Normal or not?

[tinosasso]

Hey guys i have recently noticed that when i use cruise control and i'm going up hill, sometimes the vehicle downshifts (to gain speed obviously), but it then seems like it stays in the lower gear for too long. For example, it will reach the set speed but then once it has and i'm driving on flat road, it still doesn't shift into overdrive for awhile. I can tell because i hear the engine and it runs at almost 4 thousand 4 rpm's. Is this normal?? I hope i'm making sense. I have 35k on the car, so if this is not normal, i have to act quickly to have it fixed under warranty. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated. PS It also does it when i'm not using CC, but not as often, and it happens when driving down a steep incline, it will downshift automatically.??????????????

[ColonelPanic]

Yep, I hate to say it, but "normal." The Vibe's cruise control goes way overboard on throttle usage if it detects you are slowing down, i.e. going up a hill. That, of course, throws the tranny for a number on mine too.The best advice I can give is what I do to get around the issue... If you are approaching a hill, at the bottom, cancel the cruise. You work the throttle as needed to avoid the harsh downshifts. Once you reach the top, set it again. I don't mind losing a few MPH's as I climb the hill. But the Vibe does, when the cruise is set. Once mine downshifts, it doesn't want to go back into overdrive until 1/4 mile down the road sometimes, it's very annoying. It has done that since it was new.The downshifting as you go down a hill is normal as well. That feature, I can live with - it helps. But otherwise, sometimes the logic I see my tranny trying to use isn't quite "logical."

[BOZACK]

I agree with the Colonel. It does that and alot of people have said it. It is just one of those things about the Vibe.

[Vibe_dude]

ok cool.i did not know that about down shifting on a hill going down....it has done it a few times.thought some thing was messed up.lol good to know that it is suppose to do that.

[zionzr2]

i typically will stop CC when taking a hill then reinstate the CC after the hill b/c most cruise systems i have used are lousy at hills

[videoproducer]

Yea my wife jumped out of her seat the other day when the Vibe tried to keep up with the cruise control. I don't like it but not much to do about it. My Saab 900(old style) and even my GM Jimmy seemed to have much better cruise control.John

[Mavrik]

Mine doesn't work...but thats because I don't have it on my Vibe... heh...but for yours... every engine/cruise system on different vehicles will behave differently. Of course every car I owned with cruise was manual so it never shifted on me.

[northvibe]

yea my cruise is goofy like that too sometimes... like the hill thing yea, hahhah its funny when old ppl are next to you when it happens ok my question, when going DOWN a hill is it supposed to slow the car down? like my merc sable did, but i thought the vibe did...like once, but usually it doesnt.