Q: My car cant get over 3500 rpm for some reason

asked by on October 03, 2016

My car was in the shop for 3 months while i was saving money to pay for all of its repairs. No repairs on the engine or anything, just tire rods, and brake stuff. Before I took it to the shop the car ran perfectly. I could floor it(if i wanted to) and it would get up and go no problem. Ever since I drove it home from the mechanic it has not been able to accelerate past 3.5 rpm I must watch it and make sure I dont press the pedal down too hard to get it over 3.5 or i must take my foot off the pedal completely until it goes down and then slowly accelerate again. The weird thing is that it has no issue at all switching or changing gears. It just wont let me accelerate too fast. I can get over 100 mph if i just keep the rpm under 3.5 and go gradually. I just dont know the issue with the rpm. Whenever it hits 3.5 rpm it just stops accelerating until I take my foot off of the pedal or it changes gears making the rpm go back down. the rpm stays around 3.5 if i keep my foot down when stalling

My car has 205000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Your issue sounds like a sensor problem. You should start by trying to pull codes from the car’s computer, and see if there is any issues detected by the ECU. Diagnosis on the vehicle is going to take some process of elimination. If you do not have any codes, start by checking the mass air flow sensor. Often these sensors will trigger a "limp" mode on the vehicle, which restricts power. Other possibilities include various other sensors, transmission solenoids, and ECU issues. Some symptoms like yours have been resolved by resetting the ECU. This can be done by disconnecting the negative battery terminal, letting it sit for a few minutes, then reconnecting and testing the vehicle. If you need help getting a precise diagnosis, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your location to inspect the acceleration issue and assist with repair.

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