How to deal with the cold

[bk7794]

Hello, I have an issue when its really cold I start to shiver. So it either takes me a long time to shift or I just botch them. Does anyone else have this issue? And if so how do they cope? Thanks a lot!

[FDSpirit]

Lol. Are you using your heat at all? I sometimes get the shivers on cold winter mornings, but it's never really affected my driving. I'm a light guy(125lbs), so there isn't much insulation on my part. I guess you could try letting the car warm up enough so you actually get warmer air in the car while driving.

[bk7794]

Lol. Are you using your heat at all? I sometimes get the shivers on cold winter mornings, but it's never really affected my driving. I'm a light guy(125lbs), so there isn't much insulation on my part. I guess you could try letting the car warm up enough so you actually get warmer air in the car while driving.

well...I probably should start getting used to feel...I have been so dependent on hearing my engine rather then feeling it. But this is earlier in the morning as you said. And sometimes at night aswell.

[FDSpirit]

I used engine tone as a teacher back when I first started. You also have to keep in mind that tranny fluid doesn't warm up at the same rate as the engine does. What happens after you've shifted a few times? The heat and the cold fluid cold go hand in hand. You and the transmission are warmed up enough to drive like on a warm day.

[kayubassist]

also interested.
I actually started using the heater on this car. before this car I just used heated seat and no heater.
my car feels weird when cold, rpm drops more quickly, notchy shifter, etc...

[4onthefloor]

As a Canadian that has dealt with -20 degree temperatures I can give my insight. Heated seats are a blessing, they will have your buns toasted in around 30 seconds. If you don't have that luxury, at least get some heat in the car and your body warmed up before setting off.

[bk7794]

Yeah unfortunately my 91 civic doesn't have heated seats haha. This winter I should just start dressing more appropriately aswell..

I guess I can start using the blowing air as I really don't think I will need it...I mean I put almost 12k miles on the car since then. I should be able to start doing it with feel...right?

It all comes to the thinking about it portion...Its like when I am trying to study...when I start thinking of studying I do worse..

[theholycow]

You could swap in heated seats or add a heated seat cover/pad if you think that would help.

So, is the problem that you are having difficulty sensing when you need to shift, or that your hand isn't steady enough to execute the shift in a normal way?

[bk7794]

You could swap in heated seats or add a heated seat cover/pad if you think that would help.

So, is the problem that you are having difficulty sensing when you need to shift, or that your hand isn't steady enough to execute the shift in a normal way?

Its more of my legs, and my footwork. Im pretty good with my hands usually.

[FDSpirit]

Do they get kinda numb? If so, I know exactly what you're talking about. I hate that. I ended up wearing thick socks on really cold days to prevent it. And thermal underwear(long johns).

[watkins]

I man up.

[bk7794]

I do man up...Its just its in the morning so its kinda difficult to do that when your body is not at its peak yet...

Thats a good idea for the thick socks...maybe I should also get more sleep because I am thinking that some of it has to do with fatigue.

[Rope-Pusher]

You could swap in heated seats or add a heated seat cover/pad if you think that would help.

So, is the problem that you are having difficulty sensing when you need to shift, or that your hand isn't steady enough to execute the shift in a normal way?

Its more of my legs, and my footwork. Im pretty good with my hands usually. Might even say that I'm mighty handy with 'em.

Fickset

The seals (urk-urk) drag more on a cold day, and there is more viscous drag to the trans fluid as well, so the clutch coast-down is much quicker. If you shift all normal-like, the input shaft rpm will undershoot the rpm required for upshifting into the next gear and shift efforts will increase as you work those molasses-coated synchros harder to make up for the rpm difference. That film of oil that doesn't want to "get out the way" further increases shift efforts and all this slows down your shift times so much that by then the engine is back down to idle and most likely severely below the speed at which it needs to be to smoothly engage the next gear ratio. It's like the perfect storm!

[bk7794]

You could swap in heated seats or add a heated seat cover/pad if you think that would help.

So, is the problem that you are having difficulty sensing when you need to shift, or that your hand isn't steady enough to execute the shift in a normal way?

Its more of my legs, and my footwork. Im pretty good with my hands usually. Might even say that I'm mighty handy with 'em.

Fickset

The seals (urk-urk) drag more on a cold day, and there is more viscous drag to the trans fluid as well, so the clutch coast-down is much quicker. If you shift all normal-like, the input shaft rpm will undershoot the rpm required for upshifting into the next gear and shift efforts will increase as you work those molasses-coated synchros harder to make up for the rpm difference. That film of oil that doesn't want to "get out the way" further increases shift efforts and all this slows down your shift times so much that by then the engine is back down to idle and most likely severely below the speed at which it needs to be to smoothly engage the next gear ratio. It's like the perfect storm!

Its strange because when I shift normally I get massive rev hang. Its actually a bit easier to shift when the engine is cold.

[Tups]

I don't have heated seats, but I use an additional indoor heater that's connected to a timer together with the block heater. The only thing is that apparently it's not recommended to have the heater on the floor. Well, it's not like I have any other place for it...