09LS460

I have a 2009 that seems to have issues in the lower gears, and the more I'm in loaners and think about other LS' I've ridden in, I can't help but think that I have a transmission issue.

When I'm coming to a stop, I feel the transmission downshifting from about gear 3. It's not wildly jerky or abrasive, but it's not smooth either (or I wouldn't feel it). When it downshifts, after it engages (or torques down for lack of a better term) it feels as if it releases a bit, which makes me have to compensate with harder braking (again, not saying I’m slamming on the brakes, but I have to brake harder so it doesn’t feel like I’m now going to coast into the car in front of me). It doesn’t feel like the transmission is going to take off on its own, but it definitely feels like it has a certain threshold it wants to stay above.

In the loaner I have (RX), when coming to a stop the best way I can describe it is it feels like the transmission has completely disengaged and I feel NO transmission downshifting at all. The only way I get this type of braking in my LS is if I throw it into Neutral and take the transmission out of the loop. On the way to the dealership this morning to drop it off for other issues, I was at a stop light and went to accelerate and it felt as if it skipped a gear because I was stalled for a second (acceleration –wise, not that the engine turned off) before it took off as it should. Also my acceleration seems to be a little hesitant when starting off (more of an issue if I’m wanting to punch it – i.e. onramp).

Anyways…..do you guys have any sort of downshift feel with your vehicles or am I overreacting?

JFNash

I can't tell for sure if what you're experiencing is a problem or just a normal reaction to your particular driving habits.

However, having driven my LS460 for 3 years now, I can confidently tell that the car is very very adaptive to your driving practices when it comes to it shifting up/down and how much power it gives when you push the gas pedal.

Do I notice some abnormalities when it's shifting up/down? Yes. Depending on the situation, the car sometimes would not shift up without hesitation. Sometimes it would shift down in a very sudden way (especially when I push the brake pedal right after a push on the gas pedal).

I'd take the car to a freeway and take off from a complete stop to 80mph in a balanced push on the gas. If the shifts feel normal, then what you're experiencing is a situational issue that isn't that important. However, if you consistently notice hesitation/vibration/shudder when shifting, then I'd say take it to the dealer.

09LS460

The issue that I'm having is 98% from gears 3-2-1. it's a downshifting issue that only occasionally has been an up-shifting occurrence.

When you're coming to a stop at a stop light, do you feel the transmission downshifting or does it almost feel disengaged (don't notice the transmission at all) where you almost feel that the car is coming to a stop completely based on the pressure you're putting on the brakes, not the transmission downshifting?

I'm noticing this a lot more because the previous car I had was a stick and i always threw it into neutral to come to a stop. This is the same feeling that I have in the RX and other cars I have been in, so it's not just something limited to a manual vs. automatic transmission.

Tee

I know of at least two software update releases for our transmission, I had the latest flashed last year and it ended the issue I was having in the low gears when coming out a turn after slowing down. The transmission was searching for what gear to go to or would stay stuck in a low gear until I took my foot off the gas for a few secs. I would try having the dealer flash the tranny, I think that will solve your problem. One more thing try resetting the ECU and see if that solves it.