Check the following items before performing the diagnosis. Be careful that the applicable item may not always be malfunctioning. PRECAUTION FOR MECHANISM

Mechanism | Symptom | Use conditions and constraint conditions
Manual transmission base | Through the adoption of gears pair with parallel axes in common with the manual transmission, impulsive sound of gears is generated. This sound is louder than a conventional torque converter type automatic transmission. The reasons are:

1. The obtainment of large amount of backlash to maintain lubricity on the gear tooth surface during a high performance driving.
2. The application of drysump lubrication method which enables steady oil supply during a high performance driving.
3. The application of light fly wheels to enhance accelerator responses. A rattling sound or chattering sound may be generated especially soon after a high performance driving.
4. A click sound may be generated during gearshift.

1. —
2. When the temperature is lowered, the noise is reduced.
3. —
4. —

Wet-type multi-plate clutch | With the vehicle stationary and the shift lever in the A ⇔ M, or R range, when the brake pedal is released, the vehicle enters the status just like partial engagement of clutch in vehicles with manual transmission to prepare for start-up, and starts moving slowly (or in some circumstances, it may not start at all).
Securely depress the brake pedal while the vehicle is stopped.
If the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal are depressed simultaneously, the clutch becomes overheated to accelerate its wear and deterioration. The engine may stop, depending on the situation. | Restrict the simultaneous depression of the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal.
If “stop by depressing adjustment of the accelerator pedal on a slope using every gear position” is performed, the clutch overheats just like vehicles with manual transmission, resulting in damage in the transmission or engine stall. | When stopping on a slope, depress the brake pedal and do not perform a stopping operation by depressing adjustment of the accelerator pedal.
Electronically controlled hydraulic control | The following symptoms may occur by oil viscosity restriction variations due to temperature change.

1. A slippage feeling or shock may occur during start-up and gear shift.
2. At very low temperatures in winter, the system check time may be prolonged by oil pressure response characteristic variations.

1. After the normal temperature is resumed, the slippage feeling and shock is reduced.
2. During the system check, the shift lever cannot be moved out from the P position. Therefore, operate the shift lever only after the system check indicator turns off. In addition, operation noise like a clank may be heard or the engine speed may drop during the system check, but they are not malfunction.

Mode change | In the M range, as the gear shift speed is increased, a shock or jerky feeling may be felt during start-up and gear shift. | —
Because R mode of the M range is designed to increase the shift change speed during sport driving, when driving at low vehicle speed and low engine speed, the shift change time may be rather prolonged. | —
Rear final drive (mechanical LSD) and transfer (E-TS) | Turning with a large steering wheel angle at low temperature increases LSD effect because of high oil viscosity, vibrations or operation noise caused by tire slippage may occur. | When straight-ahead driving is resumed or the oil temperature increases, the vibrations and operation noise are reduced.
Lightweight flywheel | The application of light fry wheels enables engine responses to accelerator operation. Therefore, engine speed varies widely, compared with conventional vehicles and this may generate a rattling sound or chattering sound. | —
At the engine start or stop, a rattle may be heard. | —

PRECAUTIONS FOR SYMPTOM

Symptom | Cause | Action
When or after the engine starts | The shift lever is not released from the P range. | The system performs the system check of transmission after the engine starts. Therefore, the shift lever is not released from the P range by shift lock even if the driver depresses the brake during the check. This is normal. The system check time may be prolonged at low oil temperature.
Wait until the system check finishes.
The vehicle cannot be driven after starting the engine at the N range. | When the engine starts at the N range after the engine stops at the driving range (A/M or R range), the vehicle may not start for safety. This is normal.

