Coopcar

Just like the subject says...

I think this may be a problem, but not sure...

This just started happening. About 85 degrees out the first time it happened. Windows up, air set to 70. Doing about 55, and need to start breaking a ways up. I lift the gas pedal to coast until I need to break, and the RPMs drop to below 1000. Press the gas, and they shoot back up.

Most of the time, and the way I believe it should happen, is that when you let up on the gas pedal the RPMs should slowly creep back down. It is not happening all the time...just every now and then. It acts as if I am putting the car in neutral when I coast, but I am leaving it in D5.

The only thing I can think of, and I admit I am poisoned by reading about tranny problems on here, is that it is indeed shifting to neutral, or, for some strange reason it may shift from 4th to 5th when I start coasting, which doesn't seem normal.

Anyone else experience this?

Any help would be appreciated. The car is a 2003 TL-S with 9900 miles on it. I am the original owner as of December 30, 2003.

VTEC

i believe this is normal..our TL shift into 5th gear in around 50mph..what is happening is the tq converter locking and unlocking.

Coopcar

ok, will ride it out for a bit i guess.

it just seemed odd to me, especially that i hadn't noticed it for the last 6 months.

thanks for your input.

Severin

Uh, sounds very odd to me too. In my 4 years (with the TL) I have never ever experienced that happening.
When the torque converter engages/disengages it feels like a tiny clunk/bump. It is more obvious when you are slowing and it disengages, as you were locked 1:1 and are now driving hydrolic fluids.

Your RPM shouldn't be dropping at highway speeds unless your torque converter is starting to malfunction IMHO.