We've had our 2007 380 SX for a couple of months and generally we're very happy with it. However, over the past few weeks it has developed a slight shudder when the auto transmission changes from 1st to 2nd gear. It's quite slight and is usually noticeable only on smooth roads. Any thoughts on what could be causing this. All of the other gear changes are fine

The car is still under new car warranty and I was wondering if I should leave it until its next service or get it looked into now. The car has done about 40,000 kms.

Take it back to the dealer to reset the Auto transmission ECU. That should fix your problem.

I had a slight shutter from 2nd to 3rd. Resetting the ECU fixed this.

Yep! same here ,slight stutter 2nd to 3rd under very light throttle.All sorted at service now sweeeet!

IF you want to try something different. Try unplugging your battery for a few minutes, this may reset your engine and transmission ECU. Other members have said that it shouldn't do a thing, but i tried this when I had the shuddering problem from 2nd to 3rd. Unplugging the battery fixed this...but don't take my work for it :happy:

probably needs a tranny flush

mine is doing it too
waiting for 60K service 5K away
then I will add a tranny cooler to it as well

IF you want to try something different. Try unplugging your battery for a few minutes, this may reset your engine and transmission ECU. Other members have said that it shouldn't do a thing, but i tried this when I had the shuddering problem from 2nd to 3rd. Unplugging the battery fixed this...but don't take my work for it :happy:

I've heard on other cars to disconnect battery and then put your foot on the brake pedal for 30 seconds - the brake lights try to draw all the power from any capacitor in the system and ensure that the main ECU is reset. Don't know using the brake lights like this is necessary or makes any difference, but thought I'd throw it out there :)

So do you unplug both terminals or just one to do this

I might do it to make the car drive the way I like it too rather than the old man that was the previous owner

So do you unplug both terminals or just one to do this

I might do it to make the car drive the way I like it too rather than the old man that was the previous owner

First, take it for a really hard thrash for 1/2 hour, preferably through winding hilly roads.

After the last cruise I did, I was really impressed how the auto adapted to my flat out style. It held lower gears up steep winding climbs extremely well and didn't change up when I lifted.
When I was back to normal driving it took about five - ten minutes for the transmission chip to realise I didn't need 5000rpm in second and reverted back to normal changes.

Or else get a manual!

Does what you want when you want, instant change from boy racer mode to Grandpa mode and vice versa.

Never mind the extra 20kw or therabouts ATW.

KJ.

So do you unplug both terminals or just one to do this

I might do it to make the car drive the way I like it too rather than the old man that was the previous owner

Just unplug the negative terminal, put your foot on the break for about 30secs. Then take your car for a thrash to re-learn your driving style :woot:

Just unplug the negative terminal, put your foot on the break for about 30secs. Then take your car for a thrash to re-learn your driving style :woot:

Ain't gonna get far without sticking the negative lead back on first!

KJ.

Ain't gonna get far without sticking the negative lead back on first!

KJ.

My bad....

Just assumed it would be common sense lol

Taking off the negative terminal doesn't reset the Auto ECU in 3g's, even though I'm not sure about 380s

You have to take the negative terminal off for 5 seconds, reconnect, then do a series of shifts from Drive-Reverse, Neutral ot Drive (or something similar)

I wouldn't thrash the car either in the re-learn period, allow smooth changes between 2-3 gear

Even so, at 40k, it probably could do with a flush

Thanks for all of your replies. I'm relieved to hear that it doesn't appear to be too dramatic a problem. I'll try the battery disconnection trick before I go back to the dealer - as soon as I remember where I wrote down the PIN for the audio.

If I have to go back to the dealer I've found it helps to be armed with a bit of knowledge so I appreciate all of the comments - great forum.

