So do you know what they did. I asked Acura Canada Customer Service today for an update on the fix…and at this point they apparently are unaware of such a fix. It would be nice to tell them exactly what your Dealership actually did. You are the first Canadian (I think) that has had some type of fix for the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts.

 

Bailey, I hope you really enjoy your new TLX.


It would be interesting for us to know when the production date was for your car - it's in the top right corner of your ID label in the driver's door jamb.


As far as the problem you experienced, I suspect that your dealer didn't prep the car correctly prior to delivery.


Step 10 of the car prep guidelines is to perform an idle learn procedure.


http://www.urvi.net/forumfiles/SB/B14-016.PDF




10. Do the Idle Learn Procedure
To ensure a steady engine idle, do the idle learn procedure as follows after installing the No. 29 BACKUP (10 A) fuse:
1. Make sure all electrical items (A/C, audio unit, rear window defogger, lights, etc.) are turned off.
2. Start the engine, and let it reach operating temperature (the cooling fans cycle twice).
3. Let the engine idle for 10 minutes with the throttle fully closed.
The idle learn procedure must also be done after updating or replacing the PCM. If does not need to be done after
clearing DTCs


Again, enjoy the car!

 

I have my car for 2 weeks now (jan 2015 built) and I have the hard shifts 1-2 and 2-3 , it's like somebody hits you from the back. It doesn't happened all the time and not on same time . Some times 1-2 is ok and 2-3 is hard or vice versa . It's true I'm keeping the car on Sport all the time.
Another thing that I don't like on Sport+ when you brake for a stop , probably because of rev matching the car feel like on "free wheel" for a second or so and is surging forward. It's a strange feeling . I don't know if it's normal or not but is strange...

 

I dont know exactlty what they did however what bbast07 dscribes below sounds correct. I know they had it in the shop with the hood open and connected to a computer combined with two road tests

Today driving into work from Milton to North York, my TLX smooth as silk (other than the typical traffic)

As for the manufacture date, i'll look today before heading home and advise all tonight

 

Thanks bbast07.

Sounds about right with respect to what they did. The car was sourced from oakville and moved to Erin Mills where I took delivery. Car is running great but on my way home is when i noticed the issues I described as well as the fact that the tires were inflated to 280

I will send all may manufacture date however it should be 2015 as after reading previous posts here I wanted to stay away from the major transmission issues

Regards,

 

I had requested a vehicle built in 2015 but sadly I have determined it was made in Nov 2014. Fingers crossed no additional issues arise

 

If this is the extent of the idle learn procedure they do for new cars it is no where near as involved as the idle learn procedure they have in the bulletins on the transmission issue. That one involves driving the car ~20 miles.

 

I am also puzzled as to how the Idle Learn procedure can address the hard shifts issue. My car has always idled smoothly but I have the 2 hard shifts, noticeable more under higher throttle acceleration.

 

Per Acura, for TSB 14-054 - Product Update: Cross-Traffic Monitoring System – No Audible Alert:

"The METER reflash process for Cross Traffic Monitoring System inadvertently erases the idle characteristics learned by the PCM, and the HDS shows Idle Torque Learning as “Not Completed.” The drivability symptoms which can result from this condition range from harsh 2-1 downshift, high rpm at idle, surging coming to a stop, and idle fluctuation.

Once the reflash process is complete and all the DTC’s are cleared, reset the PCM using the HDS and follow the “Idle Learn Procedure” in the service manual. These additional steps take 0.2hrs to complete and needs to be added to the flat rate of 0.5hrs on the V6 models only".

 

For the folks getting a software update for the transmission - is there a TSB number or something to reference?

 

I'd be interested to know how many of you are optimistic that Acura actually intends to improve the shifting issues on the 9 speed?

They are just finishing inspection and repair of the units with the faulty parking "pin" issue which was a safety/service issue, and we all know Acura is aware of the shifting issues in both the 8 and 9 speed units (as well as a dozen or more other software/electronic control issues).

I'm not optimistic they intend to improve the problem. Acura has already announced they're going to manufacture their own gearbox and when I addressed the harsh shifting at the dealership, I was told very quickly and in an almost rehearsed manner that my car was shifting harshly because I was driving it in Sport mode.


