Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

[masso Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close masso]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Well...i have exactly as described! 2400rpm or thereabouts... usually when turning a corner and changing down a gear.. requires a hefty boot in the guts to get going again.. notified to dealer at 1500 free service , and response to bring back for extensive test. got 5k on it now , so will include in 10k service and see what happens!

[brycii Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close brycii]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

My 2010 VX does this all the time and is getting worse. Everytime I'm half way through a roundabout it loses all power and then kicks back in when the car straightens back up. I had a 120 D4-D series before this (what a bloody great car - wondering why I upgraded) and it never carried on like this even though as far as I know the drivetrain is the same. Having driven this engine and gearbox for the last 3 years I know this is no turbo lag, it drops dead before coming back to life. Rang dealer - no idea. Unbelievable how a Toyota dealer doesn't know about this when so many customers have the same issue. The VX has the dash rattle too which I've commented on the "vibration at 1500 rpm" page.

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Get your dealer to log a DPR on it, Toyota Australia is apparently aware of this problem (according to my dealer). IMO it's a software glitch

[Bursa72 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Bursa72]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Hi Guys.
I had the VX in for its 10,000Km service last week where I enquired about any new transmission mapping update available. Toyota dealer applied the latest update hoping it would fix the 'flatspot' problem. On my vehicle it has not solved the issue. In my opinion the gear changes do seem to be somewhat better (quicker / more responsive) but the same old flatspot type symptoms remain, and seem to be even more common (although that could be just a case of me being more aware of it...). So next steps - back to Toyota Australia when they return from holidays to see if there really is a fix planned or in progress...

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Engine management IMO not tranny, something to do with shifting into 3rd. I drive in S mode almost exclusively now and it's much better however it even did it when I manually downshifted to 3rd today....go figure that one!

[Pradodiesel Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pradodiesel]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Fit engine chip, bye bye flat spot

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Fit engine chip, bye bye flat spot

And probably bye bye warranty if they find out...........

[bdebono Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close bdebono]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Hi all, I have a 2010 GXL D4D auto, and am experiencing the flat spot with the boat on the back and even when it is not.
Has this problem been rectified yet?
I will use the information provided in this forum and provide to my dealer before giving them the car. We cannot afford for them to keep the car for more than 2 days.

Any recomendations for a dealership that is helpfull around the centrasl coast or Newcastle?

I also thought the dash rattle may have been somthing in my glovebox but since taking more notice is much worse.
Can anyone advise the fix for the dash rattle?

Cheers.

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Hi all, I have a 2010 GXL D4D auto, and am experiencing the flat spot with the boat on the back and even when it is not.
Has this problem been rectified yet?
I will use the information provided in this forum and provide to my dealer before giving them the car. We cannot afford for them to keep the car for more than 2 days.

Any recomendations for a dealership that is helpfull around the centrasl coast or Newcastle?

I also thought the dash rattle may have been somthing in my glovebox but since taking more notice is much worse.
Can anyone advise the fix for the dash rattle?

Cheers.

Have a read of the 1500rpm vibration thread re the dash. Get your dealer to lodge a Dealer Problem Report (DPR) for the 2400 rpm flat spot....no fix yet but they will then ring you when there is. Try driving in Sport mode ('S' mode), I find that helps with both issues as the engine does not lug as much and is more responsive. Make sure you engage 5 after entering S mode as the default is 4. You will also loose automatic engine breaking in S mode but you can do that manually if you want by just selecting a lower gear if required.

[factory Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close factory]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

I have been looking at this thread for some time now, I have a 2010 GXL TD (8000km) and the flat spot / hesitation is appalling! Seems every time you go to accelerate at approx 60 km/hr you get a second or so delay. This enough for passengers to notice and is not acceptable in 2010. Especially when the same engine / tranny in the 120 did not do it, the same engne in Hilux doesn't do it.

I told my dealer and got "we've had no reports of this" but took them for a test drive and got them to log a DPR. I then called Toyota to didcuss. First the lady I spoke to said "we have had no reports of this problem". When I told her I had heard multiple reports and knew of DPRs open she said "let me check with an engineer". She then came back and said yes we have had some mention of the issue and it is a 'charateristic' ie live with it! Are they joking???

She said they would follow up if there was any fix released but at this stage it was not being worked on as it is a characteristc not a problem.

It certainly is a problem to me, especially when you pull out to overtake, I think it is a potential safety issue. Please take the time to log you problem (if you have one) with Toyota and do not accept the "they're just like that" line but make sure they log a DPR.

