Questions on 1997 Sonata GL

I have a 1997 Sonata GL (4cy. automatic) with 102,000 miles on it. The
timing belt was changed at 80000 miles. Anyway, I have a few questions
that I hope someone may be able to help answer.

1. My steering wheel will not lock when I turn the car off and I hear
a thunking sound sometimes when I turn the wheel a little sharp either
to the left or the right.

2. Often when I slow down and get to being almost stopped (like at a
stop sign), if feels like the car jerks a little or downshifts hard. I
wouldn’t think it would be downshifting since it is almost to a
complete stop by this time. I am not slamming on the breaks, just
slowing down regularly.

3. I am wondering which I should use on the ECT button on the console.
Should I use the N or PWR button. Most of my traveling is highway with
a little town driving.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Lela

 

1. Have you tried a complete revolution of the steering wheel? It will
lock in only one position. As far as the thunking noise goes, I'll need a
little info about the situations under which it occurs. Are you driving or
still? Engine on/off? What do you mean by "a little sharp?" The more
info you can give, the more help I can be, but since I can't hear the
noise, it'll be limited regardless.

2. Your transmission is designed to shift into second gear when you
approach a stop and shift into first when you leave the stop. If it
shifts into first at the stop, you'll feel the jerk. The transmission
control module monitors a switch on the throttle body called the idle
switch. With your foot on the gas, this switch is open; with you foot off
the gas, this switch is closed. If you come to a stop and this switch is
closed, your car will downshift into first gear and cause you to feel the
jerk. If you can't check your throttle body and do the adjustments
yourself, you should take the car to someone who's familiar with
Mitsubishi electronics to check this. They'll need to check the idle
switch, throttle position sensor, throttle cable, and idle actuator and
should probably clean the throttle body and adjust everything to spec.
If all that is working properly, it's most likely a problem inside
the transmission.

3. N and PWR simply select different shift schedules stored in the TCM.
PWR will downshift sooner and upshift later on acceleration (i.e. it's
pretty much more responsive to throttle application in regard to
shifting). Try them both for a while and see which you like better. If
you can't tell the difference, choosing N should get you a small gain in
fuel economy.