02-06 Transmission hesitation problems

[amf1932]

The 5 speed transmission on my new '03 seems a little strange. If I drive about 35mph and then slow down to about 5mph and than try to accelerate there is a hesitation. It's as if the transmission can not decide on what gear to go into. When it finally does there's a slight lurch forward. Can this be adjusted?

Alan

[steviej]

welcome to my world.

this is the one of the same complaints on the 02 tranny. Apparently they didn't fix it.

Search back (in CL) on 02 trannies and you will see a long detailed letter to lexus.com and thier responces concerning this problem.

The whole problem is shift logic. It doesn't shift when we think it should, or when we would if we had a manual or if it were a four speed auto.

There may be some joggling/bucking when going 40 mph in D. The car wants to go to 4 but the logic says stay in 5, thus producing the buck. push the lever over to 4 and it goes away or speed up to 45 and it goes away.

The hesitation is common if you stomp it. If you go 3/4 to the floor you get more acceleration and shifting ot one gear instead of the the drop in 2 gears which brings your rpms right up to 5-6k.

Lexus says its not a problem and the ECU will learn the driver's style and adjust, and most users complain it is and the hesitation can lead to possible accidents. There are complaints on it to NTSB (?NTHB) but I guess not enought to warrant Lexus/Toyota to move on the problem. (I have the web site if needed). Pop an email off to Lexus.com to register the complaint, the more owners that bring it up the better.

take care,

steviej

[SW03ES]

See, now I thought the 03s were fixed because mine doesn't display the issue, but yours was built after mine wasn't it? Mine was built in Feb.

Weird, maybe I just never drive it in a way to produce the hesitation, but I'm pretty aggressive.

[musicman]

I have a new 2003 ES300 with 700 miles, The transmission shifting pattern seems

> super erratic. If you ever let off the accelerator and put it back where

it

> was, there is a thump with the transmission, also a lot of hesitation say

> from 27 mph when pressing on the accel. Seems like a computer problem and

> engine and transmission have delays in talking with each other. The

dealer

> says a software update may be in the works by the year end. Anyone else

> experience this? It is getting a lot of press, and I even heard that there was a class action suit headed that way. Maybe they can't fix it. It makes me want to trade the new thing off, I dont want to be in a Houston intersection and need to move.

>

>

[amf1932]

You're not alone. This website does not allow me to put in a link to Club Lexus, so you'll have to find it on your own.

It's under the ES300 Forum- Engine and Transmission Section.- '03 Transmission.

Alan

P.S. Can any of the Moderators from this site tell me why I can't put in the proper link to Club Lexus so the above gentleman can read the thread??? The link changes from club lexus to cublexus. Is there a reason for this little game????

[zeta]

the point of this forum is not for people to direct people away, but to help each other. there are other ways to spread the information than to link to other sites. CL also does not have the best reputation with accepting our links on their site. i am a member of both, and have attempted to post a thread about LOC on there in the past. it was immediately closed.

not sure if it's a game or anything. you'd have to contact matt about that.

[amf1932]

I wasn't trying to direct people away but I was only trying to help each other the best way I could do, and that's giving them a link to make it easier for them to get their needed information. It's a shame that these two sites can't co-exist without animosity. I really wasn't aware of this so I'll remember this in the future. :(

Alan

[SW03ES]

I'll find out amf, I wasn't aware of this either.

[Matthew_McNally]

You're not alone. This website does not allow me to put in a link to Club Lexus, so you'll have to find it on your own.

It's under the ES300 Forum- Engine and Transmission Section.- '03 Transmission.

Alan

P.S. Can any of the Moderators from this site tell me why I can't put in the proper link to Club Lexus so the above gentleman can read the thread??? The link changes from club lexus to cublexus. Is there a reason for this little game????

Alan

my apologies mate.

I was experimenting with the forum software expression substitution functionality, and (as I had just been on that site) was using the phrase clublexus as my experiment.

Clearly, I did not completely tidy up after myself - and left some problems lying around.

Please post the appropriate link.

[Matthew_McNally]

I wasn't trying to direct people away but I was only trying to help each other the best way I could do, and that's giving them a link to make it easier for them to get their needed information. It's a shame that these two sites can't co-exist without animosity. I really wasn't aware of this so I'll remember this in the future. :(

Alan

Alan

this isn't the case - I assure you you.

it was a simple case of me not removing all the expression changes - I left one in, this changed the text in the way you experienced.

