Engine tick + Rough driving from cold start

[Amos]

Hey there, I've got a 1993 Automatic GL Sport

Recently it's been -22 F outdoors... I've got a block heater and it's plugged in all the time.

When I start the car up after it sits over night it takes a good 5 minutes of driving before I can accelerate at a normal speed... It almost seems like my transmission is frozen.

Is there such thing as a "Winter weight" trans fluid?

My car with 50,000 Miles on the engine apparently has a "Bad oil leak" according to the guys that installed my winter tires, and just today it started ticking on the driver's side... I have nowhere near the knowledge required to open an engine and fix anything..

Is the tick noise the Hydraulic Lash Adjusters? (What else could it be?)

I'm probably going to have to take the car in to get repaired shortly and I'd like to have a bit of info to tell the people that are working on it to avoid paying 2 hour's worth of "Diagnostic" fees lol

Thanks.

[freshtiva]

Id say the tick is the HLAs. Ive had that happen briefly in real cold weather. Usually shut the car off and restart and then its gone.

[Amos]

Okay, I'm hoping I can find a heated garage to park my car in for a couple hours to give it a break...

The car came from the West Coast where the coldest it ever gets is 14 F, It's really not liking the cold weather.

[Slyder]

Id say the tick is the HLAs. Ive had that happen briefly in real cold weather. Usually shut the car off and restart and then its gone.

just a side questions what are HLA's?

[freshtiva]

just a side questions what are HLA's?

Hydraulic Lash Adjusters

[muscle_Car1]

1st off I'm guessing its a stick shift. You could try changing out the fluid. Previous owner could have used 75w gear oil, maybe try synthetic ATF. I've always used atf. As for lifter knock, do you have winter weight oil in the car? if not get, pour in seafoam into oil drive until warm, change oil. It helps loosen little particles. might work If not cleaning the HLA's out isn't too bad.

[Amos]

The car's an auto, I'm not 100% sure -- but I thought "stick shift" refers to manual trans cars.

I have no idea what kinda of weight oil is in the trans but it came from a place that is relatively warm so it's possible that it's too heavy in the cold.

What weight trans fluid and what weight oil would you suggest?

[Slyder]

Hydraulic Lash Adjusters

THanks!

[sasquatch]

if you let the motor warm up fully before you start driving will the problem stop or is it you have to drive for like 5 min to "loosen up" the trans no matter what you try?

[Amos]

Warmed it up for 10 minutes before going out on a drive this evening.

Trans is still pretty sluggish but not nearly as bad. Engine tick is still present, Driver's side.

However, I'm not sure if this makes a difference -- It only ticks while in drive, if I've got it in park or neutral and I pull the on the gas cable it wont tick... moment I give it gas while driving "TICK TICK TICK TICK"

[Festiva Time]

Manual transmission are suppose to have Mercon ATF [Automatic Transmission Fluid] , Not Gear oil. If it has gear oil, the oil will leakout at the halfshaft. HLAs could be ticking because of wrong oil weight for real cold weather. I had the bolts holding the rocker shaft down come loose.

[Amos]

My car's an auto -- and I've got no idea what sorts of fluid are inside the trans, I've owned the car for about a year (only put about 4000 miles or so) and I haven't touched the trans

[funky technician]

the ticking your hearing isn't the vacum soliniod on the firewall is it?

[bhazard]

Could try ford type F in the trans. I think its a little thinner/lighter and doesnt foam as much as dex/merc. Not sure if the trans would like it or not but I cant imagine it being too hard on it. I've used it in my gf's dodge shadow for a couple years now without trouble. It firmed up the shifts slightly.

[Amos]

Well.. I took it for a long-ish drive today to go to one of my Exams.. and it seems the magical Christmas festiva faeries worked on my car last night... Didn't tick at all today, transmission didn't have any problems and my shot wheel bearings barely made any noise!

Haha... I've got a buddy coming up from North Dekota with a huge shipment of stuff from Rock Auto... I'll be getting EVERYTHING fixed