2000 rx awd 260,000 on the odo
just purchased 12/21
had no overdrive when i bought it and drove straight to a local shop
had $1400 of work done on it
all intake and exhaust gaskets,all knock
sensors and new ks wiring harness
and new oem spark plugs
overdrive came back, no CEL's
and has run great since all this was done.
this morning zero degrees out
warmed it up for about 10-12 minutes
before i left for work
get it up to overdrive speed and it wont shift into 4th/OD

so i had no choice but go the rest of the way at about 35-38 mph

its done this before in extreme colds temps but it usually snaps out of it after
a few minutes of driving

it only takes me 12-15 mins to get to work right before i got there the cel
undoubtedly comes on.

so all i can do is disconnect and reconnect the battery and let it warm up
before i leave work to get home
and hope i get overdrive back for the ride home.
then maybe maybe hook up a code reader if there still is one when i get home.
im sure this transmission is near the end of its life and there could be a number of things wrong with it.

this is the first cel since all the work was done in december 21

i asked for this i guess because
ive never checked trans fluid
because its been fine since i had the
work done.

 

What's the code?

 

If you are a DIY person trying doing drop and fills, I use Max Life fully synthetic fluid. I buy it a Wall Mart they have the lowest price. if you can drop the transmission pan I would
change the transmission filter, I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't full if the transmission fluid hasn't been changed in a long time. Also full synthetic fluid works better in cold weather
I also use Max life in my power steering. I use Mobil 1 extended service 5-w30 in my engine seems to work very well. Good Luck!

 

O/D is disabled when the engine is cold, and if there is a CEL.

 

no idea im still at work

 

ok. if youre stating a fact then maybe
it just wasnt warmed up enough.

the cel didnt come on until after 10 minutes or so of driving at nearly 3K
RPMs
so im sure it had alot to do with running at high revs.

 

yeah i would if it wasnt single digit temperatures outside right now
ive done spill and fills on two other vehicles ive had
just not in January

 

Have you checked the fluid level and condition (smell and color)? With the weather so cold and all, you're in a difficult situation all the way around. The fluid has to be hot to get a good reading, but it never got above freezing here today in Southern, Indiana. Your somewhere in Illinois, so your in the same boat. Take it easy on it and get the code read at AutoZone or somewhere and then let us know.

 

ok so i got off work at 6pm its like 5 above
i pop the hood in the parking lot
I disconnect the negative battery cable to clear the check engine light
I start it up go back into work to stay warm
let it warm up for at least 20 minutes
come back out get in it drive away and overdrive is fine
check engine light doesn’t come back on
come home park it for 20or 30 minutes
then head to the ymca
no issues there or on the way back

lex2k was right
the little old girl just wasnt warm enough yet
when i took off this morning
it only warmed up about 10 minutes if that
i usually go 15 minutes on these single digit below zero days

fit1too knows what im talkin about

thanks to everyone for there input

ill be checking the trans fluid this weekend for sure

 

yep fit i live in
Moline Il right on Mississippi
a.k.a. the quad cities

 

Lock out of Over Drive has to do with trans temp and not engine temp. The setup is such that the trans fluid churns more with O/D not enabled, thus a quicker warmup of trans fluid.

Nextt time, simply drive to help everything warm up faster with minimum waste+pollution. [Much easier for me as I live in milder climate and for cold areas, the cabin heat will take a few minutes.

If you have a CEL then do not clear it before reading the code. I suspect, there are still some issue that it keeping the vehicle in limp mode.

Salim

 

Possible you have a bad thermostat which eventually causes your CEL.

 

no problems this morning
-6 degrees at 5am
warmed the rx up for 15 minutes or so
shifted from 3rd to 4th without issue
no cel light at all
im going to check for a stored
code tonight
even though i havent seen a check engine light since my rx was repaired
back in mid december 2021
until yesterday.

 

Are your upshifts delayed also? That's common in cold weather.

 

Same climate as yours here in NE Indiana. We start our cars at least 15-20 minutes in advance in winter. But even still an idle warm up won’t heat the t-fluid like normal driving does. Baby it out of the driveway.

Does the car hesitate or buck on any gear shifts? That would indicate real/latent mechanical issues in the tranny. If not the system is doing what it should and saying ‘help me’.