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Comments
Mackabee
We shall see. Yes, I am aware that new modules need to burn-in.
But the bulletin issues no such warning.
Let the dancing begin!!
I've had this procedure done to my 2007 and I must say my transmission is silking smooth with no hesitation at all (I wan't having tranny problems prior to this though).
Do you mean I must chain my wife to the bedposts until I have driven that 500 miles with only me as the driver?
New, final(??) fix for delay/hesitation.
There are a few posts here and there by owners of '07 Avalons that seemingly indicate that Toyota is adopting the same procedure for automatic transaxles that are beginning to be used for FWD and front torque biased AWD vehicles that have a manual transmission. With a manual transmission the driver cannot be restricted from downshifting regardless of roadbed conditions so the new procedure seems to be to rev the engine up to an appropreately higher level to prevent a significantly high, too high, level of engine compression braking on the front wheels when/if the driver inadvertently downshifts in slippery roadbed conditions.
Apparently as of '07 the Avalon (TSB for early production) will now downshift upon a full lift throttle event but will rev up the engine simultaneously to prevent or alleviate any significant level of engine compression braking that might otherwise lead to loss of directional control or interfere unduly with the anti-lock braking system.
Now, apparently, there will be no need for a 1-2 second DBW engine throttle-up delay to allow time for the transaxle to complete the double shift, up on lift-throttle and then down to accelerate, in QUICK sequence.
What can you do? The carbon filter will adsorb all or part of the odors and in time loose it's ability to remove the smell. The carbon itself is a food source for many lower plant life and can and does enhance bacteria growth. This is the reason granular carbon filters have been removed from nearly all drinking fountains in buildings. Replacing may help but is not the total solution. I would have the dealer check the drain to be certain it is clear. You need to be carefull when trying to kill the odors for the additives might do more harm than good. I have use peroxide in hospital air washers and it works and has no odor and decmposes into plain water. Do not use bleach for it is corrosive, espically on aluminum coils, and the smell.
Circulating air from inside the car across the coil could be contributing to the problem due to perfumes, cigarettes, hair spray, body perspiration, small animals, food, and every thing else we do or haul in the car. I usually circulate outside air and so far I have not had any musty smells.
Leoinaires' deaths some time ago was caused by faulty maintenaince of the hotel air handling air washers. I have no way of even imagining this could happen due to a car air conditiong unit.
good luck ange3
Mackabee
My fix parts are on order. I certainly hope the cure is not worse than the disease
ange3
Starts when you first put the car in motion but gets erased TOTALLY the next time you start the engine. With the huge number of cars in the rental fleet and so many married couples that both drive the same car how could it be any other way?
Even for driver unique parameters it continually (re)learns and if you suddenly decide to go from "sedate" to "lead-footing" it for a period of time it will soon adjust accordingly.
Absent uniquely "coded" ignition keys.....
The confusion arises, seemingly, from the fact that there are certain engine/transaxle operational parameters that are "kept" forever and the system continuously (re)learns and re-adusts, first from the factory defaults and then as components wear or age and tolerances change.
For many of these latter category ones they can be erased and thereby forced back into the original factory default values by disconnecting the battery power for 10 to 15 minutes.
My 93 Ford ranger PU has 130,000 miles and I find that I must clean the idle air bypass port about every second oil change. I usually disconnect the battery, especally if the state emissions test is due tomorrow, when I do that and starting from factory defaults the idle air control solenoid parameters will "settle" fairly quickly into the correct value. But I can also simply allow it to "relearn" the new operational parameters on its own, it just takes a bit longer.
I suspect that what is happening, has been happening, is that the "DBW" version of the engine/transaxle controlling firmware creates the 1-2 second delay/hesitation just as Toyota has stated, "to protect the drive train". Apparently to which only a few owners, seemingly, are sensitive or their driving habits or patterns expose them to same. The MASSES, on the other hand, are considered more safe overall with the "DBW" version that prevents any significant level of engine compression braking on those front drive wheels but results in the delay/hesitation experience on RARE occasions.
So if you complain LOUD enough and/or LONG enough you will most likely get a "legacy" engine/transaxle firmware version, for the RX300 say, from 2003, before DBW.
It's likely that the only real shortcoming of the legacy version is ATF overheating and undue clutch wear resulting in premature transaxle failures. Toyota/Lexus may have decided to live with a few of those in order to dampen down their FWD and front torque biased AWD customer's public "out-cry" somewhat.
I sincerely believe the only viable long term fix is a variable volume ATF pump as Ford has adopted for the new Edge or even some sort of fluid pressure storage accumulator as was used in the TC system of the early versions of the LS400.
