BLI, RSD15 slow speed running problem

My RSD 15 has QSI sound and a N-scale,143IP decoder.On speed step 1 the engine starts to crawl (nice slow speed running)…It will travel 3 or 4 inches then stop.I then have to apply more power,but enough so that to get it to run it will “lurch” forward.It’s as if there is a high spot on the flywheel.
Do you think this could be corrected with decoder programming? I lubed the motor and gears but that did’nt help.Or should just send it to BLI to look at?..It was a undecorated model that i’ve painted,decaled & weathered so I’d rather have it “tweeked” than replaced

Sounds mechanical to me. I would open it up and look for any flywheel troubles or plastic flashing in the universal joints. If need to investigate further, then I would consider opening up the gear boxes and again looking for flashings.

David B