Hi,

I have a 2001 GV with a manual trans. When in 4 low, 1st gear, I can take my foot off of the throttle and the car will crawl up and down some pretty steep grades and keep its speed self regulated. I am guessing there is some sort of computer-controlled engine speed management going on, as it adjusts itself to stay right around 800rpm uphill and down. It's pretty impressive.

Does anyone have a similar vehicle with an auto trans that can me tell if the auto equipped version acts the same way?

Thanks,

Brian Rutherford

It's just a generic idle speed control function. It adjusts engine speed to engine load for A/C, power steering and alternator load when electrical demands (light, etc.) are energized as well  .

It works the same with an auto trans, but there you have slippage inherent in an automatic and a torque converter, thus you'd need to increase RPM in order to pull off, compared to the standard trans versions. You don't have as a dramatic of a crawl DOWN restraint either in an automatic, for the same slippage reasons.

Serious off-roaders actually prefer an automatic tranny, especially for rock crawling. They get better traction control.

Hi,

I have a 2001 GV with a manual trans. When in 4 low, 1st gear, I can take my foot off of the throttle and the car will crawl up and down some pretty steep grades and keep its speed self regulated. I am guessing there is some sort of computer-controlled engine speed management going on, as it adjusts itself to stay right around 800rpm uphill and down. It's pretty impressive.

Does anyone have a similar vehicle with an auto trans that can me tell if the auto equipped version acts the same way?

Thanks,

Brian Rutherford

Every 4wd manual transmission truck does that. 100% normal.

In 4Lo it is a almost a built in "granny gear".  Older farm trucks had a super low 1st gear.  I remember my grandpa would take me out to his corn fields that had been freshly picked in his '54 1 ton Chevy pick-up.  He stuck the truck in 4Lo and put one wheel in a furrow and then we would walk beside the truck and pick up ears of corn (missed by the picker) and toss them into the bed of the truck while the truck creeped along beside us.   Completely filled with ears of corn the truck would continue to idle along beside us.  It was a "Hoss".  I imagine it would have almost idled right through a fence row if we hadn't turned it.

in his '54 1 ton Chevy pick-up

I know exactly what you mean.  

My 53' had the ole' Granny gear 4-spd and 6-banger in it before I replaced it with a Turbo-400 auto tranny and SB engine.