I have a second gen with the 3.slow. whenever i accelerate moderate-heavy, the engine will accelerate, then drop about 250-400 rpm, then keep accelerating again. it does this with or without the ETC botton on. it normally does this around 3500 with ETC off, and 4000 with ETC on. is this normal? it just sounds like a loss of power. it's done this ever since i got my truck, including before and after my head gasget replacement

I really dont like my 3.0

 

mine dont do it...

 

How about a new fuel filter and a tune up? My truck doesn't do that, in fact it runs out strong. A fuel filter that's full of junk can give the motor only so much fuel, and when you're accelerating it will run out, stall, build up more fuel pressure, run again, over and over.

Good luck!

 

hmm.. that sounds like the culprit...

i wonder how much the dealer will do that for. I'm not comfortable messing with the gas lines and such. I know, i'm a chicken

 

Does the relation between your speed and rpm's change? ex: 40mph at 2,500 then 40 at 2,250rpms? If it's something like that, then it's probably your torque converter.

 

it happens for less than a second so i havent had a chance to notice any speed change. it always happens at the same point, and only happens if im pushing the throttle moderately hard-floored

 

I have that too, but it's not a loss of power in my case, but rather a flat spot in the power curve. But yeah, mine is doing that for some reason. Above and below the flat spot it pulls hard, but the flat is annoying... I've already replaced the fuel filter with no change. Soon I'll see what a new O2 sensor and exhaust will do for it.

Steve

 

if your refering to the rmp dropping aound third gear during acceleration or passing i think it is the torqe converter locking and unlocking.....i had this checked when i first got my truck....first time automatic owner and i though it was slipping. The trans shop drove it and siad it needed to be rebuilt.. i said OK since i have a 2 yr warranty. Got it back a long while later and still did it. Took it back they rode with me for a test drive and i showed them what i was talking about, they said oh thats the torqe coverter unlocking and locking.. I said WEll WTF did you rebuild.
the truck has a rear main seal leak and trans pan seal leak since then....took it back too many times and they still cant fix the leaks so I just left it the way it is. ill fix it myself whenever i ge time. but back to the question... it think it is normal...someone else might chime in but thats just my 2 cents.

Later

 

I must have been too tired when I posted before, I should have caught that!

Ways to check it out:

Hold the trans in one gear, like 2nd or 3rd, and accelerate a little. If the sensation goes away, then most likely it's the trans doing it's thing and you're wishing it wouldn't. Next time, by a row yer own!

You can turn the O/D off too, and you should then really feel the torque converter kicking in and out.

If you feel surging during full throttle, then we're talking a fuel problem. Good luck!

 

nope, no surging during idle. I figured it was something with the torque converter or the power band, and normal.

by the way, somebody posted a while back to be cruising at a normal speed in 4th (65mph) with the ETC button off, then with my left foot, tap the brake just so the comptuer activates the brake lights, but not so it actually applies any brakes to the car. anyway, it was weird to feel and watch as the torque converter unlocked and the RPMs jumped

 

I've got the same problem on my 2nd gen. DId you fix yours???
Mine is 2WD. What's yours?