Stuck in manual drive?

[Demandred7]

It sounds like you have several things going on.

First, it is a fact that even if you are in drive, the paddle shifters will work.

The revs staying higher than normal sounds like sport mode where gears are selected by the transmission to maximize power while in drive. If you aren't driving aggressively, it will seem weird in the way that the transmission is behaving.

When you say it was showing speed, do you mean showing in the digital speedometer or on the analog speedometer? The tachometer I expect to see something, but, if either speedometer is showing speed when there is none, it sounds like something is not working right. Although the speed sensor is usually something pretty simple and robust (it is rare for it to fail).

Not to sound disrespectful, but, have you compared what you are experiencing to what the owners manual says? If the car is not behaving like it is supposed to according to the manual then you can explain that to the dealership. Otherwise, it does not make sense. It is best to arm yourself with the knowledge in the owners manual. At the least, you will be better able to explain what is going on.

[lorip713]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

There probably is nothing wrong then. Besides, if you explained it to them the way you did here, they probably wouldn't know what to look for. Did you ask to go for a test drive with the service tech to show him the issue?

I asked if I could speak to the service tech but they told me that everything I described sounded normal and the tech couldn't find anything wrong.

[lorip713]

When you say it was showing speed, do you mean showing in the digital speedometer or on the analog speedometer? The tachometer I expect to see something, but, if either speedometer is showing speed when there is none, it sounds like something is not working right. Although the speed sensor is usually something pretty simple and robust (it is rare for it to fail).

Not to sound disrespectful, but, have you compared what you are experiencing to what the owners manual says? If the car is not behaving like it is supposed to according to the manual then you can explain that to the dealership. Otherwise, it does not make sense. It is best to arm yourself with the knowledge in the owners manual. At the least, you will be better able to explain what is going on.[/QUOTE]

Speed shows on the digital speedometer. Just this morning, I slow to take a corner behind another car and the speedometer showed I was still doing 25. No way. The car in front of me almost came to a complete stop even though we had the right of way and no stop sign.

[lorip713]

Then when I accelerated again, all of a sudden the speedometer says I'm doing 45 and you can hear the engine revving.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by lorip713

I asked if I could speak to the service tech but they told me that everything I described sounded normal and the tech couldn't find anything wrong.

Demand that they come with you on a test drive. If you are COMPLETELY stopped, your speedo should not be showing anything other than 0 mph.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by lorip713

Then when I accelerated again, all of a sudden the speedometer says I'm doing 45 and you can hear the engine revving.

Go to a different dealer. This is an obvious problem.

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by lorip713

Then when I accelerated again, all of a sudden the speedometer says I'm doing 45 and you can hear the engine revving.

Your car sounds possessed. Should be pretty obvious to the tech if they go for even just a test drive around the corner. Obviously they have dismissed you prematurely. If they don't, hopefully you have the ability to go to a different dealer. Hopefully it didn't sound like I thought you were on crack, your situation seems unusual but definitely a legitimate problem with your car.

[captain_beebus]

Intermittent problems like that suck. Good luck getting the tech to try and chase something he doesn't even know actually exists.

[lorip713]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to make another appt to rake the car in. I thought maybe the car was finally "broken in" at 10k miles and was now acting "normal." I've had problems with the windows needing to be reinitialized, there's a TSB fir that, and reported it 3 times before they issued the TSB, so figured maybe this is something else Toyota doesn't know about yet

[Tromatic]

Any other FR-S/BRZ owners near you you could have ride along with you for a test?

[Fett4Real]

Is it possible that your digital speedo is reading in KPH instead of MPH right now? That would account for the #s being weird...otherwise sounds like sport mode. Maybe try and reset the ecu...

[stugray]

It sounds like your speed sensor (I believe it is in the differential) is reading incorrectly.

In an Auto trans, the brain needs that speed sensor to operate the tranny.
If it is confused it could act strangely as you describe....

[NickFRS]

Go to a service manager. Say you want to test drive an auto on the lot to make sure your car reacts the same way because your car is having issues and his tech's are blind siding you about it. Go for a drive WITH HIM in their car. Then take him for a ride WITH HIM in your car. If it's different have him give you a rental so they can see whats going on.

^ This is the logical way of going about things at a dealership.

If they refuse call SOA or go to a different dealership.

[stugray]

Originally Posted by lorip713

Thanks everyone. I'm going to make another appt to rake the car in.

Any word on what happened?