Lurching on restart
 

New owner here.....

Only had my HCHII for a week but have already noticed a possible problem.

When starting up from a stop light, the engine is up and running before I can move my foot from the brake pedal to the gas, but the cvt does not engage as smoothly as I would like. It's more of a quick jerking motion rather than a lurch. On several occasions, I thought the guy behind me had bumped me.

On those rare occasions where the traffic light turns green just as the auto-stop turns off the engine, it's REALLY noticable then.

Is this normal? or do I have a problem?

Thanks!

Re: Lurching on restart
 

If it's brand new, it's more likely a driver-education problem than a car problem. I experienced the same thing you describe when I first got my car, and eventually realized I was moving my foot from brake to gas faster than the IMA could spin up the crankshaft and re-engage the clutch. Slow the motion down a little, ease up on the gas (yes, 4000rpm is excessive), and see where you end up.

Also, which area of the country are you in? There's a couple of folks on here (myself included) who are willing to sit down in the passenger seat if the person lives close enough.

Re: Lurching on restart
 

Thanks for the info.
I'm in Maryland btw.

Re: Lurching on restart
 

Sounds normal depending on how you're getting onto the throttle. The auto-clutch is really just like a normal clutch in this respect: the "driver" (in this case, the computer) doesn't always get it right, and in those moments you can get a noticeable jerk. On my car, when the weather is cold (20-30 deg. F) and the engine is just started, the clutch engages very abruptly -- if it weren't for the electric assist that keeps the crankshaft turning, the engine would stall.

But all that makes it sound worse than it is, I suspect. Just try different throttle applications (how fast and how far you get into the gas) until you find the feel you want, then drive it that way.

cheers --
doug