transmission issue on cold start

I'll refrain from retelling the (long and costly) back story for now, but I'm back on the road with a used tranny after my experience with a hard lock down.... but I'll still update those posts in the forum later.

Before I go back to the mechanic on this issue maybe some others can chime in....

Just a recent issue and is only temporary. Not always but enough that I've noticed a pattern.
At a cold start, a real cold start temperature wise, upon leaving from park and coming up to the first stop, I will be starting again in 3 or 4th?? gear so a slow pull away. If that first stop is further or say longer than 5-10 mins it won't occur. And upon that slow pull out from that cold stop it is usually the only time that it occurs, it will go back into 1st and get back to proper operation. When this occurs I also get the sensation - although not each time- of the transmission wanting to advance when stopped. Once engine is warmed the issue does not come back.

I've put a few thousand Km's on the transmission , city and long hwy runs, and seems to be smooth for the most part.

Thoughts?

white whale said:

I also get the sensation - although not each time- of the transmission wanting to advance when stopped.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

Can you explain that part?

Obviously the driver can't tell what the transmission "wants".

What are you feeling, hearing, smelling, and seeing relative to that part of your Complaint?

So when idling in park the van has more apparent push? That would tend to indicate the torque converter or its clutch is dragging (could be a pressure regulation issue as well). This behavior would also make you think the van was in a higher gear, as the torque multiplication function of the TC would be suppressed.

Was the TC replaced or is the unit from your van?

The Grand Tour said:

Can you explain that part?

Obviously the driver can't tell what the transmission "wants".

What are you feeling, hearing, smelling, and seeing relative to that part of your Complaint?

Click to expand...

On occasions when its happened there was a shudder to the van, first time I thought it was the feeling you get when you get a car next to you with a big bass music system pumping away.
Like the van wants to move even with the brake pedal depressed. Subsequent times where I have stopped soon after a cold start I will put the transmission into N.

No other sound, smell etc to this. At that first stop I would not have even gone through the gears yet just to second or third. Bottom line is that I'm not starting off again in first from that stop. Once the engine is warm this issue does not occur.

Midwestdrifter said:

So when idling in park the van has more apparent push? That would tend to indicate the torque converter or its clutch is dragging (could be a pressure regulation issue as well). This behavior would also make you think the van was in a higher gear, as the torque multiplication function of the TC would be suppressed.

Was the TC replaced or is the unit from your van?

Click to expand...

Not sure i follow the "apparent push", but this issue is only when in drive. No issue when in park.

Yes, the TCM was replaced.... another long story there but it was replaced along with the transmission.

By TC I mean torque converter. Its the donut shaped object in the bell housing between the trans proper and the engine.

You description of a shudder in drive sounds like the torque converter to me. I would start by confirming your trans fluid level. This is done with a warm transmission, idling in park with a dipstick.

more times than not its a valve in the valve body TCC Regulator valve wear on outboard spool

Fergy said:

more times than not its a valve in the valve body TCC Regulator valve wear on outboard spool

Click to expand...

Are you referring to the TCC regulator solenoid, or one of the driven piston/valves that in interior to the valve body.

TCC Regulator valve in the valve body the TCC -PWM solenoid will start working in second gear

To further isolate this, you can authorize use of the TCC PWM in 1st gear by left-tapping down into 1st gear. If you then feel the same things in 1st that you previously started feeling only in 2nd+ then it is TCC related.
(the TCC is normally locked open while in 1st gear)

-dave

now that the cold is starting again I've had a couple of minor occurrences like from my O P. I did not explore further from the input that was left but might be good to explore again. I've just started to use to shifter - never had it working previous and trans fix had to use new shifter. With a cold engine at a stop light I got the same sensation again. In auto trans driving off it felt like starting off in 4th. The same stop in manual that sensation of creeping forward with brake applied was there but upon moving again it felt in the proper gear - 1st. Only a single time event , just when cold, once the engine runs and has just a bit of heat seems to be gone. Before when that feeling was there I would put the trans in N and wait for the light and go back to D.

The TCC mentions is way above my knowledge level. I'll confirm the trans fluid level as mentioned too.