So I'm curious, how many of you think Acura will fix the shifting issue?

 

The parking pin issue has long since been handed off to dealers and regional service personnel. Any engineering resources that may have been utilized for the former would've been available for the latter, assuming Acura has made it a priority. It seems to be a widely known issue that even Acura has acknowledged so I'd like to think they'll take care of this driveability and refinement issue on a car that's supposed to compete in a premium/luxury space.

 

Here we go again. Cross posting almost the identical text and blending in the two completely distinct transmissions. What would be most beneficial to the casual reader would be to completely strip all non 9AT comments from this thread and a similar activity from the other transmission thread, but I know that will never happen. I just hope that new posts stick to the topic of the thread.

 

And I merely consider the source of many of those posts

 

I have noticed this weird "surging forward" also after braking. I usually notice it when I do not come to a complete stop, but instead do a rolling stop and get back onto the gas. I think the reason why this occurs has something to do with the hill assist mechanism. When you are on an incline, the brake system holds the brake pressure until you get on the gas so the car does not roll back. But, I think that this is still kicking in even when the car is not on an incline to some extent, and that's why I think we get the feeling of the car surging forward- since it takes a second for the car to release the brake pressure.

Also, yes, when you are braking and slowing down, the transmission downshifts and rev-matches giving you a slight surging forward feeling

 

Just got car back from dealer. I had early vin(1047) so it was in the recall. They did SB 14-37, 14-050, 14-017, 14-026, 14-028 and 14-056. Result is the shifting issue seems to be much improved. Great treatment from the dealer here in Peoria, Arizona.

 

Thanks for that. I'm not alone to feel that. The other day my wife was driving the car and she got so surprised by the "surging forward" that she pressed the brakes hard , almost throw me in the dash board. Maybe is normal but is a very strange feeling for me coming from 4G which was very "linear" on engine braking and throttle acceleration.
If they fix all that (it seems that 2016 MDX is much better ?!) I then can say I love the car , but for now I'm on edge...

 

Hope everything's fixed to your liking! Keep us posted about the shifting issue. These adaptive transmissions are pretty clever, maybe too clever, as mine re-learned the hard 2-3 after about 2 weeks.

 

Is there anywhere we can see these service bulletins?

 

Hello everyone, my 2015 V6 TLX shifts rough into 2nd and especially into 3rd when accelerating normally or fast. I noticed that if I accelerate very slow, I hardly feel anything. Otherwise, I love the car in everyday!!! Next time I take it in to service, I hope they will have some software update to get rid of this issue!!

 

As I had posted earlier, my service manager had me on a call list for a software update to correct the rough shifting.


He called me on 3/31 to tell me to bring the car in - which I did on 4/2. I picked up the car the following Monday (4/6).


Further down is the service invoice description of what they did - unfortunately no number (more on that later).


The reason I didn't post this right away is because for the first few days I didn't think it was an adequate fix - it was better, but still had a bump 2-3.


Then, about 250 miles of mixed driving into the update, all of a sudden things smoothed out. 2-3 is still sometimes more noticeable that the 3 on up, but VERY acceptable, and certainly much better.


The other information that I was able to garner in chatting with the service manager is that these previous updates ( I got mine in late January) weren't actually software updates. Acura, at that time, was suggesting to do a re-learn on the TCU which sometimes seemed to keep the customers somewhat happy. In my case, it did fix 1-2, but 2-3 remained a problem.


I did go into the diagnostic subroutine, and the TCU software version currently in my car is 01.004.000. The last time I checked it in February it was 01.002.000.


Be aware, I don't think this update is technically for mass consumption, but if your service person bitches to tech line enough, they will release it.


It also may not be the final version, but it's certainly much better!

 

How did you get the TCU software version ?


I'll like to check mine also.

 

Shifts seem harder when on normal. I drive exclusively in sport mode. It's still there but bearable compared to normal. Hopefully they release a fix soon. Such a great car and fixing the hard shifts will make it even better.

 

For me I wish 2 things to be fixed: hard shifts and response time..

 

I don't think there is anything out for that response time (parachute feeling) on acceleration other than keeping IDS at SPORT at all times which minimizes that feeling.

 

Response time (on highway while moving fast) is because of the dog clutches. I posted a link to a teardown of the ZF trannie and explanation somewhere in another thread.

