Acceleration lag from standstill

[Godfather]

Slap your leg first to make sure your right foot isn't asleep, and scratch your arse to wake up the seat of the pants computer. It'll be all better.........

[SuperGeek]

Originally Posted by mdfortwoguy

Is it doing this with the A/C off as well? Has it been more humid since this started happening?

Mine isn't as punchy offline the past few weeks, but I have had the A/C cranked and have been dealing with pretty high humidity aorund here... it is working with about 62 or 63 HP with the A/C on though...

I agree the A/C is a big power drain, and varies with outside temp and humidity as long as your temp setting is above 60... At 60 the compressor's on almost 100%. I do a lot of stop and go traffic on my 4 mile commute. 30-40mph to a stoplight, to zero, wait 2 minutes, then repeat 8 times. Our lights aren't time synchronized, they're "me first" like the drivers.

From what I've seen on dyno graphs, the engine only gets up to the full 70-71 HP at 4500 RPMs. At 1000-2000 RPMs it's down at the 30HP range. I guarantee my A/C is taking more than half that when I start off a line, but as soon as I pass 3000 RPMs it's not as bad but still a tangible difference. And I don't mean full throttle mode ... if you push full throttle, the computer WILL disengage A/C for a few seconds... confirmed that on a few interstate onramps.

[NCC1701]

Originally Posted by SuperGeek

At 1000-2000 RPMs it's down at the 30HP range. I guarantee my A/C is taking more than half that when I start off a line

Leaving 15 HP for an 1800 pound car? That certainly would explain a hesitation from standstill. But, I'm still concerned that the lag seems more pronounced than it used to be. I'll try some starts with the A/C off today to see how much the difference is.

[mdfortwoguy]

Originally Posted by HGB

My A/C when on will definitely create a hesitation from a stoplight start. I don't like it one bit either. What's the answer.?

There isn't one. It's a small engine - A/C is going to sap more power from it than it would a V6 for instance. If you need to go quickly - turn the A/C off while you stick your foot in it, or floor it and let the car cycle the compressor off for you.

[headless]

Nobody has suggested yet that it could be the clutch actuator is a bit slow and needs adjusting, take it back to smart and tell them the sluggish problem and that it may be a slow actuator and get them to do a clutch adjust and relearn and an actuator lube.
My smart was always sluggish, even from new, away from a start and I just thought it was a quirk of the car, but it was ok once it was going, then after about 3 years I took my car to an indie smart service center for a service and they did a clutch relearn free and it was a huge difference, it was like having an extra 30bhp, so that is why I think it might be that.
Ellis.

[SuperGeek]

It's worth a try... what symptoms would a clutch actuator problem display?
I'd think if it were slow to commit the clutch, you'd feel slipping - and in my case, I don't. Am I on the right track?

[headless]

Originally Posted by SuperGeek

It's worth a try... what symptoms would a clutch actuator problem display?
I'd think if it were slow to commit the clutch, you'd feel slipping - and in my case, I don't. Am I on the right track?

Just what the original poster said, sluggish to pull away from standstill, you may not feel it slipping, but if the clutch is badly adjusted, you may get juddering when pulling away.
You need the car hooked up to the main dealers machine to do the electronic adjustment as well as the mechanical adjustment, over here in Britain it costs about £30-£40, so it is not an expensive adjustment.
The clutch and the actuator are checked and adjusted at the same time as one effects the other.
Hope this helps some of you guys.
Ellis