pacific

How many of you out there with 2006 ES330 with transmission hesitation?

halfpast3

Pacific, I have an 05 and the tranny is hesitant to downshift sometimes. Other than that I haven't had alot of the problems that many speak of here. I don't drive softly either, I used to drive a 5.0 5 speed before.

dshahs420

I have a 2006 es 330 and have no hesitation problems at all. I was offered a 2005 es with considerable discount but when i test drove that car, i could definately tell the hesitation problem in the car. I have 6500 miles on my 06 es and never once have i had hesitation problem. Hope this helps

pacific

Thanks for your feedback. I heard or saw many people in this forum talking about the transmission hesitation. Personally, I don't really know the symptoms of this hesitation issue. I do experience a little bit of hesitation (if this truly is a transmission hesitation) at a very low speed (when you start going at the stop sign). However it could be because I am a bit too sensitive about this issue of hesitation. However if I push the accelated pedal little harder then even this small hesitation goes away. I have been driving the car very carefully (since this is a brand new car). I have 2006 ES 330 with 1180 miles.

pacific

There are definite difference between 2000 and 2006 ES models. I have both of them. 2000 ES300 shifts a lot smoothly. I always though it was too quirky however it shifts like silk. However 2007 (w/only 1200 miles) ES330 is a bit stiffer. I don't know whether it is call transmission hesitation or not but it definitely is a stiffer. You have to push the pedal to get this car going (although accelaration is a bit better then 2000 ES300). However 2007 ES330 give me a bit more secure feeling. I am not sure which is better. Any comment?

joosed

I also have that "tranny hesitation". If some of you guy are experiencing this so called "tranny hesitation" like I am, take your cars down to your local Lexus dealerships. Have the techs reprogram your electronic throttle control. It is not that there is any problems with your transmissions, it is just that it takes the computer a little more time to sense that you are trying to accelerate exactly when you want to. One of my good friends that is a tech at Lexus told me that he will reprogram my car and try to fix this problem ASAP. This is why i would prefer a cable throttle than one controlled by a computer. Also, I am currently taking 02' ES down to the dealership tomorrow to have this reprogramming done to my car. I will let you folks know if i sense any improvements in the throttle response.

lexus4jess

The car is still new.When the tranny sets in ,you will see what we are taking about. I drove a new '05 and '06 loaner cars when I take my car in for service.they feel great .But used ones with 20,000 miles have that hesitation problem .Its just a matter of time.

X72

We have both a 2003 ES 300 and the 2005 ES 330. Both transmissions behave similarly. The larger engine doesn't make any appreciable power difference.

The best posts I have found on this topic are by wwest. I don't agree with everything he has to say, but it sure is an eye opener. Search on the Edmunds boards for Lexus/Toyota transaxle delay forum. Be prepared for a time commitment to read through the volumes of posts on this topic.

The most annoying thing about the cars performance for me is when slowing to a stop but still coasting at about 3 to 5 mph. When I press the accelerator pedal, both cars give a sloppy downshift to 1st gear.

The hesitation that is felt when on an on-ramp and travelling in that dreaded approximately 30 to 40 mph range where you let go of the pedal (my feeling is that the car goes into lockup 5th gear) and then a moment later you give the car gas and nothing happens for about a second with then sluggish acceleration or if you floor it, the car gives and abrupt downshift has a solution.

When on an on-ramp, I click the shifter to 4 from D. If I am going to need a lot of acceleration to get on the highway, I downshift to 3 so that I don't have to deal with the delay of power since I have overcome the transmissions "logic" by manually selecting the correct gear. I also laugh at that time as I have bypassed the computers "faulty" logic. Faulty in the sense that the computers controlling the engine and transmission are more concerned with fuel economy and protecting the transmission than in protecting me from the on-coming traffic that is in no mood to brake for me as I leisurely enter the highway.

