Auto starting to struggle

[Justanutta]

My poor Viano with 206k miles on the clock has developed an issue that showed up on a long run last night. At 70mph on a motorway, whilst on cruise control and on a slight incline, it started dropping out of 5th, into 4th, back into 5th and then 4th and so on in relatively annoying repetitive fashion, every couple of seconds, until it got onto level ground again. I had already done over 100 miles in it on the journey, so everything was up to temperature. Any thoughts as to whether this is the start of the end, or whether it is something I can get sorted. I've never had this issue before with it and was last serviced 2 years ago, but only done minimal mileage since then.

 

[Doug1234]

Sounds normal go me , cruise control is holding selected speed without labouring engine hence dropping down and up a gear.
If you increase speed a couple of mph you will most likely find it will stop.
I had an e34 Bmw when towing it would do the same.

 

[Justanutta]

Sounds normal go me , cruise control is holding selected speed without labouring engine hence dropping down and up a gear.
If you increase speed a couple of mph you will most likely find it will stop.
I had an e34 Bmw when towing it would do the same.

Thank you for that. I've just never noticed it doing it before

 

[LostKiwi]

Thank you for that. I've just never noticed it doing it before

A change in load, speed, even temperature can make them do this from time to time.

 

[Srdl]

Thank you for that. I've just never noticed it doing it before

May just be that particular incline (and the van load) which made it uncertain about which gear it wanted.

 

[LostKiwi]

It's usually called hunting as the car hunts the correct gear for the load. Easiest way to stop it doing it is knock it from drive to the lower if the gears it's hunting between, in your case 4th. Wait till the conditions change then put it back in D.