Hesitation

[Top Jimmy]

Last time I had my car in to the service department at my dealer(about a month ago), I requested the PCM flash for hesitation below 2000rpm. They said they flashed it and it showed up on my receipt as being done. But, I also read the actual procedure to be followed on the service bulletin and noticed they were supposed to have put a sticker near the tire pressure sticker noting that the flash had indeed been done (I imagine this is in case you bring your vehicle to another dealer so they know you already had a particular flash completed).

Anyway, I think I remember noticing a difference initially when I picked the vehicle up.

But, more recently, I have been hitting the accelerator pretty hard at some stop lights and definitely notice a hesitation before the engine seems to kick in. More specifically, when I hit the accelerator hard (only when I hit it hard, I don't really notice an issue when I accelerate normally), it doesn't really respond for a second or two.

Is anyone else experiencing anything like this after getting the "hesitation flash?" I am questioning whether the flash was actually done by the dealer or not.

I have an AWD GT if that makes any difference.

 

[Top Jimmy]

But, I also read the actual procedure to be followed on the service bulletin and noticed they were supposed to have put a sticker near the tire pressure sticker noting that the flash had indeed been done (I imagine this is in case you bring your vehicle to another dealer so they know you already had a particular flash completed)

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, there is not sticker near the tire pressure sticker noting the flash had been done. Hmmmm.......

 

[mikey1981]

Well, if by what ur saying ur flooring the gas pedal from a stop, there will obviously be hesitation, with any engine for that matter. i think ur good.

 

[Platonium]

The ecus in cars are adaptive. It is a way to keep the car operating within the style of the driver. If you normally are a slow Sally or lazy Larry, but once in a blue moon floor it, your ecu will take just a touch longer to respond.
After I got the flash, I drove the dickens out of my car for a week to make sure the ecu knew I wanted aggressive response. I feel the car is much quicker as a result. I have a speeding ticket to prove it, though, so nothing is without its cost.
People will tell me I'm all wet on this, but it's the truth. Drive it like it's rented and you'll be rewarded!

 

[Top Jimmy]

Well, if by what ur saying ur flooring the gas pedal from a stop, there will obviously be hesitation, with any engine for that matter. i think ur good.

Mikey, appears that my dealer lied to me. I went to another dealer in the area and asked for the update since I suspected it wasn't done in the first place (kept noticing hesitation and the abrupt turbo kick-in AND the quick shifting to 6th when going like 35-40mph in the city).

Anyway, got a call from the service advisor at the new dealership and was told that the tech had driven the vehicle and that no flash update had been done. I was assured by my original dealer it had been done AND it was on my receipt as proof. Not so it seems, though.

So essentially, the dealer I bought the vehicle from lied to me about doing the update.

When I originally asked for the update, the service advisor told me I didn't need it and that I wouldn't notice a difference either. Even when I insisted I wanted it, apparently they put it on the receipt as being done to "appease me" but didn't actually do it.

Nice, huh?

 

[Top Jimmy]

The ecus in cars are adaptive. It is a way to keep the car operating within the style of the driver. If you normally are a slow Sally or lazy Larry, but once in a blue moon floor it, your ecu will take just a touch longer to respond.
After I got the flash, I drove the dickens out of my car for a week to make sure the ecu knew I wanted aggressive response. I feel the car is much quicker as a result. I have a speeding ticket to prove it, though, so nothing is without its cost.
People will tell me I'm all wet on this, but it's the truth. Drive it like it's rented and you'll be rewarded!

Thanks for the advice on how to drive it to "reprogram" the ECU to learn your driving style. I will make sure I drive it substantially harder since I know my wife won't.

 

[mikey1981]

wow that sucks man. u never know what they do to your car till something happens, i hate that feeling.

 

[Gray Ghost]

The ecus in cars are adaptive. It is a way to keep the car operating within the style of the driver. If you normally are a slow Sally or lazy Larry, but once in a blue moon floor it, your ecu will take just a touch longer to respond.
After I got the flash, I drove the dickens out of my car for a week to make sure the ecu knew I wanted aggressive response. I feel the car is much quicker as a result. I have a speeding ticket to prove it, though, so nothing is without its cost.
People will tell me I'm all wet on this, but it's the truth. Drive it like it's rented and you'll be rewarded!

The ecu will also adapt auto mode to how you drive in manual mode. I like to drive in manual mode in my neighborhood and keep it in 3rd to have good power through some curves and hills. I have noticed that now when I am in auto mode in the same speed range the car will hold in 3rd gear and not continue to shift into a higher gear. This seemed to happen over time as I drove more and more in manual mode.