Annoying 7sp transmission.
06-15-2011, 12:05 PM
#31
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Keep complaining to Infiniti. I have a plan to just mention it to them every single time I bring the car in for service. I don't find it to be too annoying, but two things drive me nuts.
1. The hard shift from 2 - 1 is often annoying. Especially if you are slowing down aggressively, and you happen to let up off the brake a little right when the downshift happens. This causes the car to surge forward more than you would expect, due to elevated RPM's, and poor downshifting.
2. 4 - 3 downshift and 3 - 2 downshift are usually too slow. Sometimes I've gotta jam the gas about a second before I'm ready for the car to apply power. Sometimes when I anticipate that delay, it doesn't happen, and the car surges forward as soon as I touch the gas. Very inconsistent.
As for the TL and 3 series, blah. I looked at them both, and while the TL is nice, it's not as nice as the G. And when I went to look at the 3 series, I didn't even end up driving it because as soon as I sat in it, I got sick and suddenly needed to puke. So boring and lame on the inside.
1. The hard shift from 2 - 1 is often annoying. Especially if you are slowing down aggressively, and you happen to let up off the brake a little right when the downshift happens. This causes the car to surge forward more than you would expect, due to elevated RPM's, and poor downshifting.
2. 4 - 3 downshift and 3 - 2 downshift are usually too slow. Sometimes I've gotta jam the gas about a second before I'm ready for the car to apply power. Sometimes when I anticipate that delay, it doesn't happen, and the car surges forward as soon as I touch the gas. Very inconsistent.
As for the TL and 3 series, blah. I looked at them both, and while the TL is nice, it's not as nice as the G. And when I went to look at the 3 series, I didn't even end up driving it because as soon as I sat in it, I got sick and suddenly needed to puke. So boring and lame on the inside.
06-15-2011, 08:19 PM
#32
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I have a 2011 6mt and I've been hearing a lot of gripes regarding the 7 speed. I was actually having some regret about getting the 6mt due to the amount of involvement that is required upon the driver each time, however, hearing so much about the 7sp, I'm thinking there is no way to be 100% satisfied with any transmission. I used to have an 04 sedan auto and didn't have any problems with it.
I like the 6mt but after driving it for about 4 months, I want more power!!!
I like the 6mt but after driving it for about 4 months, I want more power!!!
06-18-2011, 12:42 PM
#33
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I bought 2011 G37x about one month ago, and have driven it for 700+miles. The transmission is very smooth when speed up, however, it does have a hard shift(sometimes) from 2nd gear to 1st gear, especially, when bump-bump driving. Very annoyed!
I have asked dealer to install TSB ITB10-075, unfortunately, it doesn't help a lot. I have read through all posts regarding 7AT in this forum. Two people say Infiniti engineers are working on a new software update. I hope they could release it soon.
I should consider a TL or bimmer 3 before buying a G37.
I have asked dealer to install TSB ITB10-075, unfortunately, it doesn't help a lot. I have read through all posts regarding 7AT in this forum. Two people say Infiniti engineers are working on a new software update. I hope they could release it soon.
I should consider a TL or bimmer 3 before buying a G37.
07-30-2011, 01:41 PM
#36
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G Force, exactly!! I have found it's even worse when you are cruising at close to 40mph, and then you let up on the gas for a second or so to coast, and then try to floor it.
Try this: cruise at 40 MPH and floor the throttle. On my car the lag is significant. I think the problem is two-fold.
First, the tranny is trying to rev match and wasting a bunch of time doing it. This is fine when you have time - e.g. slowing for a corner - but when you need a hard downshift right away to merge the lag creates a dangerous situation. You expect power and there's...nothing. Best workaround is to manually downshift beforehand. Nissan should make it so that when you floor it, the rev match is bypassed and it just shoves it into gear and goes - smooth shifting be damned. Even a traditional automatic is faster in this scenario.
Second, the tranny is in too high a gear for most driving situations. Situations that normally wouldn't need a downshift at all are then needing 1 or 2 gears lower. I find that I have to drive in manual mode in rush hour traffic because the car will shift into 6th at ridiculously slow speeds and is doing a constant shifting dance whereas keeping it in 2nd and 3rd works best for crawl to 40 MPH. Having to manually shift in rush hour traffic defeats the whole purpose of having an automatic in the first place - especially a 7-speed auto that is seemingly never in it's powerband.
