Is this normal?
 

Ever since the temperatures in Ohio hit the single digits my transmission acts funny. When I am getting on the highway and going bout 65 or so my car takes a few minutes to shift into 4th...(when the car warms up it shifts). I know its not shifting because i can drop it into 3rd and the rpms remain the same. The weird thing is that the car shifts to 4th right away when its warm outside. Is this normal for our cars in cold weather?

Aaron

Torque converter lock up depends on transmission temperature reaching a set figure. I have not seen it reported that this also affects the final shift.

Others may know the answer in this regard, but meantime I would say that you have nothing expensive to be concerned about. :)

Every car I've owned shifts funny in super cold weather. Just let your car warm up before driving and don't thrash on it as much in winter.

My advice is to never "thrash" a car. Driving very, very, quickly does not call for abusing the car in any respect. In fact quite the opposite, if you wish to get the every best from it. They call this "skill" as I understand it. The alternative is stupidity. :p

YES this is a feature all svx trannys that untill it gets up to a certin operating temp it wont shift in to 4th gear its fine

I thrashed my last car (b16b civic) and it ran great for the 6 years I owned it. But you can't really do that to a 14 year old car with known tranny issues.. that's why I mentioned it.

Sorry Brian,

I did not mean to be critical of you.:eek: In any event, on the basis of the knowledge you have displayed here, I would expect that your "thrashing" must have included some kindness. :rolleyes:

Cheers, Trevor.

It's a feature in all Subaru 4EAT's. The transmission will not shift into 4th gear until it reaches 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit.

FWIW, I don't know of any electronically-controlled automatic transmissions that don't have a fluid temperature sensor. The sensors not only change the program for overheating but also for extremely low temps, as well.

Well thats a relief. Thanks alot guys!

Hopefully it warms up soon...

You're tellin me. -40 with the wind tonight and I'm going to be outside....fun.

I've got a buddy that lives in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, and commutes to his fly-job in SLC by using a parachute to cushion the worn-out seat in his 180. Too much fun for me...

Beav, it is so nice to have a little bit of fun mixed in with the technical stuff.:)

hehe...I'm a seasonal pilot. My friend had to do a little night hop last night. He didnt enjoy it very much.

Yeah, it cracks me up when I think of how many people on his commercial flight are on pins and needles when a stewardess breaks wind. Can you imagine what his flight in the old 180 was like, to get to the plane they're on, this time of year?