Changing gears kind of oddly while cruise control is set?

Jason82 · Feb 17th, 2005, 09:40 PM

While on the interstate, I usually set my cruise control between 65-70 (speed limit is 65) on my '98 QX4/Pathfinder. The tach normally sits right around 2.5k RPM or so at this speed. Well, I noticed that sometime the tach would jump to 3k or so really quickly.... stay there for a second, and then drop back down to 2.5k.

Was it just searching for the best gear because it was in cruise control mode? Or was it slipping in and out of the overdrive gear?

**88pathoffroad** · Feb 18th, 2005, 12:56 AM

It was unlocking and locking the torque converter to gain speed. That's about it.

zimmer_kole · Feb 19th, 2005, 01:33 AM

Do you have a switch that controls a power or automatic style of shifting? That would also affect the rpm/torque converter wouldnt it?

**88pathoffroad** · Feb 20th, 2005, 07:01 AM

Yes, it would. At freeway speeds, with the switch set to "Power" your torque converter will be unlocked, even in 4th gear. With the switch set to "Normal" the transmission computer controls converter lockup according to the transmission speed and engine RPM's.