Three pedal 10 speed auto shift, is this something to be concerned about?

Howdy All,

I use a 2002 Columbia to tow my large RV Toy Hauler trailer. I have had this truck for about 4 months and driven it for about 4,000 miles. I bought it during the warm weather up here in the Nor-Wet, drove the truck-trailer to so-cal in early October and just recently came back to the cold of western Washington. I have noticed the last few times I have driven the truck that when I first start out the truck acts like it want to shift, you can hear the rpms drop, feel the power back off but the transmission doesn't make the shift, it just stays in second or third gear depending on which starting gear I have selected. It will do this a couple of times and then make the shift as usual, once it makes the first shift it shifts as it always has flawlessly.

I have only noticed this while first starting out in cold weather 35-45 degrees, like I said above once it makes a shift it shift as it did until I came back home and am now driving in colder weather. So is this normal for this type of transmission, should I just shift the transmission manually until the truck has moved a mile or so? I am starting the truck and letting it fast idle for at least five minutes before heading out, do I need a longer warm up period when its this cold out? Thanks for any information you can share.

Oh I just rememberd some drive train info may help, 12.7L 60 series DD with an Eaton -Fuller 10 speed auto-shift transmission.

Dave

 

Howdy BrockLanders,

Yes, I have good air pressure, 120 psi. The shifter on my truck is a paddle setup on the right side of the steering column, on its top side there is a small slider switch that can be set in either manual or auto. When in the small switch is in MANUAL once your moving you can control the shifts by moving the paddle UP for up shifts and DOWN for down shifts, when the switch is in AUTO it will shift up or down as the computer dictates.

From what I have been told, this particular transmission is a MANUAL 10 speed Eaton-Fuller transmission that has a computer controlled shifter-clutch attached to it, IF a person wanted to the computer controls can be removed and the regular old hand shaker shifter installed making it again a stock 10 speed manually shifted transmission. That should give a good description of this transmission.

When in AUTO mode, and you put the shift selector in DRIVE the transmission will start in second gear unless you place the shift selector in LOW placing the shift selector in LOW will make the transmission start out in first gear, when you put the shift selector in DRIVE you can also pull up on the paddle BEFORE releasing the clutch and select third gear to start out in.

When starting out with the shift selector in DRIVE-AUTO the transmission as you apply throttle and gain speed will shift as the computer senses load and power need. The problem I had had since coming back to colder weather, and as one who grew up in northern Minnesota I know that the temperatures I am talking about are NOT cold but they are the coldest temps I have driving THIS truck in, the transmission acts like it wants to shift, it just doesn't, it will do this a couple of times and once it makes the first shift from that point on it works perfectly. I have tried placing the AUTO-MANUAL switch in MANUAL and then moving the paddle to make the up shift, again it acts like it wants to shift but it takes a couple of tries before it will make that first shift.

I am used to straight manual shift transmission, 9-10-13 speeds, this is the first three pedal auto shift transmission truck I have driven so I am learning its quirks.

Dave

 

Howdy jayhawker,

Thanks for your reply, I'll give that a try if it happens again.

Dave