Honda Car Forum

Hi:

I have a 1996 Acrua 3.5 RL. I has 98,000 miles on it. THe car is in
pretty good mechanical shape overall except I do not know if its
automatic transmission goes into "overdrive" any more. I can tell
clearly when transmission shifts from 1->2, and from 2->3, and from
3->4, but after that it seems there should be a further "overdrive"
shift down. I note only a very slight shift down. On level highway going
at a steady speed the RPMs show 2500 RPM at steady 75 MPH. SHould it not
be lower? I can't recall from earlier years how this was, have owned
this car since 1998.

George

Gautam Thaker <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in news:r_qdncx_dbvHwF3fRVn-
hw@comcast.com:

> Hi:
>
> I have a 1996 Acrua 3.5 RL. I has 98,000 miles on it. THe car is in
> pretty good mechanical shape overall except I do not know if its
> automatic transmission goes into "overdrive" any more. I can tell
> clearly when transmission shifts from 1->2, and from 2->3, and from
> 3->4, but after that it seems there should be a further "overdrive"
> shift down. I note only a very slight shift down. On level highway going
> at a steady speed the RPMs show 2500 RPM at steady 75 MPH. SHould it not
> be lower? I can't recall from earlier years how this was, have owned
> this car since 1998.
>


Isn't there an "OD off" button?

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

2500rpm for 3.5L @ 75mph should be right.


"Gautam Thaker" <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:r_qdncx_dbvHwF3fRVn-hw@comcast.com...
> Hi:
>
> I have a 1996 Acrua 3.5 RL. I has 98,000 miles on it. THe car is in pretty
> good mechanical shape overall except I do not know if its automatic
> transmission goes into "overdrive" any more. I can tell clearly when
> transmission shifts from 1->2, and from 2->3, and from 3->4, but after
> that it seems there should be a further "overdrive" shift down. I note
> only a very slight shift down. On level highway going at a steady speed
> the RPMs show 2500 RPM at steady 75 MPH. SHould it not be lower? I can't
> recall from earlier years how this was, have owned this car since 1998.
>
> George

The RL has a 4 speed transmission

--
Ed Smith "I came into the world with nothing and I still have most
of it"
"Gautam Thaker" <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:r_qdncx_dbvHwF3fRVn-hw@comcast.com...
> Hi:
>
> I have a 1996 Acrua 3.5 RL. I has 98,000 miles on it. THe car is in pretty
> good mechanical shape overall except I do not know if its automatic
> transmission goes into "overdrive" any more. I can tell clearly when
> transmission shifts from 1->2, and from 2->3, and from 3->4, but after
> that it seems there should be a further "overdrive" shift down. I note
> only a very slight shift down. On level highway going at a steady speed
> the RPMs show 2500 RPM at steady 75 MPH. SHould it not be lower? I can't
> recall from earlier years how this was, have owned this car since 1998.
>
> George

ESmith wrote:
> The RL has a 4 speed transmission
>

So, if I can "see" (on tach) the shifts and feel them, (1->2, 2->3,
3->4), is that all it should do? Sounds like you are telling me that
that should be about it.

Either way, thanks for the comment.

George

TeGGeR® wrote:
> Gautam Thaker <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in news:r_qdncx_dbvHwF3fRVn-
> hw@comcast.com:
>
>
>>Hi:
>>
>>I have a 1996 Acrua 3.5 RL. I has 98,000 miles on it. THe car is in
>>pretty good mechanical shape overall except I do not know if its
>>automatic transmission goes into "overdrive" any more. I can tell
>>clearly when transmission shifts from 1->2, and from 2->3, and from
>>3->4, but after that it seems there should be a further "overdrive"
>>shift down. I note only a very slight shift down. On level highway going
>>at a steady speed the RPMs show 2500 RPM at steady 75 MPH. SHould it not
>>be lower? I can't recall from earlier years how this was, have owned
>>this car since 1998.
>>
>
>
>
> Isn't there an "OD off" button?
>


No, as far as I can tell (and I have been driving this car for 8 years),
there is no "OD off" button.

George

Nightdude wrote:
> 2500rpm for 3.5L @ 75mph should be right.

I was in a honda odyssey minivan yesterday. It has the same size
engine, a 3.5litre V6. It 75 MPH it is doing a low 2100 RPM or so,
perhaps even 2000. ANd, at top end of accelerating it clearly does a
nice slowing down of engine as it seem to go into its last year or the
overdrive. I know, the minivan and 3.5RL are diff cars but with same
size engines i expected 3.5RL to have if anything lower RPMs for the
same miles/hour when going steady on a flat road.

