car feals "heavy" after letting of gas

[TimF]

When I'm driving my car, and I let of the gas, my car will coast for a split second, then just feels like it gained 500 pounds and slows down like I'm braking, then just goes back to coasting fine w/o problem. Any Idea what this is. Before it only happened in 1st gear when the car is cold, but now it carried over to 2nd

 

[TimF]

Auto trans, had the shift box since april/mayish, and my I looked at my fluid. It was in the hot section of the dip stick while the engine was cold, so I guess I have too much fluid.

before my shift box the trans has DD for 3 years in 3rd gear.

 

[RunninPlaya]

Auto trans, had the shift box since april/mayish, and my I looked at my fluid. It was in the hot section of the dip stick while the engine was cold, so I guess I have too much fluid.

before my shift box the trans has DD for 3 years in 3rd gear.

if you checked it cold it should be that high. you are supposed to check it at WOT with engine running in park or neutral. i know this too well cause i have to explain this to operators here on base daily. your fluid level sounds fine, my question tho, is the fluid actually red like it should be or is it brownish?

if the fluid is starting to go brown then you need to flush the tranny and that actually might fix your problem.

i'm not too familiar with this tranny, but it could be as simple as flushing your tranny and doing a filter. other than that, idk man. i'm bout as lost as you are.

-Brett

 

[Bud92gsx]

Tim try going down the highway at 55 ish in 4th gear, and see if the problem is still there..

You said that is nuetral there was no dragging, so maybe it's just because your in 1st or second, causing an engine braking condition..And not in a higher gear which is why I say try 4th, and see if the problem is still there..

 

[KMOSES]

I have a manual transmission, so maybe we just have different problem/same symptoms..

Hopefully planning to change my transmission gear oil this weekend. attempted it last week and the bolt was practically fused to the trans like its never been touched or someone used jbweld or something on it. and I stopped before I ended up rounding off the bolt.

Hopefully better luck this time, I'll let you guys know if the new oil helps out any.

 

[delta448]

A log of the event would help rule out engine issues enormously.

It sounds like 2 things could be working together in this case:

• closed throttle fuel cut; the ECU will cut fuel to provide engine braking upon closed throttle at elevated engine speed, then as engine speed drops the ECU enables idle speed fueling
• shift control; instead of upshifting and/or unlocking the convertor as load drops, you're holding the lower gear

 

[TimF]

Tim try going down the highway at 55 ish in 4th gear, and see if the problem is still there..

You said that is nuetral there was no dragging, so maybe it's just because your in 1st or second, causing an engine braking condition..And not in a higher gear which is why I say try 4th, and see if the problem is still there..

I drive 55+ to school (its counrty road on the way up there) and it does not do it after high speeds in high gear.

A log of the event would help rule out engine issues enormously.

It sounds like 2 things could be working together in this case:

• closed throttle fuel cut; the ECU will cut fuel to provide engine braking upon closed throttle at elevated engine speed, then as engine speed drops the ECU enables idle speed fueling
• shift control; instead of upshifting and/or unlocking the convertor as load drops, you're holding the lower gear

There is No TCU in my car, my shift box is spliced right into my wire harness, the other plugs are just hanging there

 

[Bud92gsx]

I Could be wrong, but I think you might just be paranoid..And in the lower gears the car is just engine braking..

Be cause you said on the road at 55 in 4th gear the car does not do it..

I know for a fact that in 1st and second the car likes to engine brake..But in higher gear, you don't drop much speed letting off the gas it kinda just coasts..

I could be missing something entirely..But I think it's just engine braking in lower gears..

 

[KMOSES]

I Could be wrong, but I think you might just be paranoid..And in the lower gears the car is just engine braking..

Be cause you said on the road at 55 in 4th gear the car does not do it..

I know for a fact that in 1st and second the car likes to engine brake..But in higher gear, you don't drop much speed letting off the gas it kinda just coasts..

I could be missing something entirely..But I think it's just engine braking in lower gears..

You could be right...

This is my first MT car i've owned so everything is new for me, I learned to drive stick in this car. this is also my first DSM, the first car i've actually purchased on my own, the most fun car i've ever driven.. I love this car.... So i could be paranoid.

It's really touchy in the low gears(1 & 2) almost impossible not to bounce around in stop n go traffic in first gear unless I slip the clutch every time i go from coasting down to acceleration

If im coasting and barley crack open the throttle while in first, the nose lifts up and wants to go, and if i have to stop i close the throttle and it nose dives and bounces, unless I disengage into neutral.

maybe im just a noob driver.

But then again without someone experienced in the seat actually driving and feeling whats happening, its all suggestive, hard to explain, and to understand.

 

[Bud92gsx]

No I feel ya in first and sencond if you get on it the front end wants to lift..And almost as soon as you accelerate and let off the throttle in lower gears it wants to loose speed quickly..

I just puts around town in 2nd gear..But I can go from end to end of town and only hit 3rd gear if I'm on mainstreet trying not to be loud..

 

[KMOSES]

No I feel ya in first and sencond if you get on it the front end wants to lift..And almost as soon as you accelerate and let off the throttle in lower gears it wants to loose speed quickly..

