There still seems to be some question as to whether this well-documented phenomenon is caused by the CHANGE of oil (i.e. event causes computer system problem) or by the OIL changed (i.e. new oil causes flow problems). It should be fairly easy to determine which of these is causal, even though the mechanism of the problem remains undiagnosed.

So, how does the car know its oil has been changed if we don't tell it by resetting the oil change required alert? If it doesn't, then the simple test would be to change the oil at, say, 2,500 miles instead of 5k miles, DON'T tell the car about it, and see if the hesitation manifests. Alternatively, DON'T change the oil when "Maintenance Required" appears, but tell it you did (via reset procedure). See if the hesitation manifests.

If one CL member would do the first and one the second, we should have our answer...

 

I changed my oil right after I purchased my car, and the oil change maintenance schedule still had 3000 miles left. I did not reset and the hesitation was there. The problem is I had only had the car a couple days before and had not experience this hesitation, but it does not mean it was not present before the oil changed.
My hesitation is still present even after almost 4000 into the oil change. It is very sporadic....unfortunately, it is usually when I am going into the freeway and trying to accelerate up to highway speed.
As per Roadfrog's suggestion, I put in 2 bottles of Rislone (after draining a quart of course), and it has not helped. The only thing that has helped is unplugging the battery terminal for 1/2 hour. The hesitation is still there, but much more rare.

 

Just for my knowledge, what oil weight did you use for the oil change? There are theories that the oil weight has a connection to this phenomenon.

 

I'm sorry, but there is simply no sense at all to be made from the timeline you laid out. You don't know when or even if the oil was changed (and/or the service interval properly reset) prior to your purchase and subsequent oil change (the first REAL data point you have). Furthermore, you don't know what kind (dino/blend/synth) or viscosity of oil (0W-20, 5W-20/30, etc.) was used in the vehicle before your ownership began. I suggest you don't really belong in the "tester" group but rather are a member, however unwilling, of the "wait for results" group. I understand this can be frustrating, but you really have no solid data from which to pursue a solution to your issue, either on your own or as part of a campaign seeking relief from Lexus.

 

Agreed, and there is no point of reference in regard to history or a timeline.

 

I can't say I formed an opinion on whether the problem would fix itself; it certainly doesn't gradually improve with time in my experience. The problem makes driving the car a chore (jerky starts, frustrating acceleration, weird shift points etc.), so I'm not particularly willing to wait it out.

Now that it's been a few days since the re-boot, the hesitation issues are back as before. I got about a day's worth of good performance out of it before I saw the symptoms return. I called the Lexus service department today to inquire about the issue and the guy's reaction was that my lube shop "didn't test drive it properly", and he recommended I call back when the service manager was in to get the low down on how to "test drive it properly" after the oil change. I'll see what that's all about and report back.

 

Make sure it's all gassed up: they're going to be needing a whole bunch for the "test drive!"

 

I'm so happy that I do my own work. If that was the answer I got from a Lexus mechanic I wouldn't go back.

 

Wow.
Go to a Kawasaki or Kenworth dealership. They'll obviously be far more knowledgeable than the Lexus rep you spoke to.

 

has anyone experienced hesitation with acceleration on 2009 and up models???

I am in the market for a 2009 LS460, and just want to know if this still a problem for that year or above.

 

I saw the title of this thread the other day but didn't read it. Today I took my 07 LS in for a regular oil change at my Toyota dealer. It has 107k on it and runs like a watch. When I got the car back it was dangerous to drive with almost no power. Pulling away from a stop light it had very little power, stepping on it resulted in a big lag of response. I experimented with the power/ect/snow switch and it seemed to do the best in ECT mode. If I floored it, eventually it would take off but there seemed to be a disconnect between the engine and transmission. The engine was revving 4-5 grand and my speed was not in normal relation to it. Then sometimes the transmission would "catch" and things would return to normal. My Toyota dealer is 2 hours away so I had plenty of time to evaluate it on the way home. After about 20 miles, it seemed to be close to normal. This Toyota dealer has changed oil on it three times before with no problems. Somehow this problem IS RELATED to the oil change service. I didn't have them touch anything else. It makes me think the transmission is "re-learning" the driving habits after an oil life reset? Maybe the next time this happens to someone they should take their car for a 30 mile trip and see if it get its wits about it again.

 

My Toyota dealer changed my oil recently on my 2007 LS, their third time. Bought the car with 57k miles. Now has 72K. My wife let me know the next day the car wasn't running right. Tach was erratic and it didn't accelerate in a linear fashion. Like the transmission could not find the right gear.

The dealer is using 5w-20 and this time put 5w-30 non-synthetic in the crankcase. Not sure what the previous owners used but it was serviced at Lexus dealerships. I would assume full synthetic 0W-20.

It has been 350 miles since the oil change and it is now running better. Other threads on this forum suggest the VVTi isn't advancing/retarding the cams due to obstructed oil passages. My Toyota service rep says it should throw a code if this happens. He wanted to do a fuel system service. I think this is waste of money now that the car has "corrected" itself.

What type and weight oil did the dealer put in your car?
Have they used the same oil on previous changes?
What did previous owners (if any) use?

As has been suggested by WILLIAKZ, I may have the dealer change it at 2500 miles and not reset the indicator. That will be a couple of months from now.

 

I guess you were asking me? From the paperwork it appears that the Toyota dealer used 5w20 this time just like they have the times before. I was about 300 miles shy of having my 5000 miles on the last change, but I am sure they reset the alert feature. I drove the car around the city for probably 20 miles before heading home. All tolled, I've got around 150 miles on it since the oil was changed.


I drove it tonight for a short trip across town and it appears to be its old self again. It was perplexing and aggravating when it was not running correctly yesterday. SO glad to have it back to how it was.

 

Just more proof to substantiate what I've been saying all along. There is NO coincidence that these issues arise after an oil change, despite the assertions by some that it's completely impossible. This isn't about transmission ecu's or engine ecu's (unless they relate somehow to oil light resets). That said, after one of my oil changes, I did not reset the oil minder and I still had the hesitation immediately afterwards.

 

I think you are on to something, "Sherlock."