I am a good, safe, severely-financially-challenged driver who is also a dummy about cars. My '95 S-10’s auto trans is probably going bad: very slow in first, but then behaves semi-normally without lead-footing it, within less than 100 feet of driving distance. (Trans fluid is OK). My questions: 1.) Can I prolong my operation of this vehicle by starting out in a higher gear and then shifting to regular drive in that distance? 1a.) That is, am I fooling the S-10 into skipping that traitorous first gear? B.) Why didn’t I take Auto Shop in high school instead of all those Art classes?
The transmission will always start out in low gear regardless of which shift position is used either D or D2. Just drive slowly at first and it may keep the transmission alive a little longer. At some point in the near future a transmission repair will have to be accomplished.
What exactly is wrong with first gear? Is the engine reving up but the truck is not accelerating appropriately? Or are the engine RPMs low and just wont pickup that fast?
The transmission will always start out in low gear regardless of which shift position is used either D or D2.
True for many automatics, but not all.
I had a '99 S-10, V6, automatic and drove a company '01 S-10 over 200K miles, they both would start and stay in 2nd gear if placed in 2
I agree with the statement that the transmission will stay in second if selected but the transmission will shift from low to second when starting out. I have a 2000 S-10 with an automatic transmission and the 4.3 V6. If I select 2 and start out real slow it will shift once then remain in second gear. The shift is almost unnoticeable unless you start slowly. Transman…please chime in on this since you are the expert.
In the 60s and 70s, I remember many Fords that when put in D2, would start in 2nd gear and remain in 2nd gear. In fact, the owners manuals for those cars would sometimes suggest starting off in D2 when the roads were slippery.
I agree JoeMario. Some older automatic transmissions had this ability. I remember some automatics that had to be shifted manually (early Honda Civics) and some that even used a clutch (late 40’s Dodge and Chryslers).
D2 starts in second gear to improve traction under adverse driving conditions. The idea is to limit wheelspin on ice or snow by limiting torque to the drive wheels…
missileman, I am sure that both S-10s that I drove would start in 2nd and stay there. I never tried to see if it stayed in 2nd gear if I drove 70 or 80 MPH.
JoeMario, You are correct.
RWD Ford trucks still do this…except AOD/AODE/4R70E (all AOD derived).
Aren’t all Ford Trucks RWD? missilemanOctober 17Report
I agree with the statement that the transmission will stay in second if selected but the transmission will shift from low to second when starting out. I have a 2000 S-10 with an automatic transmission and the 4.3 V6. If I select 2 and start out real slow it will shift once then remain in second gear. The shift is almost unnoticeable unless you start slowly. Transman…please chime in on this since you are the expert.
I think that the shift is unnoticable because it DOES NOT HAPPEN.
An automatic tranmission that starts in second rather than first gear if the shifter is placed in D2 at the start would have that as a special feature. If yours does this, the owner’s manual should highlight it. If the owner’s manual does not, than it’s a normal tranny and would start in first and shight no higher than second.
For both of my hondas, selecting 2 starts each in second and yes it is called out in both owners manuals.
Well, I don’t have either truck or manuals so I cannot check it.
Perhaps, but my suggestion was for the OP. Malraux was kind enough to confirm that on his cars it is, in fact, called out in the manuals.
Different makes do different things here.
GM and Chrysler start in first in the 2 position.
GM used to have a “second gear start” switch" for winter driving.
I added this control to a 2002 Bonneville.
Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Honda, and Kia start in second in the 2 position. Great for winter driving.
Most of the 6 and 8 speed transmission let you start in second gear, but you have to switch to manual to do it.
That is also true for Subarus.
Agreed some trannys do and some dont… My 04’ Exploder will start out in 2nd and 3rd gears when selected… while some vehicles will always start out in 1st and then go to the selected gear and not beyond. I guess its a semantics thing when designing the transmission.