The funniest thing about the call to Toyota is after she gave me the "we're not having that problem" and "its a characteristic" she had the front ask me if I was satisfied with the outcome of the call!

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

I have been looking at this thread for some time now, I have a 2010 GXL TD (8000km) and the flat spot / hesitation is appalling! Seems every time you go to accelerate at approx 60 km/hr you get a second or so delay. This enough for passengers to notice and is not acceptable in 2010. Especially when the same engine / tranny in the 120 did not do it, the same engne in Hilux doesn't do it.

I told my dealer and got "we've had no reports of this" but took them for a test drive and got them to log a DPR. I then called Toyota to didcuss. First the lady I spoke to said "we have had no reports of this problem". When I told her I had heard multiple reports and knew of DPRs open she said "let me check with an engineer". She then came back and said yes we have had some mention of the issue and it is a 'charateristic' ie live with it! Are they joking???

She said they would follow up if there was any fix released but at this stage it was not being worked on as it is a characteristc not a problem.

It certainly is a problem to me, especially when you pull out to overtake, I think it is a potential safety issue. Please take the time to log you problem (if you have one) with Toyota and do not accept the "they're just like that" line but make sure they log a DPR.

The funniest thing about the call to Toyota is after she gave me the "we're not having that problem" and "its a characteristic" she had the front ask me if I was satisfied with the outcome of the call!

The best you can do is log a DPR, calling Toytota is a waste of time. I don't bother anymore because they have never heard of any problem before no matter how common. My dealer said that Toyota will do nothing about it unless the problem becomes a huge issue (I'm guessing thousands of complaints). Why am I not surprised, maybe it will have to take somone to get hurt before they will do something abut it. Clearly this is a engine management problem, I believe it is a hesitation when the box downshifts to third gear.

[Bert Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bert]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

i travel often on the Eastern Freeway outbound joining from Chandler Hwy. the slope down gives us enough time to pick up speed before joining the main traffic.
however that is not often true when you have slow coaches in front trying to do the same. when filtering into main traffic, i floor the throttle hoping to make 100kph from 55 - 60kph. this is the time i always experience the flat spot. a real danger when main traffic is catching up. it hesitates. so i tried S mode other times and found it a lot more responsive. in fact i find myself climbing to speed in only a few seconds. most times i went past 100kph and all the time with no hesitation. to understand why, i went back to the manual. if i understood it correctly, at D mode, the computer controlling the tranny works at smoothing the ride by also controlling the torque converter telling it to change up as stepless as possible. this would mean a slower pick up speed with higher engine speeds all in the name of comfort. however, in S mode, comfort is compromised for speed and the change is quicker. in fact, in another instance going uphill from stationary, when i floor it, the engine revs up and the car picks up speed slowly but when it hits 2400-2500rpm, there's a surge in power and it really speeds up then. i think at 2400 - 2500rpm, the computer locks up the torque convertor which means the full 410Nm is going straight to the wheels (of course, there would be some losses through driving the shafts and gears). this probably doesn't explain the flat spot well, but my thoughts are that the computer (CPU) works from instructions (software) depending on the data feedback (sensors). electronics work at the speed of light but mechanics? comparatively, it would be like a Ferrari to a snail. point is, it is likely the sensors waiting to arrive at the level specified before the computer takes the next step of instructions telling the tranny (mechanical) what to do, then waits till it "arrives" before executing the next step and the cycle goes on.
make sense?
cheers,

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Bert, only problem is that it still does it on S mode.....

[Bert Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bert]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

agreed, but heaps more responsive and i hardly felt the flat spot. wonder if it could be 1) 2 separate sets of software instructions for D and S mode. or 2) in S mode, speed is not sensed, in that in D mode going downhill, touching the brakes would shift down 1 step and touching it again, shifting down a 2nd time. these steps would surely mean more time in sensor feedbacks and also more computation time, doesn't it? or am i missing it. at the end of the day, it is still the same hardware. the software can be updated but the feedback sensors?

[KILR150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close KILR150]

Re: Flat Spot at around 2400 RPM

Just to add in on what is already mentioned , i also have the issue with a flat spot usual at low revs just pulling under acceleration ! car is nov build 2010 mdl auto ! The problem is not consistent , just happens every now and then ... sort of good to no im not the only one ! just clicked over 9000khms will bring the issue up at 10k service with technicians