View Poll Results: Is this normal?
Yup! And the car will take it just fine for years!
32
91.43%
Ehhh no! Get another dealer to check it out.
2
5.71%
Meh, no clue
1
2.86%
Voters: 35. You may not vote on this poll
Transmission low speed downshift stutter
Pit Crew
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 121
Likes: 45
From: GA
Hell, even my GS350 with the 8 speed will do this (to a softer extent), I presume since that transmission is a derivative of this one mated to our V8s. It’s just the way they are. Occasionally a little clunky, but generally bulletproof.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 346
Likes: 230
From: GA
My 2015 GS350 (8 speed RWD) does NOT do this at all.
Pit Crew
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 121
Likes: 45
From: GA
It only really happens if I don’t come to a complete stop when it does the 3->1 or 2->1, and it’s pretty much exactly like the IS500 like that. Downshifting into first while still in motion is just jerky in a lot of older transmissions.
I have a buddy who used to own a 2015 IS350, and he noticed the exact same thing. I mean, it’s not as jarring as this car and it happens less frequently, but the version of this transmission for the 2UR-GSE seems to be programmed to engage its gear change clutches a good bit harder.
I have a buddy who used to own a 2015 IS350, and he noticed the exact same thing. I mean, it’s not as jarring as this car and it happens less frequently, but the version of this transmission for the 2UR-GSE seems to be programmed to engage its gear change clutches a good bit harder.
Last edited by wfibear; Dec 5, 2023 at 09:40 AM.
Pole Position
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,242
Likes: 1,581
From: CA
It only really happens if I don’t come to a complete stop when it does the 3->1 or 2->1, and it’s pretty much exactly like the IS500 like that. Downshifting into first while still in motion is just jerky in a lot of older transmissions.
I have a buddy who used to own a 2015 IS350, and he noticed the exact same thing. I mean, it’s not as jarring as this car and it happens less frequently, but the version of this transmission for the 2UR-GSE seems to be programmed to engage its gear change clutches a good bit harder.
I have a buddy who used to own a 2015 IS350, and he noticed the exact same thing. I mean, it’s not as jarring as this car and it happens less frequently, but the version of this transmission for the 2UR-GSE seems to be programmed to engage its gear change clutches a good bit harder.
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 9,593
Likes: 4,784
From: GA
Yeah my IS 350 (same trans as your GS 350) didn't do the same thing as my IS 500. It only rarely would clunk into first gear when slowing down in auto, but I mean RARELY - like once every few weeks. The IS 500 is doing this clunk at least a couple times on an average errand trip. 
The 1-2 tire chirp is addictive, I have to say.
The transmission shifting really quickly doesn't explain the low-speed downshift issues... One thing I've done to work around it is manually downshift. However, that can be sorta rough in a different way. If the revs are too low, the engine RPMs do not come up to meet the speed of the transmission (no rev-match, basically), so I get little lurches on each gear change. It's a bit less rough than the clunk that would otherwise occur, but it doesn't feel great, either. I just have to cross my fingers and hope it doesn't do it.
Yeah it does shift hard. My car will go sideways if I shift in a turn. And now with colder temps (still 60s here) even like 50% throttle and manually shifting around a bend will kick out the rear and trigger the traction control. When it's hotter and dry it will chirp the tires on the 1-2 shift. It's really freaking fun when it's not dangerous lol
The transmission shifting really quickly doesn't explain the low-speed downshift issues... One thing I've done to work around it is manually downshift. However, that can be sorta rough in a different way. If the revs are too low, the engine RPMs do not come up to meet the speed of the transmission (no rev-match, basically), so I get little lurches on each gear change. It's a bit less rough than the clunk that would otherwise occur, but it doesn't feel great, either. I just have to cross my fingers and hope it doesn't do it.
Pit Crew
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 119
Likes: 108
From: IA
One thing I've done to work around it is manually downshift. However, that can be sorta rough in a different way. If the revs are too low, the engine RPMs do not come up to meet the speed of the transmission (no rev-match, basically), so I get little lurches on each gear change. It's a bit less rough than the clunk that would otherwise occur, but it doesn't feel great, either.
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Moderator
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 9,593
Likes: 4,784
From: GA
Pole Position
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,799
Likes: 1,985
From: SoCal
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 9,593
Likes: 4,784
From: GA
So I think the low-speed deceleration clunk has something to do with the torque converter lock-up. I watched the Gear Position display as it happened. Every time, it was in 5th gear, and there was a separate jump in RPM for downshifting into 3rd.When I'm in manual mode in second gear, at around 22 MPH I can feel a similar hesitation or clunky feeling, every time. I'm guessing it is the same thing, but in reverse?
Anyone else seeing this?
Anyone else seeing this?
Pit Crew
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 119
Likes: 108
From: IA
Yesterday I deliberately did some testing of flappy paddle shifting in manual mode vs. flappy paddle shifting in automatic. Downshifts seemed smoother in M mode (when comparing shifts to the same gear, at similar rpm), but I would classify that testing as "anecdote" not "data".
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 9,593
Likes: 4,784
From: GA
Maybe I should have been more specific. I'm not referring to lurches when the car auto-downshifts. I'm referring to manual downshifts triggered by the paddle.
Yesterday I deliberately did some testing of flappy paddle shifting in manual mode vs. flappy paddle shifting in automatic. Downshifts seemed smoother in M mode (when comparing shifts to the same gear, at similar rpm), but I would classify that testing as "anecdote" not "data".
Yesterday I deliberately did some testing of flappy paddle shifting in manual mode vs. flappy paddle shifting in automatic. Downshifts seemed smoother in M mode (when comparing shifts to the same gear, at similar rpm), but I would classify that testing as "anecdote" not "data".
Can anyone else please respond to my post above? I'm trying to see if it's something all our cars do, or just mine.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 406
Likes: 400
From: Bora Bora
So I think the low-speed deceleration clunk has something to do with the torque converter lock-up. I watched the Gear Position display as it happened. Every time, it was in 5th gear, and there was a separate jump in RPM for downshifting into 3rd.When I'm in manual mode in second gear, at around 22 MPH I can feel a similar hesitation or clunky feeling, every time. I'm guessing it is the same thing, but in reverse?
Anyone else seeing this?
Anyone else seeing this?