[Spaceman Spiff]

I have 92 Sable with a 3.8. Sometimes when I am driving around 40mph, the tranny will upshift to the next gear and the RPM will drop down to around 1200ish. When this happens the car behaves like a car with a manual tranny when it was upshifted to early. It doesn't chug or anything like that but there is a definate vibration that goes goes away when you step on the gas and increase the RPM. Is this common? Is there anything that I can do fix this or just step on the peddle

?


Spiff

 

[mikehawk]

Why would you question any plausible excuse to step on the gas?

"Seriously officer, the car shakes if I don't give it some gas..."

 

[1989LX]

I have a 3.8 as well and I think I know what you mean. The engine just kind of "lugs" along until the rpm's rise as you accelerate. I don't think there is really anything to fix but stepping on the gas is never a bad idea.

 

[93taurusSX]

Well I'm not too sure about the vibration, but I know that the 3.8's like to cruise in the low rpms. I find that when I'm going at highway speed, the engine is not even going past 2k. That's because that's where the lump of the torque is made in this engine, so the tranny's been programmed to basically shift earlier than on most engines. (it might sound nice revving it up and all, but you're not really making any power up there)

 

[jason8225]

My vulcan does sort of the same thing. It cruises at low RPM's around town, but it doesn't shake or anything. It cruises at 40 at something like 1300 RPMs.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thanks for the replies everone, I guess I will just have step on it

Spiff

 

[mobiuslogic]

Yeah, same for my FFV, typical cruising in my area is 40 and the tranny is always at 1500 rpms on the dot with the TC locked up. And I get the same "vibration" only as a slight rattling when I give it a little more gas to accelerate some. I don't think it's a problem.

-mobiuslogic