1Louder

Sorry I'm not keeping up very well.

This happened to me. The letter lag way behind the service records (or so I've been told). So it's possible it got applied at the factory if it's a new car. That said, the 2-3 shift issue (SB 40) is not a safety issue so they may not flag as "required". So I'd try logging the complaint with the service rep and point them to the SB.

Vlke

That's what I did. The first service rep I called to book the appointment was hesitant do the update and she said the update can only be done once (so?). She did agree for me to bring the car in to have it updated. When I got there, it was a different service rep and he said they'll look at it but there's no new update unless there's a light on the dash. He called back earlier to confirm there's no updates. So at this point, do I just give Acura Client Service a call? Also the service bulletin, is that the letter I got or is it something else? Thanks!

le^2

Which dealer did you go to by chance? On west coast?

1Louder

Might need to know a bit more about what your letter said. A letter usually speaks to a general issue, but the service bulletins are what tells the Acura techs what to do. We're not supposed to have access to the SBs, but we do. There is a thread for it.

Maybe rather than request an update, just complain about the shifting and they need to do something - go from there. If you engage them in a discussion about fixes to apply, they will do what they are now, looking at the "system" and saying you are all clear. But if you just discuss the symptom it will eventually lead them to the SB's to apply. If they have already, and you still have a shifting issue, then you're like a lot of us here - waiting to see what Acura tries next.

Vlke

The dealer has looked into the issue for a few times now. Few months ago, they performed idle learn and said the car was fine. 2 weeks ago, they looked at it and said the car is driving fine and there's no issue. So today I brought the letter in and they said they can't perform updates unless there's something wrong with the car (ie. warning light on dash). Anyways they eventually agreed to take a look again and I was told, no new updates available so I don't know how I can get them to apply that update for me. Also I have doubt I have the latest most of the members here got because last time they said they perform an update to my car was back in May re: the parking brakes.

Edit: I have also attached the letter I got from Acura re: the update. Note that this letter I printed from the Acura.ca site with my VIN#. The actually letter I received is the exact same but with my personal information on it.

Momyc

Yes, I got same letter and when I went a week ago to the dealer for oil change the said yes is a "recall" for safety . I saw on his order that he "checked" K97 for software update !??
Probably is linked with the switch to neutral , but no improvement what so ever for hard shifts.
I lost my hope for any improvement regarding the hard shifts and most important for me the throttle response delay (or the travel input need it to get the transmission reaction) that is killing all the joy.

ostrich

I went to my dealership last week for some other routine stuff and they applied this update to me before I even knew it. Well, guess what? While it did not seem to have fixed any 2-3 hard shift issue (mine was never severe to start with anyway), it did actually reduce the hesitation as you press on the gas from a complete stop! While there is still some hesitation, it has been improved for whatever reason.... oh well! LOL

1Louder

I think we're talking two different topics. I got the same letter - it's a safety issue and they have to fix it. However, when I went in with the letter they said it had already been applied - dealerships get those notices long before you get the letter. You should not "wait for the light" - that's like saying you need to wait for a life-threatening accident when you car goes into neutral on the highway before they'll fix it. They should do it or confirm it's done.

The 2-3 shift issue is separate, and is not a safety issue. That's why you have to complain about it first, and press them to apply the service bulletin and/or relearn procedure. However, odds seem to be low that either fixes the issue if you have it.

1Louder

I'm in this state too. The hard shift is back. The throttle response when you are > 50 mph is awful. I think because at that speed you are in 9th gear, and it does not respond quickly to get you into 4th or 5th if you need power.

31 more months until my lease is up......

sbillard

The "neutral" shift issue fix affects the same subsystems as the 2-3 shift fix, so if the dealer does it correctly both will be "fixed". (The shift issue is improved, but nor removed.)

