insanik

There ARE times when it isn't noticeable... and alot of the times it's incredibly noticeable.

I've tried eco mode.. and sport mode and the jerkiness is seriously majorly apparent. I've already brought it for service and gone on tests drives and all mechanics at Acura have noticed and said it's an issue with no head office support yet as there is no fix for this as of yet..

Kinda starting to worry because the car is becoming extremely uncomfortable to drive .. and im in Toronto where traffic can get horrendous and im stuck jerking back and forth repeatedly.

I really REALLY hope a fix comes out for this, car it's really just becoming an uncomfortable experience

ATLPatrick

I'm sorry to hear the car isn't acting the way you like. Not sure if this is on all 4 cyl cars of if your car is having a problem. I haven't noticed this issue with the v6/9 AT, and don't recall feeling that when I test drove a 4 cylinder TLX. Have you driven any other 4 cylinders? If not, I would say go up to Acura and test drive another one

jayb082

not sure what car you're coming from but have you tried adjusting your driving style a bit? My point is that a 5 gear tranny won't drive the same as an 8 gear... You'll have more shifting at lower speeds as is the case. While I have felt it I really don't think it's a problem with the car, just a difference... If it was a problem with the car it would do it all the same...I think it's just more noticeable in stop and go traffic because of the way most people drive in this type of traffic... Stop and go rather than cruising slowly. Just my 2 cents based on my experience.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I was stuck in stop -n- go traffic for an hour on Thursday morning on the highway (6 car accident) and I had zero issues. I had it in Econ mode and for a stretch of at least 30 minutes it never got beyond 2nd gear - I didn't see any abrupt shifts.

The only time I feel abrupt shifts anymore is when the car is cold - the first couple of shifts can be crisp.

vbx

sports mode isn't recommend for stop in go traffic fyi.

Rocket_man

Could be something peculiar to the OP's torque converter causing the jerkiness.

jjsC5

Makes no sense.

I'd like a better definition of what the OP is referring to. My BMW 550 is almost impossible to drive smoothly in stop and go traffic, which I do all the time. It's a matter of having your foot off the gas, then as you go back on the gas it is not smooth. In my case, I think it's a combination of factors. All vehicles today have "fuel cut" that cuts all fuel supply when you take you foot off the brakes.

Some cars have a hesitation followed but a sudden transition accelerating. A bit of a stumble if you will. Also, when taking my foot off the gas it feels like I have hit the brakes even if I have not touched them. Again, this happens in my car in 10-20 mph (give or take) transitions in stop and go traffic.

jjsC5

BTW, my post above doesn't read totally smoothly…why is this the only forum on the planet that you can only edit a post for 15 minutes…grrrrrrr

Rocketsfan

How's ECON working out for you? I may try that next, but thought it'd be like riding a dead cow. I'm currently working through SPORT mode and like it, but not sure it's worth it on my daily drives to and from work.

9SpeedTran

I know with my TL Type S, which has the 5AT, to prevent that jerkiness at slow speeds, I have to give it a steady flow of gas, so very low as to be barely perceptible. Before I learned to do that, it almost seemed like it was going to stall. So it's not just your car.

H_CAR

This is very much a Honda thing. Both my '11 Odyssey and '12 CR-V do this.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

It is like riding a dead cow - which is perfect (for me) in stop and go city driving. My shifts tend to be smooth at slow speeds in econ - even more so when the car is warmed up. Maybe my ECU is helping a bit as it may have me figured out.

I tend to leave it in Econ for my daily commute unless it's hot out then I use normal because econ numbs the AC a bit too much. My commute is usually filled with too many other commuters to ever be any fun which is a big reason why a V6 would be wasted on me.

tlxsteve

I thought ECON would be slower and not as responsive. I use it when I get into bumper-to-bumper traffic. Luckily most of my trip is on the highway and Sports mode really is fun to use, even on a I4 Tech.

Maybe take a trip out of town for the weekend and try Sports mode.

hddnav

My 2013 TL 6-speed auto does not. Smooth as silk.

weather

^^ My 2012 TL was fantastic too and no such behavior. Man I miss my TL.....

csmeance

Pay attention to how much gas you give the car (OP) and try keeping a more consistent pedal amount.

