The past few weeks have been extremely cold up here in Toronto, and since I only live 2km away from the nearest highway on-ramp, I was wondering if Iam doing my tranny or diff any harm by driving at 100km-60mph with only a few minutes of warm-up. The tranny feels a bit sluggish for the first few kms.

Should I allow the tranny to warn up before I drive at hiway speeds.

 

I'm experiencing a similar thing with my transmission. It tends to stay in third gear a lot longer and is reluctant to even shift into OD until after I'm on the highway and doing over 60 MPH. During warmer weather, it would shift into OD on the ride to the highway between 45 and 50 MPH. Is this normal?

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Paul...
99 F-150 XLT SC Sport, 4.6L, Auto, Captain Chairs, Class III Towing Package, 3.55 LS, Sliding Rear Window, White, 4X2, CD, Soft Factory Tonneau Cover, K&N Filter, WMS Velocity Tube, Line-X Spray on Bed Liner, Gibson Side Swept Cat Back System, F150online Decal...
More to come!

ptarnuzzer@megsinet.net

 

It has to do with fluid wt. in colder weather. Its normal till it warms up. Have you had the tranny filter & filter changed yet??? The new syn, blend fluid Mercon V is thinner wt. to more faster through the tranny the older fluid sits longer because of it being heavier wt.DON`T MIX FLUIDS EITHER The Mer. V last twice as long as the Mer.III......Ihope this helps!!!!.......Lariat#1

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1997 Red/Silver F150 Lariat Flareside 3 Dr. SC..... ORP & Tow Package, Complete Lariat Option Package ,{APPEARANCE} AVS Carbon Fiber Headlite Covers, Tail Lite Slots & Door Sill Protectors,Owens Fg. Step Boards, Tinted Windows,Ford 2-Piece Bra,20" Chrome Exhaust Tips,A.R.E Bed Cover Lid,Pendaliner Inner Tail Gate Protector,Zie-Bart Total Paint & Under Coating W/ Sounder Deadener Protection, #1 Ford Truck Plate under glass on Front Bumper,Custom made Ford Red Window Decals,Blue Tinted Rear Lic. Plate Protector,Blue Billet Valve Stem Caps, Ford Chrome Hitch Receiver Cover {PERFORMANCE} 4.6L WINDSOR Auto, 3.55LS, 4-Wheel ABS,Platinum 3 Spark Plugs,K&N Air Filter W/ modified stock MAF side air box,Custom Cold Air Chamber (Dam) to keep hot air from K&N Air Filter,Tornado Air Man.,WMS Velocity Tube,Dual Exhaust System W/Stock Muffler,Performance Fiction Carbon Metallic Z-Rated Disc Brake Pads,Goodyear Wrangler A/TS Tires,55 Watt Halogen(replacement) Reverse Lites, Pilot 55 watt Halogen (add-on) Reverse Lites on Hitch under truck,Driving Lamps upgraded to 55 Watt Cool Blue Halogen Bulbs,Driving Lamps(Foglites) work W/ High Beams On & Driving Lamps(Foglites) also work (ON or OFF) W/ Park Lamps On W/Switched Relay {AUDIO} Stock In-Dash Cass. W/6 Disc Changer & 4 Stock Speakers,Trenz Billet #3 Antenna {SECURITY} Ford Total Security System W/ Motion Alarm All on factory Key Fob,Ford Warning Decals on Windows,A.R.E Cover & Hood also wired to Alarm System This is LARIAT#1... IN The Great State Of Indiana "Where more than corn grows in Indiana"..........http://hometown.aol.com/terrylariat1...page/auto.html A Very Proud Member of ...www.f150online.com

 

Not shifting to OD on cold starts is normal for the tranny on cold days. It just takes a while for the fluid to reach operating temeratures. Most mornings (lately about -10 to 0 degrees F), my truck takes about 10 minutes of running or so before it will drop into OD. I wouldn't worry about it unless the fluid is warmed up and it won't shift to OD. Synthetics / Mercon V may provide better cold weather performance, and I will probably go to the Mercon V at the next tranny flush. Good Luck!

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1997 F150 XLT, Flareside Bed, Moonlight Blue, 4x2, SC, Auto, 4.6L, 3:08, Matched cargo cover, Blu Oval reciever hitch plug, 235/70/16 Firestone Wilderness AT's, Sliding rear window, and a big grin!

 

Mercon and Mercon V can be used together in a transmission designed for Mercon. Whoever told you they can't is full of crap, LARIAT1.

 

Nitro: Manual or automatic trans?

It's been really cold here, too, like minus 30C at night. Take her easy before you go over 100 km/h. My practice is to keep it below 2,000 rpm until the gauge temperature is in the normal range.

If you're worried about your trans and diff, think about your engine lube, too. I posted a while ago how my old Porsche (water cooled) had both a coolant temperature gauge and an oil temperature gauge. Real gauges with temperatures in degrees marked on both.

What I learned from watching these two gauges is that the engine coolant warms up into the normal range faster than the oil does. When the engine (coolant) temperature was getting into the normal range on its gauge, the oil temperature gauge still showed the needle on the peg for a while.

Course, most people don't care. I do. So I take it slower than most, I guess, until things warm up.

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Black 2000 SC XLT short-box. 4.2 V-6, 5-speed, 3.55 Limited Slip. Side steps, CD, remote entry, FORD box liner. Add-ons: Older Windstar driver's side wiper blade (with the air scoop, because I don't slow down when it rains), back-up beeper, "f150online.com" sticker and snazzy Tweetie Bird floor mats.

My third F-series: '73 F-100, '98 F-150 and '00 F-150. Great trucks!

 

Shifter,

What temperature does the engine oil come up to? I noticed when my coolent is at the normal on the temp guage the engine oil is still cold to the touch. When engine oil is at normal temperature how hot is it?

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98 F-150 XL 4x4, 4.2L, 5sp, 3.55LS, tow package, P255x70 R16, 8ft box

 

g

[This message has been edited by msparks (edited 01-31-2000).]

 

Your torque convertor is your pump. Please be correct.

 

These trucks have a tranny pump like all automatic trannies. It should be located behind the T/C with the input seal located in the center around the input shaft.
The T/C is not a tranny pump. It acts as a "clutch" so to speak. The tranny pump is turning any time the engine is running. Lets be fairly accurate.

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stock 98 XL, Reg. cab,4.6, Auto, Tow package, 255/70R16 on styled steel wheels,3.55LS, Black with chrome grille and bumpers! MODS: custom stereo by me, building speaker box was a !@#$%. K&N air filter w/ airbox mod, a complete keyless entry system.

 

But there is a pump, contrary to that infomercial ding dong above me.

 

Odin: That was another vehicle. I don't remember the exact temperatures.

The lesson, though, is that engine oil warms up slower than engine coolant. Don't floor it thinking you're safe just because the dash gauge says "temperature" is normal. Especialy in winter.



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Black 2000 SC XLT short-box. 4.2 V-6, 5-speed, 3.55 Limited Slip. Side steps, CD, remote entry, FORD box liner. Add-ons: Older Windstar driver's side wiper blade (with the air scoop, because I don't slow down when it rains), back-up beeper, "f150online.com" sticker and snazzy Tweetie Bird floor mats.

My third F-series: '73 F-100, '98 F-150 and '00 F-150. Great trucks!