downshifting...
 

I was driving home from work lastnight and I was going downhill on a curve so I stepped on the brakes a little bit, then let go. That's when I noticed that the engine revved up to about 3000+ rpms and felt like it was down shifting or engine braking or something. I have an '04 SL with 5spd auto. Is this normal? Thanks!

Where you in tiptronic mode? If so then yes it is normal because the ECU is making the transmission downshift so that you don't bog down the motor

No, I was in "D". I rarely use my tiptronic primarily due to laziness...:wall: but anyways, it felt like it revved up for about 2 seconds then the rpm's went down as I was cruising downhill. It only happened once last night. Maybe that spot was the most downhill road I went through lastnight, or maybe it was because I was running ~ 65-70mph then stepped on the brake a little to slow down to ~ 40mph. That's when it happened. Thanks for the reply. I just hope my Max would last me at least 200,000+ miles since I have no plans of trading it in and I run 600+ miles per week for work... :(

hmmmmmmm was it still "cold?" that might have had a slight effect on it. Other than that, I don't know what else to tell you. Sorry, hopefully others will chime in. :wavey:

Dan

That's ok Dan. Thanks anyways:thumbsup:

Ok, now THIS one is scary: I just finished filling up in a BP station an hour ago. I cranked the engine on, then waited for about 30-60seconds (I was jotting something down) before I shifted to "D". Normally, my car would start inching forward even without stepping on the gas, but this time it didn't! I tried to step on the gas pedal and it seemed like the pedal won't depress! It was just so stiff! Then I tried depressing the brake pedal and it was also very stiff at first but eventually it gave in! One thing I didn't check though was the rpm's when this was all happening, and I couldnt really hear the engine because I had the radio on. So what I did, I turned the engine off, waited for a few seconds, then turned it back on. It went just fine and ran like nothing happened! But boy was I scared! Anybody had this experience?:werd:

Tranny does downshift automatically in D when the speed increases and you're not on the gas. Next time you notice the downshift, put in tip mode and see what gear you're in.

Got me on this one...

Its normal. It downshifts automatically and this is what you are feeling and seeing

Thanks guys! But how about that freaky thing that happened a couple of hours ago? Anybody experienced it too?:nervous:

Since I can't start a new thread yet (not enough posts)...

How solid is the auto tranny on an 06? I've been using the tip mode a lot, I really enjoy it, but I'm concerned about excessive wear on the trans.

I've owned a 91, 2000 and now a 2006 Max. The tranny on the 91, amazingly, was the best trans IMO. However, it did require a rebuild at about 90k, at which time I opted for a shift kit, which really made it shift well. The tranny on the 2000 SUCKED. I really hated how it shifted (or didn't shift properly), but it seems the 06 trans is pretty good so far.

IMO I wouldn't shift into tiptronic mode while driving. I did this and I did it at the exact mph that it would normally shift and the tiptronic got confused and the car jerked forward and made a bad noise..........:goofy: NO GOOD But from tiptronic to auto I've done a few times and nothing happened :clap:

Are you sure that the engine was started?

I do this often, especially near my house when I come down the hill at 50-60mph and about to make a right. I coast down hill in 4th then downshift to 2nd. I haven't experienced any wierd jerkings.

I guess we'll have to see whose tranny will last longer. :laugh:

:banghead: will be you sooner than others! lol

I do it all the time as well. Sometimes just to see what gear I'm in. I haven't had anything unusal happen other than sometimes it will move from 5th to 4th.

Bingo. :tardsmash

Joemax1 - The downshifting while sort of coasting downhill at slow (below 25 or so mph) is normal with the '04 5speed auto tranny. Makes no difference if the car is cold or warmed up. My 2000 SE does not do this.

It worried me the first month or two (June/July of 2004) until I found out here on the ORG that most other folks had also noticed the same thing. Now I expect it, and like it, as it slightly reduces the braking I need to do if getting ready to stop or turn.

Just guessing, but I honestly feel the computer setup is doing this on purpose, and does this only because the Maxima is supposed to be a sporty car. If we are mashing the accellerator pedal, the car does not do this. The computer 'guesses' that, if we are not giving the car any gas, chances are most likely that we are planning to stop or turn, and the downshift helps with either one of those maneuvers.

I have grown used to this, and actually like it.

As to the other problem you mentioned, the only time I ever had anything like that happen was one time when I was getting ready to leave a gas station, and thought I had started the car, but found out I had not.

I imaging the same situation might arise if you had indeed started the car, but, for whatever reason, the motor died, and you thought it was still running.

I hope one of these two scenarios is what happened with you, otherwise, I have no clue.

If it happens again, and you know your motor was running, bring it up here again, so maybe someone will have an idea.

Indeed, I like it as well, reminds me of how BMW tranny's behave. Any well programmed auto should do this IMO.

yep..........

I've noticed that my gas pedal is hard to depress sometimes... but it's NOT the car's fault...

I noticed that the sole of my right shoe was "dragging" on the console to the right of the gas pedal... if I twisted my foot to the left just a bit, the dragging quit and the pedal was soft to press (like always)... if I twisted it right, it'd drag on the carpet and I couldn't push the gas pedal at all...

And this was almost unnoticeable... maybe that's what you did... I know I've got to be aware of my shoe position if I wanna get on it sometimes...

Exactly. My car does this and I am glad. It is using engine breaking and it is in the appropriate gear for when i need to accelarate. On the note about switching to manual mode while driving or moving,, you are supposed to ba bel to do it on the fly thats why its it is so easy to do it. The r&d department and the guys who go about trying to wear something out would have come up with somethin gby now if there was anything to break. I agree it should slide towards the driver but other than that ts bullet proof.

do you happen to have an intake installed on this car and is there any clamps in the way of the TB plates? Might be the reason for the sticking pedal

on the topic of our transmission... does anyone get the jerk while driving in D at about 20 mph the car downshifts from 3rd to 2nd and say you apply gas casually right when it shifts down .. it jerks HARD... (if it has happened to you, you know exactly what i mean..)

When it's cold yes, but after a good warm-up..no

Yes, I get it often, in fact, I can make it duplicate the behavior over and over.

My neighborhood speed limit is 25mph. There is a HUGE hill and at the bottom a sharp turn. I get to the top of the hill, ready to coast down. I will roll to 19mph, and the tranny kicks in and holds me back at 19mph. At first it freaked me out, then I realized it is normal and completely ok.

I am starting to experience it around 30-40 now also when coasting. It does feel like a jake brake on a rig.

Guess it's all part of the performance systems in our cars?!?!