Flare, slip, or normal?

[Joe Dirt]

So this is my first Toyota, and after driving it for about 5,000 miles, I have a transmission related question. Is what seems to be a 'slip' when changing gears (AT) normal? It sounds like when someone is riding a clutch in a manual. If I'm on the gas more, it isn't so bad, or completely absent. Only when driving with the proverbial "egg under the foot" gas-saving habits do I notice it. Don't get me wrong, the car drives ok, it's just that flare/slip/hesitation when driving easy that sort of worries me.

I've got 80,000 on the car now, and was going to have the trans fluid changed as that's what I've always done for tranny's that felt like they're not performing up to par. Problem here is, I don't know of that's how the trans always was and is supposed to be in an I4 AT 2007 Camry, and/or if it is maybe also a characteristic of the WS fluid. I pulled the dipstick, and the fluid is still nice and pink. Is this just how she'll shift while driving easy? Sometimes I get what seems like a 1-1/2 to almost 2 second "riding a clutch 'slip' type of thing" before it fully shifts, and it just concerns me.

I went through the service interval booklet, and it sort of jives with what I've been reading here- that it doesn't ever get changed? I don't see it in the service schedule aside from an MT or if ytou're towing. I have a hard time with that... Just from every other car I've owned, it had to be changed. Is that really, honestly true? Just looking for some real world experience, not "well what does the service interval say..."

Thoughts?
-Uneasy in Michigan

[Joe Dirt]

Anyone?


<crickets>

[ahampton2k]

I am going to say try reseting the computer so that it can learn your driving style. Maybe the person before you never went easy on it causing the computer to expect the rapid acceleration. I had a similar issue, and once I reset the computer, the car seems to do fine now.

To reset, you just remove the battery cable for 5~10 minutes. Then take it on a long drive. It takes some time (50~100 miles) to learn your driving style. It might be less, but that is what it took mine. Also, it might run a little rough at first because it has to relearn some engine management.

Good luck!

[gdanaher]

No, it is not normal, but yes, reset the computer by disconnecting the battery for awhile. The V6 transmission had some flaring issues when cold but were easily repaired after they figured out what the problem was. (they started by replacing transmissions!)

[tengiday]

A quick question, do I need to disconnect the positive or negative terminal? Does it have any effect on head unit (lock, lose radio station), oil change reminder, tire pressure warning,...? If someone reads the code from ECU, does he know the car was reset?
The dealer used to "reset" the ECU once they install TSB. The car performed pretty well at that time (aka response quickly), so I didn't drive it aggressively much. As a result, the car "thought" that I didn't want an aggressive style, and it returned back to some hesitation as before. Is there anyway we can "force" the car to remember the initial style (aka don't need to learn my driving habit)?
Thank you!

[njerald]

Hint: TSB..............SEARCH

[gdanaher]

Best practice is to disconnect the positive cable from the battery and let it sit for 15 minutes to allow any capacitance to bleed off. It will affect your radio settings and engine computer memory. It will not affect the odometer readings. It will reset any check engine codes but if they are active they will come back quickly, and it has no affect on the tire pressure readings, ok?

[Joe Dirt]

gdanaher- thank for the responses. I know that sometimes questions can skirt the "already answered" and that it annoys you as much as another member who chimed in here too. As a long time member of the explorerforum and generally helpful guy over there, I have the same issues with that dilemma. But sometimes there is a gray area, which is what I was trying to figure out since you guys have been around these things a lot longer than me. Thanks for the help. I'll give unhooking the battery a shot again. Since I wasn't thinking about it since it had been done about a month ago, I neglected to mention previously that I did have my front end repaired/repainted after an unruly highway scene and I think they had it unhooked for a while since they had the entire front end apart to replace the radiator support. It was shifting suspect like that and it was still doing it afterwards as well. If that's still going on, and the reprogramming for the highway merging thing was already done (got that on a search), do you think I have some issue brewing? Ironically, I got a coupon in the mail for a fluid change from the Toyo dealer on Saturday. Ha ha!

<rant on>

njerald- I have to say- I did. I searched a lot. Results were about flares, in addition to the fact that my Camry already HAD the ECM recalibration in the first place. I don't think it's a flare. Some of my Explorers had a 2-3 flare. Don't know if the Toyo symptoms of a flare are defined the same way. I was trying to figure out if I have a slip or a flare, or if my car drives normally. I appreciate the help from the other members, but I was waiting for your usual response to show up. Of course, it did. I'm not car inept, and not computer inept either. I tried to find a thread with my exact symptoms, and didn't. Maybe my terms are wrong- I don't know everything, I can admit that. But I can co-exist with people too, and have a discussion. I'm a nice guy- I don't assume everyone that signs on to TN is an idiot.

In just about any thread you post in, your answers are invariably nothing but SEARCH...SEARCH...SEARCH Why are you on here anymore? Why do you feel the need to take it so personally and always YELL AT THE POSTER IN CAPS if they ask questions that you may have answered 5 years ago, or if you think a TSB answers everything? People might need some help. You're a tech. Share your knowledge. If you don't want to, don't. But why be here? It's like you're mad at kids walking across your lawn or something. Know what? Stuff changes. Solutions change, procedures change, new solutions from members come up that just might end up being better solutions than those on TSB's. Sometimes TSB's aren't even solutions in the first place. Point is- This isn't a library, it's a discussion forum. I was unclear if the symptom I have is a flare, or a slip in Toyo terms. You have a lot of knowledge of these cars, it's shame that you feel the need to harbor resentment towards members, especially new ones, that are simply asking for help.

<rant off>