88 takes its time getting into top gear - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

cvandiv · 11-22-2008, 08:32 PM

hello,

i've got an 88 4-cyl automatic wit 166k miles, and have recently done a whole lot of work on it (exhaust system, brake and fuel lines) so it's running great except for one thing.

at work, i park < 1/4 mile from the interstate. so, when i leave work, i almost immediately am on the interstate. the problem i am posing about shows up only when i'm going from "cold" to interstate speeds quickly. i accelerate up to speed, but my transmission gets "stuck" in the next to last gear and i can't go any faster than 50mph or so (and i'm in michigan with 70mp interstates :o ) so it stays this way for about a half mile or so, then drops into the highest gear (it's super consistent, always happens at about the same point)

like i said, it's running great other than this little hiccup, but i'd like to take care of it before it turns into a big deal.

thanks!

fredk · 11-22-2008, 09:56 PM

its supposed to stay in 3rd until it gets warmed up

zppeacock · 11-22-2008, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredk

its supposed to stay in 3rd until it gets warmed up

It does this to warm up the cat quicker.

kesando · 11-23-2008, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zppeacock

It does this to warm up the cat quicker.

Is this function controlled by the ECU?

Doctor J · 11-23-2008, 05:12 AM

If you have Power/Normal push button next to parking brake handle, the answer is yes, if not, then it is controlled by thermo switch similar to the fan switch located on the top of the upper radiator hose outlet in front of the distributor.
the warm up delay feutre was added to Toyota in late 79; failure of such device almost resulted in unnecessary tranny exchange [80 cressida].
The customer was lucky that she let me to check the car before proceeding with R&R back in 1996...

lionheart03 · 11-23-2008, 10:05 AM

I had this same problem on my 91 Camry 3SFE, 5 speed auto. When the temps started to drop lower than 50 degrees, my car would do the same thing yours did. I later determined that my t-stat was stuck open, and the car would take forever to heat up. My heater also wasn't working very good. If I let the car sit and idle a bit, it would warm up, but once I took off driving, you could watch the temp gauge go way down.

Replacing the t-stat fixed the problem. The car warmed up allot faster, shifted better, and my heater worked!

JMSports · 11-23-2008, 06:00 PM

I let my car sit a few minutes every morning because the temp here lately has been around 30 degrees.

kesando · 11-23-2008, 09:36 PM

Yeah, I let the car run for a few then I drive at low RPM until at operating temperature. BTW my tranny "bucks" a little into gear when shifted into drive cold.

JMSports · 11-24-2008, 10:13 AM

Theres one way to get around it then, buy a stickshift.

cvandiv · 11-24-2008, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kesando

Yeah, I let the car run for a few then I drive at low RPM until at operating temperature. BTW my tranny "bucks" a little into gear when shifted into drive cold.

sounds exactly like what mine does.

thanks all!

typesix · 11-25-2008, 10:06 AM

Better to drive the car at low rpm, it will warm up faster with a load, than unloaded and idling. Plus save some money instead of burning it up faster.