calvin2376

iTrader: (2)

I just started noticing this a few days ago, did a search on CL but came up empty. It's a 2007 IS350 with 60k miles, bought it about 3 months ago.

I'm noticing recently that the transmission seems to be holding onto a gear too long before downshifting. The two times I notice it most often is when I'm driving with cruise control and when I'm stopping from a fairly high speed at a stoplight.

I do mostly highway driving and use the cruise control a lot. The issue arises when I have it on cruise control at say 70 MPH, then I need to slow down so I pull back on the cruise control lever to disengage cruise control and let the car slow itself down slowly. I'm finding that as it's slowly slowing down, then it reaches a point at which it should downshift it actually holds the gear too long when it should have shifted, then all of a sudden it shifts late and causes the car to lurch or jump forward a bit.

The same phenomenon occurs when I'm slowing down for a stoplight at the end of the 60 MPH highway. As I gradually brake and the car slows down, the transmission holds the higher gear too long and then lurches when it downshifts.

The issue is not terrible but is definitely noticeable, annoying and shouldn't be occurring. It doesn't happen all the time either. The car's CPO so I'm fine taking it to the dealer, but I can already foresee what's going to happen. I'll explain the problem in general terms and say it's a transmission issue and doesn't occur all the time, and likely take the tech on a test drive and it won't happen or it'll be slight enough that he says "It's normal". That's why I'd rather mine CL knowledge ahead of time.

Any idea what's going on? Is this a symptom of a common 2IS or IS350 problem (I didn't own the car during most of the past recalls, etc)?

Bigrahizzl

iTrader: (8)

Do u have it on power mode??

Individual

iTrader: (7)

^ Do you have the "ECT Power" button activated? It's located to the right of the steering wheel below the push start button I believe...

calvin2376

iTrader: (2)

No I don't have it in ECT Power mode. Does ECT power mode even work like that? I know in Power mode it will rev higher before upshifting, but I didn't think it held onto gears longer when downshifting..

In any case, the issue's occurring while the car is NOT in ECT Power mode.

Marexus

iTrader: (1)

have you done your 60,000 mile maint?

ping83

iTrader: (8)

My 350 acts the same way, so I would have 2 say it is the gearing and rpms the motor is coming down off of. Also, 60k maintence has nothing 2 do w the tranny as I have looked into changing the tranny fluid! Toyota put a life time fluid in our car saying that the only way to change the fluid is to drop the bellhousing and do a complete overhaul on the tranny. Flawed is what I think of this compared 2 all my hondas I hv owned that changing the tranny fluid was a breeze!

calvin2376

iTrader: (2)

I have not done the 60k service yet (I'm at 59k miles), but you're correct that the 60k mile service should have nothing to do with the transmission. At 60k, the main services are air filter replacements, spark plugs, brake fluid flush, tire rotation, and oil change. None of those should affect the transmission at all. And it's definitely a transmission issue, not an engine misfiring type issue, so it wouldn't be solved by spark plugs.

I should also stress this is a NEW issue, this is not something that has always happened on the car or that is just "normal" for the 2IS. My car was not doing this for 2-3 months and then all of a sudden started to exhibit signs of the issue.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Mine hesitates to up shift from 5th to 6th for 1/2 a mile when I jump onto the freeway by my house. The engine isnt cold but it isn't at the half way mark either in the temp gauge. Even after initial acceleration to 65-70mph it just holds 5th for awhile despite my feathering the accelerator. Not sure why it's slow to react, buy when it bugs me I'll throw the shifter into "s" and try to upshift to 6th that way.

is250cpo

iTrader: (1)

hey! so as i am learning the difference between lemon laws and dealer fraud from my other thread, as annoying as it is to waste your time and bring it in and then not being able to demonstrate the issue, if you can get them to try to fix this problem more then 3 times.. and it still exists, then you can get yourself a lemon law case through lexus corp... and try to get them to take it back or find yourself a replacement without rattles and tranny problems.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Perhaps a reset of the ecu will help make the car re-learn your shift points?

calvin2376

iTrader: (2)

That's a good thought, I'll definitely bring it up to the dealer. But is that something that could change or "wear out" over time? I mean parts and materials of course wear out over time, but I wouldn't imagine something like an ECU's electronic settings would.

Numbahz

I have actually been having a similiar thing happen to me it holds 5th & 6th for a bit longer (ECT POWER OFF) then it seems like it should however only had the car 2 months now. I guess I would just be worried it will be doing damage over a long period of time and break most likely when my 36k extended warranty is up lol. I wanted to take a video but am horrible trying to figure how to upload videos.

edgeucated

iTrader: (4)

do you normally drive like a grandma? The transmission learns your driving habits and might be assuming you like to drive in a higher gear at lower rpm. If you want immediate downshifts you should try flooring your car a couple of times; either that or just reset it and the car will relearn the shifts points

kinglexus99

Yes ECT power does work like that. I can totally tell when my car is in ECT power mode because it def hangs onto the gears a lot longer than on normal. I think it is so you can speed up quicker and you don't have to wait for the tranny to up/down shift when in power mode. Either way it shouldn't be doing that in normal mode so I'd def take it to the dealer right away.

98023IS250

I believe it is normal. There is one certain Hwy, when I going downhill in this one certain spot, the car will not upshift from 4 to overdrive. Once I hit the flat, it will shift up and rpms go back to normal.