Rav 4 Shudders/jerks When Changing Gear

[kentrav4]

Hi - new to forum, looking for guidance re our 2.0 Ltr petrol Rav. Recently it has started being sluggish when changing gear from 2nd to 3rd; and sometimes from 3rd to 4th, jerking and shuddering just like when taking your first driving lesson. In 5th gear on the motorway - no problems, so perhaps it is not a fuel issue. It is going into garage for the 3rd time later this week. (plugs and coils have been checked and okay - I'm told) We have had it from new, FSH and completed 78K. Once the ECU light came on, flashing faintly. I turned the engine off. When I restarted the car it did not come on again. However the ECU light has flashed once very briefly on 3 occasions; this has occurred when changing gear from 2nd to 3rd. Diagnostic checks have been done twice - nothing has registered. So I am wondering ECU issue? When starting from cold there does not appear to be any problem until the car has 'warmed up' When starting from cold idle revs are about 1500. When the car has warmed up the idle revs drop to about 650. (usually 850?) When I drive I try to keep the revs up a little, when changing gear; that appears to help a little with reducing the instances of jerking.

I have read much about the possible occurrences of a similar issues ... but no real diagnosis.

Can any club member assist with our problem .... do not want to sell.

Many thanks in anticipation

Kent Rav

[crofter]

Hi Russ and welcome to the club

Just a hunch but it could be a dirty mass air flow sensor which is fitted in the air pipe after the air filter,look for the electrical connector and it is there.

This is a plastic block there with a very fine wire across it so handle with care and remove it with out catching this. Then it can be cleaned with carb cleaner, might also be worth checking the throttle body as well

Del

[kentrav4]

Del Hi

Good morning to you ............ many thanks for the guidance!

[Fancis25]

Oh I also get same difficulty while driving. I am a very bad driver so now planning to join a professional Driving School to get proper training. I think you should also get the driving lessons!

[crofter]

Is this an advert????

Anyway welcome to the club

Del

[Conrod]

Hi - new to forum, looking for guidance re our 2.0 Ltr petrol Rav. Recently it has started being sluggish when changing gear from 2nd to 3rd; and sometimes from 3rd to 4th, jerking and shuddering just like when taking your first driving lesson. In 5th gear on the motorway - no problems, so perhaps it is not a fuel issue. It is going into garage for the 3rd time later this week. (plugs and coils have been checked and okay - I'm told) We have had it from new, FSH and completed 78K. Once the ECU light came on, flashing faintly. I turned the engine off. When I restarted the car it did not come on again. However the ECU light has flashed once very briefly on 3 occasions; this has occurred when changing gear from 2nd to 3rd. Diagnostic checks have been done twice - nothing has registered. So I am wondering ECU issue? When starting from cold there does not appear to be any problem until the car has 'warmed up' When starting from cold idle revs are about 1500. When the car has warmed up the idle revs drop to about 650. (usually 850?) When I drive I try to keep the revs up a little, when changing gear; that appears to help a little with reducing the instances of jerking.

I have read much about the possible occurrences of a similar issues ... but no real diagnosis.

Can any club member assist with our problem .... do not want to sell.

Many thanks in anticipation

Kent Rav

I suspect you have the ECU gearbox fault, corrosion collects on the circuit board and causes problems, use the car as little as possible and get the gearbox ECU sent off for repair ...see this link...

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/117915-uk-ecu-gearbox-repairs/

[Avalon]

http://www.bba-reman.com/uk/index.aspx <-- if it's an ECU repair I normally suggest BBA are worth speaking to. No connection to them but I remember them from my Audi days with gearbox ECU failure, they also warrant the repair for 2 years and are UK based.