New Pilots are pieces of $hit!

[BigWhite]

Originally Posted by Tmuchacho

Big White, no disrespect - but your 2011 Pilot has VCM (as does mine) and I'm happy for you yours is not giving you trouble. Where I live in the Low Country, the roads are flat so your mostly driving with light petal pressure which is the ideal condition for the VCM to drive one crazy. Granted the MPG is great down here on the flats, but I feel like I'm driving over washboard surfaces quite often even when there's a newly paved road.

So can you show me one complaint on the VCM coming from a non 2012 or 2013 owner?


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[Filipilot]

Originally Posted by Minnesotar6

to get out of the annoying shuddering the car makes.

ever drive a manual car before? it feels like im driving in 6th when i should be in 4th or 5th gear.

You hit the nail right in the head, no matter how many people denies the problem (or doesn't feel it at all like they say),VCM shudder is making me nuts.

[Filipilot]

Originally Posted by sessions247

Now my only question is, could it maybe be the VCM? I've never felt transmission "shudder" but I do feel the VCM kick in and out A LOT! it does feel very similar to a transmission "shudder". If I were to explain how it felt to someone, or if someone were to explained what they're were feeling to me, I would think "transmission shudder". BUT... it's not in my case. I can feel VCM changing from 6 cylinders to 4 cylinders and back to 6 again, and a lot of times it's not the smoothest transition. Could that possibly be what people are feeling and mistaking it as "transmission shudder"? Could it really be the vibration from the engine running in 4 cylinder mode not 6? Your typical 4 cylinder engine has "harmonic balancer" to keep the engine running balanced and smooth, V6 engines are already near perfect balance so they don't need a "harmonic balancer". But how does that work when you now have a V6 that is capable of shutting down to 4 cylinders?
See that's the "vibration" that I feel when driving my Pilot. I feel the VCM kicking in and out, and a vibration when cruising in eco mode (4 cylinders). I feel a "VIBRATION" but definiteley not a "shudder". That's my two penny's. Just something to think about.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

Yes we are talking about VCM transitions (A.K.A. shudder or at least thats how it feels to us affected by it) especially when going down to 3 cylinders plus also the tranny tends to shift to final gear or T.C. lock up too soon to save gas. Imagine ,as slow as 30-35 MPH on 3 cylinders and final gear,not a good combination.To those who don't feel anything, you guys are very lucky..

[rocky]

If you dislike feeling a shudder buy a 2013 MDX. Or an 03-05.


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[Im2c0oL]

Buy my 08!!! Hahaha!!! Why 03-05? Those have transmission problem even worse!!! I love my 08 pilot with nice stock projector work well with PNP hid if you want extra light, not much of a fan with the ricey altezza tail though.

So does this mean this issue is with 09-11 Pilot?

[Tmuchacho]

There are many 2012-13 owners that experience the problem. Regarding the 03's, my brother is now driving my old one, 200K with no Tranny problems and I did do some towing, but more importantly...no VCM issues.

[sessions247]

Yeah it makes me wonder if it is a "shudder" or the "transition" in and out of VCM. Has anyone taken it to the dealer or a transmission specialist and asked for their opinion on what they're feeling? I think either of them would be able to tell you, although if it were me I'd go to more then one source. If it is a true transmission shudder, the Dr. Tranny works wonders for that and I think any good tranny shop should be able to help you determine if it is in fact shuddering between gear changes. Because that's when a transmission shudders, in between gear changes. If it is VCM transition maybe some kind of ecu re-flash? I don't know.
I do acknowledge and believe the problem exist for a lot of people out there. Maybe people's transmissions truly are shuddering, I wouldn't doubt it one bit. I wish someone knew exactly what it was. It's been over a year since the 2012's went on sale. I would think someone would've got some answers by now and posted it.
Until then I'll keep praying I make it with no problems until my Pilot is paid-off, and I'll keep my ears open to a solution.