As far as the 550 goes, it's using a ZF transmission that BMW sucks the life out of easily. Change your fluid with something respectable and it'll be a lot better. My fluid was toast at 56K in my 760 and was supposed to be lifetime fill.

DavidsTLX

OP - I'd suggest going to test drive another 2.4L 8 speed and see if it feels like yours does. I haven't noticed the problem on mine (knock on wood).

If the test car is smoother, you could try to push the case that they need to replace the transmission.

sixsixfour

OP, could just be the dual clutch. the GT-R and the MR are the same at low speeds, especially when in Manual mode. they really feel like a manual. imagine being in first gear and off the clutch when rolling. jab the gas and the jerkiness is very similar to what I feel in the dual clutch on the GT-R and MR.

maybe that's the reason Honda put a small torque converter but it may not be enough to nullify that.

ELation

I test drove a Dual Clutch (DSG) Jetta once, and its jerkiness almost made me dizzy. If TLX's torque converter isn't working properly, will it act like a normal dual clutch automatic transmission?

Cmyoung

I noticed today during stop and go traffic that as I approached this red light while firmly pressing on my brakes the car did a sudden jerk forward..very unsettling to say the least. But, I am going to keep a positive attitude and hope it doesn't do it again.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

The issue with stop and go is a combination of factors.

Even in a manual transmission car, the fueling had some problems when going from a totally no throttle situation to adding almost any throttle input while the car is still in motion would introduce a bit of a surge unless I smoothed it out with the clutch. With an automatic, you have not way of doing this except to never fully close the throttle if you are going to be getting back on it again soon. This is an issue that seems endemic to most cars these days because of a combination of computer controlled fuel injection and electronically mapped throttle inputs.

Then, the transmission programming is sometimes too aggressive in its desire to downshift. I found that in the older 5-speed and 6-speed automatic transmissions, most Acura cars have a tendency to add a tiny bit of lurch as the car is nearing a complete stop because the transmission is downshifting to prepare for the possibility that you will want to get on the gas and go. Unfortunately, this shift is always a bit rough and when I tested the 2.4L I4 TLX, it exhibited this same behavior, albeit to a slightly lesser degree than older Acura models, but it got progressively more exaggerated the "sportier" you set the IDS since the transmission shift points are impacted.

This is the problem with short dealer test drives is that you often do not get to see these types of issues during the drive and most people would not focus on these kinds of problems during the few moments they have with the car.

Toddo627

My BMW has the same "jerkiness" if I am in stop and go traffic and have the car in sport mode.

cruiserchuck

This problem is worrying to me. If I wanted a rough shifting car, I would buy a manual and do the rough shifting myself.

I did notice that when I test drove a 2004 TSX 6 speed, it was very hard to shift compared to prior Acuras/Hondas that I drove, especially in low gears. I assumed it had to do with the relatively high HP compared to the other cars that I had previously owned.

Praj Prasai

I have noticed the same feeling and it is really annoying. You pay premium price so that you gat a smooth comfortable car, not that jerks most frequently on a stop and go traffic.it is more noticeable on cold start. Took it to service dept but they have no fix and there is no service bulletins.I called the Acura client relations and notified them about my experience and they gave me a claim number. People who have problem with the TLX need to call Acura client number and complain so that they will hopefully come out with solution soon.also we should add our complaint at carcomplaints.I did because I want it get it fix soon.

randomRon82

^^Thanks.... I've had the issue as well since day one... but I have a V6. It was getting to the point of making me literally nauseous. It got much better when I started using Econ mode, but it's still there. I didn't report anything because I've seen many others mention this issue, so I just assumed that there was nothing that could be done and I'm stuck with a roller coaster car. lol.... hope there's a fix for it soon

hddnav

Unfortunately, what's being described can really be categorized under the first-adopter's syndrome. In other words, the genuine pig syndrome.

In the best case, this will be a software fix. In the mediocre case, this jerkiness is an inherent characteristic of the DCT. In the very worst case, heaven forbid, this might be a sign that Honda has still not sorted out its chronic transmission reliability problems.

