It may all be the unique differences between the car's transmission internals, the "learning" management software and such.
Some people have no major issues but experience some quirks, and others may have real problems.

As far as putting down power, my non-S can manage fairly easily to break loose tires when shifting into 2nd even with the VDC turned on. The S models might actually see more grip due to both the LSD and increased tire patch. Hence you hear a Chirp...
Mine just breaks both rear tires loose into a fun squirm, the little VDC nanny light comes on and the only thing I hear is engine sound.

The other day I had to jump out into traffic from a corner and the car got a little loose, and my wife glared at me some. Normally she enjoys a little excitement, but I guess she was concerned about sliding around. I just looked at her, smiled and told her it wasn't any more than 3/4 throttle.
I didn't even mention that the nanny was still turned on.

For those people who hate the lack of smooth shifting of the 7AT, I say go try a CVT and see how much you like a slush box. If you like it, maybe you should switch to a new Maxima, and hope that the CVT can hold up to the VQ.

 

See, I agree with dbg - I want a firmer shifting transmission. Mine's too soft, and I can't get a chirp to save my life on this thing. Not that I am spending my life seeking wheel chirps, but to me that's indicative a tranny shifting quickly and firmly, paired with a nice strong, torquey engine.

And to your second point, I also agree - this is supposed to be a somewhat agressive sports sedan, even in Journey trim. I mean, you can only engineer a car to be basically one thing - you can't have the same car operating as a supple luxo-tourer in one trim and then a very aggressive sports sedan in another. You can have separate engine and transmission tunes for the tunes for the different trims, and different gearing, shocks, etc., but it's still the same car. I think maybe some folks are purchasing this thing thinking 'faster lexus' when really, it's a much more aggressive vehicle, and it's tuned as such.

 

After following the rough 4-3 rough downshift thread and purposely coasting 30-20, I started to notice that harsh downshift ad engien braking at 20mph (or maybe it has been getting worse??). It is definately there, but it still does not bother me. It is a little annoying when you are driving slow in traffic, but if fixing it means throtle lag and slower downshifts, I am not doing the update. My car is VERY responsive under hard driving and the shifts are firm and chrisp especially with the vdc off.

As I said in other threads my last car was a lexus GS430 which had a lethargic transmission which NEVER downshifted and had a huge delay. THat car (also dbw) was fast but could only accelerate fast from a dead stop, any other kind of acceleration you had to wait for as the kickdowns took forever. So to me, the G37 7AT is awesome, when driving aggressively, I love all the downshifting and engine braking etc. It is always ready to roll. I do notice that flooring it as opposed to 1/2 to 3/4 throttle has either no effect or diminished effect on acceleration, but overall, the transmission shifts closer to how I would drive a stick, especially with the ocasional use of the paddles. The DS mode is a good idea in theory but to me its a little over the top as i don't like it getting stuck at 5-7k rpms sometimes for no reason...

From what you guys are describing, infiniti did not really come up with a fix. Instead they made a grandma update for peopel who could not handle the rough downshifts and the locked up torque converter and just made the car drive like a honda accord or worse. I don't think that this was the kind of a fix people were looking for...

 

Quite honestly I hate the tranny and the ecm. Hopefully the 10's will have the bugs worked out and maybe I will trade up. I get stuck in a lot of slow traffic. Thats major city life with transportation. The tranny was so rough with downshifting that it wasn't just a little annoying, but it was dangerous. I had one of the older Gs being made in november of 08. Its not a grandma thing. The problem is now that the I feel safe in the car now... I no longer get yelled at by people in traffic telling me to learn how to drive a stick, but the response is horse sit.

I'm fairly dissapointed in the car again and the flaring has gotten worse, so now the downshifting isn't as great as it initially was after the TSB. I like responsive and fast transmissions not something reminiscent of old slush boxes but with more complexity. I honestly am not sure what I want to do at this point.

 

I am sorry to hear that Bryan, but I just cannot agree. My car does have the jerky 4-3 at 20mph but it just not as bad as what you are describing (at least not yet). Its a little annoying but only happens in very specific conditions (coasting 30-20 but NOT coming to a stop) and is certianly not dangerous. Then again, your car might be different from mine, so we may be experianceing completely different phenomena.