First, the tranny is trying to rev match and wasting a bunch of time doing it. This is fine when you have time - e.g. slowing for a corner - but when you need a hard downshift right away to merge the lag creates a dangerous situation. You expect power and there's...nothing. Best workaround is to manually downshift beforehand. Nissan should make it so that when you floor it, the rev match is bypassed and it just shoves it into gear and goes - smooth shifting be damned. Even a traditional automatic is faster in this scenario.
Second, the tranny is in too high a gear for most driving situations. Situations that normally wouldn't need a downshift at all are then needing 1 or 2 gears lower. I find that I have to drive in manual mode in rush hour traffic because the car will shift into 6th at ridiculously slow speeds and is doing a constant shifting dance whereas keeping it in 2nd and 3rd works best for crawl to 40 MPH. Having to manually shift in rush hour traffic defeats the whole purpose of having an automatic in the first place - especially a 7-speed auto that is seemingly never in it's powerband.
07-30-2011, 07:59 PM
#37
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This 'problem' is all about Infiniti trying to provide a "Sport Luxury" Vehicle that is also
somewhat economical for what it offers. Every Automatic transmission I've ever owned
always tried it's damnedest to get to the lowest operable RPM as quick as possible, this
makes good economical sense... fuel consumption is lowered.
The 7AT uses 7 gears to provide better fuel economy, performance is going to be
compromised whenever economy is introduced. Infiniti has given us the DS to
compensate for this, allowing you to downshift, to bring the engine into the powerband.
Coming from a 6 speed turbo, I find the car bringing up power fairly quickly and
smoothly. Could I have done it quicker with a stick? Yes, but I also avoided 30
previous shifts that I no longer wanted to be a part of....lol
I think there's going to be a compromise when trying to market a higher powered
car these days. We got a 328 HP sedan, that get's descent gas mileage. The
compromise is a complex transmission that may require more than a pedal push
to achieve optimal performance. As drivers, we may have to grab the shifter, or
pull the paddle to get the desired effect, OR get 6MT, and do ALL the shifting yourself.
I'll probably get the paddle kit down the road, if after my break in is up I find
the car's shifting inadequate.
somewhat economical for what it offers. Every Automatic transmission I've ever owned
always tried it's damnedest to get to the lowest operable RPM as quick as possible, this
makes good economical sense... fuel consumption is lowered.
The 7AT uses 7 gears to provide better fuel economy, performance is going to be
compromised whenever economy is introduced. Infiniti has given us the DS to
compensate for this, allowing you to downshift, to bring the engine into the powerband.
Coming from a 6 speed turbo, I find the car bringing up power fairly quickly and
smoothly. Could I have done it quicker with a stick? Yes, but I also avoided 30
previous shifts that I no longer wanted to be a part of....lol
I think there's going to be a compromise when trying to market a higher powered
car these days. We got a 328 HP sedan, that get's descent gas mileage. The
compromise is a complex transmission that may require more than a pedal push
to achieve optimal performance. As drivers, we may have to grab the shifter, or
pull the paddle to get the desired effect, OR get 6MT, and do ALL the shifting yourself.
I'll probably get the paddle kit down the road, if after my break in is up I find
the car's shifting inadequate.
07-30-2011, 09:57 PM
#38
Registered User
As automakers try to meet higher CAFE standards while maximizing performance they have resulted to six, seven, and eight speed transmissions. I've driven the BMW eight speed transmission....its considerably smoother than that on the G. The seven speed auto is truly the low point on this car mechanically. Not a deal breaker, but very much a disappointment. As you get to know the car, its behavior becomes less irritating....just part of the character of an otherwise very good auto.
07-30-2011, 10:58 PM
#40
Registered User
The 7at works fine. It does a good job at keeping the revs down, which equals lower gas bills. If you want spirited driving use ds or manual mode.
07-31-2011, 10:59 AM
#42
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I just got the transmission software upgrade last week. I'm very happy with the results. It's much smoother on both up and down shifts, and the kick-down lag seems to be gone... much more responsive. If your car qualifies, I would recommend it.
07-31-2011, 08:13 PM
#44
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It really depends on your dealer. Some are on the ball with updates, others
require donating an internal organ. At your service, mention your car's shifting
doesn't seem right, see what they say... Sometimes it's better to see if they can
figure it out.
require donating an internal organ. At your service, mention your car's shifting
doesn't seem right, see what they say... Sometimes it's better to see if they can
figure it out.
