sure the "fix" is not worse than the original condition. As a Canadian, I have had 0 service updates on my transmission. By using some of the tips found here and one of my own….(Eco to start then Normal….and then sometimes to Sport), I believe the transmission and I have come to a Zen situation where we understand each other. I no longer worry about hard shifts…even if 2-3 can be occasionally notched. I have 0 downshift issues, or lurching or whatever and can just enjoy the car. I wonder if these so called fixes aren't creating a bigger problem than actually exists. It's hard to say with so many different tales of both woe and satisfaction.

le^2

The TLX is starting to bring back bad habbits of mine. Back when I used to own a S2000, I would always shift around 5k rpm and would be hard/aggro on the accelerator. It was fun, loud and exciting. Then came to GF, now wife, things had to slow down. I drive like a turtle now from a full stop position.

I've noticed that my 1-2 is smooth regardless of how I accelerate, but if I keep a consistent low rpm going into 3rd, the stall/lurch/hard shift - whatever you want to call it - is unbearable. At this point, I just mash the pedal and force it out of 3rd and it's a lot smoother than going into 3rd under 1.8k rpm. 1-2, 4-9 is smooth with no hesitation. 2-3 sucks donkey balls in what would otherwise be an amazing daily driver.

1Louder

^ Been a couple weeks for me after SB38 and 40 and the car is no better than when I drove it off the lot. Same symptoms you describe. The only thing that seems to help is when the car is warm - seems worse when the trans is cold.

Acura customer care made a half-hearted attempt to reach me. Left a voice mail and I've returned the call three times and have gone straight to voice mall all three times. Left a message twice, no call back.

CPR

Acura C.S. is ambivalent, to this 9 speed ZF Tranny problem
They won't acknowledge fault, due to legal ramifications
Maybe a class action suit, may rattle their feathers
Anyway, other than the "hard" shifts, I love this car; hoping that eventually, ZF, or Acura brainstorms a viable solution; it's not exactly parting the Red Sea; it's a mechanical
/software issue, which hopefully, is fixable.

mondster

I still dont get why each one has a different result from the tsb update. Mine is 90 percent much better after tsb 34, but some are worse after that. Take note that i drive in sport all the time, so if anything, the shifts should be harsher. I still wish the delay when accelarating would be fixed.

ATXTLX

That logic would not follow with my TLX. I have driven in ECO before, and received some of the hardest shifts ever. This happens if I am trying to accelerate faster than normal, being in ECO mode. If the shift happens between 2500 and 3000 in ECO for me, it is like my car hits a wall before it shifts, and then slams into 3rd.

Rocket_man

I can only think it is related to that stupid 'learning' feature. It only seems to learn how to piss off its owners. If they could disable this maybe it would be better.

le^2

Soooooo.... just got a call from the service advisor where I took my car into to get TSBs 38+40 looked at. They said the 2-3 hard shift if normal and nothing they can do about it, even though it's documented in the American TSBs. "Cannot" apply american tsb fix due to canadian car. Told me to come pick up whenever I want.... this is balls. Is there a canadian version of the Acura client care?

neoshi

That is Acura in general... anywhere.

Stew4HD

Yep, it does suck I feel for you. I have had the software updates and they've only made mine worse