Drove the SL on a 400 mile road trip. On both mornings, temps in the 40s the transmission seems to take a seconds or so to engage P or D. The first several 1-2 shifts seem rough but once the car is driven for a short while all is fine. I had the transmission serviced last year at 30k miles by my dealer. No warning lights or other issues. Should I be concerned?

 

Won't let me edit my post. Should read getting from P to either R or D.

 

Hmmm, sounds like it is slow to build pressure. I haven't been out recently when the temps are in that range, but I'll pay close attention the next time I do.

Years ago, and I mean YEARS, I had a 1978 Cutlass Supreme and one zero degree morning in NY states, the car was very slow to shift when first started. Never happened again, so I don't know what to say.

Do you start off in E or S mode? It shouldn't matter since even in E mode the tranny will start in 1st gear until warmed up.

 

Interesting. I thought a felt a quick shift when starting off. The indicator said I was in second but it felt like it shifted so perhaps it is starting in first until it warms up. I almost always use E mode.

 

I start in S mode because I fear low speed pre ignition (LSPI). I'm pretty sure the "low speed" refers to engine speed and not vehicle speed. The extra load starting in 2nd may (or may not) increase the likelihood of LSPI. I really don't have any idea if that is true or not, but starting in 1st is less of a load than starting in 2nd.

 

I will try to remember to start in S especially in cold weather. Also will let engine idle for about a minute after a cold start to let the pressure build up in the tranny.

 

Have you driven it in the cold anytime before this and the time you had the transmission serviced?
I don’t remember, but what’s your mileage? 30k? Doubt it’s transmission itself.


Sometimes if the transmission is slightly under filled it can exhibit behavior like this in cold weather.
These transmission fluid levels are set using temperatures. It’s easy to get them “close”, but just slightly off.
Sometimes adding just a bit of fluid can solve this. It’s not something I would do Willie Nilly, but you may want to mention that you’re having cold weather shift issues to the place that did your transmission service. Give them a call.

Good Luck

 

Thanks. Dealer is 60 miles away but I'll see what they say.

 

@rmorin49 Cold this morning. Still having the problem?

 

Didn't start it this morning but plan to do so tomorrow. Supposed to get down to 29 tonight.
Is it definitely true that the tranny starts in first gear when cold even in E mode when the dash indicator says 2?

 

I will try to find where I read that the tranny goes to first gear when cold. Could not find it searching the owner’s manual. Maybe in a 7G tranny tech bulletin or something. I’ll post when I find it.

 

Roger that, thanks.

 

I found this comment, but am still looking for an official statement.

https://mbworld.org/forums/glc-class...m_content=post

 

I'm going to do some experimenting tomorrow morning. Supposed to be 29 degrees. I would expect it will take up to 10 minutes of driving to get to "normal" operating temperatures. Lots of stop signs in my neighborhood to see what gear is used at each start.

 

Conducted my experiment this morning:

1. Ambient temps were 30 degrees F. Car was parked in a non-heated garage.
2. Started the car and let it run for about 30 seconds.
3. Backed out of the garage into the alley behind our home about 100 feet.
4. Car in E mode. Dash showed second gear.
5. Very slow acceleration, after only about 2 seconds felt what I feel was a shift from 1st to 2nd gear. Dash still said second gear.
6. After approaching the street I stopped and started out again. Same thing, what felt like a shift from 1st to 2nd gear.
7. I drove around for about 15 minutes, making several stops with the same result.
8. Went onto a highway and drove at 45 - 55 mph for another 10 minutes.
9. Made several stops in E mode and did NOT feel any shift until it went from 2nd to 3rd gear.
10. Changed to Sport mode to start in 1st gear. Tranny holds in first much longer than it did when starting in E mode with a cold engine.

I am convinced that the transmission does indeed start in 1st gear when cold and in E mode.
Would welcome others to chime in.

 

Good observation. Did you notice any change in RPM when you felt the shift?

 

What happened to my posts? Can you guys see them?

 

Yup I see your post crystal clear.

 

I was going so slow that I didn't. I will repeat the test next time I drive it.

 

@rmorin49 I think you jinxed me. I am now feeling a little skip in changing gears before the tranny is up to operating temperatures. Even though it wasn't terribly cold today, I did see a momentary rev when changing gears. Once the tranny was warmed up, everything was back to normal. I will watch closely the next time I take the car out.

 

Hopefully what we are experiencing is normal. My SL tends to sit unused quite a bit from December until around March. Mine is acting the same as yours until it's up to operating temperature.

 

I continue to drive mine pretty regularly throughout the year. But I am retired and don’t drive the car long distances on a daily basis. I do believe this transmission behavior is temperature related. I just turned 60,000 miles on the car, but the transmission was serviced two years ago at 43,000 miles. I’ve not noticed it before because I wasn’t watching for it. Now it will be like the song you can’t get out of your head.

🎵BabyShark, do do do do do do BabyShark, do do do do do do BabyShark, do do do do do do BabyShark...🎵

 

I'm headed out out tonight for a drive. Pretty cold so I'll see how the tranny performs.

Added:
Just returned from a 30 mile ride to get hot fudge sundaes. Transmission performed perfectly. Let the car idle in driveway until idle speed dropped below 1k. Drove off slowly down our alley. First couple of shifts were a little rough but after about 5 minutes all shifts were smooth and uneventful. All is well.

 

Sounds 100% normal for a cold car. Hope the sundaes were tasty!

 

You can also try a transmission reset. This is not the same as a transmission adaptation. Below is one of many YouTube videos that describes the reset process.