Harding driving in cold weather...

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M1Accord

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My 92 corolla drives very hard in cold weather for the first mile or 2 while the oil is warming up. It takes quite a lot of RPM, roughly in 3k-4k range, to get up to speed. I feel like I am doing it disservice when I force it to drive hard. I could let to ease up while lingering at 1k-1.5k rpm but that may get me a lot of horn and potential rear end.

So I wonder if it is better to just let it idles for 5 min instead of forcing it to go hard. I live right by the 45 mph highway and there is zero distance between my condo and the highway to warm up the car with slow speed driving.

I think it is a better choice for this puppy but figure I ask those with older cars. For the record, my definition of hard driving may be considered mild for folks here but I also have a 2007 Lexus so anything that makes more noise than it is not mild.
 
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Is it the engine or tranny that is sluggish?

Long idling is not good, but a couple minutes idling is better than hitting the highway hard when stone cold.

Do you have M1 (your name) in the engine and tranny?
 
Auto trans? If so, when was the last time it was changed and with what? Cold - thick fluids make for some resistance - and that's all around, like wheel bearings, etc.

Take care.
 
oil us is M1 5W20 synthetic. I think it is the engine running hard as the rev is up to 4k while it warms up. The driving is still smooth but I can heard the engine working pretty hard.

Transmission fluid was change last year using Penzoil trans fluid.

After a mile or so at 40-50 mph, rpm returns the the normal 2.25k and everything is normal. If I let it idle for 5 min and let the temp gauage reach 1/4 way, it is much better. The normal driving temp is 1/2 gauge on the temp. My Accord is about 1/3 and Lexus is 1/4.

I know there isn't anything wrong with the car but it is rather the very cold weather; in the 20s these morning. I don't know if a lot of damage is done by making it work so hard. I figure once the oil start pumping, the engine damage is minimal to zip if the car just sit idle. Sure, idling is bad since driver get 0 mile out of service and engine is not getting the cooling effect it needs but that isn't a problem in the winter.
 
Sounds like you have an auto transmission, as you say the engine labors to get the vehicle moving, and as the torque converter would not yet be locked, it's allowing the engine to spin faster. That being the case, the "issues" are after the torque converter, which does include the transmission working the fluids about the sun gear, etc. Depending upon the location of your auto cooler that's likely a fluid to fluid exchanger that works with the engine coolant, the warm-up you describe could be contributing some heat the trans fluid allowing it to thin somewhat, and/or allowing the fluid to pump around in the trans for said time helps in a resistive heating sort of way.

Take this line of thought with a grain of salt - I'm no mechanic.

If that's so, try a synthetic trans fluid. M1's ATF has something like 199 VI and is 5190 cP @ -40o C. Their regular has a VI of 171 and is 12000 cP @ -40oC. This is their Multi-vehicle ATF.
 
Thanks Curious Kid. I am going to change the trans fluid out and put the M1 ATF in. Penzoil ATF was only 9 bucks and I still have a lot left from the last change, so it is not like I am throwing away money.

Since my trans isn't leaking and runs great once it warms up, its condition good to very good. Therefore, I don't have to worry about leak and killing it.

I wonder what Toyota and Honda put into their trans now as I don't "seem" to experience that with their newer lines. But these vehicles also have engine twice or more the size of the corolla 1.6 liter workhorse.
 
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My 94 Corolla is the same way; I still run it up over 3 grand when it's cold, but I let it idle for a minute or two. I have a manual trans though. It just naturally goes up to 3 or 4 grand; that's the powerband and it feels natural to get up there in the rpms.

I wouldn't worry about it if you're actually using 5w-20 (which isn't approved in a 92 4AFE by the way) as you'll have great oil flow in the cold. I'd get that oil out once it starts warming up. Remember, these cars have 100 hp (WEAK). You have to rev them to get any performance.
 
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It probably is a normal function of the car to help warm up sooner. The sooner it gets to operating temperature, the better. I remember an old Toyota my friend had stated in the owners manual that when cold, the transmission would hold back from shifting to help warm up the engine.
 
Drew99GT - I recall how 80 horses made a hill feel like a mountain grade, w/ a 3-speed auto no less!

Interesting note theedge67.

M1Accord - keep use posted. Hope it helps.

Take care everyone.
 
My car takes a lot longer to shift when it's cold too, and I'm using Amsoil in the engine & transmission. I think it's probably normal, like edge said, to warm up the engine/transmission quicker.
 
I have noticed the same thing with my truck. I have to leave pretty early to get to work and it is usually pretty cold then. The Explorer seems to rev a little higher and shift a little later for the first mile or two. After that, it is "awake." I usually let it warm up for a minute or so when I change CDs or whatever, then start driving. It is a couple miles to the interstate, so by then everything is normal. I use syn blend Kendall 5W30 oil and Motorcraft Mercon V trans fluid.
 
No big thing. Hondas take awhile to "wake up" when cold. Takes at least a couple of miles before things start working normally. When the fluids are at 0 degrees, they just don't like to flow as well. My Legend cooling system is in perfect condition, and it takes about 5-10 minutes of interstate driving before it is fully warmed up.
 
BTW, use synthetic in the engine when it's really cold. Flows a bit better when the temps reach sub zero. Works just fine for me here in MPLS/STPL, so it should work fine for you in DC.
 
Many cars with automatic transmissions are set to shift later and/or not go into top gear until the engine coolant temperature reaches a certain point.
 
Mine does it to when its really cold. She drives like shes groggy. Shifts are quite high, but DONT feel bad. Delayed upshifts until about 1.5 miles. Then its totally normal by 4 miles.

I know the dodge 4 speeds had this built in, delayed upshifts and 4th was unavailable until warmed up. I assume they do this to protect the tranny until its temps are within a "normal" range.
 
I bet it has more to do with emissions than protecting the tranny. Later upshifts will certainly warm the engine up sooner, which reduces emissions, and lower emissions are a bigger priority to most manufacturers than reliability.

That said, the trans in my Explorer has 153K miles with lots of towing and off roading, so maybe the delayed shifts in cold weather are doing something...
 
Thanks everyone for confirmation. I think I was over-protective of this ride. I really like it as it gets 33-35 mpg on average, which is a big plus nowadays. For long continuous trip, I can get 40 mpg if I maintain a constant speed of 65-70 mph, which seems to be the Holy Grail of this engine.

I talked to a few local mechanics at PepBoys and they say it is fine and that's how small engine cars manage to get warmer sooner during super cold season. They stated that if it stay that way after mile 4, regardless of speed or RPM, that is the time to worry. They came to this conclusion based on owning and working on many used foreign cars of this period. They also agree that 65-70 mph is the Holy Grail of most 4 bangers and 75 is for V6. Surprising, V8 SUV and trucks' Holy Grail is only at 50-55 due to large drag friction. No wonder why I never could get the advertised mpg out of those rental SUV.

Thanks folks. Will keep you posted on progress. I am changing oil tomorrow for some M1 OW20 Synthetic. I love the feeling of knowing fresh oil is flowing through a fine tuned engine and that I am caring for something that will continue to give me plenty more of somewhat trouble free miles. Tires were rotated and balanced today at [censored] for the typical 8k miles interval. My driving is mostly highway even though I am in the DC area.
 
My Explorer seems to get the best gas mileage at around 70 MPH. The fuel gauge will only drop a little over about 100 miles at those speeds. It also has horrible 3.27 gears though. In town, gas mileage isn't so good. I may regear it one day to 3.73s or 4.10s, but I don't have enough incentive to put down that much money right now (I have to regear 2 axles since it is 4WD).
 
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