Hey guy`s, a funny thing (started yesterday)on the highway heading home. I was going around 62-65mph and in my rear view mirror noticed a vehicle coming up on me rather quickly. So I punched it to get moving a little , I could feel something going on (like it wanted to go) but it didnt feel like it was going any faster. Okay, I thought to myself, that was odd. Then this morning pulling out on to the the two lane Hwy, it acted like it wasnt responding correctly to the throttle? I have drive by wire, so I dont know if some sensor is going bad, or if it`s the transmission or what? Right now it`s intermittent which can be bad (hard to diagnose) no codes yet either. I am really concerned this thing will act up when trying to pull out in traffic, you guy`s have any clue what could be going on here?
RX330 acting weird
- Thread starter lexus114
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Check for any pending CEL's.
Try resetting the ECU, have it relearn your driving habits.
Try resetting the ECU, have it relearn your driving habits.
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Acted like it didn't want to go? Sounds like you don't normally drive it hard so it didn't really know what to do when you started to drive it hard all of a sudden. That happened to me when I was taking my brothers car for a drive to test it out. Well I punched it and it stayed in whatever gear it was in and wouldn't downshift. It did the second time though. Alot of vehicles have adaptive learning. Why that is idk. I think it's stupid.
Originally Posted By: hypervish
Check for any pending CEL's.
Try resetting the ECU, have it relearn your driving habits.
That was my next thought, because two day`s ago on that same highway heading north. I had the cruse control on and had to brake for traffic. When I hit resume, it down shifted to fourth (to catch up on speed) Then, it down shifted to third?? I thought what the *** was that all about? It was totally unnecessary for it to do that, and out of character for the vehicle as well.
Check for any pending CEL's.
Try resetting the ECU, have it relearn your driving habits.
That was my next thought, because two day`s ago on that same highway heading north. I had the cruse control on and had to brake for traffic. When I hit resume, it down shifted to fourth (to catch up on speed) Then, it down shifted to third?? I thought what the *** was that all about? It was totally unnecessary for it to do that, and out of character for the vehicle as well.
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Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Acted like it didn't want to go? Sounds like you don't normally drive it hard so it didn't really know what to do when you started to drive it hard all of a sudden. That happened to me when I was taking my brothers car for a drive to test it out. Well I punched it and it stayed in whatever gear it was in and wouldn't downshift. It did the second time though. Alot of vehicles have adaptive learning. Why that is idk. I think it's stupid.
I`m not crazy about it either.
Acted like it didn't want to go? Sounds like you don't normally drive it hard so it didn't really know what to do when you started to drive it hard all of a sudden. That happened to me when I was taking my brothers car for a drive to test it out. Well I punched it and it stayed in whatever gear it was in and wouldn't downshift. It did the second time though. Alot of vehicles have adaptive learning. Why that is idk. I think it's stupid.
I`m not crazy about it either.
JHZR2
Staff member
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
This is my first drive by wire vehicle, even my last RX (2001) was cable. So, actuator to TB cable? Jeez, I`m going to have to check it out. I also thought about cleaning my throttle body, figured it cant hurt anyway.
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
This is my first drive by wire vehicle, even my last RX (2001) was cable. So, actuator to TB cable? Jeez, I`m going to have to check it out. I also thought about cleaning my throttle body, figured it cant hurt anyway.
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Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
No known issues.
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
No known issues.
I would definitely reset the ECU before doing anything else, although cleaning the throttle body is always a good idea. Just make sure the key is not in the ignition and the battery disconnected before you move the throttle plate by hand.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I would definitely reset the ECU before doing anything else, although cleaning the throttle body is always a good idea. Just make sure the key is not in the ignition and the battery disconnected before you move the throttle plate by hand.
Good information thanks.
I would definitely reset the ECU before doing anything else, although cleaning the throttle body is always a good idea. Just make sure the key is not in the ignition and the battery disconnected before you move the throttle plate by hand.
Good information thanks.
I use a couple of bricks on the pedal or an assistant to move the electronic DBW for me so I'm never flexing the plates or the motor gears. Because learning is always happening regardless, resetting the ECU really doesn't accomplish anything. In some cases resetting the ECU causes problems while it learns its way back to where it is now. If you do plan to reset at least hold off until you clean the TB and get the codes read looking for anything pending.
I would also add a couple of bottle of techron concentrate to the tank, clean the system, stabilize a bad load of fuel, etc.
I would also add a couple of bottle of techron concentrate to the tank, clean the system, stabilize a bad load of fuel, etc.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
Its completely electronic, uses something called ETCS-i
http://media.toyota.ca/pr/tci/en/documen...ow_it_works.pdf
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
Its completely electronic, uses something called ETCS-i
http://media.toyota.ca/pr/tci/en/documen...ow_it_works.pdf
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
Its completely electronic, uses something called ETCS-i
http://media.toyota.ca/pr/tci/en/documen...ow_it_works.pdf
Awesome link. Thanks for that.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Do these cars have known issues with throttle actuators? Does the actuator to TB cable move freely?