Taking off the negative terminal doesn't reset the Auto ECU in 3g's, even though I'm not sure about 380s

You have to take the negative terminal off for 5 seconds, reconnect, then do a series of shifts from Drive-Reverse, Neutral ot Drive (or something similar)

I wouldn't thrash the car either in the re-learn period, allow smooth changes between 2-3 gear

Even so, at 40k, it probably could do with a flush


Thanks for all of your replies. I'm relieved to hear that it doesn't appear to be too dramatic a problem. I'll try the battery disconnection trick before I go back to the dealer - as soon as I remember where I wrote down the PIN for the audio.

If I have to go back to the dealer I've found it helps to be armed with a bit of knowledge so I appreciate all of the comments - great forum.

When you reset the ECU do what Ryan said with doing a series of shifts in the Auto. Good luck! :happy:

Just look in your manual, that is only for the 3g, it might not work for a 380

I have had the same problem. Check my thread on this issue

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66378

I have had the transmission flushed and the transmission ECU reset by local dealer......Good for about a day.

Lived with it for a few months then took it back for a second look. They reset the Ecu again and applied the learning codes as before. Transmission was great for the next day and then the intermittent shudder returned.

Went to Dick Smith and purchased a spray can of electrical terminal cleaner ($14). Removed the snorkel and front half of the air box then worked my way through connectors on the various gearbox sensors. Then the connectors on the Maf sensor and a couple of others under the engine cover. Also loosened the earth strap on the engine block and the ones on the throttle body and top of the firewall and sprayed them as well. Sprayed, let dry for 5 minutes then carefully reconnected terminals as I went.

After I finished the shudder was still evident on the first to second change on a light throttle but the next day it had dissapeared and has not returned. Been 2 weeks now and the auto as smooth as!!!!!!!

Cheers

I tried the battery disconnection trick but unfortunately it didn't work in this instance so it looks like it's back to the dealer for an attempted fix. If that doesn't work it looks like I'll need the can of electrical terminal cleaner!

Cheers

Been 3 weeks now and smooth as.........

Cheers

Also

disconnecting your battery, pumping brake pedal etc will not wipe the memory of the transmission or engine ecu!!!!!!!!!!!

mine is now OK too just waiting on Ebay and the Mechanic for a trans cooler

Going with a PWR V8 cooler

Also

disconnecting your battery, pumping brake pedal etc will not wipe the memory of the transmission or engine ecu!!!!!!!!!!!

Did the dealer tell you that?

Yes,

Service manager is a good mate of mine.

Later also read it in workshop manual.

They Have an Eprom to retain memory withour power source.

Cheers

Did the dealer tell you that?

If you read up I also said the same thing

Unhappy to report after 5 months my low speed transmission shudder has returned!

Dealer has replaced the transmission ECU and flushed and reset the transmission but shudder on 1st to 2nd changes is still there.

Anyone had any success getting this rectified??

Have you replaced your battery recently? If you havnt, try replacing it with a good quality one. A new battery seems to fix a few issues regarding harsh shifting etc

Just ask Mecha, his battery got replaced and that fixed his transmission issue he was experiencing.

EDIT: Just read through this thread (http://aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75441) in regards to what happened to Mecha's 380 when he replaced the battery.

Yep

battery fixed it plus also the flaring in 3-4

econ is now AWESOME 11.9 in sydney urban commute

Yep

battery fixed it plus also the flaring in 3-4

econ is now AWESOME 11.9 in sydney urban commute

By flaring, do you mean shudder b/w 3-4 gear changes? Thats where i get my shudder. In the 3rd to forth change at about 35-40 kph.

No going to redline then which it looses power then shifts usually when I AM GOING TO OVERTAKE

WTF shift from 3-4 at that speed for???

No going to redline then which it looses power then shifts

WTF shift from 3-4 at that speed for???

When you slowly accelerate (only time the shudder happens- as also confirmed by the others i believe) at around 40kph the box changes from 3-4.

I will check it again next drive but im sure its in 4th after 40kph.

Drive harder or if in traffic slip it in manual mode and it will sort it self out as it will hold a lower gear longer so you have a higher speed when it shifts

When you slowly accelerate (only time the shudder happens- as also confirmed by the others i believe) at around 40kph the box changes from 3-4.

