[rdmac]

My car used to lurch backwards some times when you put it in reverse at first start up in the AM. Has not happenned in a long time but is doing it again. Some folks over at the Dodgemagnum site have the same problem. Took it back to the dealer and they say there may be a fix (?). Have to leave it over night and they hook up the computer to it at first start up to see if it needs SW upgrade. Sounds promising. I'll let you know if anybody has this problem if there is a fix.

When the car gets in this mode (intermittent) have found a few ways around it: 1) Let it idle a bit and rev it a few times. Than let it settle down before putting in reverse. and/or 2) Put it in forward first and than reverse. and/or 3) Park it on flat level. My car is usually on an incline. When parked flat noticed it did not do it or it was less intense.

Bob

 

[IndySilverC]

I suspect I'm going over previously-mapped territory, but does setting the parking brake before placing car in 'P' affect this behavior? I was told a long time ago by a Midas guy that doing this each time you park the vehicle helps preserve the transmission by placing the stoppage weight of the car on the parking brake instead of on the transaxle.

If it's a computer thing, I would think the issue is with allowing too-high-RPM for a smooth shift when first putting the vehicle in Reverse---but it could be complicated or amplified by having potential energy 'rollback' stored by having the car resting on the transaxle instead of the parking brake when parked. This would explain why inclined vs. flat parking sometimes changes the behavior.

On a less serious note, since the computer supposedly 'learns' your driving/shifting habits and adjusts appropriately wrt revs & shifting, wouldn't it be funny to learn that some of us are teaching our vehicles to act this way?

Let me know how it turns out.

 

[rdmac]

Good questions. We will see. I tried the parking break thing and I think I still had the problem, but not sure. Like I mentioned it was quite a while ago and now it came back.

 

[mileshoover]

I suspect I'm going over previously-mapped territory, but does setting the parking brake before placing car in 'P' affect this behavior? On a less serious note, since the computer supposedly 'learns' your driving/shifting habits and adjusts appropriately wrt revs & shifting, wouldn't it be funny to learn that some of us are teaching our vehicles to act this way? Let me know how it turns out.

Yes, this was discussed before; briefly, even the owner's manual discusses setting the parking brake before putting the shilft lever into Park. The reasons given are the same given here.

I have noticed on mine that if, by long habit, I put it into Park without or before setting the brake, I get the thunk, particularly on a slight incline such as my drive. The old dog is relearning how to hit the parking brake before shifting to Park to cut down on possible damage to the tranny..