[Gonzo]

OK so we all know that in the cold wx until the CVT warms up it behaves differently... the MO feels sluggish and the RPMs respond differently.

So until the CVT warms up I drive very gently and don't go much over 55MPH.... then the RPMs drop I drive "normal".

Am I crazy for doing this? Anyone know exactly what is happening and why in the CVT?

 

[neo]

I’ve noticed a little sluggishness when it’s been in the teens here but overall it hasn’t been bad. To my experience trannies in general are stiff in the cold including the manual gearbox on my last car until things warmed up. I haven’t done anything unusual and half the time but it in S mode to get the heat going quicker for the kids.

 

[Gonzo]

I can't bring myself to drive in S mode under those conditions. When the MO warms up I use it to slow and for the ocassional passing scenario.

 

[Eric L.]

Yeah the CVT is a bit sluggish when first getting going in the morning. Probably takes time for the fluid to heat up and provide optimal performance. I find though, that I only need to drive a few minutes before the engine/CVT are all warmed up and performance is fine again.

I experienced the same thing in my Maxima too, which had the automatic.

 

[Dave N]

I usually wait until it's warmed up to the point that the torque converter locks in. But then again, I don't hammer the throttle after every stop, so my driving style is pretty consistent across the board.

Dave

 

[zebelkhan]

I also baby it a bit until TC locks. I guess subconsciously I am thinking that when cold the CVT is just not working normally....

 

[Stoker]

I’ve noticed a little sluggishness when it’s been in the teens here but overall it hasn’t been bad. To my experience trannies in general are stiff in the cold including the manual gearbox on my last car until things warmed up. I haven’t done anything unusual and half the time but it in S mode to get the heat going quicker for the kids.

f you think that the CVT is sluggish in the "teens" temperature wait till it is -35C (-35F). I found that if I drive it till it warms below 50Kms (30Mph) it takes about 5-10 minutes to warm up.

P.S. that air scoop that sits below the CVT is propbably not required in the winter except as a snow scoop

 

[njjoe]

Stoker-

Out of curiosity, do you do anything special to prep your car to survive the -35C temps?

When first starting out on a -35C morning will the car move when the shifter is moved to "D" and the car is idling? Or do you need to apply the gas to get it rolling?

Once warmed up, does the heater provided sufficient heat output?

I always thought it was cold when the mercury drops to 0C here in New Jersey. I can't imagine what it would be like at -35C.

Thanx in advance.

-njjoe

 

[Stoker]

Stoker-

Out of curiosity, do you do anything special to prep your car to survive the -35C temps?

When first starting out on a -35C morning will the car move when the shifter is moved to "D" and the car is idling? Or do you need to apply the gas to get it rolling?

Once warmed up, does the heater provided sufficient heat output?

I always thought it was cold when the mercury drops to 0C here in New Jersey. I can't imagine what it would be like at -35C.

Thanx in advance.

-njjoe

Njjoe
Thanks for the note. In Alberta the climate is fairly dry so when it is -35C it really does not feel that cold. I use to live on the west coast and when the temp was at 0C (32F) it felt colder.
When it is that cold I do not do anything out of the ordinary as once the car is running I let it warm up for minute and then start going. I do not have to apply any extra fuel to get it moving but I have found that slow( 50 Km os 30Mph) driving the MO out of my neighborhood usually gets the Mo warmed up. I find that the Mo warms up faster than any other car I have owned.

I do however find that my fuel economy goes into the toilet as most other cars do. We are fortunate here where we get a weather phenom called a chinook ( 1st nations word for snow eater) where the temps can and do rise any where from -20 to +10 in a few hours, which makes winter easier to handle.

I appreciate the fact that you cannot imagine -35C weather, but when it is that cold at least the sun is shining and the sky is blue. Living out at the coast the clouds can be socked in for weeks at a time

 

[Gonzo]

Good to know that -2°F isn't that cold and that others baby the the MO as well when it is cold. :4:

 

[Eric L.]

Coldest I've ever had the MO was -10F, and other than a rather weak effort from the battery to start the car, everything was fine. I found the main limitation was me - I was so cold I couldn't move that quickly so that meant driving very slow until my bones thawed out.

 

[MightyMo]

I drive lightly for the first few minutes until the torque converter locks up not to baby the tranny, but because fuel economy totally sucks if you let it rev up with the unlocked converter.

 

[Dave N]

In the cold weather months, I have noticed my display screen (non-Nav) is sluggish. But that's about it. I also give the engine at least a minute or two to get the oil flowing and let things start getting warmed up before driving off. I cringe everytime I see someone hop in their car, start it up, and before the starter has disengaged they through it into gear and drive off :toothless

 

[SugarRushMurano]

I cringe everytime I see someone hop in their car, start it up, and before the starter has disengaged they through it into gear and drive off :toothless

Tell me about it...I saw my neighbours do that on his maxima and her Camry . Wait until somthing break down then they will scratch their head and say "Ehh, i thought Toyota is supposedly reliable. It sucks. Nissan sucks too. I'd get the Lexus instead".

 

[mgthe3]

Yep, I've always been very easy on my cars when they are cold...even in the summer, but especially in the winter. Engines are machined to run at a hot size rather than their cold size---thermal expansion.

But yet....

I have watched my neighbor crank and run a bazillion times. He actually had 225k miles on a baby ranger doing that!
Amazing.

My paw-inlaw has a 71 ranger with 380K miles on it and always warmed it up.

My Toy 4x4 knocked horribly when it was cold if you tried to drive it, once warm, it was quiet as a mouse.

It may be individual machining that makes driving them cold very bad or a little bad.
You have to listen...if it knocks any at all under any torque, let it warm up before you drive it.
If it is happy cold, be gentle till it is warm.

 

[senza]

Into my 3rd winter with the MO....overall a great cold weather vehicle...at -35/40C , I find CVT warms up and works fine faster than a "normal" trans, heat/defrost is good...battery still strong...appreciate heated seats...mileage sucks and rides like a frozen brick (all vehicles do at -40C) ..display in slow motion...

 

[whatsup]

Synthetic for cold weather

Another thing to improve the cold winter symptoms is to use a synthetic oil. The oil stays viscous in all temps unlike regular oil and this helps to reduce wear on the engine and heat up the engine quicker because the synthetic flows better.

 

[Dave N]

Re: Synthetic for cold weather

Another thing to improve the cold winter symptoms is to use a synthetic oil. The oil stays viscous in all temps unlike regular oil and this helps to reduce wear on the engine and heat up the engine quicker because the synthetic flows better.

....or park your Murano in a heated garage :2: