1993 Corolla Auto Trans Shifting Problem?

I have a 1993 toyota corolla with 104,000 miles. I bought it when it had 93,000. Problem I've always had is the car will not shift past second until the engine is warm. It is interesting that it will shift into 3rd and 4th only after the temperature gauge on the panel reaches the lower temperature mark. This is odd as I would think the ttransmission shifting should have nothing to do with the engine temperature. In the morning I have to quickly get onto a road where everybody wants to go 65 MPH. I will not go over 55 until the car shifts into 3rd. It will shift from 2nd to 3rd to 4th quickly after the temperature gauge reaches the lower temperature mark. Its like clockwork. My Haynes repair manual tells me nothing about how the transmission operates when cold. Any ideas on what the problem here is?

Thanks

Hello again,

If someone out there has a 93 corolla with O/D then I'd like to know if your car shifts the same into 3rd and 4th - whether cold or hot.

Thanks

I have a 1994 Corolla with the 4 speed automatic Transmission. My car has always done this. Fortunately in NC, we don't see too many cold days. The computer controls the shifting when the engine is cold (and at other times too) which prevents the upshift. The idea is that if the engine is cold, it won't run smoothly at low rpm when cold.

My advice is to crank the engine and let it set in the driveway running for a couple minutes before "taking off." Once air starts flowing around the engine compartment it will take longer for things to heat up to their normal temperature. As the engine is running, you will notice it will continually get faster and faster, until the engine drops to it's normal idle speed. You are now warmed and ready for action.

Interestingly enough, the engine speed increases not because an engine component is causing it to have more throttle, but because the engine can better burn a given amount of air/fuel mixture at the current throttle setting. The engine component actually closes the throttle once the engine is warm which brings the engine back to its normal idle.

Hope this helps...

Guest Captain_Toyota

There is nothing wrong with your car. In fact, every vehicle does this.

Where you first start your car in the morning, the engine is cold. Cold engines dont run as efficiently as warm engines do.

To help the engine to warm up as quickly as possible, you car will not shift into overdrive (4th gear) until the engine reaches its normal operating temperature.

You dont need to be concerned about it, you wont hurt your engine.

As far as letting it warm up, thats your call. It wont harm your engine, but its not neccesary. I work with a lady who has a Geo Prizim and she starts her car 30 minutes before she leaves for work. She does this only in the winter however, when its below 32 degrees. She doesnt do it because she is worried about her engine, she does it so that she has a warm car to sit in and so that she doesnt have to scrape ice off her windows. Kinda lazy if you ask me, but oh well.

Me personally, here's my starting routine in the morning. I go out and start my truck, let it idle for about 10 seconds and off I go. I never let it warm-up by letting it run for 5 or 10 minutes, in my opinion it just wastes gas.

i have a 93 Corolla too and i'm pretty sure i get the same thing although i don't have to go more than 45 til long after the engine warms up. it does seem like it turns more RPMs before it heats up though. i usually let my car warm up for a bout a minute in the morning while i scrape it off and it usually doesn't give me any trouble. as long as its ready by the time i get on the freeway...