when i start my car in the mornings, i let it warm for about five minutes, then i leave. the problem is that it wont shift into 4 for 3-4 miles or the last little drop (overdrive?) untill about 15 min. after the engine is completely warmed up or i am 10-12 miles away. is this a problem that i need to worry about? am i harming my flimsy gxe tranny? btw if i let it warm longer before i leave it upshifts sooner

 

Thats normal with most late model automatic transmission cars. It allows the transmission fluid to get up to normal operating temperature sooner. As for your last question, you shouldn't rev your engine too high until you physically see your temp gauge move slightly past the 'C' mark. Since most of my driving is city on my way to work and school, I never shift into 4th or 5th until I see the temp gauge move slightly above the 'C'

Also, IMHO 5 min warm-up is alittle too extreme, I've never warmed up any of my cars for more than 10 seconds, even on a cold morning no matter how cold the air is blowing out of the vents.

 

I used to let my car warm up 15 minutes when I had the remote starter on it.

 

ok thanks!

 

i've seen a consensus that you shouldn't push past 3000 rpm till the car heats up and that you shouldn't warm the car up by idling more than a minute or two, its better to drive slow to get there.
personally my gxe, as minty as it might be, runs like **** until the oil temperature rises, thats usually about 1/2 a mile of slow driving.
T

 

my remote start cuts out at 12 minutes

 

mine shuts off after 20 min

 

dont you want to use a higher gear to lower the revs?

 

Speed limit around rush hour is 20-25mph where I travel So 3rd gear is at about 1,400-1,600rpms

 

ah i see123

 

1990 Max with 118K, sat for about 3 weeks (out of town) started right up, drove about 150 miles over three days, parked. Sat another 6 weeks (out of town again) and when started, it was 45 degrees colder than when parked. Backed out of garage into the cold and IMEDIATELY started dead miss on two cylinders. Talk about slowing you down...
No history on tunes, but that is my project today...Cap and wires look factory, and who knows about the plugs, but its been getting much worse mileage. Miss went away about the same time temp guage left the peg, but after one heat cycle, returned. My guess is 70-80K mile old plugs...
Where I live, 5-30 synthetic helps "warm me up" a lot quicker. Looks like we are going to have a cold one this year...

 

if i were you i would replace the plugs, wires and cap...they really do help alot...and yes using 5w30 helps when its cold, because the oil is thinner to begin with.

 

Honda owner's manuals state that their transmissions do that intentionally. It is programed in to help with emissions. The engine turns a little faster to warm the engine up faster to lower emissions. Or so I heard.

Emissions is also why mfgs say don't idle a car after cold start up. Burning gas and going no-where.

 

you also dont want to idle for too long cuz you engine isnt designed for it.... no car is. they are meant to have a load put on them.

 

incorrect, the crown vic is designed to idle all day long.

 

Fred,
I'm up in the tundra, too, and my 90 SE auto does that as well. I had the same panic attack at first, but i figured it just had to be cold since the tranny shifts fine all the other times. The other thing mine does if I don't plug the the car in at night is clatter like unholy banshees for about 30 seconds. And then it goes away mysteriously. I think one or more of my injectors may be bad / weak and fail in the cold. That's the only thing I can think of.

 

yeah mine clatters too, but only for a few seconds. and i dont have a block heater, i should really get one, i have a feeling the rest of the winter is going to be cold when i need my car to start thanks

 

10char

 

Yeah you guys should use synthetic if you aren't already, at least during winter time, as well as a filter with a good anti-drain back valve. My max also won't lock up the TC when in really cold temps. It rev's about 200rpm more than normal for a couple miles. I have a tranny cooler, so I usually block it off during winter months (also syn ATF).