p1fcl01

Hi, When I don't warm up the car in the morning and drive it, the car will not shift to overdrive. This is causing the engine to run (I think) the 3rd gear. Asked the Lexus service rep and they said it was made. I'm confused, because no one else makes a car tranny like that. Please help me so I can place a complaint to Lexus.

p1fcl01

anyone please...........

MrSypher

When a car is cold it runs high Rpm's... Every car does it.. It runs better when it's cold and no heat is going in to the engine.. Thats the reason why they make heat sheilds and cold air boxes for Intakes..... IMO there is nothing wrong woth your tranny... And as for those Idiots at Lexus they should have gave you a better answer than that.....

p1fcl01

Hi mrsypher,

I'm a little confused on the answer. My problem is when the car is not warm up (the Temp gauge not passing the 1st line). The car transmission does not shift to the next gear at all until the Temp go pass the 1 1/2 mark (I hope I explain the temp ok). I also have a Toyota sienna and it doesn't do this when cold it shift all the way to the top gear. My friend who has a 2001 RX300 also don't have this problem. I just a little afraid if it's a problem with my transmission. I've never driven a car that does this. Please help.....TIA....

McDaddy

p1fcl01,
This is my very first post!...
One of the first things I was told when I picked up my car was that when the car is cold, it revs higher to warm up the engine faster and that this is completely normal.

I, in fact, get scared each time it happens to me b/c I'm not supposed to rev over 4000 rpms during the break in period but yet, this thing wants to rev faster and faster... DOWN GIRL!

p1fcl01

Hi McDaddy,

My concern is not the engine reving high rpm, cause I know it suppose to. My concern is the transmission not shifting to the next gear, which I've never encounter with any other cars before.

McDaddy

p1fcl01,
When its cold, this happens to me in all gears (except the last, 5th?).

p1fcl01

McDaddy, Yes, finally someone understands what I'm trying to say. It sometime shift up to 2nd, but to the rest must wait for the car to be warm up. Does your shift upward all the way to 4th even cold?? Please let me know, thanks......

MrSypher

Thats not what he is saying..... He is saying that when his car is cold it doesn't shift till it gets up on the Rpm's......

With you p1fcl01 if your car doesn't shift at all and your hitting the Redline then you have a problem..... Does it shift at the Redline, or does it just rev out??? Try to gun it and see what it does tomorrow, if it shifts out at the redline then your ok. But if it doesn't bring it to Lexus and tell them that when you floor it, it just passes though the red.....

MrSypher

Oh, and McDaddy welcome to the club......

Lil4X

As I understand it, your transmission is not upshifting into 4th when the engine is cold unless you rev it beyond a "comfortable" RPM. This is an artifact of two engineering goals: to bring the catalytic converter up to operating temperature quickly, "lighting off" the chemical process to suppress tailpipe emissions, and 2. to warm the engine coolant quickly to provide optimal performance of the lubricating system, a stable thermal environment for the engine, and heat to the cabin.

Both goals are addressed by temporarily running the engine at a higher speed, raising the shift points to higher revs in all gears. This is most evident in the 3-4 shift. At the temp gauge rises into the normal operating range, you should notice transmission performance returning to "normal" as these conditions are met. In summer driving, even at high ambient temperatures, when you first start your car in the morning you can experience this same effect. As you can imagine, this delay is most noticeable in colder weather as the engine requires much longer to warm up.

Seems like Lexus - like other manufacturers - is taking advantage of the computer controls on the engine and transmission to get emissions under control as quickly as possible. My '00 does the same thing, but I understand the programming may have changed on later models to strike a better balance between the absolute requirement to control emissions and the need to mollify concerned owners like us. The result is a little unnerving - especially in a vehicle that is normally smooth and quiet. The effect passes quickly, and is not a cause for alarm. The programming of your engine control computer and the transmission computer are just trying to save you from yourself, protecting you from the environmental uglies. Just another way the bitslingers are taking over....

p1fcl01

No, no, no.....Let me start over slowly. When I start my car in the morning in the cold. The car doesn't shift to the 3rd and 4th until the engine is warm up. Even when I gun it to the red line. Remember, I have to wait till the engine it's WARM UP......Please help.....

MrSypher

Gotcha, take it back to Lexus. Or even better try to get a Service Rep go to your house before your car has a chance to warm up, and show him.... There is definetly a problem if it doesn't shift at all......

p1fcl01

Thanks, mrsypher ....And these Dealer reps has been telling me it's normal thing, it was suppose to protect the engine and make you wait till the car is warm up being driving....Who wait for a car to be warm up before driving in NY got to be crazy....We don't have the time to do that...I thought something was wrong, but since the rep told me it's ok, I didn't think about it until winter whenit is real cold....Thank you all for your very helpful info, I'm glad I came to this forum...Oh BTW, how do I get access to the TSB, tech service bulletin....thanks....

MrSypher

No problem.... As for that bulletin your on your own... Other peeple know, but not me.....