lovin1stgens

my truck seems to want to stay in first and second for FOREVER.
i checked the transmission oil level, and seems to be plenty.
is it just cause its ridiculously cold? if so, why did it just recently start basically, not a few months ago when it started to get so cold?
i think thats it, cause once i get goin and get operating temp up, it goes away. just wanna make sure im not about to lose my tranny or somethin else is wrong

SOOT4BRAINS

Auto's will tend to stay in gear longer when they are cold. My old mopars do this when its cold out. Goes away when they warm up. What can help with this and also help the tranny last longer is to put the trans in neutral for 30 seconds or so after you start it before you put it in gear to go. As it was explained to me, the pump in the transmission is not turning when it is park, but does when its in neutral. This allows it to get the fluid going before you apply power to it.

Aaron

Jim Lane

This is just another excellent example of why you want to leave your heat exchanger connected and working correctly, the hot engine coolant will help initially raise the temp of the transmission fluid to 180*, without it in place the only thing to heat up the transmission fluid is driving it for some distance and relying on the torque converter generating the heat.

I do not know the viscosity of transmission fluid but I am sure when the temps drop down near freezing that it gets pretty difficult to operate the hydraulics of the transmission correctly until it warms up, besides a maximum operating temperature there is probably a minimum operating temperature as well.

You could probably raise the fluid temperature by stalling the transmission after it warms up sufficiently for the clutches to fully engage.

Plugging in your block heater at night would also help warm up the transmission fluid once you start the engine with the trans in neutral.

Jim

lovin1stgens

how is this done?

torquefan

Your transmission fluid is routed through a heat exchanger that has engine coolant running through it. If the coolant is already warm at startup, it will help the transmission get up to operating temperature faster. On these trucks, as Jim mentioned, you ned to idle them in neutral for the fluid to circulate. It doesn't happen in park.

lovin1stgens

i feel stupid lol i thought jim said plug it up. i was so confused.
after reading it again i see it said plug it IN hahaha stupid me