2006 V6 Throttle LAG - REPORT TO NHTSA

[FLUXEMAG]

I know I want be popular with this post, but for those that complain about the LAG, I suggest you get over it or learn to drive the car. Is there a lag, yes. If you notice, the Solaras seem to remain in high gear ,even when decelerating. So when you decide that you want more gas fast, it has to downshift and figure out that you want to take off like a "bat at out of hell"

The car definitely learns your driving style. I've had my 2004 flashed with the update and I drive in manual mode, plus the automatic mode and I have NEVER gotten my self in a situation as some have posted on here. If I want I can reproduce what other say happen to them. It is easy to reproduce if you understand how you car operates. You will definitely experience the lag when/while it is decelerating and then deciding that I think i will step on the gas to get more power to pass something.

There couple of ways to minimize the lag:
1) The first is don't be afraid to step on the accelerator aggressively. Do this for a week and I guarantee there will be a difference.
2) The second is drive in manual mode in which case for me it NEVER LAGS. The important thing is: YOU MUST know when to shift. There is an optimum shift point. If you shift higher than this point, then expect a slight delay as the car goes into "You want to go faster? Give me a second!!"
3) Know the gear you are in. This is important. Listen for when the engine is downshifting/upshifting. This is important no matter whether you drive in automatic or manu-matic. Even if you step on the pedal aggressively, but yet you do not know what gear you are in will still produce a lag.

For those merging into high-speed traffic, somehow you must get your gear/RPM at the "passing gear" BEFORE you decide to HIT the ACCELERATOR otherwise you will experience "the scare of your life" as the the car realizes that you are not slowing down for a red-light or slow traffic, but that you want the car to take off like a "rocket"

You don't know what you're talking about, you obviously haven't had this issue happen yet.

Other people are mixing up the sh!tty transmission issue with the lag issue, which are completely different. You should have known about the sh!tty transmission from a test drive and can adjust the way you drive for it. There is nothing you can do about the lag which happens when you slow down then try to resume acceleration. Nothing, even if you leave the sport shift in S1 and engine brake. The car will not go and you're stuck in the intersection looking to get T-boned. Oh yeah, and you wouldn't know it does this from a test drive because it doesn't happen that often. You only have to get killed once though.

[FLUXEMAG]

Switching over to sportshift mode does not magically make the car drive as it should. It does not eliminate the lag, it does not reduce it, it does not allow for more aggressive automatic shifting, and half the time it takes just as long for the frickin' gear to shift as it does for the car to realize you want to actually accelerate.

You are correct in that putting it in sportshift doesn't solve the problem. You MUST know when to shift. For me, I know my car's optimum shift point and it is not at high-rpms. If you notice the solara's like to stay in current the gear even when decelerating, presumably to save gas I guess. Well, this will definitely cause a problem when you want to go into a passing gear. The key is keeping your RPMS and GEAR within the powerband, so that you will always have power at your disposal. If you have ever driven a stick-shift and try to take off like a rocket, but you are in the wrong gear, you car will limp along until you either down-shift or until the car gets into the right power range with the current gear.

So if you are getting a lag while shifting in manumatic, then either your car is defective or you are not shifiting at the right RPM for your gear selection.


I must be a lucky man because my baby purrs like a kitten.

Actually for an automatic you don't need to know when to shift, there's another kind of transmission for that. Maybe you've heard of it in your many driving school classes. And sport shift does nothing other than apply an upper limit to the gear pattern.

[Sebas007]

It can help if you want to keep on the same gear to pass like 2nd or 3rd...but yeah it doesn't make anything for the lag between gears

Actually for an automatic you don't need to know when to shift, there's another kind of transmission for that. Maybe you've heard of it in your many driving school classes. And sport shift does nothing other than apply an upper limit to the gear pattern.

[LunarMistGray]

And sport shift does nothing other than apply an upper limit to the gear pattern.

You are wrong. It does apply upper limit, BUT it also allows you to manually go through the gears. This is how I drive my car on some days. I manually select 1-2-3-4-5 at the RPMS I CHOOSE. When you do this, there IS NO LAG. I've done it.

So obviously you don't know what you are talking about. Because you continue to get a delay in sport-shift doesn't mean that everyone else is. I find it hard to believe that anyone gets a delay by putting it in sport-shift AND manually going through the gears. If you just put it in sport-shift AND YOU DO NOT MANUALLY run through the gears, then I can understand why there will be a lag.

[joebxr]

Bottom line is this...if you don't experience the lag or have this issue; if you feel you can compensate and are not concerned; if you feel there is nothing worng and we should all just stop whining...then please take the time to NOT reply to this topic. I started this thread for those of us that want to get something done about this. If you don't have a positive contribution for "us" then why do you feel compelled to post a response? Can't you see that your statements are intended to do harm and no good? Please, get this thread back on track.....
If you want to join in to see if we can get this fixed, then please participate and post to the NHTSA, complain to the Dealer and Toyota. Please stop polluting this thread with replies that imply we don't know nuthin, because that is not what it is about.
Thank you.

