Sorry for making you read all this, but i need to be descriptive because i have the lightest idea about this. I usually have an idea, but this time I'm lost.
Bought the car in JAN 2022 used 95k miles. I know the prior owner personally. Dove can 100 miles home, no probs, at least not noticeable. Then lets say end of January, i noticed, my temp gauge was saying cold or almost cold, yet, i had been driving for a whole 25 mins. Gas needle was passed the Full, yet i know i probably only had a half a tank. (Distance to empty reflected ~180 miles to empty) I ignored it, because i thought maybe it is because the car was sitting up for a year. { It wasn't for mechanical reason, someone ran into the back of her at light, car was fixed by insurance}. From there she bought another vehicle and was reserving to give to child... EPIC FAIL THERE. Any who, yes, i ignored those things. And sometimes, i would get in the car, and everything would look normal. Sometimes, temp would be past halfway mark like it wants to run hot but never did go up there. It is also fair to know, i didn't drive that car more that 25 miles in 1 setting.
March 2022, I'm taking a 95 mile road trip, and maybe around the 75 mile marker, car would not go past 70mph. It would creep up to like 67-70 mph, and even if i smashed on the gas, i got nothing.. RPM wouldn't even respond to it.. If i let go of gas pedal a little, i might be able to creep up to 73-75 mph. I simply thought it was bad gas, so i put treatment in there and took a 15 mins break and prayed. Start car back up and zoom, i was good. I was at 80 mph. Coming back, i didn't run into any probs, as i used back roads due to traffic.
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||06/04/2022 -2pm 108mile trip one way|| (WEATHER IS HOT) Get in the car, start it up and immediately after start, temp of the car is showing a smidge over a half.. Turn car off, check fluid, and it was full. Reservoir itself was full as well. So i assumed, this thing is just retarded. Started my journey an by the time i reached approx 36 miles of driving, car would not rev-up past 72 mph. WEIRD!!. So i stopped at Buccees, took a bath room break and checked on car. Squeezed the big hose coming from radiator, and it was hot, but touchable. And it had little or no pressure at all. Out of curiosity, i opened the radiator cap, and it was fluid in it. Touched it with my finger, yes it was hot, but not burning hot. It felt like it was hot because its under the hood and its hot as heck outside. It did not feel like it was hot because it went into car and came out... Normally, that's burning hot! A/C blows cold, sometimes i felt like it wasn't blowing cold enough, but that could very well be i my mind. Got back on the highway (i10) and i was good to go. Got passed 80mph, and then maybe 10-15 mins later, i don't have my power anymore. I'm stuck rolling at about 66-72 mph. Got in slow lane and just continued driving. Then SES light comes on. THATS A 1st. Next, the triangle with the exclamation light came on too. Now at this point, car temp is passed the HOT line. Not by a little, by a lot. I just drove with it for the remaining miles. Triangle went away. SES light stayed on. Parked the car for 6 hrs.
06/04/2022 @ ~9:30pm --- Drove back home, 108miles back, and after about 80 miles or so, it did the dumb stuff again. This time, it was saying the car was COLD. Cold as in, just starting your car. It then limits me again, A/C blowing cold, so i just cruised it to the house, no need to even try to go 80mph.
06/07/2022 -- 1130am -- Drove it 7 miles, and parked. Everything was looking normal, so i went to check the hose while car is still running, i felt a little pressure, but not much at all. It was very much squeezable. I did not pop the radiator cap due to the small tiny pressure. There is Fluid in reservoir as well. A/C still cold.
FAQ - No the car is not missing. Its not staggering or act like it wants to die. Instead it feels like i went from driving a 4cyl to a 2 cyl. It doesn't jerk or anything. RPM still at the normal place. It just takes its time trying to speed up.. Weird. And now I'm hearing the whining noise that i just read thru searching, i need to change the CVT fluid. --- I will do so, or at least drain half of it. I called my mech and told him all this, he said, he has never heard of that, and can i bring it in. Before i do that, i would rather get your opinion or suggestions. Don't want to spend all kinds of money fixing things that are NOT the problem.
So what do you think is going on??