[Dantheman]

I have a 21’ stelvio almost 2 years old with 21,000 miles. Last Wednesday I was on a highway when the started loosing power and the transmission started skipping gears. I got off at the first exit and managed to park the car when in addition it would not reverse. Tow truck came about an hour later at which time I restarted the engine and was able to reverse. Was towed to dealership where they have told me there were no codes and the car was now running fine. I replied that I would not take the car back until they found the problem as I considered the car now unsafe. So far no news from them. I have corporate involved. As this is a leased car I am stuck.

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

What was the weather like, road conditions, were you using cruise? Adaptive cruise?

Be as specific as possible please.


From your description it's hard to believe a code wasn't thrown that is very strange.

 

[Dantheman]

It was las Wednesday in New York the weather was clear and in the forties. I was on the Henry Hudson parkway going up a slight incline when I could not get the car in o increase speed. I was not using cruise or any adaptive functions. Incresing pressure on the gas pedal did not help and then the transmission would not downshift. I limped off at the first exit and tried to park the car but it would not go in reverse. When the tower showed up ninety minutes later I restarted the car and it did reverse. It’s been at service since Wednesday and they said the car is fine and they can’t tell what occurred. So I now have a car that I deem to be unsafe to drive.

 

[factoryhack]

What was the weather like, road conditions, were you using cruise? Adaptive cruise?

Be as specific as possible please.


From your description it's hard to believe a code wasn't thrown that is very strange.

That should have thrown a sh*t ton of codes plus a CEL. Makes no sense at all. Probably have to keep driving it until it pukes again.

Interesting it presumably cleared up on a restart.

The OP didn't mention if he did try a restart and tried driving it as opposed to just turning it off and waiting for the tow. The only thing I could think of would be some bad gas or a a temporary clog in a fuel filter, injectors, etc. although you'd think that would certainly throw a code. Someone should look for chewed wiring too.

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

Yeah, that would be my first and only guess, temporary clog/restriction in the fuel system due to bad gas. Something that doesn't last long enough to trigger a code but..... Even a millisecond of the car not responding can feel like forever and super serious when it isn't. Even then, couldn't have been much more then millisecond. When my CEL triggered from the dirty MAF, it happened fast enough to almost be instant. Throttle didn't respond and the light came on... Maybe 10ms, couldn't have been much longer. It was an eye blink.

That doesn't happen alot though. But.. unless there was a deep puddle not being mentioned or a temporary voltage drop maybe from a loosening connection that reattached itself....

Whatever it was, yeah drive till it happens again is the only choice. I wouldn't buy gas at the station I last bought at, personally.

 

[Dantheman]

That should have thrown a sh*t ton of codes plus a CEL. Makes no sense at all. Probably have to keep driving it until it pukes again.

Interesting it presumably cleared up on a restart.

The OP didn't mention if he did try a restart and tried driving it as opposed to just turning it off and waiting for the tow. The only thing I could think of would be some bad gas or a a temporary clog in a fuel filter, injectors, etc. although you'd think that would certainly throw a code. Someone should look for chewed wiring too.

 

[Huecifer]

Want to know my guess as to what happened? At some point while you were on the highway you accidentally moved the shifter into manual mode (it's actually pretty easy to accidentally do). When going up a hill, it wouldn't downshift for you because it was in manual mode. It only will downshift right before the engine is going to stall, which explains how you made it to a stop without the car stalling even though it wouldn't downshift like normal. And, if you try to put it in reverse like normal while in manual mode, it doesn't work; you have to move the shifter back to the right and then put it in reverse. Then, when you put it in park, it automatically moved the shifter back into it's normal position. That's why it never threw a code, never downshifted like normal but still didn't stall, and never went into reverse until you restarted the car.

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

Wow .. yeah.... As an owner of a 2018 I have trained myself to avoid ever touching the shifter unless I have to.

Just cause it's a cruddy shifter.

 

[Huecifer]

I use manual mode a lot, and about 50% of the time when I go to put it in reverse I forget to move the shifter back to the right, resulting in me lurching forward instead of backwards and cursing the stupid shifter.

 

[Bladecutter]

I now have a car that I deem to be unsafe to drive.

Sorry that you have lost trust in your car.

If there was no check engine light, the drive mode was locked into N mode, and no notice that car was now running on reduced power, then chances are you probably did accidentally shift the shifter, and locked the car in 7th or 8th gear just before you tried to climb a hill at low rpms.

So, that means that your car isn't actually unsafe.
It just means that you made a mistake, and were not aware of it.

 

[AlfaRomeoCares]

I have a 21’ stelvio almost 2 years old with 21,000 miles. Last Wednesday I was on a highway when the started loosing power and the transmission started skipping gears. I got off at the first exit and managed to park the car when in addition it would not reverse. Tow truck came about an hour later at which time I restarted the engine and was able to reverse. Was towed to dealership where they have told me there were no codes and the car was now running fine. I replied that I would not take the car back until they found the problem as I considered the car now unsafe. So far no news from them. I have corporate involved. As this is a leased car I am stuck.

Hi Dan,

We're sorry to hear you had this experience with your vehicle. Do you have a case open with Alfa Romeo Cares? If so, please send us a message with that case number. If not, we'd be happy to connect you with a specialist for further support.

Lex
Alfa Romeo Cares

 

[Felnus]

Want to know my guess as to what happened? At some point while you were on the highway you accidentally moved the shifter into manual mode (it's actually pretty easy to accidentally do). When going up a hill, it wouldn't downshift for you because it was in manual mode. It only will downshift right before the engine is going to stall, which explains how you made it to a stop without the car stalling even though it wouldn't downshift like normal. And, if you try to put it in reverse like normal while in manual mode, it doesn't work; you have to move the shifter back to the right and then put it in reverse. Then, when you put it in park, it automatically moved the shifter back into it's normal position. That's why it never threw a code, never downshifted like normal but still didn't stall, and never went into reverse until you restarted the car.

Definitely seems like the most logical explanation for the scenario described by the OP.

 

[Franiacob]

Want to know my guess as to what happened? At some point while you were on the highway you accidentally moved the shifter into manual mode (it's actually pretty easy to accidentally do). When going up a hill, it wouldn't downshift for you because it was in manual mode. It only will downshift right before the engine is going to stall, which explains how you made it to a stop without the car stalling even though it wouldn't downshift like normal. And, if you try to put it in reverse like normal while in manual mode, it doesn't work; you have to move the shifter back to the right and then put it in reverse. Then, when you put it in park, it automatically moved the shifter back into it's normal position. That's why it never threw a code, never downshifted like normal but still didn't stall, and never went into reverse until you restarted the car.

If this is indeed what happened, you sir, are a genius.