I will check it again next drive but im sure its in 4th after 40kph.

Mine shifts into 4th at exactly 50kmh then 5th at exactly 60kmh when slowly accelerating.

Drive harder or if in traffic slip it in manual mode and it will sort it self out as it will hold a lower gear longer so you have a higher speed when it shifts

Yeah i know there are ways to mask the problem but i would rather it comes out and shows itself. At least then the foreman at my dealership can try to do something about it. He couldnt fault it yesterday- but there is a problem there, somewhere. I would rather find out exactly what it is now, not when warranty expires.

It only happens once every 4-5 slow accelerations. I am practicing getting it to shudder on demand at the moment so i can take the foreman with me..

Mine shifts into 4th at exactly 50kmh then 5th at exactly 60kmh when slowly accelerating.

Thanks Braedz. I will double check mine tonight by shifting to manual mode at about 45kph and seeing which green number is lit.

Yeah i know there are ways to mask the problem but i would rather it comes out and shows itself. At least then the foreman at my dealership can try to do something about it. He couldnt fault it yesterday- but there is a problem there, somewhere. I would rather find out exactly what it is now, not when warranty expires.

It only happens once every 4-5 slow accelerations. I am practicing getting it to shudder on demand at the moment so i can take the foreman with me..


Its not masking the problem

The INVECS II is an adaptive transmission so making it learn to shift at a higher speed is what it would normally learn if driven a little harder

granny shifting for economy is going to make it lazy

Same thing happens in my wifes corolla

when I have it for a couple of days shift points change and runs different to when my wife has it when my wife drives it for a week before I get it back it runs like a dog and has sluggish shift points until I correct it with a more aggressive shift pattern which takes full advantage of the toyota VVTI-L or what the toyo guys call LIFT

you trying to get it to shudder is making it learn to continue doing it

its like teaching a dog to jump on people and your tranny is the dog if you keep teaching it to do it

Its going to do it eventually but in this case you dont want the dog to jump on people you want it to sit so you are send the wrong message to the dog

Thats a great post. Very clear. I guess the bottom line is whether or not there is actually a 'fault' with the gear box or is it just doing its normal thing. Thats what im trying to find out. If its normal (which i think you are saying it is depending on how you drive it)- i couldnt care less if it shudders every so often. But if its a sign of worse things to come then I would rather try to get it fixed.

I will try what you have suggested and see if that makes a difference. Thanks MW.

Transmission "stumble" or shudder on 3rd to 4th change has been eliminated with the new ECU so some positive news.

Battery has been tested as good by an auto electrician.

In bumper tp bumper traffic, car parks etc you cant use a lot of revs to mask the problem

Seems the 1st to 2nd shudder is a very common problem.

Their has to be a "fix" for this issue.

Any experts out there???

Transmission "stumble" or shudder on 3rd to 4th change has been eliminated with the new ECU so some positive news.

Battery has been tested as good by an auto electrician.

In bumper tp bumper traffic, car parks etc you cant use a lot of revs to mask the problem

Seems the 1st to 2nd shudder is a very common problem.

Their has to be a "fix" for this issue.

Any experts out there???

Very true mike but you can get it to hold the gear longer and again it is not masking the prob but making the trans learn a different shift point

when I am in bumper to bumper it sits in 2nd same in car parks enough to pull away quick but also effective engine braking so I am not riding the brakes (which are warped ATM)

As for the battery I had mine test a month ago and they said it was fine but I was still having problems

I changed it to a Century HiPO battery last thursday and it eliminated ALOT of niggles even though I was told the previous battery was good

when the old battery was taken out the battery guy comment that it would have lasted me a week and asked if I had being having issues with starting and general driving

As braedz pointed out in a different thread it was like a faulty PC PS unit causing issues that are hard to trace

I now just got to get rid of the mitsi tick and all will be awesome again

It would be good if i could 'borrow' a new battery and see if it fixes things.

It can be hard to tell the true condition of the battery. Its only when you get a new one that you realise what was going on (comparison).