I do hope that infiniti steps up and finds another solution for this problem. I feel bad for all the people who are unhappy with their cars and it seems that the reflash did not do the trick.

 

Brynomon...I have a Nov-08 manufactured car as well and also do a lot of high/slow traffic driving and while I was annoyed by the harsh downshifting...I'd take it over my current situation in a heartbeat. I typically drive in D for gas mileage sake and frankly my car has been neutered since the flash. Someone else made the comment about a grandma tune....I couldn't agree more. They didn't fix anything they simply dumbed it down.

I am learning to drive with the quirks of the new setup but I am not happy with it. I just can't get over the fact that a light turns yellow and I floor it to get through and absolutely NOTHING happens for 2 full seconds other than the car sounds like it is bogging down flooding with fuel and not downshifting. Same is true cruising at 60 mph and pulling out to pass....that'll get you killed pulling out in the fast lane and not being able speed up due to a serious downshift lag. Before I get flamed with "manually downshift and you won't have that problem" let me say....I didn't have that problem before the flash in D so WTF should I have it now?

I have 1500 mi. to another service interval and I'm taking the car to the dealer I originally purchased the car at NOT the one that did my TSB flash. I'm going tell them to either figure out a way to fix things OR flash it back to my original settings. I didn't buy the car I am driving I bought the car that hasn't existed since the flash.

 

Are you guys serious that NOTHING happens for two full seconds? That can't be normal. The most lag I've ever experienced was about a half second, and that was before I started "teaching" the adaptive transmission to be more aggressive.

 

Hey Rhino, I have a coupe with the EXACT same problems that you are describing. I have an 09 coupe X and i've noticed the throttle lag before and after the TCU flash. I've said this in another thread, but my 04 g35 was so much more responsive than this car, and i can't understand why. If you step on it while rolling, usually in 4th gear from what i've noticed, the car just lags for 2 seconds, and then hits and takes off.

Also, while braking in DS mode, my car will kick up 500-1000rpms.

All in all, i'm really disappointed in the 7 speeds and miss my old g35.

Rhino, keep us posted on how to fix this mess of a transmission. thanks.

 

I have not put a stop-watch on it but but it is more than a second...and more than any car I have ever owned. I can floor it 50 yards or so (again I have not measured it) before a stop light that is yellow and it will not downshift until I am past or at best right under the light. Then is revs up to close to redline after downshifting a handful of gears but then I have to let off as it is a moot point...

 

I drove my Sedan at lunch and tried to make mine do this trick but the transmission shifted flawlessly. I went to 40 mph and then coasted from there. Got to 3,000 rpm before shifting, but on the down shift never got over 1,500 rpm and shifts were as smooth as can be, almost did not feel them. My cart was manufactured in 09/08. I then tried to push it and it responded very nicely. I had the TSB loaded about ten days ago. I also drove a courtesy car that was, I think, a 2007 G35x. That five speed was more like my tranny before the TSB load. I did not find that to be a very delightful driving experience. Very rough and a bunch of engine braking. I was at first concerned if this was what the TSB was to accomplich, but I feel it did the trick. Good luck to the rest. Maybe it's the service departments at these delearships. They may not know what they are doing. This may be more likely the issue. Maybe the TSB is getting loaded incorrectly. Sorry I cannot help other than being baffled by this thread.

 

Will do but will be another few weeks to a month as I'm content to complain about it until I have a service due. Too far to drive and too expensive to not be working (consulting hours) to make a special trip.

 

MikeP it is definitely a case by case issue. I'm glad yours worked out.

 

Rhino,
I'm wondering if we reset the ECU by unplugging the battery if it will adapt to the TSB reflash and become more responsive? I just don't know enough about this stuff unfortunately

 

I would think the ECU was reset as part of the flash but could be wrong. I had also read somewhere that an ECU flash was part of the TCM flash although I'm not sure that was the case.

 

FTW, as an old guy, I can remember spending hours and $$ with guys like Art Carr and valve bodies doing mods so that my auto trans would slam shifts.
IMHO, a perfectly smooth trans isn't as "sporty".