Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Ellensburg, Washington

The reason you don't want your stick shift's top gear turning minimum engine RPMs at typical road speeds is pretty obvious. If, at 70MPH, your engine was turning over only just enough RPMs to put you on the "cusp" of needing to downshift should be more than obvious. I just drove 300+ miles over the weekend in our '01 Porsche C4 6 speed manual, 300HP. Seattle, I90, to Ellensburg, then to Yakima, and back over Chinook pass. Initial leg was mostly at 70-75MPH and mostly in top gear, 26.7MPG. Yakima back to Seattle, 55-65MPH, mostly 6th gear but some 5th for climbing, 24.7MPG. What I came to realize was that in 6th gear I had a lot of leeway, I could drop down all the way to 2,000RPM and still have enough torque to regain speed provided I was on relatively flat terrain and was "graceful" with the gas pedal. What I came to realize was that while the engine control system could not command a downshift as it might well do with an automatic, it could still switch, and undoubtedly DID switch, the A/F mixture control loop from idle/cruise mode (oxygen sensor[s]) to air/fuel mixture enrichment mode (MAF/IAT) if/when I depressed the gas pedal enough to attain that result. So, would I like my 6th gear taller, tall enough to drive 70MPH at the minimum RPM that produced only enough torque to move the car along at that speed...? No, absolutely NOT. On the other hand would I give a hoot if my automatic did exactly that...? Same answer.... No, absolutely NOT. That's exactly what CVT's are all about. Take your choice, enrich the mixture whenever you wish to accelerate with a stick shift remaining in the same gear....sacrifice FE... Or... Have an ECU in charge of BOTH engine A/F mixture and gear ratio selection thereby allowing the ECU to always judge the best, OPTIMAL, action for ANY level of acceleration required...enrich the mixture, downshift, or even a combination of both. On my just completed drive I'm fairly sure I could have gained at least another 2 MPG had my Porsche come with an indication of entering A/F enrichment mode AND had I religiously downshifted whenever that indication came on.

Driving north out of Yakima Sunday morning just after crossing the Harold Redmond bridge I noticed a car about 100 yards behind me appear to EXPLODE, big cloud of white smoke, steam(??). Driver seemed to take no notice as the car continued to follow us for miles, 70 MPH, trailing a cloud of smoke/steam all the way. I first suspected it to be oil or steam but with it seemingly driving well I decided it could not be and therefore must be a "blown" diesel engine. As we started down the final cut, incline into Ellensburg, the smoke/steam stopped and the car accelerated downhill and passed us. I was then able to ID it as a fairly new Mercedes-Benz Turbo-Diesel 4 door sedan.. Once it passed us our car windshield got quickly coated with a fine mist of.....smelled like kerosense....?? The last we saw the car she took the turn to eastbound I90. Wonder how far she got...?

I went to Ellensburg and back this afternoon/evening. Let me tell you how enjoyable the rain was from the pass to highway 18 and then I-5. At one point I passed about 10 cars that were in the left lane on Snoqualmie. And I was going about 5 under in the right lane. The road work from Cle Elum to Easton was a mess too. Dry though.

For starters to all Magnum owners, I saw a very short interview of a Chrystler executive Winter of 2008 and this is what he said re status of Chrystler at that time: "we lose money every time we build a Dodge Magnum," I am not kidding. Wonder what that meant ? What did he mean ? (That statement sticks in my mind) Anyway here is my concern re my 2007 Magnum SXT @22Kmiles, purchased from a dodge dealer in Bellevue, WA with 12K June 2008. Build date May, 2007: At 13kmiles started hearing a "rattle" as soon as all is warmed-up to operating temp coming from somewhere down under. Local dealer here in Ellensburg, WA not able to find anything conclusive. Still living with this rattle, for now. (Rattle sounds exactly like a loose exhaust hanger wiggling. This is not the case. ) Most important concern for me now is the "thump" I too am getting when trans downshifts from 3rd to 2nd especially when slowing down to a stop when exiting a freeway. Getting a bit more pronounced very recently. Local dealer here did find a "flash code" re the thump I was getting on upshift from 2nd to 3rd and that is all OK for now, so far. Local dealer and I have good working relationship and they called me back re my email to them about the downshift "thump" and they want to look at it today. Although only 22K miles, today I will request an ATF fluid flush and filter clean. filters are re-useable (they clean them.) Hopefully an ATF change out might fix the problem. Also, maybe they did some more research and might be another code adjustment. I will get back to all of you to share my results.

I make the trip to Tri-Cities about once every two weeks. Usually it is 18, I-90 and then I-82. Let me tell you, that stretch of I-82 between Ellensburg and Yakima can be a pain. It amazes me how many semi trucks will pull out into the left lane right in front of me when traveling up those ridges so that they can pass another truck. I have to hit the brakes hard because they are moving so slowly. Of course, they are going about 1 mph faster than the one they are passing so I get to spend some quality time behind them.