It's always nice to have the latest and greatest, but being on the cutting edge means that you need the mentality of a beta tester, as well.

randomRon82

LOL.... that's what's been getting me through (a lot) of the issues I've been having.... "I'm a beta tester, I'm a beta tester I can't be mad... I decided to get a first year model" lol

Davinci547Acura

I have a V6 Tech with the same issues. Transmission issues are showing up consistently across the fleet. Take it to dealer, write up a warranty complaint and get a copy for yourself. They can't do anything until Acura issues a software patch but at least it is documented for your protection.

RCJD

hmmp....

CheeseyPoofs McNut

After a month and a half mine seems to be pretty smooth - not sure if I've trained myself how to drive with the DCT or maybe the ECU is doing it's thing or maybe a combination of both but I'm really digging mine lately.

kongx7

found this video on youtube.
right around the 2:10 mark, you can see the jerkiness, or rocking motion of the car when it comes to a stop.
This is on a SH-AWD trim too.

insanik

Ive already contacted lease busters to find someone to take over my lease.

This is the first ever Acura in 8 years i find incredibly annoying and uncomfortable to drive after a month.

If anyone wants a 2.4 cyl fathom blue on ebony in Ontario Canada contact me monetary incentive

wlkeel

My goodness, I would never have noticed that in a million years!

tlxsteve

That too bad. I really like my 2.4 tech. The drive is great and I haven't noticed any jerkiness. Seems there should be some sort of adjustment they could do. Good luck.

9SpeedTran

I think in this case the "rocking" is entirely normal when coming to a fairly abrupt stop. Guaranteed if the reporter thought it felt weird, he would have said so.

I have noticed with my 2014 MDX and my 2007 TL Type S, that when I take my foot off the brake pedal after stopping, even if the safety brake is on, the car rocks a bit.

wlkeel

Could not agree more. It's called physics. Remember the old test to check shock absorbers? Maybe there's something I'm missing?

weather

^^ Sometime though, if you experience something on a short test drive, you may not really think much of it until you drive it and it occurs time and time again. And once you notice these little annoyance, they get worse the more you are aware of it. The same happened with my RDX and the rear shock noise....I was getting so annoyed with it and every time I would hear it, it would aggravate me even more.

insanik....I am sorry to hear about your TLX and the displeasure you are having with yours. I am now starting to think I did the right thing by waiting and getting either an IS 350 F sport in the spring, or a 2.4 ILX.

Tonyware

That "rocking" may look OK in the video even tho it looks like a light sudden deceleration... but inside the car it may feel like you are driving a boat. I didn't notice any of that with the v6 paws I test drove a while back. Maybe I didn't slam the brakes hard enough to notice. I'll make a note to slam the brakes to a full stop when I test drive the shawd version in the next few weeks and see if I get sea sick.

PS. careful braking and rocking the TLX, you may spill hot beverage in the cup holder, safety first

Davinci547Acura

Great to see this finally documented on video. The feeling inside car is Jell-O until body settles. Stopping speed makes no difference, fast or slow, even be stopped and let car move forward just a few inches, touch the brake and Jell-O. Of course the faster you stop the more Jell-O you experience but it is a constant issue regardless of stopping speed.

Inherent issue being reported across the fleet.

Acura One-Pack videos can chime in here anytime they want too but got a feeling this could be a very expensive fix.

V6 Tech.

Rocketsfan

I've gotten used to the rocking motion coming to a stop, but the one that I think is probably one of the only 2 negatives things, and probably the most negative, I've experienced in the car is when I come to a stop in a parking spot and the thing rocks. If I'm on an incline, I think it's worse, but I could be imagining that. I pull into the parking spot, stop the car by pressing the brakes, press "P" to put it in park, then let go of the brakes and it starts rocking back and forth like I just got hit or something. It isn't a violent shake, but it's really unexpected as you start bobbing back and forth for about 2 or 3 cycles. When I stop at a stop light it doesn't bob back and forth quite like that, it merely pulses back and forth for about 1 or 2 cycles. That one isn't as bad.


I think I'll call up my service advisor tomorrow and ask about it.