Mine shifts into 4th at exactly 50kmh then 5th at exactly 60kmh when slowly accelerating.
Well mine does shift into 4th at just under 40. So there is a bit of work there for the gearbox to relearn some new driving habits.

Had the battery rechecked by a different auto electrician.

Load test once again shows battery as good and system charging correctly.

Took car to auto transmission specialist.

He advises that although annoying the intermittent shudder should have no detrimental effect on the life of the transmission.

Believes it is an electronic control problem rather than a mechanical issue.

He would change transmission fluid and check for fault codes.

Already done by dealer as well as a new Ecu so he had no other suggestions.

Fitting a transmission cooler tomorrow in an attempt to fix the sports mode dropping out when towing. He believes the Ecu is stopping sports mode as the fluid heats up to avoid overheating the transmission.

Hopefully this will correct one of my two issues!!

Mike does yours shudder when slowing down (gears changing from 2nd to 1st) also?

Good info there. Thanks.

No shudder on down changes.

Only 1st to 2nd at low load and low revs and only intermittently.

Worse when only driving short distances say 15 mins journey time.

After a trip on the highway no issues at all when you hit stop start traffic again.

Mike

Tranny cooler fitted by dealer.

Professional looking installation.

Interested to see if this corrects the sports mode issue when towing.

As for the shudder on the 1st to 2nd gear change they have downloaded an array of electronic readings during a test drive using Mutt 2 scan tool and e mailed them to the Mitsubishi engineers in Adelaide to try and come up with a final resolution to this problem.

Should have an answer in about a week.

Further investigation has revealed that the transmission shudder is only when the transmission is cold.

After driving continuously for over 15 minutes shudder disapears.

Hopefully this is going assist in diagnosis of this problem.

Starting to think a faulty gearbox temperature sensor!

All transmissions will shudder when cold just depends on the severity

Further investigation has revealed that the transmission shudder is only when the transmission is cold.

After driving continuously for over 15 minutes shudder disapears.

Hopefully this is going assist in diagnosis of this problem.

Starting to think a faulty gearbox temperature sensor!

Mine only does it when warm.

Mine has a light shudder on 1st to 2nd, only when warm and very light throttle.
Nice solid change on harder acceleration.
No issues on any downchanges.
Will get it looked at in 45,000km service (due soon).

Seems to be a issue in a reasonable no of vehicles if comments in this and other forums are anything to go by...

Waiting on the engineers in Adelaide to give their opinions.

Dealer believes it will be early next week.

Have recently had a new clutch pack installed in the transmission by local dealer in an attempt to rectify this issue with no success.

Dealer now Waiting on the Ok from Mitsubishi to completely rebuild the box.

Mechanics at the Dealership agree there is a problem but have no answers.

Expect to hear by Monday

Anyone else with this problem had any success getting it fixed?

Mine is exactly the same....surely its normal for it to slightly shudder on very light throttle? No problems with hard acceleration, a few of my mates said it sounds like a dsg!

Dragging up an old thread.

After my last post went overseas for six weeks with the intention of organising a time for the gearbox rebuild on my return.

Told a number of people on this forum that I would let them know outcome.

Since arrriving home gearbox has performed flawlessly.

Have done extensive klms in the last three months with no issues.

So to sum up new gearbox computer, flush gearbox, transmission cooler and new clutch pack have corrected all issues with my automatic.

Who owned it first?

(Was it first registered to Avis )

Yeah, rental car!!

I have a theory that the shudder is caused by low rpm shifts and low gearbox pressure. The clutch discs sit in baskets and I figure the friction between the clutch disc circumference and the basket can cause the discs to tip slightly and cause the uneven uptake of drive as the clutch piston moves slowly. If my theory is correct, and speak up if you think I'm talking crappp, then shifting manually at the same low throttle setting but allowing the engine to rev a bit higher (thus increasing oil pressure in the box and causing the clutch engagement to be quicker) should stop/avoid the shudder. Could someone try this?