- Conditions that the vehicle cannot be driven

- The engine starts at the N range after stopping at the A/M range, and the R range is selected
- The engine starts at the N range after stopping at the R range, and the A/M range is selected

If the engine starts at the N range, the vehicle can be driven by selecting the desired driving range after selecting the P range once. Perform the engine stop or start at the P range for safety reasons.
The gear shift takes time at low oil temperature. | The oil viscosity is high and the oil flow restriction is large at low oil temperature, and the oil pressure response takes time. | Smooth gear shift is resumed, when the oil temperature increases.
The engine speed fluctuates when the shift lever shifts from the N range or P range to the driving range (A/M, R range) without the brake pedal depressed. | If the shift lever shifts to the driving range (A/M or R range) without the brake pedal depressed, the clutch becomes the partial clutch engagement status simultaneously with the gear engagement. Therefore, the engine load changes. As a result, the engine speed may vary or decrease.
Securely depress the brake before shifting the shift lever to the driving range (A/M, R range) for safety reasons.
The vehicle cannot start at any gears higher than 2GR. | The gear position that the vehicle can start is only 1GR and reverse gears. The vehicle cannot start at any gears higher than 2GR because the load for the clutch is too great. | Start the vehicle in 1GR or reverse gear. On a slippery road, use SNOW mode of the A range.
The gear shift is not performed or slow. | No manual upshift is accepted during start-up. | The manual shift change is inhibited in order to reduce the load to the clutch during start-up (until the clutch is engaged). | Shift the gear only after the start-up is finished (after the clutch is engaged).
Shift-down to 1GR is denied during the drive in 2GR. | Speed reduction during the drive in 2GR causes partial clutch engagement to prevent engine stall. Therefore, shift-down to 1GR is denied. | To shift down to 1GR, depress the brake pedal and stop the vehicle or accelerate to escape from 2GR partial clutch engagement.
The gear shift takes time at low oil temperature. | The oil viscosity is high and the oil flow restriction is large at low oil temperature, and the oil pressure response takes time. | Smooth gear shift is resumed when the oil temperature increases.
The gear shift is not performed even if the paddle shifter operation is performed. |

- The paddle shifter operation can be performed only in the M range.
- If the engine over revving occurs or the specified engine speed is not reached after a gear shift, the gear shift is inhibited, and the shift position indicator on the combination meter blinks to warn the driver.