X72

This on-ramp hesitation is something that is felt in city driving where traffic conditions don't allow a smooth and steady acceleration onto the highway. If there is no traffic and you firmly press the accelerator pedal, the car performs perfectly. It is in the letting go and re-applying the throttle that the "fun" begins.

sk72

I do feel very little hesitation now in my 06' ES330 when the car is downshifting .. like for an example I am slowing down from a high speed at a traffic light.. I can feel the car jerk but it is so soft that really does not bother me.. also when speeding up from slow speed I feel a very very slight hesitation...

Just recently we had a dave154304 posts that his 06 ES 330 was doing the same and when he brought it to the dealer they replaced the "AIR MASS FLOW SENSOR" and the problem was solved.. I am having my first service coming up... I am going to put on their ears about the downshift jerk.. see what they say..

pacific

My 2006 ES330 does not jerk however it is a bit stiffer or "hesitation" then 2000 ES300. Dealer told me because it has 17" wheel and different throttle mechanism. I guess the computer will go through all the other function prior to acceleration which causes a slight hesitation. On week days, my wife drives 2006 ES330 and I drive 2000 ES330 however on weekends I drive 2006 car. I don't know whether this cause any issue with the computer calculating or learning driving habit (such as how many times that we push the pedals, avg, speed, throttle, etc)? Obviously I drive much harder then my wife. Overall I like the car and frankly I am not sure which throttle mechanism that I prefer (2000 very smooth but a bit too quirky vs. 2006 a stiffer/hesitation but a bit more stable). My wife loves 2006 because she feels a bit more stable with this type of throttle mechanism. What do you think? I guess it really depend what your driving preference is.

sk72

You could be absolutely right... cause all this while my fiancee was havingthe car.. I just started driving the car from a month ago.. and I do have a 17" wheel as well.. I am more thinking about the computer getting used my type of driving ... could be that too when I asked my fiancee.. she says it drives great for her and she loves it.... I will confirm it with the dealer... but i guess you got a point pacific..

pacific

Thanks for your feedback sk72. Please let me know the result of the dealer visit.

X72

sk72, it is nice for me to see someone else who loves the number 72.

Be skeptical of any repairs that the dealer makes that appears to provide a fix, since they clear the computers and the car tends to work well for a while until it "re-learns" and "adapts" as you drive. Changing from regular to premium also helps for a short while until the car adapts. I use premium because I do notice slightly better fuel economy with premium, but it makes no difference in the transmission behavior in the long run (the dealer will tell you otherwise, but they are just repeating one of the several Toyota corporate "official" explanations to blame you; don't buy it).

In situations that you feel you "may" want power NOW and have felt the hesitation in similar situations, manually shift the transmission gear selector over to 4 and down to 3 (depending on your speed). You will be amazed at how well the car responds. As you gain speed click up to 4 and when you stop accelerating, click into D. I also believe that the manual shifting of the transmission causes the engine and tranaxle computers to behave in a more aggresive manner for a while.

I have adapted to the car and find it works fine for me in this way. I still get an odd feeling shift occasionally. I have learned to live with it.

The only behavior I cannot overcome with shifting the transmission manually is when I do a "California" stop (slow down to about 3 to 5 mph at a stop and then give the car gas. I either have to be very gentle with the throttle so that the car can accelerate very gradually (I think the car is in 3rd gear), or if I am firmer with the throttle, I get some acceleration then a hesitation with an unpleasant downshift to 1st gear (syrupy sluggish with a final shudder or bang).

The car has cured me pretty much from making California stops. If I stop the car completely, the transmission behaves fine.

sk72

Thanks for your input X72 .. glad to see another 72... I love that number cause it resembles both mine and my fiancees birthdate.. mine is 7 and hers is 2... so here you go.. the secret revealed.. haha..

Anyways.. I am having the service appointment scheduled today.. will explain the situation to the dealer.. keep you guys posted on the answer.. not sure if there would be 100% fix.. to it.. but I am hoping to see if at least all 2006 rides the same way.. if that is true then I can live with it..

Bye now!!