Why does my transmission not move until it warms up?

After lots of reading I am thinking that maybe the internal seals are hardened which may cause a loss of pressure until the fluid is warmed and the seals expand. Trans-X might condition the seals and help with this. It also might loosen up sticking valves, which could also be the problem.

What kind of automatic transmission does not move?

I have a 1980 W116 300SD with automatic transmission equipped with a vacuum modulator. When I start the car and put it into drive the car does not move. I can rev the engine but the car does not move.

When does the transmission shift in a car?

Finally after about another 5 minutes of slow driving it will shift into a higher gear. Then, for the rest of the day the transmission shifts perfectly throughout the gears and the shifts are hardly noticeable.

Why does my car not move out of 2nd gear?

After the engine idles for about 5 minutes it feels like the transmission is starting to build up pressure and then the car is drivable, but it won’t shift out of 2nd or 3rd gear (can’t remember which but the car won’t move above 20 MPH without the engine screaming).

Why does the transmission not engage after a cold start?

Ever since then, whenever I do a cold engine start (the car having either sat overnight or having sat for several hours after I have driven it during the day) the transmission does not engage immediately after I shift the car into gear. I usually have to let the engine run for a minute or two before it will engage in reverse or drive.

Why does my transmission not go into gear?

I put Lucas in the transmission because it was low on transmission fluid and was slipping in over drive then it stopped working at all after I put Lucas in it but when I first start it will go into gear and work fine until I get up the street then lose all gears how can I fix this My car has 268000 miles. My car has an automatic transmission.

What to do if your car won’t go in reverse?

If your car won’t go in reverse, you should see if this might be the case and have your transmission fluid flushed as quickly as you can. Over time, it’s not uncommon at all for transmission fluid to fill up with all kinds of debris, which can put a huge strain on your transmission system as a whole.

When did the transmission fluid change in my car?

A couple of months ago I had the car in for some air conditioner service (I’ve gone to the same garage since I bought the car in 1996)and while they had the car they checked it for any other problems. They told me the transmission fluid needed changing (which was probably true since I can’t remember the last time it was replaced, if ever).