Use the M range and perform gear shift at the proper engine speed.
The gear shift is not performed or slow. | The continuous manual shift is not accepted. | The excessively fast continuous gear shift is prohibited for safety reasons. The gear shift that can be accepted during the gear shift is only the next gear shift. | Take interval time to continuously operate the paddle shifter.
Shift lever operation is denied when parking the vehicle on a hill with the accelerator pedal depressed. | Shift lever operation is denied when parking the vehicle on a hill with the accelerator pedal depressed to protect transmission from being damaged. | When parking the vehicle on a hill, fully depress the brake pedal to operate the shift lever.
The gear shift in R mode of the M range is slow. | The predictive pre-shift control provides a waiting gear selection focusing on the full sport driving. Therefore in normal driving, it takes time for changing the waiting gear and the gear shift time may be prolonged. | R mode of the M range is basically used in sport driving.
No automatic upshift occurs in R mode of the M range. | In order to provide the operation feeling of manual transmission, no automatic upshift occurs like manual transmission. | Upshift manually or use in Normal mode of the M range.
In Normal mode of M range, 2 speed gear shift is performed for one manual upshift. | Normal mode of M range performs the automatic upshift when the specified engine speed is reached. During the automatic upshift, if a manual upshift intervenes by the paddle shifter, a total of a 2-speed gear shift (1-speed automatic gear shift + 1-speed manual gear shift) is performed.
If the automatic upshift is used or a manual gear shift is done a little earlier, 1-speed gear shift can be attained. Or, R mode of the M range without automatic upshift is used.
While driving in the A range, after the vehicle is accelerated for merging onto a freeway, for example, the automatic upshift does not occur soon after the accelerator pedal is released. | When the vehicle is accelerated rather hard for merging onto a freeway, or runs on a ramp curve with side G applied, the adaptive shift control works to activate the gear hold status in which no gear shift occurs for a certain period of time. This symptom stays longer in R mode than Normal mode.
Waiting for a certain period of time deactivates the gear hold status. Or upshift manually.
During a sudden deceleration, no automatic downshift occurs. | During a sudden deceleration, if a tire lock occurs, the actual vehicle speed cannot be judged (the vehicle body moves, but the wheels stop), therefore the appropriate gear can no longer be selected. For safety reasons, a gear shift is inhibited.
With a certain period of time after the tire lock disappears, an automatic gear shift to the appropriate gear is resumed.
An upshift near the engine rev limit causes a drop of the drive power. | A manual upshift near the engine rev limit may activate the engine over-rev protection depending on the timing and lower the engine torque. Therefore, an upshift at this timing drops the drive power. | This symptom can be eliminated by upshifting a little earlier.
Shock generated by gearshift is great. | Shift shock varies depending on how the accelerator pedal depressed during a gear shift. Because the tuning allows an increase of the shift speed as the accelerator pedal travel increases, the shift shock also increases. For example, start the vehicle with the accelerator pedal fully depressed, as the vehicle speed increases, shift up to 2GR, after that release the accelerator pedal and shift up to 3GR. In this case, compared to 2GR to 3GR shift shock, 1GR to 2GR shift shock feels larger.
To prevent shift shock, drive with gentle accelerator operation.
The drive power is not generated or weak, or the engine races. | The drive power is weak when the temperature becomes extremely cold. The engine does not race. | The engine torque and engine speed are restricted to protect the transmission and engine at low temperature (the transmission oil temperature is approximately −20°C (−4°F) or less, or the engine oil temperature is approximately 0°C (32°F) or less). The drive power becomes weak or the engine speed does not increase over the specified speed.
If the oil temperature rises, the restriction of engine torque and engine speed is cancelled.
The drive power is not generated at high oil temperature. The engine does not race. | The engine torque and engine speed are restricted to protect the transmission and engine at high temperature (the transmission oil temperature is approximately 150°C (302°F) or more, or the engine oil temperature is approximately 135°C (275°F) or more). The drive power becomes weak or the engine speed does not increase over the specified speed.
Reduce the speed or stop the vehicle in a safe place until the engine oil temperature decreases or the transmission warning lamp turns off.
The drive power is not generated at high clutch temperature. | The engine torque and engine speed are restricted to protect the clutch at high clutch temperature. The drive power is not transmitted when the temperature is further increased. At this time, the vehicle may move if the brake pedal is not depressed on a slope.
Reduce the speed or stop the vehicle with the brake pedal depressed until the transmission warning lamp turns off.
At very low temperature, hard acceleration causes engine racing. | At low oil temperature, because of a high oil viscosity, oil pressure response takes time. Therefore, before the clutch is engaged, the engine speed increases, which may cause an engine racing. | Do not perform hard acceleration at low outside temperature with cold transmission.
After the vehicle stops with a sudden deceleration, depressing the accelerator pedal causes engine racing. | Under a sudden deceleration, tire lock easily occurs. To prevent an engine stall when a lock occurs, the clutch is released. Under that status, depressing the accelerator pedal may cause racing. | With a certain period of time after releasing the accelerator pedal, the clutch is engaged and the racing stops.
The engine stalls. | If the accelerator pedal and brake pedal are depressed together to stop, the engine stalls. | Because the clutch engagement pattern is adjusted for start-up or acceleration depending on the accelerator pedal operation, if the brake pedal is depressed together, a force to stop the engine is generated by braking force and the engine may stall.
Do not depress the accelerator pedal and brake pedal together.
The set-up switch cannot be changed. | It cannot be changed from SNOW mode to R mode. | The mode changes by 1 step per 1 mode switch operation. | When changing from SNOW mode to R mode, set to Normal mode once, and then press and hold the switch for 1 second to select R mode.
It cannot be changed from R mode to SNOW mode. | When changing from R mode to SNOW mode, set to Normal mode once, and then press and hold the switch for 1 second to select SNOW mode.
The combination meter display is malfunctioning. | The oil change history is reset without operation. | The oil change history is reset if the power supply is cut off when the battery is removed at the battery replacement. | Note the history before removing the battery. Perform manual setting of history after reconnecting.