 

^^ Initially, I thought it was throttle response but after reading about the dog clutch, i realized it was a characteristic of the vehicle/tranny

 

After switching to SPORT, yesterday,in settings, it seems that all, of the low speed shift problems disappeared, with little or no reduction in MPG, from Normal, or Economy. I'm permanently in SPORT
Case closed!Time to drive. SH/AWD/Tech/9 speed

 

...and some observations.

I have a V6 SH-AWD Tech, built in Jan 15. I'm having a hard time figuring out of the 1-2/2-3 shifts are bad or not (i.e., pre or post recall). So what I've noticed:

In Econ and Normal the shifts are noticeable, but certainly not what I would call jarring. But compared to the other shifts (which you can't even notice), these I notice. Most of the time - but not always. I can't tell if it's as "good as it will get" or if I could improve them. So for those that were sure they had the problem, was it just the shift points had a "bump" that you could feel, or were they really hard?

I've also logged 250 miles in Sport now, and I do notice that the higher the engine revs, the smoother the shifts are. So I'm wondering if the issue is more noticeable if the shift points are at lower RPMs? Maybe that's why some folks feel like Sport helps the issue?

I'm going to have the dealer look into it at the first oil change, but I'm trying to figure out how hard to press the issue if they tell me the recall work has already been done.

 

^^^ If it doesn't bug you, I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe we'll get a "fix". I'm driving on Sport for my current tank (I usually use Econ or Normal) and I still notice the hard shifts, but maybe not as much.

 

i can feel the firm shifts sometimes.I don't find them harsh. Honda is notorious for having firm shifting transmissions.

 

I confirm that the shifts are more noticeable at lower RPM. They are almost silky smooth if I "gun it". But that of course is not really an option

 

Has acura, at least, acknowledged the shifting and jerking issue?

 

According to post #141 they know of the issue. My vehicle is at the dealer now. I went on a test drive with the service rep and he experienced the issues. I think that riding along on the test drive is critical. I mentioned the issue at the 500 mile inspection. When I picked up the car they said it shifted "normally." Maybe it was normal for the TLX, but it was not right.

We will see if they apply that software update. I did give them a copy of the service report above.

 

I have been going back-and-forth with my dealer since April 1, 2015. I too am suffering from the hard shifts, as well as what feels like sluggish acceleration (even in Sport mode). And just yesterday, I encountered a extremely long pause when starting to accelerate from a stop at a highway rest stop (it felt like a two-second pause). I never had such problems with my 2010 Acura TLX.

I have a meeting scheduled with Acura's District Representative at the dealership in a few weeks to discuss the issue. But I strongly encourage others to continue calling their dealerships to complain about this issue or calling Acura directly. The odds of all of us receiving a better resolution to this matter will--apparently--require repeated calls/visits/etc. And if there are other people out there who are seeing this thread and have the same problem, please post here too. I'm probably going to print out this thread and give it to the District Representative when I meet with him.

I really appreciate everyone's comments to date. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone on this issue, even if Acura is currently insisting that the car meets "factory specifications."

 

jcroniser, keep us posted.

One other person mentioned what has happened to me, about 2 weeks after the udpate the car re-learned the hard 2-3 shift again, exactly as it was before. This happen to anyone else?

 

With all negative comment on TLX 9 speed transmission, I am not sure if this is the car for me any more. No body want to bet over 40K on tranmission roulette.

 

I got my SH-AWD Advance back today. The dealer certainly did something--there were enough A1 AcuraLink messages to light a Christmas tree. From other posts I think I will not know if this was successful until I have driven a few hundred miles. So far no jolts, but I can still tell when the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts occur.

From what the service tech said I believe that they talked with the Acura Tech hotline and ended up applying some part of the TSB for the 8sp DCT.

 

I have these same shift issues in my v6 AWS. I called my dealership and was told there was no update available. My build was 12/14 and vin ends in 2424. How to I know I'm getting the right info and what should I ask for specially??

 

I asked service manager who said that is the characteristic of the new transmission. There is no transmission update. Some people said harsh shift is not noticeable. Some people said it have gone after certain miles. And some said it is part of break I period. Hope your will disappear soon.