Pre-owned Stinger Problems?

[Bluesting18]

Hey so I just purchased a pre-owned 2018 Stinger GT with about 5000 miles and noticed that the bumper and the headlights look a little uneven. Is it supposed to be like that or is there a chance this specific one was in some sort of accident/fender bender. I also noticed once when I tried stepping on it full throttle from zero while in automatic Sport mode with traction and stability off, it seems that before it could try to shift into second gear, it slowed down on it's own and rpms dropped while still holding the pedal? Any idea what that could be?

 

[MerlintheMad]

Hi. I've had my trans take over when it bumps the redline. Maybe you experienced that? It upshifts for you if you redline. Try using the paddle shifters and upshifting when the RPMs get above 5K but before they go over 6K. If you are using launch control it should upshift at the right RPMs without us having to manipulate anything. But if you did a rolling start kind of mash of the go pedal, it could easily have redlined and upshifted, and you'd feel exactly what you described.

As for the misaligned bumper, that could be from a number of reasons requiring the bumper to be taken off; it doesn't have to be an accident. So have it checked out and see if somebody didn't fasten it on right.

 

[Bluesting18]

Thanks for the reply. Makes sense with the bumper being removed for some kind of service, it just annoyed me a little seeing the left headlight looking like it's popping out a little more than the other and aiming a little higher when on than the right. As for the problem I had when accelerating, I feel like I'm not explaining it properly but I guess I can try to compare it to some sort of misfire. I've never experienced one so I'm not sure but I've seen videos of how they occur and almost reminds me of my incident where it was around 5-6k rpms when it suddenly just stopped accelerating while I was still holding on the gas. I didn't get a check engine light or anything and I noticed it kind of almost happened another time while I was on an old rough road.

 

[Revvdmedia]

Thanks for the reply. Makes sense with the bumper being removed for some kind of service, it just annoyed me a little seeing the left headlight looking like it's popping out a little more than the other and aiming a little higher when on than the right. As for the problem I had when accelerating, I feel like I'm not explaining it properly but I guess I can try to compare it to some sort of misfire. I've never experienced one so I'm not sure but I've seen videos of how they occur and almost reminds me of my incident where it was around 5-6k rpms when it suddenly just stopped accelerating while I was still holding on the gas. I didn't get a check engine light or anything and I noticed it kind of almost happened another time while I was on an old rough road.

You'd definitely feel the car pulling throttle on a rough road because the car interprets the movements from the wheels over the rough surface as wheel slip, engaging traction/stability control. That is common for modern cars, unfortunately. As far as pulling throttle between gear changes on a straight smooth road, that is abnormal, although those of us with a piggyback seem to notice more throttle pull between gear changes than stock. Try it again with traction and stability turned off.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Try it again with traction and stability turned off.

He already did that in the OP.

 

[Revvdmedia]

He already did that in the OP.

Apparently my reading comprehension has taken a significant dive. I have personally found under more "extreme" cases that the stability control may still intervene when turned off completely. There could be something wrong though.

 

[Bluesting18]

I also noticed it when I tried doing a donut..... Lol I couldn't help but try it... It feels like the engine is cutting power as if it were trying to prevent an accident? I was reading about something similar elsewhere where you can't completely turn off stability and traction? Is this what might be happening?

 

[Bluesting18]

Another thing I noticed is when I shift to park, I can sometimes hear a thump? What could that be?

 

[Doel]

You are correct, stability and traction control can not be completely turned off. At least with the donuts, you're feeling the nannies cutting throttle. If you're feeling throttle cut while accelerating, but only on rough roads, it's probably the same thing. Do you hear a thump when you shift into park or when you release the brake? Park doesn't use the brakes so it'll usually move a little once you release them and it can definitely make a thump sound.

As for the misalignment, we would need pics to really see anything. Headlights can be adjusted on your own if one isn't lined up exactly with the other, that can happen from just taking the front bumper off.

 

[Bluesting18]

You are correct, stability and traction control can not be completely turned off. At least with the donuts, you're feeling the nannies cutting throttle. If you're feeling throttle cut while accelerating, but only on rough roads, it's probably the same thing. Do you hear a thump when you shift into park or when you release the brake? Park doesn't use the brakes so it'll usually move a little once you release them and it can definitely make a thump sound.

As for the misalignment, we would need pics to really see anything. Headlights can be adjusted on your own if one isn't lined up exactly with the other, that can happen from just taking the front bumper off.

Yeah I took it to the dealership where they adjusted the headlights. Still seems like the left one pops out a little more but they aim at the same level now. And the thump almost sounds like it comes from the front, it only happens sometimes. Almost like a muffled metal thump when Im parking the car and shift from Drive to Park, no Emergency brake. (I rarely use that)

 

[MerlintheMad]

no Emergency brake. (I rarely use that)

Why? I always use that.

 

[Doel]

Yeah I took it to the dealership where they adjusted the headlights. Still seems like the left one pops out a little more but they aim at the same level now. And the thump almost sounds like it comes from the front, it only happens sometimes. Almost like a muffled metal thump when Im parking the car and shift from Drive to Park, no Emergency brake. (I rarely use that)

if the headlight thing is something really hard to notice that no one else would ever see, I would just ignore it. I have never seen a car under 100k with perfect body panel gaps, etc.

As for the thump, I've heard it before, you have a warranty so I would just ignore it and if it gets worse bring it in.

 

[Ucinn]

Yeah I took it to the dealership where they adjusted the headlights. Still seems like the left one pops out a little more but they aim at the same level now. And the thump almost sounds like it comes from the front, it only happens sometimes. Almost like a muffled metal thump when Im parking the car and shift from Drive to Park, no Emergency brake. (I rarely use that)

Do you use the auto hold feature?

 

[Waynerm002]

After all these year, it seems like folks just don't like using the parking brake with automatic transmission. It is designed for use while parking the vehicle, but somehow the term "emergency brake" has been around for a long time but what's the described emergency when you would use it? Depending on where you park, in most situations, when you put the vehicle in Park, it is going to roll some after you release the brake, which will make some sort of noise when it stops.

 

[MrSmoofy]

After all these year, it seems like folks just don't like using the parking brake with automatic transmission. It is designed for use while parking the vehicle, but somehow the term "emergency brake" has been around for a long time but what's the described emergency when you would use it? Depending on where you park, in most situations, when you put the vehicle in Park, it is going to roll some after you release the brake, which will make some sort of noise when it stops.

Goes along with people not reading their owners manual and then coming on a forum to ask questions about their car which are all explained in the owners manual. The owners manual has the word "Parking Brake" in it 63 times. In many places, it tells you that after you put the car in park you should also engage the parking brake either via foot pedal or EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) button if your car is equipped with this.

 

[Waynerm002]

That's in the manual of all vehicles so equipped but as said, some don't read the manual. I bug my wife about that until one day after parking in the drive way and the next morning she couldn't get it to shift out of park, she realized that could be a problem if I'm not around so now she does it. Religiously.