Momyc

Lucky me only 29 more months left

Vlke

I called Acura Client Relations yesterday to verify if my car needs to update. The rep ended up speaking to my service manager to ensure my car is up to date. Got the car back to day and on the invoice it said K95 E-5-15 PUD: U: MIL IS ON WITH DTC. I guess I ended up getting the update? I did notice the 2-3 shift was a bit better but it's still there. Unlike you guys, I actually brought the car so I'm stuck with it until I get a new car much later down the road.

le^2

Can you post the Phone# for Canada's Acura Client Relations?

Vlke

I called the # on the letter. It's 1-888-922-8729. I'm hoping it's not a placebo effect and my shift did indeed get better. I'm still crossing my fingers for a permanent fix.

blacktsxwagon

A love letter from Edmunds to those with 9speed transmission problems:

Trying to Like It - 2015 Acura TLX SH-AWD Long-Term Road Test

Stew4HD

I was even mentioned in that article.

1Louder

This could not have more squarely hit the nail on the head. Perfect summary.

And this sums up my thoughts exactly.

Momyc

Ditto !

rgpolson

Has anyone driven a 2016 yet to see if it has similar issues?

I had my TLX at the dealership today to have 15-034 done. They completed that and updated TCM, but no real change in 2-3 upshift. It seems that people on this forum all have more education about this problem than the dealerships do.

Stew4HD

When I was shopping and waiting for my TLX a year ago, I had salesmen asking me questions about the TLX, thanks to what I learned here.

When you say no real change in the 2-3 shift, do you mean you have the hard shift issue?

jswift2000

Here is the response I rec'd on Twitter from @acuraclientrelations: Thanks for reaching out. The service dept. is in the best position to inspect your vehicle and determine any available repairs. ^CD

I told them they're missing the point and should visit this forum.

Stew4HD

That is a typical ACR reply, no matter how many times you tell them otherwise

neoshi

They even say that crap word for word over the phone too. It's like listening to a loop. Once I got a phone number to a contractor (for the infotainment system 3 second BT lag issue) and I was AMAZED. Except that lead to a dead end too (apologized that they had no plans to fix anything).

Stew4HD

I got to the point of writing ACR once a month to let them know I was still having issues, that nothing was helping and that their apologies did not fix my car. They quit even responding to me.

Rocket_man

Personally I don't think this article is very balanced. A casual reader looking for a TLX will read this article and think all TLX's have Auto Start/Stop and bad transmissions. When in fact only the highest trim level has the Auto Start/Stop and it doesn't seem to drive everyone crazy. Yes it can be defeated, he just doesn't like that it is not a permanent defeat. That is really his issue. Really a small complaint for a AWD V6 that gets mid 30's MPG. Then he mentioned Stew's issues, which I think even Stew would say is out of the ordinary. But it is mentioned in his article as if this is how all TLX's are. Finally there is no mention of the updates that Acura has made. I assume their long term test car is an early production car and it is not clear if they have the latest software update. While the 9ZF may not be the best transmission, for the vast majority of owners it is not an issue. I don't think it is perfect, but it is not a deal breaker for me.

jswift2000

Rocket_man - great perspective. Here are some random thoughts. I've been doing some heavy thinking re the trans issue and since the MDX and Pilot share the same transmission are they experiencing the same problems? Could it also be that Honda realizes its an issue but maybe not the extent of the issue? I keep tweeting to @Honda and @Acura that there is a transmission problem and to visit this forum. Sometimes we feel our only outlet is the dealerships so I would tweet and facebook to Honda aware it has many unhappy customers. What will Honda do? Not sure. Will this trans carry over into the MMC or beyond? I'm not an engineer so I cant say. I think the best thing we can do is voice our opinion on different outlets to make honda aware. I havent experience the rough shifts (or maybe I have and I dont know it) bit I have experiences the downshift from 5th to 4th to 3rd and the coasting feeling is very unnerving. The hesitation off the line in Econ or Normal IDS mode also doesnt feel like it should but its mostly mitigated in sport or sport +. Maybe this is how the trans is designed but Honda should have informed its customers on how the news trans works. Honda can't afford for this car to be a failure or receive bad publicity - the Acura division has/is struggling and they need(ed) this car to be solid.

