You mentioned on Sat. that you don’t need to let your car warm up but just a minute and then just drive moderately. What about a diesel truck. Is this the same advise? Also, if we don’t let our diesel warm up a long time, then it is very difficult to move the gear shift from Park to another setting (drive, neutral, etc). Once it’s warmed up, then it shifts fine. What is the cause of this?
who gave you this advice? No car, regardless of the type of engine should be used as a “Kick-and-go”. It is always a good idea to let the car warm up before you drive it. Now a days, with the more modern cars you don’t have to let them warm up very long.
Regardless of what anyone tells you, as long as engines are made with metal alloys, the metals used to make your car’s engine will always expand and constrict according to the tempreatures they are subjected to. No one can change that scientific fact. Warm up has to occur so that oils can flow to all necessary areas and mateing surfaces expand to their proper sealing points.
Virtually ever environmentalist will tell you that you don’t need to warm up your car. It has even gotten to the point where they have made it illegal in many cities to warm up your car. It all has to something to do with their panic over green-house gasses. If they (and politicians) were as concerned about the environment as they say they are, instead of making a buck off of the panic they create, there would be more major streets that have consecutive green lights so that people don’t idle at red lights, and there would be more light-rail systems in the infrastructurs.
Warm up your car for about 3-4 minutes each time you use it intially for the day. you’ll save yourself a lot of unnecessary repair bills.
Anyway, to answer your question about the sticking in gear: do you park the truck on a hill and don’t set the parking break before you place the trans in park? Put the pressure on the parking breaks instead of the trans. You’ll be surprised just how much longer the trans lasts.
I was listening to car talk on Sat. and they said to let your car warm up a minute and then drive moderately.
We don’t park on a hill and we haven’t used the parking break unless we are on a hill. But, this is a manual transmission and it’s very hard to move the shifter when cold out until it warms up. It wasn’t always like that.
How many miles do you have on the truck’s odometer?
Have you ever had the gear oil changed? If not, it is possible that you are low on lubricant in the transmission.
If it has been changed, it is possible that the wrong specification oil was used. If a “heavier” viscosity was used than what the manufacturer specifies, that could be the problem.
And, if you ever had the truck serviced by Jiffy Lube, then either of the above scenarios is possible.
Well, we have about 125,000 miles and the person we purchased it from kept it up immaculantly. After that, my husband doesn’t do a good job, but I’ll ask him. We have had it serviced by a small town grease monkey in the past. Thank you for your advise.
Warming up the motor doesn’t do too much to warm up the manual transmission. It is a good idea for the motor to warm up a bit before driving off. If it is really cold where you live a few minutes warming up may be even better on cold mornings. The manual transmission warms up as the gears move so it needs some driving to warm up the tranny. I agree with the post that said your transmission fluid may be due for a change. With age it may have thickened up, or someone may have put in thicker fluid in the past. This should be an easy item to do and see if it helps. At the same time grease up the shift linkage, is another area that can stiffen up in cold weather.
I have a stick shift car and I just drive easily, and shift slowly when first starting out on cold PA mornings.
I drive a diesel and it takes only a few seconds at sub zero temperatures. As soon as it is drivable, go for it. The park thing is something different. I have had manual cars (all my cars have been manual for over 40 years. A few had difficulties shifting when very cold. A change to a better (synthetic and or lighter or mulit weight transmission oil resolved those issues.
Find a Forum for your truck and ask the questions you are asking here. The point of little effect on a manual trans from engine warm up is valid but we have your real life experience in contrast.
I would replace your manual trans fluid with a synthetic from Red Line (baring any unexpected limitations)
You want to warm you car for 4 min,the no warm people say “no more than 1 min” we are not so far apart. Just drive easy at the start of your drive.
Here in AZ its,engine on ,AC on,in gear,go all in 5sec, and if the car balks at this you see it for repair,espically when warranty is involved.
Thank you for your inputs.