Acceleration Hesitation

[Ryan_S]

Do you mean your 'Check Engine' light of your TRAC light....I think you need to check you gauges again next time. If it is TRAC, as i would assume, then the 4R is doing what it should when it activates. (If you are don't know what TRAC is/does :rtfm: or search on here) and GO PATS!

It's probably hill assist. Does that share a light with trac?

You're probably still rolling back a little when you "neutral drop".

 

[mnunez021]

I recall it being the check engine light. I will try and see if I can mimic the problem again, but I do recall it making a beep, delay, light, everything cleared, and then a sudden burst of acceleration.

 

[mnunez021]

errr

alright I don't know what it is. The truck has made a liar out of me. Oh well

 

[knc1us69]

slow repsonsiveness

I too have the issue and what is frustrating to me is I also have a Lexus (Toyota Product) with no lag in response at all. I am seeing a 1.0+ second delay from depressing the throttle while moving before the vehicle seems to actually respond. Its frustrating and I have over 100,000 miles on the Lexus now which responds immediately and to date I have had zero engine, tranny, or rear end issues with my Lexus.

 

[Stu-Runner]

reverse to drive hesitation

It's there to protect the drivetrain from sudden jolts. Stomping on and off the accelerator is hard on the drivetrain- all of it. The software softens the impact by applying the power more gradually.

Remember the old "neutral drop"? Put the auto in neutral, and floor the gas at the same time you pull the lever into drive. Result- massive smokey burnout. My Dad kicked my a$$ after our family car's tranny started slipping, just as I turned 16. (he did it to HIS Dad's car too... ). Anyway, you can't do that anymore. Put it in neutral, and when you pull the lever into drive, the ECU will prevent any throttle response it deems "harmful".

You want Toyota reliability? This is one of the things that makes that happen!

Antman,

Ever since I got my 4runner it has a pronounced hesitation when changing from reverse to drive. Just takes a second or two after applying the gas to “kick in” and start moving forward. It’s nothing terrible….but my Tundra didn't do it. I asked the dealership about it and of course they told me it was suppose to happen.

Are you also saying that it is suppose to happen. If so, that makes me feel better.

Stu

 

[PC97M3]

I've got the same issue (slowing down then trying to accelerate with the long delay (~1sec) before actually accelerating). It is extremely annoying and borderline dangerous. It seems worse now than when I first got the truck (original owner). It drives me crazy! I've had 2 3rd gen 4runners and did not have this issue. I travel for work frequently and look for this in my rental vehicles and have not seen it.

Hopefully, there is a fix or a way of getting around it aside from manual shifting the truck. (I do not see this issue when I manually shift.)

Any good feedback would be greatly appreciate. Thanks.

 

[Dot Calm]

I am having the acceleration hesitation issue, but it is somewhat different than what others have described in this post.

From a stop at a signaled intersection (or 4-way stop or sometimes entering the road from a driveway) I begin to accelerate normally when, after 20 to 30-feet, acceleration is lost (I am just coasting). Intuitively, I begin to depress the accelerator pedal further to the floor, but no acceleration for 3-5-seconds, but engine is idling. Then, after a few seconds acceleration comes back, rpm's pick up and I drive away normally. This happens about once a week.

This is different than the normal drive-by-wire delay, which I also have and the dreaded smash-the-pedal-to-the-floor to get the 4r to move... or, is it? Maybe they are all related in some way.

4r is at the dealer now. I will post up any fix Mr. T comes up with.

 

[4runner10]

I do get momentary hesitation, but usually only after starting the truck in a parking lot, backing out of the space, tossing it in drive, hitting the gas and wait... go!

At first, I'd press the accelerator pedal even harder to get a response, then the take off was even more pronounced. So now I just press the gas a bit, and then wait. Manageable, but a little odd. As long as the trucks don't race out of control, it seems tolerable.

 

[Stu-Runner]

I do get momentary hesitation, but usually only after starting the truck in a parking lot, backing out of the space, tossing it in drive, hitting the gas and wait... go!

At first, I'd press the accelerator pedal even harder to get a response, then the take off was even more pronounced. So now I just press the gas a bit, and then wait. Manageable, but a little odd. As long as the trucks don't race out of control, it seems tolerable.

This is exactly what mine does as well. Been doing for quite a while. I asked the dealer about it...of course they said it was normal.

Doesn't feel normal to me. Hopefully its just something to do with the gearing to help gas mileage...

