kokonutjc

I have a 2001 IS300 and I am having a shifting problem. When I am in M-Mode there seems to be a split gear shifting in 2 (which is the 1st gear), without hitting the up button. The tires did not slip or anything. I have brought my IS to get reprogrammed and everything.

I went to a road test with a tech and explain the problem and he noticed it. I went to second road test with another (2nd IS300, manufactured 2 months after mine) with the same tech and it has the same problem. Then I went to a third road test (3rd IS) but this time it's the 2004. This one had covers on it's disc brake still, yeah that brand new. So I test drive the NEW 2004 IS300 and this time there was NO problem. It would shift only when I pressed the UP button.

Overall the Lexus told me that I have the latest program on my IS300 and there is nothing they can do. But what they did on the 2004 IS300 model is they changed the computer to avoid this problem. Lexus said if they had enough complaints about this concern that MAYBE they would do something about it.

HELP ! ! ! Can anyone explain if they are having the same problems?

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

I'm not clear what this means. What do you mean by "split gear shifting in 2" ?

Please elaborate on the symptoms.

kokonutjc

i'm at a full stop, M-mode on 2. Dry weather without burning ou, I accelarate (hard or slow) the car shifts by it's self before I press the UP button to go to 3.

digger08

iTrader: (1)

Never heard of this or experienced this...wierd.

I have had every upgrade as well, to the stutter / hicup problem (ECU and ECM) and road tested it with tech's. I have drivin 92,000 km's on an early 01 and have never had it shift on its own from 2nd gear up to 3rd ?

Strange that it happened on 3 cars? Maybe I do not understand your description either?


Is it actually changing the number to 3 or is it just the feel the tranny shifting up a gear.

If it is just the feel, then every transmission does this as it can not find a half gear (like a CVT transmission can) thats how a geared system works...no inbetweens.

Digger08

kokonutjc

First of all....I just want to thank everyone for helping me solve this problem. I'll try to explain as best as I can.

Here's an example......

When I took the tech to a road test on my IS. We were at the light (stopped), m-mode on 2 and I accelerated hard (green light). When the RPM reached 5500 the car shifted by itself, I did not press the UP button and the tires did not slip. The RPM came back around 4000 RPM and proceeded to accelerate to 6100 RPM then I was forced to shift 3 to avoid redlining.

There was an obvious gear change before I pressed the UP button for gear 3. Is this normal?

digger08

iTrader: (1)

Don't know about that..I'd like to test it out tomorrow...but its -22 celcius and the roads are covered in ice.

I will test mine as soon as the weather allows...to see if I can duplicate this

Digger08

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

On my GS it will definitely hit redline in 2nd gear in M-mode. I can check out the wifes IS tomorrow to see what happens, but then again, it's a 2004. I'd like to test this out anyway.

The only other thing I could say is to see if you can duplicate the problem when the car is cold and then again after it's fully warmed up, let's say after 15+ min. of driving.

Also please let us know at what RPM the tranny shifts up.

I am also confirming that it WILL NOT shift up automatically from 3rd to 4th gear, right?

Also, have you checked the fluid level in the tranny?

Just need to go through this basic stuff, and depending on your results, it might give us a clue.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

huh?! this is perfectly normal....

both the gs and the is they use the same 5 speed auto e shift. the e shift only allows you to go down to 2nd. what that means is the car wont' go higher than 2nd gear.....

so at the light, the car is in 1st gear even if the light says 2...... so when you floor it, it will go first gear, then shift to 2nd automatically (you can't control that), and then it will stay in 2nd even at red line unless you push the up button.....

that's the case for all is3 as well, even 2004. i can't explain why you didn't feel it, but it's definitely there. maybe the car was in snow mode? if in snow mode the car starts in 2nd gear directly.

and if you floor the car hard enough from stop, y ou will go red line once, rpm goes down, shift to 2nd, and redline again before you shift to 3rd.

these are all documented in the manual. i can't believe the tech doesn't know about it

rominl

iTrader: (4)

btw that's why the new 2004 ls430 is sooo damn nice. it has 6 speed auto and the e shift let you go all the way to 1st

flipside909

Yeah. 04 LS430's 6spd is beautiful. I'll ask Liz to take me for a spin tomorrow.

As for the shifting...my 2004 will hit redline in M-Mode in 2 (start in 1st and end up in 2nd). The way E-shift was programmed for the IS, you only have control of upshift/downshift to and from 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th from 2001 to present. You cannot go into 1st because the computer wont allow it....UNLESS you manual row the gears into L through the shift gate. The reason why Lexus only allowed only as low as 2 was to keep people from blowing their motors and tranny so to speak. Why they didn't allow it to be shifted into 1st...but allow all the other Lexus models with E-shift can be shifted into first beats me. 1st is a very short gear to be of any use at all anyways. But yes, in M-Mode 2 of eshift...your gear will start in 1st and go up to 2nd only as Rominl and everyone else explained. The manual explains this too.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

no ryan.... read his post again..... it's not in 3rd yet i believe.... it's just shifting from 1st to 2nd that's all.

as for not redlining, you need to floor it harder and all the way. i got a 02 is3 loaner before and i had no problem redline 1st and then redline 2nd

rominl

iTrader: (4)

oh and i just notice that you are in cali..... which dealership do you go to? i will make sure i don't go to that one, that's so stupid, they don't even know how e shift works... and i highly doubt lexus did ANYTHING to fix the PROBLEM, when there is none

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

OK that makes sense now.

I thought the tranny stays in second, but you are saying that if you jump on the gas it will drop down to 1st even in M mode, then shift up to second (#2 gear) when the rpms rise. That is normal.

NOTE: I believe the trans will probably NOT drop into 1st gear when the wheather is cold and the car not warmed up.

This could explain why kokonutjc reported different findings on the 2004 model. The 2004 was either cold and would not shift down to 1st gear and / or he didn't jump on it hard enough to shift down, possibly contributed by the engine /tranny not being broken in yet.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

boy glen, you have your GS for so long already and you never know about that feature? you people you never read the manual

and yes and no to what you said. no it does not DROP to 1st. when you are at the light, it's ALWAYS at 1st, even if you don't gun it. it just starts in 1st that's all. and then 2nd, and then you shift to 3rd, etc... remember, the numeber NEVER EVER means the gear you are in. it means the highest gear you can go..... makes sense now?

and yes when the car is cold, you can NOT go to 1st. that could be one reason. also when the car is in snow mode it will start in 2nd too i believe

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

Yeah I know the gear selected is the HIGHEST it will go. I just didn't think about it starting in first when you are at a standstill.

I was never sure about 1st gear because I never had a reason to use M-mode for launching from a standstill.

Why ?? Because just putting my car in drive is much faster than trying to shift up manually using M-mode. We could go off topic on this part I know .