If someone otu there has a 3.5RL it would be nice if they can see what
is their RPM when cruising on flat road at 75 MPH.

thanks for comments people.

George

>
>
> "Gautam Thaker" <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:r_qdncx_dbvHwF3fRVn-hw@comcast.com...
>
>>Hi:
>>
>>I have a 1996 Acrua 3.5 RL. I has 98,000 miles on it. THe car is in pretty
>>good mechanical shape overall except I do not know if its automatic
>>transmission goes into "overdrive" any more. I can tell clearly when
>>transmission shifts from 1->2, and from 2->3, and from 3->4, but after
>>that it seems there should be a further "overdrive" shift down. I note
>>only a very slight shift down. On level highway going at a steady speed
>>the RPMs show 2500 RPM at steady 75 MPH. SHould it not be lower? I can't
>>recall from earlier years how this was, have owned this car since 1998.
>>
>>George
>
>
>

Gautam Thaker <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:dOOdnWKwRdlLMV3fRVn-gg@comcast.com:

> TeGGeR® wrote:

>> Isn't there an "OD off" button?
>>
>
>
> No, as far as I can tell (and I have been driving this car for 8
> years), there is no "OD off" button.
>


Then 2,500rpm at 75mph IS overdrive. My Integra's 5-speed manual does
4,000rpm at 85mph.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

What comes after the 3-4 shift, and feels like another gear, is not really a
gear shift, but the torque converter locking up. The torque converter in an
automatic transmission is the equivalent of a clutch in a manual
transmission. In 1st and 2nd gears it always slips, which is why you can
hold you brake pedal at a traffic light while the car is in gear. In 3rd and
4th gears on most 4-speed automatics, the torque converter will lock up
while cruising to save fuel and reduce heat. Locking up of the torque
converter feels like a gear shift, only the change in RPM is very small -
200-300 rpm at most. When the transmission is cold, the torque converter
won't lock up, this is done to help the tranny warm up faster and to avoid
stress to parts that aren't warmed up yet. If you don't feel the lock-up,
where you previouly used to, this may indicate a problem with the temp
sensor in the transmission, or one of the solenoids. Having said that, 2500
rmp at 75 mph seems about right, althoug I don't have an RL and can't tell
for sure.

"Gautam Thaker" <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:dOOdnWOwRdkHMV3fRVn-gg@comcast.com...
> ESmith wrote:
> > The RL has a 4 speed transmission
> >
>
> So, if I can "see" (on tach) the shifts and feel them, (1->2, 2->3,
> 3->4), is that all it should do? Sounds like you are telling me that
> that should be about it.
>
> Either way, thanks for the comment.
>
> George

A minivan has a different final drive than a sport luxury sedan. That would
account in the RPM difference.


"Gautam Thaker" <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:KISdncpL2vYBMF3fRVn-uQ@comcast.com...
> Nightdude wrote:
>> 2500rpm for 3.5L @ 75mph should be right.
>
> I was in a honda odyssey minivan yesterday. It has the same size engine,
> a 3.5litre V6. It 75 MPH it is doing a low 2100 RPM or so, perhaps even
> 2000. ANd, at top end of accelerating it clearly does a nice slowing down
> of engine as it seem to go into its last year or the overdrive. I know,
> the minivan and 3.5RL are diff cars but with same size engines i expected
> 3.5RL to have if anything lower RPMs for the same miles/hour when going
> steady on a flat road.
>
> If someone otu there has a 3.5RL it would be nice if they can see what is
> their RPM when cruising on flat road at 75 MPH.
>
> thanks for comments people.
>
> George
>
>>
>>
>> "Gautam Thaker" <ghthaker@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:r_qdncx_dbvHwF3fRVn-hw@comcast.com...
>>
>>>Hi:
>>>
>>>I have a 1996 Acrua 3.5 RL. I has 98,000 miles on it. THe car is in
>>>pretty good mechanical shape overall except I do not know if its
>>>automatic transmission goes into "overdrive" any more. I can tell clearly
>>>when transmission shifts from 1->2, and from 2->3, and from 3->4, but
>>>after that it seems there should be a further "overdrive" shift down. I
>>>note only a very slight shift down. On level highway going at a steady
>>>speed the RPMs show 2500 RPM at steady 75 MPH. SHould it not be lower? I
>>>can't recall from earlier years how this was, have owned this car since
>>>1998.
>>>
>>>George
>>
>>