If you want to flame me, then PM me but please let this thread be what it was intended for. If not, then I ask the Moderators to LOCK it before it gets out of hand any further.

[TW85]

So obviously you don't know what you are talking about. Because you continue to get a delay in sport-shift doesn't mean that everyone else is. I find it hard to believe that anyone gets a delay by putting it in sport-shift AND manually going through the gears. If you just put it in sport-shift AND YOU DO NOT MANUALLY run through the gears, then I can understand why there will be a lag.

You seem to be confusing throttle lag with transmission lag. The transmission in this car sucks but that is not what we are complaining about. What we are complaining about is when we depress the gas pedal and there is zero response from the car, not even a slight rise in RPM, for 1-2 seconds. It does not always occur, but it occurs frequently in certain situations. Such situations are from a dead stop, decelerating and then accelerating again, a rolling acceleration, etc., at speeds lower than 45-50 mph. Above 50 mph, there is no throttle lag but below 50 mph, it can be severe.

For crying out loud, these are automatic cars with an optional sportshift mode. It is unacceptable to have to manually upshift and downshift just to minimize transmission lag. Again, the transmission lag is a separate issue!

[PXLpainter]

To bring this thread back on track, here are the TWO resources you need to file complaints to:

1) Call The Toyota Customer Experience Center 800-331-4331 and complain about the issue and state that its actually dangerous!!

2) File a complaint with the NHTSA at this site:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

Enough going back and forth stating whether its an issue or not - geezes!

[joebxr]

Thank you!

[rossman945]

Hey I'm curious, my dad had a 04 Sienna, and he had a bad lag too, does the V6 solara and sienna share the same engine?

[MCOjerry]

I have said before that I don't have much of a lag, but it's there...I feel it sometimes and the car will lurch a little in the same situations you all mention.

I'd like to comment on the use of the sport shift though. I find it extremely difficult to use, mostly when deciding to down shift while in motion. I drove a manual for a long time, never had a problem shifting. I actually test drove a car this past weeken, and it was a manual...miraculously, I had no issues. I could downshoft to the right gear when needed.

I just have this problem knowing what gear to down shift to from a roll...and quite frankly, and alittle afraid to down shft while moving in the Solara.

So, my point is, that the sport shift is not a manual, and not everyone can make it function like a manual...for some, it might actually be more dangerous (me) to use the sport shift and try to figure out how to properly use it. I mainly use it to play around, and very rarely.

The point everyone is trying to make is that car should respond when you step on the gas, Toyota can most likely fix it, and they won't.

Since I don't have a bad lag problem, I have beed staying away from this thread...but I support y'all with your effort.

[LunarMistGray]

For the thread starter and the others, I never said you didn't have problem and I never said that that you don't know what you are talking about. Re-read my first thread. I was offering advice to those that may want to try to improve the lag. Now some have proceeded to tell me that I don't know what I am talking about. The thread said "Throttle" NOT transmission. The first thing you need to do is decide is it transmission as one poster said or "throttle lag", which I believe is what most people are experiencing.


Last, throttle lag is a common problem across all car makers. Just do a search on the internet for "throttle lag drive-by-wire". Look at ALL the various complaints on this matter across the whole spectrum of cars.

[PXLpainter]

To bring this thread back on track, here are the TWO resources you need to file complaints to:

1) Call The Toyota Customer Experience Center 800-331-4331 and complain about the issue and state that its actually dangerous!!

2) File a complaint with the NHTSA at this site:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

[Down2TheC]

To bring this thread back on track...

Nice save PXL! Anyone who wants to discuss the lag itself or the manual shifting, please find one of the many other threads on that topic.
This thread is to discuss getting action from Toyota on the issue.

[LunarMistGray]

To bring this thread back on track...

Nice save PXL! Anyone who wants to discuss the lag itself or the manual shifting, please find one of the many other threads on that topic.
This thread is to discuss getting action from Toyota on the issue.

Well. Checking the database shows that there are approx 8 people that have registered complaints ref "Automatic Transmission". By the time people register to claim they have an issue and Toyota acts you will probably have a new car. May I remind the thread starter and others, freedom of speech is not illegal. None of my post have demeaned or undermined your claims. My posts are my observations about my car.

I've noticed one thing about the hesitation; where you apply pressure on the accelerator does make a difference. Applying pressure at the top of the accelerator does make a difference.

[FLUXEMAG]

To bring this thread back on track...

Nice save PXL! Anyone who wants to discuss the lag itself or the manual shifting, please find one of the many other threads on that topic.
This thread is to discuss getting action from Toyota on the issue.

Well. Checking the database shows that there are approx 8 people that have registered complaints ref "Automatic Transmission". By the time people register to claim they have an issue and Toyota acts you will probably have a new car. May I remind the thread starter and others, freedom of speech is not illegal. None of my post have demeaned or undermined your claims. My posts are my observations about my car.

I've noticed one thing about the hesitation; where you apply pressure on the accelerator does make a difference. Applying pressure at the top of the accelerator does make a difference.

Your condescending tone has been unanimously rejected in this thread. It's not helpful and generally obstinate. I think the official term is troll.