Please accept my apologies.

[amf1932]

Matthew

Thanks very much for clearing up this matter. I sure didn't want to make waves, especially since I'm a new member of this board. I'm also an Administrator of Vaio VillageMy Webpageand I know these situations arise on occasion. I'd like to be an asset to Lexus Owners Club.

Alan

P.S. I hope you don't mind my putting in a plug for Vaio Village. Our membership is about to reach 5000 members and our purpose is to help Sony & other owners who might be having computer problems. If you have a chance, give it a look. :)

[SW03ES]

Alan, you are an asset, dont worry!

[Matthew_McNally]

Matthew

Thanks very much for clearing up this matter. I sure didn't want to make waves, especially since I'm a new member of this board. I'm also an Administrator of www.vaiovillage.com and I know these situations arise on occasion. I'd like to be an asset to Lexus Owners Club.

Alan

P.S. I hope you don't mind my putting in a plug for Vaio Village. Our membership is about to reach 5000 members and our purpose is to help Sony & other owners who might be having computer problems. If you have a chance, give it a look. :)

hmmmm

driving a Vaio right now - off to check it out!

B)

[zeta]

hrmm... wait so matt...

CL links are allowed?

i'm so lost...

[amf1932]

Hi Zeta,

The main purpose in trying to link interested members is to get the word out about this tranny problem so Lexus gets their !Removed! in gear and comes up with a fix. ;)

Alan

[SW03ES]

Alan and everyone,

My dad has a friend that is a Lexus engineer, he's helped us in the past on stuff like this. I'll see if he can get ahold of him and find out what's going on with the tranny deal. As I said, mine's fine, I drove the hell out of it the other day to try and make it hesitate and it wont, so there might be something he can tell us.

[amf1932]

Great!!! I'll be awaiting your response. :D :D :D :D :D

Alan

[SW03ES]

Well first I gotta get ahold of my dad, then he has to get ahold of his friend, then his friend has to get ahold of him, then he has to get ahold of me.

It could be a while lol :D

[JPI]

Back then they came out with a new software and it supposed to fix the shifting concern. But it didn't. Lexus is try to resolve this issue. I will let y'all know if there is any changes in the future.

JPI

[amf1932]

Thanks JPI, I'm eagerly awaiting an answer....positive I hope.......from you.

Alan

[zeta]

alan i know you're just trying to get Lexus to get a fix out for this hesitation, but i was just lost on whether or not CL links were allowed on LOC or not. i wasn't informed on it.

[Matthew_McNally]

but i was just lost on whether or not CL links were allowed on LOC or not. i wasn't informed on it.

sorry Kevin

CL links are fine - as long as they are informative etc - not just "go here" links - then its fine.

Itsnly links to images in sigs that I have removed - and thats purely because we shouldn't leech their bandwidth like that.

that ok mate? :D

[steviej]

back to the tranny problem.

I took Alan's suggestion and called the 1800-25-LEXUS customer service line to verbally register a complaint on the 02/03 tranny. They were able to look up my emailed complaint of a few months back. The rep was also well aware of the problem.

When I got home from work, there was a phone call on my machine from 5:45pm EST. The same rep I spoke with said a letter is being sent to all 02/03 ES owners in regards to the problem, what has been done to resolve it and Lexus' intentions for future actions.

I have not received a copy to date, so the first one to get it, please transcribe the contents or scan it in to a post.

Thanks,

steviej.

[amf1932]

I'm waiting by my mailbox for the postman.

Alan

[JoeGordon]

I too am having problems with a 2002 ES300 transmission. It first presented as a jerkiness as it ran at a steady 40 MPH on flat road. Then a major hesitation and sticking in too low a gear while merging onto an interstate - again after running at 40 MPH along the merging lane before accelerating. Then the other day it was a wierd jerkiness while going down a steep hill at 40 MPH. A friend just old me of the 1-800-25-LEXUS number and I am definitely going to call. The Lexus service reps just keep saying they are working on it - but that has been the story since November 2002.

i drove a 2003 ES300 and it had no such problem, shifting very smoothly so that I would not have noticed it at all if I had not been really focused on listening and feeling for it.