Ok, here's the scenario the best way I can describe it.

When the engine is cold and I get on the highway my transmission gets stuck in 2nd gear. It seems the colder out it gets the longer it takes the transmission to shift gears. The transmission started doing this back in late October before it started getting really cold out here in OH. I timed it the other night when it was 10 degress out - it took 45 seconds from the time I hit 60mph for the transmission to shift gears and my RPMs to drop to their normal level.

Generally the car only does this when it is first started. If the engine is warm it generally doesn't do this. I can't imagine this being normal. I've had the 5k inspection on the car since it started this and nothing came up abnormal. I'm wondering if I should take the car to the dealer and have them check it out. It would be hard to have a mechanic go on a ride with me since the car would have to sit for a few hours, and I don't know if I can go a day without my car any time soon (so as to drop it off and have someone drive it around themselves).

It also seems like my RPMs jump around a bit. It almost feels like the car has changed gears when I've been driving at a steady speed for a while (city driving, so about 40mph) and my RPMs seem to drop at least 500. I've never had a car with this problem, or with the RPMs randomly dropping a few hundred for really no reason.

Other than the obvious suggestion of taking the car to the dealer to get checked out does anyone else have any ideas what is going on? The engine has only 7.5k on it.

 

sounds like the tranny fluid is low, but i have no idea why it would be on such a new car. i would definitely bring it to the dealer, and have them give you a loner car while yours is in the shop.

the rpms can change at idle when you are stopped if you have the defroster on because of the compressor kicking on and off, but there is no reason it should be taking 45 seconds to shift gears, even at 10 degrees.

 

if it's really cold out why don't you let the engine warm up abit first. i do vaguely remember some other members talking about this issue with the engine having a hard time shifting out of second. I think they say this because it's to help warm up the engine more before going into the higher gears.

 

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...484&highlight=

I have to drive around the block to warm it up every morning. I hope that helps.

 

Its just the computer not shifting so that the engine warms up... I think its IN THE MANUAL that comes with the car.

 

It's normal. All my Automatic Toyotas have been sticking in 2nd gear when cold... it feels like the tranny is dying though

 

Our xD does this, as our previous Yaris did. Our tC shifts normally when cold...

 

my 91 celicat gt does this also as well as other toyota automatics. its when the car is warmed up that it becomes an issue.....

 

No reason to be rude about it. I actually did read the manual and don't recall anything about it.

Thanks to everyone else for your help. I don't remember my Corolla doing this, which is why I thought something might be wrong.

I think the "Cold engine" light usually goes off around the time I'm getting on the highway and the tranny still sticks in 2nd gear. I'll test things out the next few times I drive and see what happens.

It can't be good for the engine to be stuck in 2nd gear, though irregardless of its purpose...

 

Are we sure it's 2nd? I always thought it was third. Which makes it LESS horrifying if you get on the highway before the car warms up, but still, the "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" noise the car makes is never comforting.

I'm fairly certain this is the issue. My boyfriend smokes, and I won't let him do it until the car warms up, so we watch the little blue light (he calls it "the sailboat") until it goes out, and it's fairly standard.

If you like, in order to diagnose the problem, I can lend you my boyfriend.

 

Sorry dude, I wasn't meaning to sound rude! I just thought I recalled seeing it in the manual before, and a while ago we were getting a lot of posts asking questions that were solved by reading the manual...

Once again man, sorry for coming off as rude I didn't mean to.

 

Both my xB and xD like to stay in second a little longer than normal when it's really cold outside. Once in third, they won't leave THIRD until the engine cold temp light goes out, which happens when the coolant temp reaches 138-140.

The colder it is outside the longer it takes to warm up. My recommendation would be to let the engine warm up a few minutes before leaving, then take it easy until having to hit the highway.

Mine has never gone very far before finally shifting to 4th.

 

In the xD, the "engine is still warming up" light is green, not blue, but I agree with what's been said thus far. Letting your car run a bit if it is very cold out can help, although they say the best way to warm it up is by driving it, like for a few blocks at medium speed, before trying to go up into 4th gear etc.

 

So I tried letting the car sit for a few minutes and noticed it doesn't stick in gear once I'm on the highway. If the "cold engine" Light goes out while I'm on the highway it takes about 10 seconds for gears to shift.

So, thanks for the input. I'm glad it only takes about 5 minutes for the car to warm up, though. =)