Here is what I tweet on a daily basis. Will it help? Not sure but its worth a try. I've not been to the dealership to address the 15-040 TSB but will once I know this is finally resolved.

@Honda Are you following the AcuraZine TL/TLX Community - AcuraZine Community forums? There is a petition to fix the 9sp transmission. http://tinyurl.com/ore7kdw

@Acura Are you following the AcuraZine TL/TLX Community - AcuraZine Community forums? There is a petition to fix the 9sp transmission. http://tinyurl.com/ore7kdw

Stew4HD

My FWIW regarding the Idle Stop:

I honestly feel a lot more drivers do not like the Idle Stop "feature" than we know. For me (and others) the bigger issue was having turned off Idle Stop and the car would hesitate horribly from a near stop then go situation. I cannot imagine that I and the guy writing that article I was quoted in are alone. I guess the only caveat is that there aren't as many SH-AWD version out there, %-wise.

I tried like hell to just "live with it". Since I spent nearly $50K all in on this car, I believe should be 110% satisfied with the car. This idea that all these issues are waved off as "this is normal" is BS. In the end, I could no longer accept being waved off by the manufacturer, at all.

It seem that we now live in this release-now, update-as-we-go-along (AKA "beta testing") scenario where we accept incomplete work while we wait for the final version to be released and then have "firmware updates" as we go along. I have seen this for years in software and now, cars are a rolling computer and is treated as such.... I must be getting gold to expect more than that from a automobile.

/endrant

jswift2000

The CT Posr has the RLX Sport Hybrid in the auto section today and the article states the RLX has a 7 speed transmission... I wonder why Honda/Acura wouldn't use the same transmission in the TLX. BTW - great article. More random thoughts.

Stew4HD

Only the sport Hybrid has the 7 speed, mine has a 6 speed.. but, as we've stated, WTH is Acura thinking with their packages? Only the Sport Hybrid can get HUD

1Louder

Fair points - I've spent ~3 weeks in the 4-cyl TLX as a service loaner and I was actually quite happy with it. The 8 speed is decent and the all wheel steering is a kick. If they just offered the premium package it would be my next car.

That said, the auto-stop has been dangerous on a few occasions just like the large hesitation you get when downshifting at highway speeds. There have been times when I need to move quickly and I just forget the engine is off - you wind up making a half-hearted move into traffic and its just dangerous. While sometimes I like the auto stop, it's been dangerous often enough that I'd shut it off forever if I could. I mean it auto stops when I try to park - I hate the engine going off, then you put the car into park and the engine starts again, just so I can turn it off again. That can't be good for the car. Add it to the list of things I'd be concerned about with long-term ownership.

I had a Civic Hybrid with autostop and there is a meaningful difference between the two. The Civic did not have a traditional starter - it used the massive battery pack to start the engine - it was nearly instantaneous. Even if you moved your foot quickly from the brake to the gas, the engine was running by the time you got there. The TLX just uses a beefed-up starter, so there is a longer delay starting the motor.

Great idea, poorly executed. No idea why they don't let us shut it off in the car settings.

rgpolson

Yes, dealing with 2-3 hard shift.

Rocket_man

I think there is a 0% chance this transmission makes it into the next gen TLX. The only real question is will be replaced in the MMC with their new in-house 10 speed. That is a pretty big change for an MMC. If they try to replace it in the MMC then you will know how big of an issue they think it is. My guess is that they believe software updates will make the transmission acceptable to get through to the next FMC.

I love the coasting feature. Maybe I'm odd. I look at it as a game sometimes.. how far can I coast before I'm back on the gas. Today on my way to work I was coasting UP a hill and actually gaining on a pickup in front of me. I can coast down that same hill (doing about 55 mph) and if I hit the lights right I can coast about 1/4 mile til I have to slow to make a left turn. All the while the instantaneous MPG gauge is pegged to the right.

