Automatic Corolla does not seem to "switch gears" when starting cold

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Hello,



I’m driving a '97 Corolla automatic with 134K miles on it. When I start the car and drive in the morning these days, for the first 5 minutes or so, it only drives in the “first gear.” Even if I press on the accelerator, it does not seem to switch to a higher gear.



It drives perfectly well once it’s slightly warmed up for the rest of the day.



Can you please guide me on what the possible causes might be?



Thanks!

Samir

2

Has the Transmission fluid been replaced? This should have been done around 60k. Have you taken the car to a dealer/independent mechanic? What did they say? First get the fluid drained and replaced if you haven’t done so. Even if it doesn’t solve your problem, it needs to be done anyway.

3

Normal operation. The transmission is held in the lower gears until it warms up sufficiently then the computer allows the higher gears to be used.

4

It is normal for the transmission to withhold over drive when cold. It should shift normally up to third until the engine is fully warm. If you are getting a solid i.e. no neutraling or slipping in first gear, the fluid level is probably okey but you might want to check that. You are most likely going to need to have the computer scanned and a line pressure check done, preferably when it is cold and the problem is occurring.

You want to find out if the computer is commanding second gear engagement or not. If the computer is commanding the shift and the solenoid is activating, the pressure check should determine if there is a piston seal leaking until the fluid temperature rises. It is possible that the one way roller clutch for second gear is slipping when it is cold. You might try driving in manual 2nd gear and see if you get a correct shift because the manual second uses a different clutch pack that supplants the one regularily used. If you can get it to accelerate in 2nd, try shifting to 3rd or D manually.

Let us know what you find from the following tests and any diagnosis you get

5

There is a small possibility that there is too much fluid in the transmission. There are other things too, but I like to have the simple things happen. Small possibility means that it happened once in a 1976 Impala. Small indeed.

6

Thank you all for your help! You folks are wonderful. To answer your questions, Jeff:

  • I have not replaced transmission fluid since the 60K tune-up, so I’ll get that done.
  • I haven’t taken the car to the mechanic since I always feel like a chump when I’m not able to reproduce the problem at the shop. This seemed like one of those problems…

Researcher, I will try the manual switching test and report the results. I will plan to leave the car at the shop for a few hours for the line pressure and computer checks.

One more question from me: How serious is this thing? Should I continue driving or cease-and-desist until all the checks are completed?

Thank you all once again!

7

I don’t disagree but I drove my Camry yesterday morning when it was around 0 deg F and it definitely seems to be in a lower gear than 3 when it’s really cold. It takes a mile or so for it to loosen up fully and drive normally. The point being, to many people it might “feel” like it’s stuck in first when in actuality it’s just waiting to warm up before shifting into the higher gear(s). People accustomed to older cars without computer controlled transmissions or haven’t driven in cold conditions may not know about this situation. The OP may in fact have a real problem but I guess I’ve heard so many people complain of this issue that this response is second nature for me.

8

Thank you, TwinTurbo. What you seem to be saying is that this need not be a super-serious issue. I got concerned because it started only recently and just after it did, the “Check Engine” light came on. That light disappeared after the mechanic replaced the Oxygen sensor, but this problem with cold start persists…

9

First of all, No, the transmission is NOT supposed to stay in lower gears when cold. On computer controlled transmissions torque converter lockup is delayed until the transmission FLUID reaches a certain temperature. (Usually anywhere between 60-70 degrees) Most cold weather problems are related to clutch seals on the different clutch drums inside the trans. I have seen a lot of underdrive clutches go on this model. What I would do if I were you is allow the trans to warm up a little before driving. Your trans is not new anymore. Just like some of the older folks, It takes a little longer to get up in the morning…LOL

transman