Odd Behaviours

[kc & sunshine]

Hi folks,

Just took the new car for a drive from Sydney to Wollongong today under wet condition. On the way there, I've used the windy bit of road through the National park crossing the Sea Cliff drive to get use to the car's response with full load of 7 passengers. All is good, did about 5 to 6 sharp corners at recommended speed of 25kph but I think I was actual doing close to 30-35kph. Still the car had no sign of swaying or going wide.

Cruise along the freeway on the way home and found I actually bought the mileage back to 13.3 l/100 better than the 20l it was reading after two days when I had the car. Odometer reading now about 290.

Got a couple of observations on the vehicle. Would like to know if anyone else has notice;

1. The reversing speed is actual not as responsive as the forward speed. By that I mean the accelerator do not seem to get going in hurry when I am reversing. That is a good thing but is it meant to be? My previous car seem to need the same effort to go forward and backward.

2. I felt there was a slight shuddering of the car when I accelerated from the lights couple of times and when driving along the freeway. It was a gentle take off doing 2000 to 2500 rpm at the lights. I doubt it was a wheel spin. Does anyone had the same experience?

Hope to hear from you...

[DJKOR]

1. The reversing speed is actual not as responsive as the forward speed. By that I mean the accelerator do not seem to get going in hurry when I am reversing. That is a good thing but is it meant to be? My previous car seem to need the same effort to go forward and backward.\

I would say that the difference in feeling you get here is due to the different gear ratios. Your first gear ratio is 4.235:1 whereas your reverse gear is 3.378:1. What this means is that you have slightly more torque when starting to go forward in first than when starting to go backwards in reverse.

A way to think about it is to get a manual car and compare the effort required to take off in first, then repeating the same thing but in second.

Each car is different, that's why your previous car may have responded differently. For example, my Aurion has a first gear ratio of 3.300:1 and a reverse gear ratio of 4.148:1. This means that my reverse gear is more responsive than my first gear.

2. I felt there was a slight shuddering of the car when I accelerated from the lights couple of times and when driving along the freeway. It was a gentle take off doing 2000 to 2500 rpm at the lights. I doubt it was a wheel spin. Does anyone had the same experience?

You mentioned wet conditions so this would be the first thing I would think of when taking off from the lights. Do you have the 2WD or AWD? FWD are pretty easy to get some slip in the wet which can cause this shuddering feeling. I'm not sure about on the highway though.

May not be this all together. Someone else with a Kluger should give opinions/experience.

[Kesawi]

Never experienced the wheel shudder before in the Kluger.

[Turkey Galoot]

1. The reversing speed is actual not as responsive as the forward speed. By that I mean the accelerator do not seem to get going in hurry when I am reversing. That is a good thing but is it meant to be? My previous car seem to need the same effort to go forward and backward.

Other posters have noted that the Kluger's computer adapts to a driver's style over time. For example, see this post. Not sure however if it will remember forward and reverse styles separately! I suspect it is the difference between first and reverse gear ratios that explains the more sluggish response in reverse.

Ken.

Edited October 5, 2009 by kbosward

[kc & sunshine]

1. The reversing speed is actual not as responsive as the forward speed. By that I mean the accelerator do not seem to get going in hurry when I am reversing. That is a good thing but is it meant to be? My previous car seem to need the same effort to go forward and backward.\

I would say that the difference in feeling you get here is due to the different gear ratios. Your first gear ratio is 4.235:1 whereas your reverse gear is 3.378:1. What this means is that you have slightly more torque when starting to go forward in first than when starting to go backwards in reverse.

A way to think about it is to get a manual car and compare the effort required to take off in first, then repeating the same thing but in second.

Each car is different, that's why your previous car may have responded differently. For example, my Aurion has a first gear ratio of 3.300:1 and a reverse gear ratio of 4.148:1. This means that my reverse gear is more responsive than my first gear.

2. I felt there was a slight shuddering of the car when I accelerated from the lights couple of times and when driving along the freeway. It was a gentle take off doing 2000 to 2500 rpm at the lights. I doubt it was a wheel spin. Does anyone had the same experience?

You mentioned wet conditions so this would be the first thing I would think of when taking off from the lights. Do you have the 2WD or AWD? FWD are pretty easy to get some slip in the wet which can cause this shuddering feeling. I'm not sure about on the highway though.

May not be this all together. Someone else with a Kluger should give opinions/experience.

Thanks DJKOR, for the insight on the gear ratios.

I got the AWD model. Trying to repeat the problem but has not occur so far. BTW, realise yesterday at the pump the tires are on 35psi. Brought it back up to 40psi but do not think that is the cause.