Not being an owner of the SH-AWD, it seems this is poorly executed. My wife has a Cooper 3-cyl with auto start/stop. Neither of us have any issue with its implementation. In fact you don't really realize it is happening, you just drive the car. Maybe the start/stop was a little afterthought on the SH-AWD to try to get the TLX fleet MPG numbers up and they did not get enough testing in. Recall that the original software in the TLX reset the IDS to 'Normal' each time you started the car. They changed it to 'last setting.' I have no reason to think they can't give you a software setting for start/stop too.

On the other hand, this seems to deserve its own thread, but I don't recall seeing one. Why isn't there more attention on this? I rarely see anyone complain. If it got the same attention as the transmission it might get a fix.

sbillard

There are people who don't like the car engine stopping and there are ones that do. It really seems a personal issue. It is a surprise at first when it stops but you can easily get used to how it works if you wish. Dangerous? Certainly not on my vehicle. Maybe there are "broken" idle stop cars. Don't know, have not seen much in these threads that would indicate it. I suspect that the issue is more one of need for control.

The only problem I ever had driving with idle stop was that the car jumped forward if you quickly went from foot hard on the break to foot hard on the accelerator. Those of us who like the MPG effect of the idle stop have got used to anticipating starting up. We slightly release pressure on the break and the engine starts right up.

There really has never been a situation where I did not know ahead of time that I would want to start the car going forward. Maybe some other are too occupied with smart phones or such and get caught unawares.

1Louder

^ My complaint is I'd just like the control to turn it off. Most of the time, it works well enough. I don't like the off/on/off sequence when I park. But what I really don't like is when I don't notice it's off and I need to make a quick move to get into traffic. Some times that .5 second delay matters and winds up putting you in a bad spot.

sbillard

Light press on the break when you are merging into traffic.

1Louder

^ I'm aware of that function. The problem is, at least with my car, that the pressure has to be very, VERY light. So if you are braking, even moderately to a stop, 9 times out of 10 the engine shuts off before I can ease the pressure on the brake enough to not engage the auto stop. After all, you actually have to stop the car and lot let it idle forward.

If that feature wasn't so sensitive, that would be a good fix too.

mondster

It has become 2nd nature to me that as soon as im ready to drive, i release the electronic brake, press D and press the auto on/off feature. Would be nice if i could disable permanently, but im so used to my pattern, it doesnt bother me anymore.

jeich182

A coworker has a SH-AWD. He said the same thing, it's routine to hit the idle stop button when he starts the car.


That Edmunds update pretty much sums up my feelings. I think for the first time in my driving career I may be ready to leave Honda/Acura. Considering I'm on my 10th and I've influenced too many other people to count to purchase them, I am one of the LAST customers they want to lose.

ATXTLX

I think it is time to let the cat out of the bag. I know Acura would not want to lose customers or have buyers pass up based on negative experience of current owners.

Last week, Acura replaced my transmission. I was told this was a test, and to be hush-hush. I was, for the last week. Now, a week into the new transmission, I could not be happier. (I don't have SH-AWD, so I am not involved in the auto start/stop.)

The new transmission is supposed to be a different build from earlier ZF 9 speeds. There is a huge difference. I love my car now, entirely.

I was told that Acura is not offering replacement transmissions, yet. I was told that Acura will be reaching out to owners that have experienced issues regarding this. I don't know the timeline, but I know it is not happening just yet. They are probably still testing this build.

I have only driven the car in Normal mode, and I have not pushed the throttle (I am trying to be easy on the new tranny), so I don't know if the hesitation in downshifting / acceleration is still there.

I will say that the 2-3 shift is perfect now. All shifts are pretty damn perfect.

Please hold out, as it sounds like Acura is going to make the transmission issue right. Please don't go to your dealership, telling them Acura is replacing transmissions yet. This will come, I believe. I just couldn't keep the good news all to myself any longer.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

10???

If I were you I would craft a very nice well written letter to the people in Torrence to let them know. That's the kind of thing that resonates in the company I work for anyways.