hard to explain

[circmand]

When I am driving and coasting no foot on the gas it seems that something is slowing down the VX. What could it be? Anyone else experience this? What did you do?

[tom4bren]

"What could it be?"

Gravity

Actually, I've noticed at times that mine does that too. I've never tried to troubleshoot tho since it's intermittent.

Try pulling each wheel & make sure there isn't something going on with the brakes (stuck caliper, stone stuck between rotor & caliper, ...). Check your parking brake too.

Check your fluids: front & rear diffs, Tcase, Tranny.

Lube your U-joints.

Check tire pressure.

Those are the easy things. If it's something more complicated - Ida know.

[circmand]

I ruled out gravity it is when I am coasting going down hill so gravity would give an assist. I shall endeavour to investigate the proposals you otherwise pontificated the fortnight.

[tom4bren]

Sorry - forgot to put a smiley after the 'gravity' comment.

Have you checked your bearings? Grab the top of the front tire & pull/push. If there's any play then your bearings are bad.

[circmand]

will check on that

[Y33TREKker]

One easy way to check if it's a brake caliper dragging is to just put a hand on each rim after driving to feel if they're warm. Even driving a block or two would probably be enough. Dragging brake pads, or a semi-locked caliper, will generate a lot of heat, and it usually doesn't take long for that heat to get transfered to an aluminum rim.

[tom4bren]

But be careful. If a caliper is dragging bad, the rim can be sizzling hot. My neighbor's rear brake caught fire because his caliper was sticking was dragging.

[circmand]

Thta would be a constant drag this feels more like the cruise control slowing you down when you are coasting down hill and pick up speed past where cruise is set. However it is doing this when cruise if off.

[tom4bren]

How's your idle? Once after mine did it, my idle was seeking between 200 & 1200 RPM. When I shut her down & restarted, all was fine. It's never done it since.

Gotta love those intermittent problems.

BTW, how often does yours do the slow down thinggy?

[PK]

Is it just the torque converter lock up staying in??
If it stays in, it allows the engine to supply some braking effort, as it would in a manual car.

Turn your music off, and listen to the exhaust note.
When coasting down hill and the foot right off the gas pedal, listen to the exhaust.
Then apply the slightest amount of throttle - not enough to speed up, but just so there is weight on the gas pedal.
If the exhaust note goes quieter at that point, then the torque converter has come out of lock up, and no more engine braking.

Engine braking is good - saves on brake pads.

Not sure if the VX is supposed to do this, but mine does it all the time, and has done since I bought it second hand.

PK

[Thmstec]

Is it just the torque converter lock up staying in??
If it stays in, it allows the engine to supply some braking effort, as it would in a manual car.

Turn your music off, and listen to the exhaust note.
When coasting down hill and the foot right off the gas pedal, listen to the exhaust.
Then apply the slightest amount of throttle - not enough to speed up, but just so there is weight on the gas pedal.
If the exhaust note goes quieter at that point, then the torque converter has come out of lock up, and no more engine braking.

Engine braking is good - saves on brake pads.

Not sure if the VX is supposed to do this, but mine does it all the time, and has done since I bought it second hand.

PK

Circmand, I experience the same slowing down you are talking about. But I always assumed it was caused by what PK describes-- it feels more like engine braking due to the fact that as soon as I apply the slightest pressure to the gas pedal. Also, when going downhill, if I shift into neutral the engine braking effect goes away completely.

Also of note is that the VX seems to do more of this engine braking in "Power mode" than in normal mode.

[circmand]

I have been operating in power mode since reading it helps with gas mileage here. I think this started happening around the same time but I was dealing with a new PCV valve and changed the fuel pressure regulator so I did not make the connection. Thanks everybody.