My daughter just bought a used car, and she says that when it’s been sitting for a while and starts out cold, the transmission won’t go from first to second gear until she’s been driving a while. Her mechanic can’t find anything wrong (presumably it’s not cold by the time she’s driven it to his place) except that the gear ratio between 3rd and 4th is a little bit off, whatever that means. I know pretty much nothing when it comes to how car engines work. He says that shouldn’t be causing any immediate problems.
Anyway, here’s how she describes the situation:
“When I first start the car after it’s been sitting for a few hours, the car won’t shift out of first gear. It just creeps along at 10 mh while the rpm goes up. It feels like it’s trying to shift, but doesn’t until I’ve driven it around for a few minutes. After it’s “warmed up” it drives and shifts just fine. Even if I turn it off, as long as I drive it again within the hour it works just fine. Occasionally it will shift out of overdrive while I’m driving, and I have to pull over and restart the car.”
maybe a bad shift solenoid. or try changing transmission fluid. one thing is for sure, the longer she waits to have it looked at, the more it’s gonna cost.
She does have a guy looking at it, but he’s kinda stumped. Now, I guess if a mechanic who is looking at the car is having trouble, maybe an message board isn’t the best place to ask. But well, there’s always a chance someone’s seen the problem before.
If not, well, the guy in WA is going to have to figure it out.
In that case it sounds more like the fluid level is too low to shift it out of first. Once the transmission fluid warms up it expands and reaches a level that is acceptable for proper shifting.
This is simple to check. Drive the car for about 15 minutes so you are sure the transmission fluid is warm. Leave the car running and check the transmission fluid dipstick to see if its full.
If the transmission fluid is at a good level then check the color of it. It should be a red to dark red. If it looks dark brown or black then it would be a good idea to have your fluid flushed or at least drain and filled a few times.
If that does not help then there is probably some time of mechanical failure, or a solenoid problem.
Something else I forgot to ask. Is the check engine light on? If it is not make sure that check engine light bulb is working. It should always turn on when you first turn the key on.
We had a similar post just last week. When it won’t shift on cold start, it can be caused by lack of pump pressure because the filter screen is plugged and the fluid is at its thickest when cold. After it heats up and thins out, more can go through the partially clogged filter. So the first and cheapest remedy is to have the filter and fluid changed. Many fast oil change places have the flush machines that pull all the fluid by tapping into the lines at the cooler. That never addresses the clogged filter. What do you want to bet that OP has NEVER had the filter changed? So this maintenance service is the first thing to address.
yep, you never know, someone might just of had the same problem,prolly a whole lot cheaper than having a mechanic doing a trial by error throwing in new parts, that might not be needed. also the check the fluid level might have something to do with it.
Have you ever seen the filter in an auto trans? Think window screen. They will keep flies and small children out of the innards of the trans but not much else. Point is in all of my years in auto repair the only plugged screens I have seen have been on transmissions that were terminal.
Based on what has been posted fluid level and condition plus a reading of fault codes is where I would start.
Thank you all for your suggestions. Responses are a bit delayed as OP and I are in Scotland and the car and its owner are in eastern Washington state.
The mechanic who’s looking at the car is trusted by the family and has been for many years, so I guess it will come down to being his problem. But in answer to the questions asked: he’s checked fluid level and condition. Not sure about the check engine light - I’ll ask. The car is new to its owner, so she hasn’t had the chance to have much, if anything, done in the way of preventative maintenance done. So no idea if trans filter has ever been changed.
Again, thanks for taking the time to think about this.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve passed them on, even the ones that the mechanic has probably already checked, like fluid levels and condition. She also mentions that she read it might be the speed sensor but he says he checked it out and it’s fine. He’s the family’s mechanic of many year’s duration, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty time and again, so we trust him. He says he’ll take a closer look at it when he replaces the drive axle.
“What do you want to bet that OP has NEVER had the filter changed?”
It’s not OP’s car, thanks. It’s a car my daughter just bought from a stranger. It’s possible THEY had never changed the filter, but it’s not like it’s been in our family for any length of time. So if the filter is gunked up, it’s not OUR fault. It couldn’t be OP’s fault in any case, since I’m about 4300 miles away anyway.
I wish she could afford to buy a car that’s in better condition to start with.
If there were a prize for guessing right, you’d be winning it. It does appear to be something wrong with the solenoid. She says “He cleaned off all of the electrical bits, and he still has to tinker with it a bit, but he says he’s pretty sure it’s electrical and not the transmission, which is good.”
It couldn’t be OP’s fault in any case, since I’m about 4300 miles away anyway. 
It does appear to be something wrong with the solenoid. She says “He cleaned off all of the electrical bits, and he still has to tinker with it a bit, but he says he’s pretty sure it’s electrical and not the transmission, which is good.”