First of all thanks to all who have been doing great work. I learned a lot and become DIY pro in some manner through this forum.

Ok i have little tricky issue. I have 2000 rx300, AWD, 76000 miles,
Transmission Flush @72 k.
Before flush tranny seems to me sluggish. After flush it feels good and starting to shift when it should be. But now for the last month or so i have noticed tranny acting little bit.
Conditions:
1. Some times car feels like full of power and sometimes tranny starts to feel sluggish.
2. Sometimes When i switch gear from N to D or back to P it jerks (Not always), but when it jerks RPM looks little higher around 900 - 950 idling (Even after driving for an hour)
3. Some times i dont feel even a minor jerk when shifting from N->D or P->R. It is very smooth.

Is there any sensor not working properly.

Note: As recommended by few i have reset EFI, ECM, disconnect battery, clean MAF sensor, Clean Throttle body(without taking it out).

I would really appreciate the input.

Thanks

 

1. There might still be junk in the system. With a flush, while it does attempt to change out in theory 100% of the fluid, keep in mind (and I think I am not the only one who has mentioned this in the forum) that there are sediments and other thing in the fluid that can settle in areas and a flush won't quite clear it out. Sludge is not quite the word.

2. Those RPMS can be funny. My cousin and I went to fetch my father at the airport last night and even with Mexico City traffic my RPMS were holding steady between 1000 to 2000 RPM. Went for sushi afterwards, started her up and no issues. However, differences in temperature, air pressure, humidity can change intake/fuel readings and thus the tranny can be looked at as the culprit when actually the ECM is only telling it what to do base on among other things A/F readings, your right foot on the accelerator, etc.

3. Sometimes you will feel that jerk and sometimes not. I get it every now and then. Keep in mind that different parts of the tranny internals can vary slightly in temperature depending on if you 1) are going from a cold or warm startup and 2) previous driving habits affecting the transmission use. A clunk (assuming nothing else wrong like pieces of the tranny coming apart) can thus occur.

 

Thanks for making me feel little better. I thought my tranny is gone. It is good to know that jerk is kind a normal rx300. I have other Camry and i never felt any jerk.

Also as you mentioned After flushing there will still be some junk in the system. So should i do another flush or just drain and fill to clear things out.

One more thing i noticed (only once) my car wont shift to 4th gear untill i took my foot off the pedal. Speed was around 60-65 miles and rpm around above 4000 and i was not pushing the car, just accelerating normally.

 

Keep in mind your miles are at 76K. While our RXs may give a jerk now and then, I would rather have that than some of the odd tranny behavior I had with a Dodge Caravan I had recently.

I would continue driving it unless you notice more odd things...then would go to a drain and fill, both of the tranny pan and front differential. I have my suspicions that even with the flush, there may be accumulation in there.

With regard to the shifts, I have the same issue on highways, I will be going super fast and it will hang and gear (not a harsh feel though) and I let off to give it a chance to change the gear.

 

Jerking from transmission when shifting from park to reverse or park to drive is almost always caused by the Throttle Position Sensor. The RX300 TPS has a software logic based Closed Throttle Switch which tells the engine computer to retard timing and or adjust idle accordingly. This input is critical for reduction of shift shock. You can reset memory by disconnecting battery but unfortunately after approximately 8 park to reverse shifts it will return to harsh shifts again. The only fix that I have seen is to replace the TPS.
Good luck

 

I used to have jerky tranny issue when I moved from New York to Colorado. The thin air changed the engine output so the tranny had a hard time adjusting. I pulled the ECM fuse for 30 seconds (had to do it three times) and finally fixed it. No more jerky issues.

May I ask what fluid did you put in? It's never good to flush the tranny. Simply drain-n-fill when the fluid color fades.

 

I used Toyota T-4 fluid and flushed using BG flush machine. I have pulled ECM fuse once for more than 30 secs. I will try to pull it couple of more times.

When you have jerky tranny issue, were your RPM consistent or you also felt higher RPM.

 

I will try to replace Throttle Position Sensor as this does not look expensive. By any chance do you know the location of TPS and part number.

Thanks

 

I posted a picture of the location in this thread, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...osition+sensor

Keep in mind a faulty TPS sensor will usually throw a code quick, which you don't have right now.