Yeah, but he keeps saying he can’t get over 3k rpm. If you bury the throttle in the floorboard, it should downshift and get to redline…right?
That would certainly be an interesting (and welcome) turn of events. I don’t recall this happening in my wife’s Forester and I guess I expected the TB to be more powerful. Is it really reasonable to top out at 30-40 going up a steady incline (not exactly steep but is a long and steady incline).
I’ll try you the shifting into 2 tomorrow and see. So let’s say it doesn’t do anything and I can conclude it’s already in 2. Would that suggest the tranny performed it’s job properly?
No, both my 50 year old truck (automatic) and 30 year old Corolla (manual) would easily go faster than that.
Correct, I’ve never seen it go more than slightly above 3k when going to the floor. Either in my driveway or driving.
Nope, no rats or nests : ). When I did the Seafoam into the brake booster hose, I had a steady flow of smoke pour out. But this was just in idle so I can’t say there’s no restriction but I don’t think there can be a substantial restriction and get a flow like that.
No, both my 50 year old truck (automatic) and 30 year old Corolla (manual) would easily go faster than that.
Yeah, I didn’t figure. Which brings it back to something not being right.
I very well could be wrong, but whatever is wrong with it makes me feel like it could be driven this way for some time. It hasn’t gotten worse, it hasn’t expanded into other issues, it hasn’t thrown any codes and hasn’t even happened in my normal work driving for a few weeks. But certainly I’d like it to performing normally and it seems like that’s definitely not the case.
I’d check the cat like you originally intended. If the cat is partially plugged, that would restrict engine performance like you’re describing. If no luck there, I’d check fuel pressure with the engine under load.
I’m assuming the engine isn’t misfiring since you don’t have a check engine light.
If it isn’t a fuel problem or an exhaust restriction, I’d think you have a computer or sensor issue. But those would generate a check engine light.
A partially clogged cat / restricted exhaust and a weak fuel pump often won’t generate a check engine light. So, if you’ve got no codes, I’d investigate those two items.
Thanks George and John. Going to bed now but will think some more on this tomorrow and will either be making some calls are going to Harbor Freight for some test equipment. Both sound like perfectly sensible options so will probably depend on when I get off work.
On my way to work, I decided to put it in 2 when going up an onramp and it gave me the power I’d expect from the vehicle going uphill. It also went to 4k rpm at that time. So after work, I drove to that place which gave me the problem twice yesterday. This time it didn’t exactly happen the way it did yesterday and wasn’t nearly as obvious. I was able to reach 40 and wasn’t anywhere near the floor with the pedal and it seemed like I could’ve kept increasing speed if I tried (but I was already exceeding the speed limit). But it did feel sluggish and slow with the speed increasing given how far down on the pedal I was (but still not near the floor). So I put it in 2nd and it felt more like what I’d consider normal.
Then I went back and tried it again on my way back through and it didn’t give me any trouble at all. Increased speed like I’d expect. I got beyond the speed limit pretty quickly so had to stop accelerating but I think I could’ve easily gotten to 60.
Two things come to mind. 1) What would it likely mean is the issue if it’s not going into proper gear automatically when going uphill but goes into it fine manually? 2) Last night I was reading a thread about someone describing a similar problem and it was suggested they start with disconnecting the negative battery lead for 30 minutes so that it would relearn everything as they were thinking maybe the transmission computer data was messed up. Now, when I cleaned the throttle body I did remove the suggested fuse and relay for the duration of the cleaning. Was that the same as disconnecting the battery as far as re-learning or does the battery disconnect do a more expensive relearning? I’d be shocked if this fixes the problem but both times I went over the troublesome area, it was after I did the relearn. The time I put it into 2 on the onramp which gave improved power was before.
One thing I noticed on my way to work was that it always seemed to be in 3 when going uphill. Anytime I shifted to 3 going uphill, it did nothing but always reacted when I’d shift to 2. But the one time I tried this on my way home (not on the trouble stretch), when I shifted to 3, I felt it so it wasn’t already in 3. And it was feeling fine going up the hill at that moment so I’m thinking it was in 2. Which, when doing this 4-5 times on the way to work, it was always already in 3. However, there was that moment on the first trouble stretch pass where it wasn’t in 2 already going up the hill. It wasn’t maxed out, though, like yesterday.
I went to Harbor Freight and picked up the tools to do the back pressure test and I think it can also be used for the fuel but I’ll need to figure that rig out. I’m going to wait and see how it drives before I attempt these tests. Mainly because I don’t want to F up something getting the oxygen sensor out of the manifold.