Stu

 

[sdumontsr]

4Runner hesitation

I have a 2010 TE with the same problem. Of course the dealer said it was normal. I also had a 2003 Sport Edition and it did not do this, neither did my 2007 Tundra TRD. I think we should all complain to Toyota Customer Service and have them fix the problem. It's very annoying and could be dangerous if the wrong situation arose like trying to get out of the way of another vehicle and when you step on the gas it hesitates and you get creamed.

 

[Bote Loco]

I think all auto companies are trying hard to meet EPA milelage requirements. My '11 Ford seems to always drive in higher gear than I would. Most noticable in snow. May help on mileage, but causes a bit of bog when needed.

This is only issue causing me to me to hesitate on '11 T4R I'm looking at. (Will keep F350 for towing boat)

 

[cbielat]

Mine does that when coming out of reverse to drive.

 

[jreiter]

Just wanted to toss in my 2 cents here, now that I've driven my 5th gen for a few years. Mine has this hesitation, as well, mostly when starting from a stop. I apply the throttle, nothing happens, so I apply a little more, then boom, the take off is too strong. It seems to get a bit troublesome for me largely when off-roading and trying to crawl over things, or carefully backing up a steep driveway, etc. I give it a bit of throttle, and nothing happens, so I give it a bit more, but then it suddenly hits with too much throttle and I have to quickly back off. So I had to learn to apply a little throttle and wait. That seems to smooth it out.

If this issue is actually with the throttle system, then I'm fairly certain that behavior is programmed into to the computer. As others have mentioned, this could be due to EPA mileage requirements, or to reduce strain on the drivetrain, or both.

I really don't think this is simply a limitation of drive-by-wire systems, as a lot of people seem to believe. Drive-by-wire systems can respond instantly if they are programmed to do so. My 350Z had it, and there was no throttle lag. My Audi had it, no lag. Lots of modern sports cars (almost all?) have it. Any weirdness with response is almost certainly programmed in by the manufacturer for one reason or another.

Drive-by-wire actually gives us some really good benefits, such as the ability for the computer to reduce or shut off throttle in catastrophic engine situations where you could otherwise damage the motor if you kept your foot on the throttle. So it's really not a Bad Thing. We just need vehicle manufacturers to create response maps that we like better.

 

[Matt's4Runner]

Is re-programming an option?

 

[jreiter]

Is re-programming an option?

From the manufacturer, reprogramming is generally not an option unless the manufacturer has determined that their programming is actually flawed in some way and is causing a problem. Then they'll often issue a TSB for it, allowing you to bring in your vehicle to get the ECU reprogrammed.

Aftermarket, however, there are often lots of ECU reprogramming options (often called a reflash). I'm not sure about the 4runner specifically, though. I've admittedly never researched reflashes for it, since I'd rather spend money on other mods that are more functional, like suspension, wheels, tires, etc.

 

[Matt's4Runner]

I was just curious...you'd think with the sporadic complaining about shifting too early/lack of power, someone would have figured out an ECU fix.

 

[GreyhoundGuy]

I've had these issues, too. When I come up to a corner where I can roll through the corner after decelerating (four way intersection with stop signs for cross traffic), I'll put the pedal down and have hesitation coming out of the corner, then the 4R accelerates like normal.

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one noticing this issue.

It's there to protect the drivetrain from sudden jolts. Stomping on and off the accelerator is hard on the drivetrain- all of it. The software softens the impact by applying the power more gradually.
...
You want Toyota reliability? This is one of the things that makes that happen!

This makes sense. I would like it if it hesitated a bit less, but I'll take it due to the many benefits the 4R has given me.

-Joel

 

[jreiter]

I was just curious...you'd think with the sporadic complaining about shifting too early/lack of power, someone would have figured out an ECU fix.

Aftermarket companies very commonly provide options to reflash your ECU with custom programming. Those reflashes usually include lots of changes (such as more aggressive ignition timing) and very often throttle response changes. Toyota, however, probably made the throttle response sluggish intentionally (for various reasons mentioned above), so it's pretty unlikely Toyota themselves would fix it.

 

[BigBlu4Runner]

I heard about Sprint Booster on other forums that hooks up to pedal and help with boosting the signal to the ecu and boost the acceleration. Never had tired it myself but would like to try it out.

Toyota 4Runner SprintBooster

 

[4Funnr]

I had this same problem in my 2010 4runner when I purchased it new in late 2009. I had the ECU re-flashed per a TSB about 9-12 months later and have never noticed it again.

I also had the drive-line BANG when stopping at intersections or after releasing my foot from the brake.

They replaced the entire drive shaft per a TSB under the drivetrain warranty about two weeks ago and this problem too disappeared.