When my gs400 starts up in the morning, the tranny is slow to shift for the 1st 5-10 minutes, holding gear without a good dose of the gas pedal

Any ideas what might be up with the tranny? I've checked the oil and it seems fine (color / level)

Thanks

 

just needs to be warmed up a bit, i've noticed the same thing happed with my previous acura but it was worse when i started it and didnt wait a few minutes..

 

You should let it warm up 3-5 mins at least before driving. If it still persists even when the car is warm. You got a problem in the transmission. Try changing the transmission fluid if you haven't yet. Use OEM.

 

That's why your supposed to let the car warm up before you drive it. It gets all the fluids up to temperature and proper consistency.

 

Check the fluid, may be a lil low

 

mine does the same thing....

 

Tranny wont shift until you reach a more comfortable temperature. I usually let my car idle for 1-2 min and by then, the car drives normally.

 

Thanks guys

 

About 30sec to a minute warm up time is sufficient before starting to drive the car as long as you maintain a slow easy speed for another few minutes. Idling for up to 5 minutes is not so good for the environment. Modern oil and tranny fluid flow much better than the older grades from previous generation cars and can allow a car to be driven lightly before complete warmup.

It is also true that the tranny will maintain lower gears a little longer until a sufficient threshold operating temperature is achieved. So by design it is also allowing you to drive the car lightly before being fully warmed up.

Dead of winter driving may warrant slightly longer warm up periods before driving.

 

That's normal. I just start it and go. I don't wait. Just don't be a jackass and floor it as soon as you start it up. It will hang from 1st to 2nd sometimes when cold before shifting but once it starts to warm up, it's fine.

 

I always wondered this too. i warm up 3mins or so always.

 

mine does it too when cold, holds 2nd and the shifts hard into 3rd if I give it some gas. Its done it since I bought the car 3600 miles ago and has not gotten worse so I'm not worried about it. I had the trans fluid flushed by the toyota dealer around 2500 miles ago and it didn't change the shifting.

 

My `98 has been doing it for 11 years and for its 237K mile lifetime, but only when the engine isn't warmed up. Summertime, I just drive it at 20 mph until it kicks down. This usually happens within first 1/4 mile. In winter this is usually 1/2 mile and when really cold, up to 3/4 mile. After that everything is fine. Never worried about it, but my `96 LS400 (213K miles) doesn't do the same thing, though I've learned to just drive it that way anyway. I figure it's just a lot less damamge to the engine until it warms up. Somebody thought it had to do with emissions, But I'm not sure. Fortunately where I live and work, I've don't usually have to worry about traffic until after the first mile, so I'm usually not bothering anyone.

 

Mine too for 11 years. Usually for the first couple of stops and half mile.

 

mine's a 98 and done almost 150k KMs, and also is a bit rough when cold. But i come from a turbo car background so i always let my cars warm up for at least a minute or so-i try to let the temperature gauge get moving at least. Letting it sit and warm up for like 5mins isnt good for it really cause it can get a bit too hot sitting there doing nothing. i think a minute or so of idle then careful driving for a few more mins is probably ideal.