2 Questions...

[VL2NV]

first of all i'd like to wish every1 a happy and safe new year...
anyway... i have two dumb questions to ask...
are low and superlow king springs illegal on a VL driving on SA roads?
and could some1 please tell me if im driving my car properly... i drive around with the pwr light on until im cruising nicely over 80 and then turn it off... is this what i am supposed to do? replies will be much appreciated...
cheers
Michael

[bangers]

in regards to your 2nd question, it doesn't really matter unless your towing something. it just holds your gears longer and cancels your overdrive. i only use mine when i'm going up a hill when it drops back into 3rd i press it so it doesn't jump up and down gears. even then usually only when the boots full of stuff or when theres a slow arse in front of me so it doesn't gear hop.

[Stewart1000]

i doubt they are illegal on sa roads. ring up your road authority

[vlv8vic]

i think they say height rules are Oz wide, no more than a third drop in ride height or something.

Use economy mode when on the highway etc. id say youre using it the right way.

[sircruisealotVS]

as far as i know...most states allow a car to be lowered so that no point of the car is within 10cm/100mm of the ground...which is usually the cat,so if thats 10cm off the ground then your sweet.

[HDT_aero]

regency will defect you if from the centre of the wheel to the guard meaures less than 330mm back and front (they prefer 335mm) i know cause i just went through regency (and passed) but i used to think that it was 100mm off the ground .... wrong i was

[VL2NV]

cheers 4 replies guys.... anymore regarding da pwr mode? should i drive around wit it on? or off?

[VL Berlina 5speed]

when my vl was auto used it like it said, drive with it off then when u need power 2 over take or do some thing turn it on,
it increase the fuel to air ratio making it give more pwr, so if u drive with it on it will use more petty beacuse it will constantly b runing rich

and it is made 4 accelartion and decelrating because if u flaten it, it automaticaly turns it on giving instant power

the link below is a pic from a hand book i own

Holden
Commodore and Calais
owner's handbook
VL Series

[VL2NV]

cheers heaps... much appreciated

[ucwepn]

I believe that it is coke can height (the lowest part of the car=exhaust) off the ground, as long as there is no tyres rubbing on bodywork.

[petrol head]

Hey all the power button does is change the shift points ie the trans will kick down earlier in the rev range and hold the gear longer, normally in power it will hold the gear to almost the redline.

[rb26dett]

The power button is just an overdrive button, nothing more.

Only time mine ever is used is at speeds over 80kph.

[VL Berlina 5speed]

if it wasnt a power button then y isint it calld overdrive

and ur saying if ur at the lights and u flatten it (when its in off mode) it turns on automaticaly because u need the extra gear at 20 kmh WTF if that happend it would b stupid

Hey all the power button does is change the shift points ie the trans will kick down earlier in the rev range and hold the gear longer, normally in power it will hold the gear to almost the redline.

and wat petrol head said is totaly right

even read this in the instruction book

[rb26dett]

Ok, does the car go into 4th gear if the button is out???

It is a different shift pattern because it will go into 4th gear, and with the button out it wont go into 4th gear.

[VL Berlina 5speed]

i dont think there is a 4th gear,

if u look at it theres 1,2 and D and the power button the power button isnt a 4th gear so really the vls auto is a 3spd

and i was thinkn bout my old mans car (vs auto) that is a 4spd 1,2,3 and D if the power button in the vls are classd as making it a 4spd then wouldnt the vs have a 5spd auto then and the vzs have a 6spd auto not 5spd


if u wanna now deffantly count the amount off gear changes ur auto dose to make sure if its 4spd or 3, i cant remba mine coz now its all done manually

[rb26dett]

It is definately a 4 speed.

Jatco 4N71B gearbox.

[VL Berlina 5speed]

ok the D must have 2 gears in it, its the only way i can c it happn if its 4 spd

[Mad Dog]

Yes it is a 4 speed gearbox. Consisting of 4 forward speed gears with the fourth gear being "overdrive".

With respects to the shifting patterns changing under "power" mode, yes this does happen (even if it is slight). When power mode is selected the speed/revs that the gearbox changes at is altered, thus the only time you should manually depress the power switch is when needing to accelerate under load, uphill driving or to disengage the overdrive (4th) gear for acceleration purposes.

However If you were to drive around under city conditions (< 70KM/h)with "Power" enabled you wouldn't really notice an adverse difference in your fuel economy because the shift pattern change isn't all that different. The real fuel usage will occur if you are constantly driving at speeds > 71 KM/h because the overdrive gear is disengaged.

So to answer your question there is no real difference for you Michael because you only use power for the first 80 KM/h, but as there is no real shift pattern difference, why not just leave the economizing to the transmission and use the Power function only when specified, as explained above?

- Mick

[Steve-0]

i thought it was a 3 speed overdrive box?

if u always have the power button on it can burn out somthing and becomes useless anyway, thats what i got told by a tranny place

[Mad Dog]

The explanation I gave above came from the original official GMH repair manuals. 4 speed with the 4th gear being "overdrive".

Constant driving with the Power function enabled will have no other adverse reaction other than horrible fuel consumption. But who would want to drive around in power mode at all times? It would defeat the purpose of having the 4th gear in the box.

-Mick

[VL Berlina 5speed]

ya well said maddog

so inconclusion 2 VL2NV's question

could some1 please tell me if im driving my car properly... i drive around with the pwr light on until im cruising nicely over 80 and then turn it off... is this what i am supposed to do?

you drive the car around with the power mode OFF, but when you need to overtake, tow, climb a steep hill or desend a hill you turn it ON,
this isnt a overdrive button it is a button that changes your gearboxs shift patten, giving beta performace at the expence of fuel usage (mot much though)

[rb26dett]

VL2NV, just buy a manual car...lol

[Jules86]

Ok, does the car go into 4th gear if the button is out???

It is a different shift pattern because it will go into 4th gear, and with the button out it wont go into 4th gear.

No it won't go into fourth gear with the button out, bcuz if the button is out it is on...the gearbox is four gear and will switch into it; eventuely, which means lower fuel consumption, if the pwr button is on; no it will not switch into fourth. As what i have come to believe; not sure that changing gears uses more fuel, so when cruising around town where there is a few lots of traffic lights you can use the pwr button to keep it from changing to third;(and what every1 else has said towing etc) cuz i doubt u can keep it from changing to fourth cuz i can hardly get it to change to fourth.

And i find my car does not drop back and overtake when in pwr mode, on in normal, and it sounds mean when doing so; i was told last night

And about the springs....i've had chopped springs for the past 3 years that i've owned the car, been on it for 6...and i've had no probs with the cops, and they are lower than superlows. SA,,,cops are the same eh???

NO the 4th gear is not an overdrive button,,, not econemy either... overdrive does not let it past 3rd....sorry if it is repetitive;(i've just finished drinking )

[rb26dett]

Overdrive does not let it pass 3rd???

You must have had a few..lol

[Jules86]

Overdrive does not let it pass 3rd???

You must have had a few..lol

Nah i believe not...it might, but i have enough troubles trying to get it to go into fourth without being in pwr mode....but a few ppl will probably agree that it don't pass third...ill have to read the manual.

I drank as much as i would to go out, but ended up at home, hence the reason i made a reply at 3:14. Im feeling it now