[sessions247]

And does anyone know if this happening to just 2wd or 4wd also?

[Filipilot]

Originally Posted by sessions247

And does anyone know if this happening to just 2wd or 4wd also?

It does it on my 2012 4WD

[mudbog]

Help -mine has stuttering, I mean shuddering, I mean shuttering

[Filipilot]

Originally Posted by mudbog

Help -mine has stuttering, I mean shuddering, I mean shuttering

Are you just trying to make fun of us unfortunate ones? If you are,oh well, I just hope that you won't have any problems with your pilot in the future,good luck.

[Tmuchacho]

Mudbog, I laughed my ass off when I saw your "Woody", I mean "Shutter" edition of your Pilot. At least I'm starting my day off laughing...that is until I get my first shudder on the road. In case any of you haven't noticed, the ECO doesn't activate until the car reaches full operating temp. So it's cool here this AM, and I've noticed on cool mornings I can drive for sometimes up to 7-8 minutes with a perfectly normal drive train (no cyl changes) until the ECO light finally comes on. It's such a pleasure to feel it running on 6 cyl only for that short time.

[MantyGal]

Finally had to weigh in regarding the 2012 Pilot. I have a 2012 Touring AWD with 15,000 miles. While I do experience a slight hesitation when the ECO kicks on/off, it is very minor and not even remotely bothersome.

The rough start issue that I experienced in the first few weeks was fixed by the software upgrade at the dealership and I haven't had any problems since.

My 2012 runs smooth and rattle-free, with no shudder. While it appears many of you have issues, I would just like to add that mine has been exceptional (coming from an Infiniti) and I would highly recommend it.

Keep in mind that most owners who are happy with their vehicles don't post comments....forum comments, like most review sites, typically highlight the negative, while many positive comments go unheard.

I love my 2012 Touring!

[EmptyTank]

As with the ignition coil melt issue, the shudder is all too real for those with the misfortune of experiencing it.

Now, if the shuddering only happens with VCM ("ECO") kicked in, then there's a chance it could be corrected. Maybe a software upgrade is needed to adjust the valve timing when running under VCM. Maybe one of the cylinders is not getting enough fuel or air, so the whole thing runs rough when that cylinder is needed most. Dunno. It's certainly not fair or polite to dismiss reported problems as "can't be" -- and it's not fair or polite to mock those with the misfortune of encountering such a problem.

That said, it's also uncessary, unfair, and impolite to be rude and hostile about it, e.g. labeling all Pilots as POS or taking an adversial attitude to the forums.

We should all be trying to help each other out here: gathering facts, comparing experiences, seeing if we can collectively figure out solutions to problems where they exist; learn do's and don't's as Pilot owners, and maybe -- just maybe -- make the drive a little more pleasant for everyone.

[EmptyTank]

Originally Posted by Tmuchacho

Mudbog, I laughed my ass off when I saw your "Woody", I mean "Shutter" edition of your Pilot. At least I'm starting my day off laughing...that is until I get my first shudder on the road. In case any of you haven't noticed, the ECO doesn't activate until the car reaches full operating temp. So it's cool here this AM, and I've noticed on cool mornings I can drive for sometimes up to 7-8 minutes with a perfectly normal drive train (no cyl changes) until the ECO light finally comes on. It's such a pleasure to feel it running on 6 cyl only for that short time.

Tmuchacho: what diagnosis / repair efforts has your mechanic tried so far? I assume you've covered the basics like non-ethanol fuel, clean fuel filter, clean air filter, read out the OBDC codes etc. Is all the ignition wiring high and tight? Have they verified that the ignition computer is flashed with the lastest rev?

For a lot of us, the VCM kicking in is a non-zero event (it can be felt), but it's a very minor event, only on the edge of being noticeable. I can believe that on yours, you can almost hear Scotty shouting to Kirk , "She's breakin' up, Cap'n'! " -- now the trick is to figure out why.