Its completely electronic, uses something called ETCS-i
http://media.toyota.ca/pr/tci/en/documen...ow_it_works.pdf
Awesome link. Thanks for that.
But you must have noticed whether the engine RPM increased or not when the car was not going faster i.e. not responding.
+1 for the brick on gas pedal method (with engine off but ignition key on, and possibly in drive) and please ignore the advice of moving the throttle plate by hand. That is one of the worse thing that you can do to a throttle by wire system.
+1 for the brick on gas pedal method (with engine off but ignition key on, and possibly in drive) and please ignore the advice of moving the throttle plate by hand. That is one of the worse thing that you can do to a throttle by wire system.
Originally Posted By: Vikas
...and please ignore the advice of moving the throttle plate by hand. That is one of the worse thing that you can do to a throttle by wire system.
Why is that? I would like to hear an explanation.
I did that several times on my car, always with ignition off and battery disconnected and never had an issue. Plenty of people did the same on Mazda forums with no issues at all.
...and please ignore the advice of moving the throttle plate by hand. That is one of the worse thing that you can do to a throttle by wire system.
Why is that? I would like to hear an explanation.
I did that several times on my car, always with ignition off and battery disconnected and never had an issue. Plenty of people did the same on Mazda forums with no issues at all.
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Drive by wire= The computer knows better than you do how fast the car is going to go.
That would not set well with me.When a computer determines throttle opening for me,that would be the last "newer" vehicle I would ever own.
You have no signature, but left a clue in your response - you drive old cars. Virtually all new cars have DBW.
Drive by wire= The computer knows better than you do how fast the car is going to go.
That would not set well with me.When a computer determines throttle opening for me,that would be the last "newer" vehicle I would ever own.
You have no signature, but left a clue in your response - you drive old cars. Virtually all new cars have DBW.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: Vikas
...and please ignore the advice of moving the throttle plate by hand. That is one of the worse thing that you can do to a throttle by wire system.
Why is that? I would like to hear an explanation.
I did that several times on my car, always with ignition off and battery disconnected and never had an issue. Plenty of people did the same on Mazda forums with no issues at all.
You can strip the gears inside of the throttle actuator.
Originally Posted By: Vikas
...and please ignore the advice of moving the throttle plate by hand. That is one of the worse thing that you can do to a throttle by wire system.
Why is that? I would like to hear an explanation.
I did that several times on my car, always with ignition off and battery disconnected and never had an issue. Plenty of people did the same on Mazda forums with no issues at all.
You can strip the gears inside of the throttle actuator.
If you did that on Nissan Maxima with drive by wire throttle, you have just bought a new throttle body 
It depends upon the exact mechanism used in the DBW throttle. Some of them might be "free floating" but many would cause the gear to strip as indicated by the previous reply. Why take a chance? Just use the electronics to move the throttle by using the gas pedal. Some car would need it to be in the gear because they most likely do not let you full wide open throttle in park or neutral.
It depends upon the exact mechanism used in the DBW throttle. Some of them might be "free floating" but many would cause the gear to strip as indicated by the previous reply. Why take a chance? Just use the electronics to move the throttle by using the gas pedal. Some car would need it to be in the gear because they most likely do not let you full wide open throttle in park or neutral.
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Originally Posted By: hypervish
You can strip the gears inside of the throttle actuator.
Here is a picture of general mechanism layout, I would imagine most electronic throttle bodies use similar setup.
How will turning the plate strip the gears?
There is some gear reduction there but the servo doesn’t pose much restriction, as it just spins freely. If the gears are strong enough for the torque going one way, why wouldn't they be going the other way?
So unless someone has zero common sense and/or feel and just goes at it past the stop point I simply cannot see how any damage can occur. And looking at the stop flanges that are cast into the throttle body, even that would be hard to do.
So what's with all this paranoia about touching these things, they’re nothing special?
You can strip the gears inside of the throttle actuator.
Here is a picture of general mechanism layout, I would imagine most electronic throttle bodies use similar setup.
How will turning the plate strip the gears?
There is some gear reduction there but the servo doesn’t pose much restriction, as it just spins freely. If the gears are strong enough for the torque going one way, why wouldn't they be going the other way?
So unless someone has zero common sense and/or feel and just goes at it past the stop point I simply cannot see how any damage can occur. And looking at the stop flanges that are cast into the throttle body, even that would be hard to do.
So what's with all this paranoia about touching these things, they’re nothing special?
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