Just had my car checked for its extended warranty validation. I reported the transmission shudder (and the earlier weirdness reported here: http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82274 )

They replaced the inhibitor valve under warranty. It seemed fine on the way home (a full cold start will tell for sure)

I have a theory that the shudder is caused by low rpm shifts and low gearbox pressure. The clutch discs sit in baskets and I figure the friction between the clutch disc circumference and the basket can cause the discs to tip slightly and cause the uneven uptake of drive as the clutch piston moves slowly. If my theory is correct, and speak up if you think I'm talking crappp, then shifting manually at the same low throttle setting but allowing the engine to rev a bit higher (thus increasing oil pressure in the box and causing the clutch engagement to be quicker) should stop/avoid the shudder. Could someone try this?

Well I did notice holding gears out to 3grand usually triggers a slight cut in throttle...makes for crisp quick shifts without a shudder.

after unpluging the batter - does the radio require a code? thx

after unpluging the batter - does the radio require a code? thx

Nope, won't need one for the SX/VRX/GT. don't know about the ES though.

Yep, on a 2005 base model like mine you will need the code,.
So probably applies to later ES as well.

thx guys - im 380 sx - so i should be safe.

anyone with experience with tranny cooler - I am looking at getting one BM 70264 - any opinions? thx

Had local Dealer install an aftermarket unit.

Supply fit and top up transmission around $250.

Mostly fixed my tiptronic issues when towing. Well worth the investment.

did you instal BM 70264 or other brand?

i got a PWR (i like to think it stands for Powwwwer!!!) 'v8' job for $108 + $5 spare hose clamps etc - then chris (380ftw installed it in the 'workshop' at mmx :P

i got a PWR (i like to think it stands for Powwwwer!!!) 'v8' job for $108 + $5 spare hose clamps etc - then chris (380ftw installed it in the 'workshop' at mmx :P

PWR FTW I have a V8 one too

& me but it still has problems cooling the tranny when I'm into it ....... need a bigger one

& me but it still has problems cooling the tranny when I'm into it ....... need a bigger one

yeah but me and mecha are small fish :P no forced induction time machines here!

I must be driving mine too sedately....I haven't bothered getting one...:eek2:

I am maybe too exited about little mods here and there - don't take me wrong - I love that car - so want the best for the car :-)

The doctor rpw said do it regardless to prevent injuries so...

I must be driving mine too sedately....I haven't bothered getting one...:eek2:

Mate it is a must with a blower! What are you producing a lot of? ...... torque & what does a torque convertor do? Lotsa heat being generated there.

Mine does random gear changes & holds gear etc now when I give it a good hard run with a cooler.

Hope my crown wheel I'm getting isn't cooked lol

Mate it is a must with a blower! What are you producing a lot of? ...... torque & what does a torque convertor do? Lotsa heat being generated there.

Mine does random gear changes & holds gear etc now when I give it a good hard run with a cooler.

Hope my crown wheel I'm getting isn't cooked lol

RPW let me borrow their angle grinder for the weekend, that will clean it up...lol

Hey Blown - what tranny cooler have u got in? Do u have any advice in terms of heat indexes as what's the best for 380.

B&M
70255 rated at 9,800 BTU
70268 rated at 13,000 BTU
70264 rated at 14,400 BTU

Hey Blown - what tranny cooler have u got in? Do u have any advice in terms of heat indexes as what's the best for 380.

B&M
70255 rated at 9,800 BTU
70268 rated at 13,000 BTU
70264 rated at 14,400 BTU

No need to take it that seriously if you're staying normally aspirated. Most members have used the pwr v8 cooler off eBay which is more than adequate. If you're really into specs check the v8 size on the pwr website.

RPW let me borrow their angle grinder for the weekend, that will clean it up...lol

Well make sure you do a dodgy part number engraving too so I think getting something special lol

RPW fail hard

the advice is sound to a point but HMMMMM

Smarc don't get to technical with the cooler
It will only make your head spin just get one on and