[08EX-L]

So it was -16C today for the first time. We have had a really nice winter so far, with some highs above 16C.

Anyway, just wanted to post my experience with the new car and ensure its the same with others.

In the morning my car comes from a closed garage, I would say its about -5 to -10 degrees in there.

The car has no issues backing up, I let it warm up for 2 mins or so.

When driving it revs higher than normal, normal would be about 1100-1500 RPM to move the car at a steady rate... when its cold... it sticks the RPM at 2000 (both in econ and off).

I hit the highway in about 5 mins, and the temp is still below the cold peg.

I drove for 10 mins at 80km/h and the car is just above the cold. I dropped off my kids let the car continue to idle then jump back on the highway and after about 20-25 mins of driving the car is at normal operating temp.

Seems to take a long time, and why does the car have near zero pickup for the first 10 mins? CVT thing?

My wife's 6AT V6 behaves differently it holds the 2nd gear really long.. but it has pickup immediately.

 

[0REDSOX7]

I wonder if it has anything to do with viscosity of the transmission fluid and that it requires quite a bit of internal pressure to operate properly. It is going to be between 15/20F here tonight, so I will test tomorrow and see what happens.

Granted, I'm on my second transmission, but, we shall see.

 

[08EX-L]

I wonder if it has anything to do with viscosity of the transmission fluid and that it requires quite a bit of internal pressure to operate properly. It is going to be between 15/20F here tonight, so I will test tomorrow and see what happens.

Granted, I'm on my second transmission, but, we shall see.

How did that turn out, runs much better?

-16C is 3F for reference. It gets as cold as -25c or -13F here in the dead of winter.

I think its normal as it doesn't rev abnormally high just higher than usual.

 

[djkev21]

don't forget the windchill...it was pushing -23. yuck
so my 6mt was in the garage all night and it was -5 when i started it up this morning.
i let it idle for no more than 45 seconds. i hit the highway 3-4 minutes after startup and the temp gauge was already above the C.
it ran really well also when i went to give it a little more gas to pass on the hwy

 

[RICKLX]

I had a CVT on my 2003 Saturn VUE. When the temperature dropped to below -15F when you started the vehicle it would have a light come on the dash and would not allow you to take it out of park until it warmed up. I had this happen when I visited Saranac Lake in upstate NY. Today was 25F and the vehicle started right up and the tranny was fine. Tomorrow will be in single digits and wind chill below 0F. Wife will be driving tomorrow.

 

[Aviography]

don't forget the windchill...it was pushing -23. yuck

Wind chill factor only affects living biological items, such as skin of human (or animals), that's why weather forecaster will qualify the wind chill temperature as it "feels like" xxx degrees.

Inanimate object such as a car does not know nor care what wind chill temperature "feels like", it has no bearing on how quickly the car warms up.

 

[GPz1100]

Only a few issues here.

One is the delayed shifts when going from R to D. Seems to take a good 2-3 seconds. It hasn't been that cold around here either, mid to upper 20's F. Probably a characteristic of the cvt. The other is jittery idle when not moving. It's not as though the idle is fluctuating, but rather the car has a vibration of sorts to it until the engine warms up. This effect goes away once a bit of throttle is applied or the car is in motion.

 

[Zx12-iowa]

Vehicle behavior is typical. Our cvt accord does he same when very cold out. I'm in Minnesota. Revs a bit higher and power is a bit lower until warmed up.

 

[easymike]

Seems to take a long time, and why does the car have near zero pickup for the first 10 mins? CVT thing?

My wife's 6AT V6 behaves differently it holds the 2nd gear really long.. but it has pickup immediately.

For the CVT having little to no pickup, my guess is that (as already mentioned), the fluid is too cold and viscous and the computer is probably trying to protect the engine from heavy use until it is warm.

As for the AT holding 2nd gear, I wouldn't be surprised if it would shift into the next gear as soon as she lets off the throttle and that it may be something to do with not being able or willing to shift at high throttle until warm.

I could be smug and point out how the MT does not seem to have any issue with the cold, however I can't guarantee that I'm not causing premature wear on my transmission if I decide to push the car at -15C. I have noticed that the ECON significantly affects throttle at that temperature after a cold start, but seriously, when it is below freezing it is a good idea to give your car a break and take your time until the engine gets warm.

 

[johnjohn15]

I always wonder how well the CVT performs in brutal winter condition at Canada!

 

[08EX-L]

I always wonder how well the CVT performs in brutal winter condition at Canada!

The manual has its own issues in cold weather as well. My 5MT clutch pedal would seize in this temperature, it would be slow to climb back to the top and made shifting for the first 10-15kms difficult. It impacts all cars differently.

Yes the Toyota 6AT seems to have been programmed to protect itself or the engine when cold by holding the car in gear longer.

 

[14v6]

The manual has its own issues in cold weather as well. My 5MT clutch pedal would seize in this temperature, it would be slow to climb back to the top and made shifting for the first 10-15kms difficult. It impacts all cars differently.

Yes the Toyota 6AT seems to have been programmed to protect itself or the engine when cold by holding the car in gear longer.

I think some cars prevent upshifts until the cats warm up.

It's been single digits here the last few nights. I asked my wife about the CVT in her CRV and said no issues but the brake pedal was really tough to depress to start the engine when the car was outside at work.

 

[08EX-L]

I think some cars prevent upshifts until the cats warm up.

It's been single digits here the last few nights. I asked my wife about the CVT in her CRV and said no issues but the brake pedal was really tough to depress to start the engine when the car was outside at work.

Yes! I noticed that also, the brake pedal is really stiff at cold starts.

 

[14v6]

Yes! I noticed that also, the brake pedal is really stiff at cold starts.

Thanks, now I feel better because my wife rarely if ever mentions anything.

 

[Winter]

Didn't really notice any issues yesterday when it hovered around -30c with the windchill. I started the car remotely and it warmed up in a few short minutes once I was on the road. Performance seemed normal.

 

[0REDSOX7]

Today it was 14F when I simply started the car and went. The shifts were definitely "harder" going from P to R then to D - and did notice a little less power than what is typically available in warmer mornings.

As pointed out by another thread - I am really surprised (and happy) how quickly the car puts out warm air, despite the Temp gauge not moving quickly after driving it.