Slow acceleration

[m***@overlunch.com]

I drove my dad's 1998 ES300 once when he was out of town.. My foot was
all the way down on the gas pedal, yet the car never went past 3000
rpm. The car felt no different than if I was barely pushing on the gas
pedal. I would almost venture to say that it might not have been
shifting gears.

My dad is back in town, and he said he was able to drive more than
80mph tonight, and thus he thinks it's fine. He knows the car isn't
driving like it did before, but he sounds like he's being cheap about
taking the car in, or maybe he just doesn't know the best way to
describe the problem to a mechanic.

Does anyone have any guesses as to why the car crawls as it gains
speed?

[Ray O]

Post by m***@overlunch.com
I drove my dad's 1998 ES300 once when he was out of town.. My foot was
all the way down on the gas pedal, yet the car never went past 3000
rpm. The car felt no different than if I was barely pushing on the gas
pedal. I would almost venture to say that it might not have been
shifting gears.
My dad is back in town, and he said he was able to drive more than
80mph tonight, and thus he thinks it's fine. He knows the car isn't
driving like it did before, but he sounds like he's being cheap about
taking the car in, or maybe he just doesn't know the best way to
describe the problem to a mechanic.
Does anyone have any guesses as to why the car crawls as it gains
speed?

Drivability problems are difficult to diagnose without experiencing the
condition first hand. Some things to check: Make sure that the brakes
(including the parking brake) are not dragging, and that the transmission is
in good shape. Check the condition of the ATF and that the transmission is
shifting properly. If the spark plugs have more than 60 k miles, replace
them with OEM spark plugs.

Another possibility is that the car is performing properly but it doesn't
give the sensation of speed that the car you normally drive does.

[W. Wells]

I would check the fuel filter. Does it get better after you stop and begin
driving again?

Post by m***@overlunch.com
I drove my dad's 1998 ES300 once when he was out of town.. My foot was
all the way down on the gas pedal, yet the car never went past 3000
rpm. The car felt no different than if I was barely pushing on the gas
pedal. I would almost venture to say that it might not have been
shifting gears.
My dad is back in town, and he said he was able to drive more than
80mph tonight, and thus he thinks it's fine. He knows the car isn't
driving like it did before, but he sounds like he's being cheap about
taking the car in, or maybe he just doesn't know the best way to
describe the problem to a mechanic.
Does anyone have any guesses as to why the car crawls as it gains
speed?

[kitzler]

Post by W. Wells
I would check the fuel filter. Does it get better after you stop and begin
driving again?

Are you joshing us, 3000 rpm is equivalent to 90 miles per hour in top
gear on my very own Lexus GS! If the car is unresponsive when you gun
it, then you need a tune up, including new fuel filter and air
filter...

[m***@overlunch.com]

Post by kitzler

Post by W. Wells
driving again?

Are you joshing us, 3000 rpm is equivalent to 90 miles per hour in top
gear on my very own Lexus GS! If the car is unresponsive when you gun
it, then you need a tune up, including new fuel filter and air
filter...

Yes, the car is totally unresponsive when gunning it. It drives
somewhere under 3000rpm, but even when gunning it, the tach never
jumps at all, not even momentarily. Heh, making the tires squeal is
not even close to an option with the current state of things ... not
that it was possible before either.

[kitzler]

Post by m***@overlunch.com
Yes, the car is totally unresponsive when gunning it. It drives
somewhere under 3000rpm, but even when gunning it, the tach never
jumps at all, not even momentarily. Heh, making the tires squeal is
not even close to an option with the current state of things ... not
that it was possible before either.

A clogged air filter will do that, it should be changed every
10-20,000 miles depending on driving conditions, like dusty areas...
your engine sounds like it is starved for air..........

[m***@overlunch.com]

Post by kitzler

Post by m***@overlunch.com
Yes, the car is totally unresponsive when gunning it. It drives
somewhere under 3000rpm, but even when gunning it, the tach never
jumps at all, not even momentarily. Heh, making the tires squeal is
not even close to an option with the current state of things ... not
that it was possible before either.

A clogged air filter will do that, it should be changed every
10-20,000 miles depending on driving conditions, like dusty areas...
your engine sounds like it is starved for air..........

Hmm, my dad said he replaced the air filter recently. Let me check and
find out what "recently" actually means though. We're in San Diego,
and the ash from the recent fires definitely could spell problems for
the air filter. Err, sounds like something I should also do with my
car too!

[Jay Somerset]

Post by m***@overlunch.com

Post by kitzler

Post by W. Wells
driving again?

Are you joshing us, 3000 rpm is equivalent to 90 miles per hour in top
gear on my very own Lexus GS! If the car is unresponsive when you gun
it, then you need a tune up, including new fuel filter and air
filter...

Yes, the car is totally unresponsive when gunning it. It drives
somewhere under 3000rpm, but even when gunning it, the tach never
jumps at all, not even momentarily. Heh, making the tires squeal is
not even close to an option with the current state of things ... not
that it was possible before either.

What happens when you blip the throttle in neutral? Does the tach
jump up then?