Theres got to be a better way ??

I know that you will all say its the torque converter (not that i understand what that is or does) but when cold my TD5 auto 2001 (94k) today refused to go over 30 mph even when reved above 3000rpm, is there a better way??

After 4 miles it seemed to ease up and eventually 'kicked down' revs dropped and over 40mph was achieved.

Engine Oil is changed regularly and gear box oil was done a couple of yrs ago (something that is arguable that it never needs changing)

Any ideas or recommendations greatly recieved.

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but for us it's about -6 currently (11:30hrs) and this will have a bearing on how the autobox operates.

The auto box ECU talks to the engine ECU and if the engine ECU says it is cold, the gearbox will hold lower gears in an attempt to help the engine warm up.

Here are a couple of things you could try, to improve the situation:

1. Change the gearbox oil twice. You'll need 5ltrs of Dexron III for each change, do once then run the car for about 100kms then change again. This is about the best diy solution for getting out as much of the old oil out.

2. When changing the engine oil, use 5w-30 fully synth.

3. Take off the viscous fan and leave in the boot. Keep an eye on the coolant level and temp but at this time of year, assuming the cooling system is in good order, you should be able to run without the fan safely. The benefit is that the engine will warm up quicker, therefore sending "encouraging" signals to the gearbox.