I also just bought a new set of ACDelco spark plugs for $2 each (they have a $3 rebate for each up to $48 right now). The plugs were replaced last year when my dad took it to the local guy for the misfire code. But I don’t know what kind he put in. I’m going to look and if not ACDelco, I might swap them out. If not, I’ll have a backup set. I couldn’t pass them up for that price.
Oh, one other thing. I also bought the 10mm hex bit I need to check my transfer case level. I think it’s low. Everything I’m seeing online says the bottom of the fill hole is the proper level, so basically until it’s running out. But I had to put my finger in there about 1.5 inches before hitting fluid. I’ve read a number of complaints online that said they were under filled from the factory.
So I need to buy something to pump the fluid in. Guess I’m making another trip tomorrow after work.
If this was covered earlier please excuse me. But can you get it to over 3000 RPM when it is in your driveway in park?
When I tried that, it would jus barely go over 3k. Yesterday when I manually shifted into 2 going uphill was the first time I’ve seeing go over 3k (it hit 4k). I haven’t tried it again in park to see if it has changed. Will try to remember to check that tonight.
If that thing won’t go over 3k in the driveway something electrical is acting screwy or could be fuel pump. Is there a check engine light on yet?
I thought that too, but if it is drive by wire (no throttle cable), it may be designed to limit rpm in park. I have two 2005 GM vehicles, a Buick and a Sierra. Only the Sierra is drive by wire, but I’ve honestly never tried to really rev the engine in park to find out if RPM is limited when not in gear. I remember a 2013 Ford that I owned only revving to 4K in park (long story). But, when he “floors it” in drive, it should get near redline pretty quick.
I’ve been following this thread and I can’t really understand for sure what’s happening. I wish I could drive the thing, floor it, and see what’s happening for myself!
Still no check engine light and hooked up a reader a couple days ago and everything still checks out ok.
I don’t think it has a throttle cable. I couldn’t find one anyway.
At the times I’ve had to floor it while driving, it never went past 3200 rpm. It went above 4k a couple times when I manually put it into 2 but then I didn’t have to floor it to get the power I needed so it may’ve gone higher.
Yeah, I wish I knew someone who knows cars and could take it for a drive. Another reason I hesitate taking it somewhere is that I fear the “We didn’t find anything wrong with it” response because it didn’t act up when they had it. It will drive totally fine for so long and I’ll start to think there’s probably nothing wrong with it but then when it does this thing, all I can think is that there’s no way that’s normal.
Took it on a 2.5 hour long round trip yesterday and drove fine except two moments where I felt it not gaining the power I wanted so I put it into 2 and it did well.
It sounds like it’s just not downshifting when it needs to. But the transmission is totally computer controlled. So you’d think you’d get some kind of error code if that was the case. Very strange…
I wonder if the code reader you’re using could be missing a stored transmission code. I’m not sure if that’s a real possibility.
What a good idea, a lot of lower end scanners don’t do transmissions…however, you would think it would still throw a check engine light.
Yeah, I would think there’d be a CEL if it was recognizing a transmission shifting problem. No light has ever come up, not even flashing, during all this.
It seems to be happening less and less but does still happen.
I have transfer oil arriving today to change that and get it to the proper level. Transmission and differentials are on my list but I’m waiting on the transmission to decide if I’m going to change any valves. I’d hate to change the fluid and then finally get a code pointing to a valve needing replaced. So in the meantime I’m just going through during other maintenance services.
EDIT: Just checked the front diff. Level is good. It’s not even dark. But I’d be shocked if my dad ever had it changed so I’ll still change it. Really potent sulfur smell. It was such a terrible smell that I thought maybe it was a bad sign, but then I looked it up 
I did the brakes because the fronts were creaking when I pressed on the pedal in my garage (the right started sounding like wood about to snap) and then the rears started to squeal like crazy. I thought it was the alert bar so I parked it and didn’t drive it until I got the brakes done. Turns out, the fronts still had half the pad left and the rears looked nearly as thick as the new ones. I did see a date of 2013 on the pads so I guess age finally got to them because it certainly wasn’t usage. Both noises went away since I put on the new ones. The new rears seem pretty tight compared the old ones. They didn’t move easily by hand. But I checked rotor temps and all is the same as before I changed them so they must not be dragging. I e-mailed ACDelco to ask about whether it’s normal for the rears to be tight when newly installed but just received a response about Amazon’s return policy.
Take a look at the short term fuel trim when it acts up.
Does your code reader record live data?
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