Normal or not normal?

[Septembersrain]

I'm new to this car (It's my first new car period) so I have a few questions:

When I have the air conditioner on, If I idle it seems to have the compressor turn on and off continuously. Normal?

When I go to stop, The car seems to shutter just a little tiny bit.
I was told this is just the engine downshifting. Normal?

After I started putting in premium gas the car seems to want to constantly get into a higher gear. Normal?

Thanks!

[CTScott]

Normal for the first two. Running premium gas should not make a bit of difference, so that may just be a perceived effect.

[Septembersrain]

Thanks for the response, I don't want to seem paranoid.
I'm not sure if it was just subconsciously me driving faster.
I noticed it about a week after I started using that gas.

Is there anything else I should be doing while the car is in the break in period?

[ilikerice]

hug it once a day. If you take it for granted, it will leave you.

[nookandcrannycar]

hug it once a day. If you take it for granted, it will leave you.

:laugh:.....or if you take it for granted, it might start breaking down :biggrin:.

[Septembersrain]

Haha. Oh man. I almost laughed my sugar cookie pudding out my nose.
I think I love my cars way to much, I treat them better than some people. =P

So I think I'm going for a slightly bigger size tire so I can get my Michelin Defenders again.
Do you think I'll notice a huge difference between 185/65 suggested and the stock 175/65?

[BEEF]

10mm wider and 6.5mm taller. basically you will be going slightly (and I do mean slightly) faster than what your speedometer reads. honestly I don't think it will be noticeable at all.

[mirapatec]

I was concerned originally with the rough idling at a stop, but once I learned it was the engine dropping RPMs to the minimum, I was OK with it.

I have observed a slight smoothing of the idling if I slip the gear shit into N while sitting at a traffic signal.