Violent Shifting

[Shadow14US]

:Mechanic:I've owned my 2000 Montero Sport XLS AWD for close to 12 years now. It has approximately 184K miles, I regularly change all fluids and hoses as required. I live outside of Albuquerque, NM and the weather is typical for the area, mild Fall/Winter and Hot Spring/Summers. I've discovered lately that when it is cold outside (below 40 degrees), that if I don't let the engine warm up so that the temp gauge isn't showing close to 25%, that after pulling out of the driveway and proceeding down to the end of the street and stop sign, that when I attempt to go, there is no reaction from the transmission for a few briefs seconds, then all of a sudden it jumps into gear and moves forward. This will happen until what appears to be the engine temperature reaching normal operating temp. It won't happen for the remainder of my trip that day. Why, I've checked the transmission fluid level both cold and hot and they are in the normal ranges. I was told that possibly the solenoid may be the problem, as the transmission doesn't do it unless it is cold. I'm trying to avoid dumping good money into a vehicle that I need for use in my business, and wonder if I would be better served in finding another vehicle. If I can have it repaired for something reasonable (less than the cost of a new/rebuilt transmission), it would keep the wife off my posterior.:yikes:

 

[JamesW]

Mine did something similar to that for a while,the housing for the kick down cable was broken,and causing the cable to get stuck at full pulled length.

There is a temp sender for the gearbox on my engine,but I think it is to stop it going into overdrive until it is warmed up

 

[DirtyDC05]

:Mechanic:I've owned my 2000 Montero Sport XLS AWD for close to 12 years now. It has approximately 184K miles, I regularly change all fluids and hoses as required. I live outside of Albuquerque, NM and the weather is typical for the area, mild Fall/Winter and Hot Spring/Summers. I've discovered lately that when it is cold outside (below 40 degrees), that if I don't let the engine warm up so that the temp gauge isn't showing close to 25%, that after pulling out of the driveway and proceeding down to the end of the street and stop sign, that when I attempt to go, there is no reaction from the transmission for a few briefs seconds, then all of a sudden it jumps into gear and moves forward. This will happen until what appears to be the engine temperature reaching normal operating temp. It won't happen for the remainder of my trip that day. Why, I've checked the transmission fluid level both cold and hot and they are in the normal ranges. I was told that possibly the solenoid may be the problem, as the transmission doesn't do it unless it is cold. I'm trying to avoid dumping good money into a vehicle that I need for use in my business, and wonder if I would be better served in finding another vehicle. If I can have it repaired for something reasonable (less than the cost of a new/rebuilt transmission), it would keep the wife off my posterior.:yikes:

Have you replaced your trans filter. Maybe clogged until fluid warms to operating temp?

 

[jeep-N-montero]

One thing I have found that helps with auto transmissions when cold is to move the shifter through all positions to get the fluid moving before driving off.