Hi,

I am not sure if this is a problem or normal and was hoping someone could let me know.

I have a KJ2, so 5 speed auto.

Basically I feel that the transmission allows the engine to rev more than "normal" or than it should.

For example, halfway throttle will change gears past 4,000rpm.
For it to change under 2,000rpm I have to practically feather the throttle (say parking lot style).
And accelerating normally at the lights such that I keep up with traffic changes around the 3,000-3,200rpm.

It revs more in the lower gears, so 1st to 2nd might change at 3,500rpm, 2nd to 3rd at 3,000rpm, 3rd to 4th under 3,000rpm and 5th generally goes in fairly fast after 4th.

Does this sound normal?
It behaves as what I would expect a smaller engine car to behave like that needs more rpm, but expected that a big capacity motor would be changing at lower rpm.

Thanks

the auto will "learn" from your own driving habits. there's that step-by-step guide to re-training your auto if you do a bit of searching.

How many km does it take to learn my driving style?
And if I do the re-learn procedure, it will still eventually adapt to my driving style won't it?

Check the TPS (throttle position sensor). It has a big say in when the auto will change gears. In the factory manual there is a section on how to check and adjust it with a multi meter.

How many km does it take to learn my driving style?
And if I do the re-learn procedure, it will still eventually adapt to my driving style won't it?

it constantly adapts.

Sounds like you are still getting used to the car and the way it goes about it's business.
The revs and change points sound pretty normal to me.

If you are wondering why the 3.5 is not a low rev slogger that gets into top gear as soon as it can, look at the torque and KW curves of the motor, and the top speed. Then compare that to a true slogger type of motor.

What he's describing does sound a little out of the norm if he's accurate. 50% throttle would not see my GTV, which shares the same 5 speed trans as any other KJ2, shift at over 4000. It would be more like 3000 depending on gear. I need to be going quite hard to get shifts that high.

Spetz, I've got a long drive tonight, I'll let you know what mine does. There is definitely learning going on, I advise you reset and see if it improves. Also we are all assuming you don't give it hard starts/put your foot down as it will learn you want to drive fast and may behave this way. If you do that often the car is likely just doing what you've told it.

Don't know about the 5 speed, but the 4 speed will change at about 2,000 rpm minimum, but you have to use a very light foot. Just take off fast from the lights once and get a 3,200 rpm shift from 1 to 2, and it will want to get up to those revs through the other gears too, for a while afterwards.

Anyhow, it's a under-square engine, maximum torque is about 4,000 rpm and maximum KW is at about 5,000 rpm. It wants to rev, it needs to rev to shift that 1.5 tonne of mass. Want a slogger, get a long stroke engine with maximum torque at 1,200 and maximum KW at 2,400 rpm. You would be very disappointed in the top speed however.

Thanks guys,

I drive the car sedately and only ever "give it some" about once every 50-100km or so, and even then I probably only reach 75% throttle or so

The 5 speed auto shift points are more "sports" oriented than the 4 speed shift points, and are the same for all the FWD 5 speeds except the Ralliart (i.e. the Verada gets the same shift points as the VRX; the Ralliart is only different in the WOT shift points). The 5 speeds are also have somewhat shorter overall gearing than the 4 speeds (part of the "sports" orientation) with 5th gear very similar to 4th gear in a 6G72 Magna.

Seriously, I think that what you are experiencing is perfectly normal for the car configuration modulo some ingrained muscle memory on your part. The only thing that might throw that out is a misadjusted accelerator position sensor (not throttle position sensor!) as the 5 speed FWDs are all fitted with TCL and hence the trans part of the ECU relies on the APS to make shift decisions rather than the TPS.

Where is this accelerator position sensor WytWun?

I've been lead to believe that both TPS and APS are actually on the throttle body.

Are you sure they are a separate unit and the transmission does not just use the TPS?

As my car doesn't have TCL, I can't vouch for it from personal inspection. However the schematics in the W/S manual clearly show them being separate, and the TCU code checks a different sensor input channel if TCL equipped.

I'll have a look at my TB to see if there is anything extra there