1999 Ranger, 4 liter v6, 4 wheel drive, 100,700 miles, automatic. Okay, so I live in Montana where it's really cold right now. When I first start my truck, it lurches pretty bad. It doesnt want to switch gears right away, and its clunky when it does. This only happens for the first 3-5 minutes of driving. As soon as the transmission is warmed up, it runs totally fine, like you'd never know it had any problems. It only does this when the weather is cold, which has been chronic for the last few months now. I've tried warming the truck up for 15 minutes, but it still happens. Transmission fluid has been checked and it's good. It starts fine every time, and does what I want it to, just very lurchy. Any tips or tricks or ideas?

 

Welcome to the forum

Pretty common issue
When engine is running the transmission pump is circulating fluid but its not really warming up much in Park or Neutral, and the trans cooler in radiator keeps it cooler because radiator is still very cold at the bottom
If you warm up the engine then put it in gear and sit for a minute trans should warm up faster(engine as well), torque converter is now heating up the fluid by being in gear, fluid friction, and engine now has a Load by being in gear so warms up a bit faster, ain't much but ain't 0 either, lol.

Some say synthetic ATF makes this issue go away, mostly, fluid viscosity is the issue