Hi !!!,

I have a 2011 Outlander sport with 4b11 engine and the automatic/CVT transmission. I am new to the forums and I have spent a little time searching the forums for the answer to why does the car have a throttle lag and/or the loss of power after the transmission shifts from 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th gear. It seems that there are a few different answers to my question. Most comments/answers point to some kind of tuning of the ems/ecu and/or throttle. I would like to know what people have done that has worked for them? I am interested in tuning the car to try to get the best performance out of it and I was interested in doing some performance modifications like replacing the idler pulley with the light weight one and installing headers and exhaust. I am not looking to make it a race car but would like to try to make the engine feel sportier if possible. Thanks for any help I greatly appreciate it!!!

 

Search GALACTICA. My 16 big O has the newer 4cyl. (2.4) and experienced some of what you are described.
I've got an aluminum pulley (big difference in response) and the RRM timing controller. No exhaust or intake mods, and my Outlander is way more "pep-ee" than the V6 model. WAY more...... I also run premium.
Even if I were to upgrade the exhaust, the stock air box/filter, are plenty capable of providing what this motor can put out. Like Rob at RRM has found, you can only do so much to this 4cyl until the CVT gives up on you. Over 200hp and you'll be pushing the CVT even with a cooler on it. Good luck.

 

I have been looking at both the pulley and the timing controller as viable options and I appreciate you confirming those. Thanks for the advice Krakker I greatly appreciate it!!!!

 

At what RPM range does the lag happen when you shift? Do you release the gas during shifts?

 

Whiteout 2010,

I believe it happens after it shifts into 3rd gear. It mostly happens when I am accelerating at less than 1/4 of the gas pedal. I even notice it sometimes when I am manually shifting with the paddle shifters. When I push the gas pedal down to at least 1/2 I get very little lag at 3rd gear. When I push the gas down 3/4 or more I don't recall any lag. Just to clarify when I say lag I mean the car bogs down as it usually has a steady increase in speed and then when it hits about 30 mph or so it bogs down and if I don't push down more on the accelerator it will just barely accelerate.

 

I'm really confused. You know that our cars have no gears right ? CVT stands for Continuous Variable Transmission. So basically you will not feel any step ups in gear because there are no gears... Just keep stepping on the gas to get up to speed. If you're coming from a Honda or any car that had regular automatic transmission, its going to feel really wierd driving a CVT at first.

 

I didn't really know that it didn't switch gears like a regular transmission! The car was my Fathers car and he was having trouble driving anymore so he wanted me to have it. I obviously didn't know anything about the car previous to getting it but I am really glad that I have joined the forum to get some help. What you are saying makes perfect sense though as if I floor it I don't feel any gears changing at all and the first time that I had done that I thought the motor was going to throw a rod because the rpm's wouldn't come down as I held down the gas. Hahahahaha!!! And now I know why! Thanks for the help Whiteout!!!!

 

Tell me about it. I had an Acura TL 3.2 before I bought the Outlander. I wasn't familiar with CVT's then. With the Acura, can predict the shifts in the tranny when you are going up to speed. But when I first drove the Outlander from the dealer, It was just so different. However, what I liked about the CVT was it gets you up to speed without noticing it. And it's smooth, it's weird without the automatic shifting, but it's smooth.

 

Yes the transmission is smooth and it is definitely something to get used to. It is definitely starting to grow on me so I plan on keeping the car for a while. I have the 16" rims but I have seen a few with 20" rims and they definitely make the appearance of the vehicle look really nice. I will have to look around the forum if there is any advice about this size rim and if there is any suspension modifications that are recommended for a 20" rim. Thanks Again Whiteout I appreciate it!!!!