Asked by Sarah, Ellijay GA
Hard 1-2 shift when cold
SUV
THE QUESTION
My SUV jerks really hard going from first to second, but only when it's cold. After about ten minutes of driving the problem mostly disappears. Does that sound like a transmission problem, a sensor problem, or something electronic? Where would you start?
MIKE'S ANSWER
The good news is the fact that it improves after warming up gives us valuable information. That doesn't automatically mean the transmission needs to be replaced. We'll begin by checking the computer data, temperature readings, and transmission controls before recommending any repairs.