Hi, I am a new RA owner. I bought my car last week. I used to drive a V6 and there is 2 things keeps bordering me.

1. The car is driving so smooth anywhere under 110 km/h. The engine can even can rotate under 2500rpm at 100km/hr.
However, any speed higher than 110 km/h, the engine rotate at 3000+ rpm (I guess it is normal).
The problem is that I can feel than the engine start getting very noisy, and the the front part of the car start having vibration. It happens every time. It is normal? Do you guys have the same problem?
I am afraid something might break if I keep it at high speed for long.

2. The car tends to decelerate itself very quickly when I not applying gas. I am not sure if it is something to do with the gears or the SST transmission.
My previous car could keep moving itself for a longer distance until I actually apply the brake.
However, my RA just tends to decelerate even at high gears. It is funny that I don't even need to use the brake when going down a slope. Everyone beside me keep braking and braking. Again, is it normal?

 

1. Mine does not. I would have to ride along and see what you mean... Perhaps shoot a video showing your concern...

2. Yep - a feature of the TC-SST. Unlike previous autos there is no clutch converter to 'slip' when coasting. Personally, i like it. I just wish it had a de-couple button (like pushing the clutch to coast with a manual)...

 

1. My alignment and tire balance was horrible from the factory. It felt a lot more stable and smooth after I got it professionally aligned and the tires balanced.
2. yeah mine does, i think its also another reason the car gets low mpg's

 

Nice to hear the answer for my second question.

For the first question, my engine just act differently at speed higher than 110. I can feel that it is working hard and shaking. Is it because of the engine is small?
My old car had high rpm at high speed, but it was not as noisy as my RA.

 

Two very different powerplants that produce peak hp and torque with different curves in two different vehicles.

Not a concern.

Are you due for a tune up?

 

Perfectly normal!

 

2. It's called "Engine Braking". The same very thing has happened in a cars with a third pedal for decades now. When your engine spins slower than the rear wheels with a Clutch engaged.. Your clutch just became a brake. Thank your lucky effing stars this happens.

Oh, and you can save gas millage if used properly and slowing up for lights a ways back if you know ahead of time it's going to change.

Let the engine brake using the gas you already gave it instead of stealing the gas you gave it with the brake pads. It's a totally different thinking, but it isn't rocket science.

 

Huh? wah'....?

The 'engine braking' (using the compression of the cylinders) lets you save wear on the brake pads. It actually 'costs' you a wee bit of fuel economy versus true coasting (clutch in). As long as your foot is off the throttle - you are not burning gas.

True, for best fuel economy, anticipating a stop and coming off the throttle sooner=better.
True, when 'tailgating' and hitting the brakes and then the gas and then the brakes.... you waste fuel in heating the brake pads (and **** the guy in front of you off too/risk a rear end collision!).

 

Not ~entirely~ true. If it were, the car wouldn't idle when you're stopped. Also, if you slip the tranmission into N while coasting, you'll use more fuel than you would if just let off the gas, because the only thing left to keep then engine turning (when the transmission in N) is the gas being fed into it.


but then i digress...

 

^true.

 

Most of the guys at work used to think clutch in = saves gas. But then I said, normally when going downhill, the wheels keep the engine turning and the fuel injectors are off but if you clutch in, what's keeping the engine turning? More gas...

 

I complain about the opposite behavior: imho the car decelerates very slow, engine brake almost doesn't exist. But I compare it with my previous Ralliart (2007), with manual shifter. What Veronica says is almost entirely correct, when your foot is off the pedal the injection cuts off kicking back in around 2000 RPM (depends on car manufacturer, model, engine, etc.). But that applies for manual shifters. I guess for automatics/SST, the injection cannot be cut off completely since tranny requires some power/torque/electricity to keep it running.
Once again: my humble opinion!

 

Well... it is only a 2.0L so engine compression braking is only soooo much

 

Switch out of sport mode - problem solved! Not as much fun of course.