I just puts around town in 2nd gear..But I can go from end to end of town and only hit 3rd gear if I'm on mainstreet trying not to be loud..

The only thing that seems weird to me is that its not a constant reduction of speed during the "engine braking"

scenario:

1st gear, accel up to 3k rpm, let off throttle, car will start to engine brake pretty hard, and will have a slow steady decel, then once it gets to like 1000 or 1100 rpms(EDIT** my idle is set to ~1000 rpms) it jerks moderately hard, then levels out and is fine and will coast in gear untill you run out of road or gas.

is that jerk before the point of coasting normal?

its almost as its if the point where the car goes from engine braking to in-gear coasting. and that switch is pretty rough like someone who is learning to drive manual lets the clutch out too soon and the car and jerks forward, except it jerks backwards because its engine braking too hard, then the coasting mechanism takes over before the car engine brakes itself to death(stalling).

Does that make sense?

 

[PieEyedPiper]

To be clear, you guys aren't driving around with the A/C on, are you?

I can actually use my A/C to noticeably decrease my stopping distance.

 

[KMOSES]

To be clear, you guys aren't driving around with the A/C on, are you?

I can actually use my A/C to noticeably decrease my stopping distance.

This is with no accessories on. It does get noticeably worse with ac on.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

It's really touchy in the low gears(1 & 2) almost impossible not to bounce around in stop n go traffic in first gear unless I slip the clutch every time i go from coasting down to acceleration

You're not wrong- at all, I agree, but motor mounts can improve this behavior.

Something else to consider, though I doubt this is the cause since I barely notice it when it happens, the ECU shuts off fuel when rolling down in gear. Fuel is on again at 1500rpm. I can detect this if I'm paying attention, but nothing like you describe.

Another thought is to let someone else drive. Sorry if it's already been suggested.

 

[Bud92gsx]

I can actually use my A/C to noticeably decrease my stopping distance.

Really..I've never tried that...Interesting..

 

[TimF]

but why would a AT engine brake? I thought only MT do?

 

[Bud92gsx]

Wehen you go from slamming on the gas with a auto car, the car will shift when you let off the gas..

When you are manually shifting and not going up a gear or two higher the car will basically engine brake..

I remember just cruising when my car was not shifted by me.. I could get out of town with OD on and the car would shift into 4th or 3rd around 30mph..Now if you put you foot into the gas the car would rev high until you reached lets say 7k rpm or let off the gas and it would upshift..

 

[TimF]

Ok so in essentialy my engine is waiting for the trans to shift, but it is not going to happen cause I control the car. So that why I have the drag, seems logical

 

[KMOSES]

Long weekend....

on my way to my brothers wedding and my autozone alternator craps out on me, only had it for a week or two. after the wedding I picked up a $50 battery at walmart and rode that home, figured it was cheaper than getting it towed and now I have a spare battery that just needs recharged. Got the alternator swapped out and moved on to the gear oil.

A half a can of liquid wrench, and a blow torch and the oil fill bolt finally broke loose. filled up with Pennzoil synchromesh, and it made a world of a difference the car is overall much more smooth. It helped out the engine braking situation enough to where its not as noticeably concerning.

 

[PurpleHazel]

Found this thread searching about a similar issue. Automatic tranny, feels like braking hard when coasting then comes out if it. Mine is VERY consistant, will even do it at the exact same spots every day going to work.

It does it when its downshifting, and the RPMs jump for a second. Feels like someone doing a really crappy job of downshifting in a manual. Only downhill coasting and car runs great otherwise. Only did it in lower gears until the other day coasting down a big hill going 55-60. Car downshifted & RPMs jumped to 3k (this is when it 'brakes') while coasting with foot off the gas pedal. (Mine sits at about 2500 when cruising in OD.) Tranny fluid is as pretty pink as you could ask for. Hmmmm.

 

[TimF]

is your yours still auto controled?. Mine is worked by me, maybe you need to change your fluid.

 

[PurpleHazel]

is your yours still auto controled?. Mine is worked by me, maybe you need to change your fluid.

Yes. I'm stock other than intake, 1g bov & high flow cat. Fluid is in great shape.

It's amazingly consistent. If I ride the brake it won't do it. Not that I like to ride the brake, just trying to figure out just what its doing, how consistent, etc. One solid pump on the brake pedal stops it too. I almost think its something electronic, but don't know.

Skipping a gear downshifting almost seems like a good description. or when changing gears jumping to the lower gear's RPM shift point where it would have change when accelerating. Seems to stump everyone I describe it to, lots of them tecs (I work with shops all day at my job).

 

[rEclipserGST]

My auto gst in 1st, 2nd, & even 3rd will somewhat engine brake. I believe what you are experiencing is perfectly normal. Especially since you have a shiftbox installed.

 

[PurpleHazel]

My auto gst in 1st, 2nd, & even 3rd will somewhat engine brake. I believe what you are experiencing is perfectly normal. Especially since you have a shiftbox installed.

In my case (stock), that's exactly what it feels like, but not somewhat, its a lot. Will jerk you a bit when it hits.

 

[TimF]

I know this is kind of random and off topic but I need to know were to pick up a o2 housing bolt, the one from the housiing into the turbo, im missing one