The Neutral "Clunk"

[Chuckk1]

With the stalling problem, I've gotten in the habit of putting the car in neutral before coming to a full stop. And I have noticed every time, a pronounced "clunk" when the speed gets below about 5 mph. This is long after I have shifted to neutral. It only happens at 5mph or less. What the heck is THIS?

[Indy8]

I don't know, but how long has it been since you last changed trans fluid?

[Chuckk1]

I bought used at 58K miles. Haven't changed, but normal shifting is perfectly smooth. Fluid appears clean.

[rodtice]

I noticed this as I was test driving my '97 before turning the check over on a car I bought off ebay.

What I have found out is when you lift off on the throttle normally for coasting the engine recieves NO fuel to increase MPG, and just before you stop the compute goes into idle mode and turns on the fuel again to idle, if you shift out of drive the transmission doesn't turn the engine over.

If yours is the same as mine you have been shifting out of D into N while at a very slow speed just before pulling into a parking place and it clunks just before stopped.

This is all the info I have been able to find. I now don't shift out of D until stopped and problem is solved.

[Chuckk1]

That certainly is a logical explanation for the clunk. Thanks. If I ever get the stalling fixed, I won't have to be using neutral so much....