But in the meantime I suspect we are about to see a widespread TSB application by Toyota/Lexus that adopts the firmware control technique for automatic transaxles. The firmware technique now being used to prevent a significant level of engine compression braking on a stick shift FWD (or...) vehicles such as the Suzuki SX4 during driver downshifts.
In the alternative a quicker way might be to leave a battery charger attached and leave the blower running on low in fresh mode for a night or so.
The microbes that create the odor cannot survive in a "dry" environment.
Change will not be as radical nor as sudden as with the widepsread reset with the reflash but will likely be so gradual you may not even notice.
Mackabee
My tranny, btw was a farce with obvious aberrant behavior. Slowly going up a steep driveway at our country place would have a forced change into 1st gear which always chirped the front tires accompanied by a horrible gnashing of gear teeth. Asides frm my neighbours wondering about my driving skills, I figured premature tranny wear was likely to ensue. The usual revving between gears was also a recurring theme. Pitiful frankly that anyone would designate it as "Operating as designed".
I will work with an automotive company as long as they are helpful and supportive (have a Jeep with a new transaxle under warranty as proof). Unfortunately, if it wasn't for the fine folks on this forum we would have been out of luck.
As an aside, I recently floored the car with minimal response. Assuming there might be a connection in terms of driving styles (which had been gentle up to now), I floored it a dozen more times. Sure enough, the car is now much more responsive when it's "pedal to the metal" - a BIG difference.
I love driving and do about 60,000 kilometers every year, but this aspect surprised me.
The shift from 2nd to 3d is 50 times worse than it was. I had a hesitation at that this shift, it was annoying, but nothing like it is after it was fixed!!!!.
Th shift into second sequential mode takes about 50 yards. going down hill before it clunks in. The other shifts are normal.
The transmission lurges when coming to a stop. Just before stopping it shifts into first with a surge.
I haven't driven the car enough, but it seem to be free wheeling as you drop down to third and then to second. I noticed right away the brakes were weaker. If there is no down shifting and compression braking is eliminated, the car is harder to stop.
The engine reves up to 4000 rpm if you hit the accelerator as you would when you attempt to pass, The transmission hesitates then jerks into gear.
I had a big argument with the service manager. He told me over and over he did what I asked him to do. I told him, " what does my request to get the toyota technical bulletin work done, have to do with telling my car was fixed and it was not". After taking a test ride he agrees the transmission programing is not right. The dealer service department returned my car in worse condition than when I took it to the garage. They test drove about 12 miles and apparently said it was fixed. The mechanic put his four hours of work in and called it quits.
This fix is a disaster. I am told they may have to replace the transmission. This bull.
Has anybody attempted to file a class action suit? I am willing to contribute.
I refuse to go away and will hound this dealer until he gets it 100% right.
ange3
This is the quote from the TSB:
Applicable Warranty**:
This repair is covered under the Toyota Federal Emission Warranty. This warranty is in effect for 96 months or 80,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s in-service date.
**Warranty application is limited to correction of a problem based upon a customer’s specific complaint.
It does not say anything about the dealer reproducing it... it says based on the customers complaint. (period)
Not acceptable. Try another dealer... go up their chain of command. Get satisfaction and nothing less.
From the previous post... and from all the other posts so far... I'd say the major problem here is the dealership service. Shove it down their throat, make them do it right. They don't have to like it.
Here's another thing to consider... even if you can live with it now, it's not going to get better over time, just worse.
30 minutes later they appear to have it right. Ran the transmission through some shifting over about 5 miles and the first impression is, it is better than when new. What does all this complaining accomplish? I guess two years later after I got my 2005, toyota finally did something.
I would suggest anyone unhappy with the transmission shifting keep pressure on the dealer and corporate until the issue is corrected properly. I had some loud-choice words with the service manager to get him to hear me. Ended up I got an apology and a thanks for being the first at their dealership to get this done.
FINALLY!!! ange3
Maintenance required is silly that it can't be set to owner's preference. I change my oil at 3000 also. How hard would that be?
I was going to suggest that the software upgrade might not have been correctly done (in your case it includes other equipment). I'm an IT VP for a 50,000+ person company. We have had lots of instances where upgrades to PC's and even our mainframes would be improperly completed. Naturally the mainframes were checked and double checked before release so no issues for the users, but the volume of PC's made that effort impractical. Just as our PC's go buggy, the same thing could arise with software reflashes at the dealership - particularly if you were one of the 1st in line. Glad its OK and hope you will find it continuing to "perform as designed" (I write that with a grin on my face).
Mackabee
Mackabee
Mackabee