Got up this morning and forgot to hit the remote start so I had to wait for the car to warm up ( -11*F) When I do this I just wait for the temp gauge to "come alive" before I get going. As usual the car warmed up, the gauge began to move up and I started on my way. I drove about a block before getting on the highway as I pulled onto the highway I stayed light on the throttle and began to get up to the speed limit ( 75 mph ) as I began to approach 70mph I noticed the RPM's seemed high for the speed indicated. I reached 75mph and the rpms were nearing 4,000rpm so I decided to switch to manual mode and when I did the car never down shifted as it usually does it just indicated that it was in 4th gear. I tried to up shift many times in manual mode to 5th with no luck. The car had no response to my request to upshift, no noise no change on the gauge just stayed in 4th. When I shifted back into D (drive) the car still would not shift into 5th gear. I decided I would pull off at the next exit, so while I was still on the highway I kept trying to up shift it manually until right before the exit when I placed it back in D again did it finally upshift into 5th. No idiot lights are on, the tranny fluid was replaced under a year ago. What could have caused the problem ? My guess is the cold temperature and not a long enough warm up time? Anyone else have any similar problems?

 

^^^ strange problem... never heard of it happening before.

Similarly, it was in the upper 30's here last night and mid to upper 50's all day yesterday! I don;t think my car would even let me consider taking it out in that cold

We never see this kind of cold - so don't feel bad about your temps

Don't know what going on with your trans though

 

I think it's temperature related, specifically, the TCM/ECM were seeing super low air, tranny fluid, and coolant temps and leaving it in gear longer is a way to increase both coolant and tranny fluid temps.

 

I agree, that's a new one on me. But it probably was temp related. Even though your engine was up to temp, it takes the transmission longer to heat up.

 

I think its definetely temp related. My dad's Toyota does this as well; the auto wont go into top gear until it reaches a certain temperature.

 

5AT wont kick into 5th gear or have full lock up on the TC until the temperature reaches a specific point.

 

everyone is saying the same thing... however, it doesnt happen often (if at all)... I've never heard of it happening.

So either it was way colder than any other day - or his trans is ultra sensitive somehow.

 

It was -11, he let the engine warm slightly, then got on the highway within a block of driving. The tranny fluid was still most likely cold molasses. Rare yes, but so are -11 temps and being able to get on the highway within a block. My car hasn't locked the TC in 5th before because the car/temps were too cold.

 

I thought at those temps the G had a light on the dash when you try to crank it that says "No you idiot. It's freaking -11 out here, go back inside!!!"

 

No that only happens at -34*F ...O wait! the light didn't come on, my yellow top froze solid... no lie, true story.

 

^Nice. That reminds me of the Top Gear episode where they tried to freeze Richard Hammond in a car.

 

Never heard of this before. I've been out in neg temps before..never not had it go into 5th.

Then again, when it's that cold i'm shivering too much to notice much of anything

 

I had a problem with my wife's SC300 transmission not shifting into overdrive, and while researching circuits that could be causing the problem I ran across in the Lexus service manual where the car will not shift into overdrive when the engine water temperature was below a certain point (I do not recall what the temperature was) to prevent the extra load on the engine while it was not warmed up. I am sure the Infiniti TCM logic is very similar and that is what you experienced. I would not worry about it unless it starts doing it after the car is up to normal operating temperature.

 

I've left my car outside when it got down to -40F with 25 mph wind back (probably about -70 windchill) in North Dakota and I don't remember this being an issue. The car isn't exactly happy when its that cold, but it still ran.

 

Nothing is happy with that kind of cold.