Limp mode on a cold morning prior to reaching operating temp

[lannvouivre]

The other day I was taking my BF to school when it was around 30 degrees F, and the engine was quite sluggish and would not rev over 2500 RPM. It also didn't sound quite right, but I couldn't put my finger on what exactly the sound was.

I stopped and popped the hood to listen to it, then went to listen to and feel the flow of the exhaust to see if I could find anything out of the ordinary beyond a sound that may have just been in my head. Everything seemed fine, and when I got back in the coolant temp was about halfway up to operating temp. I revved it over 3k and it sounded fine and eager as ever.

Went and checked for current and history codes on both the engine and transmission, got nothing.

Is limp mode normal on a cold morning? My next course of action may be to make sure I have the right intake manifold gasket, since one doesn't seal well in the cold. Otherwise, lots of shrugging.

[JohnO]

The intake manifold gasket will affect the idle, not the way the engine runs under load. It sounds like a fuel system issue to me, maybe the fuel pump. Do you have a scan tool that you can use to monitor the fuel trim while you drive?

[lannvouivre]

The intake manifold gasket will affect the idle, not the way the engine runs under load. It sounds like a fuel system issue to me, maybe the fuel pump. Do you have a scan tool that you can use to monitor the fuel trim while you drive?

Unfortunately, I only have access to using it to check for codes, as I no longer am working. The closest I can really get is to use a pressure gauge on the line near the rail (if the 1ZZ-FE even has a port for that). Even worse, it looks like this is going to be an intermittent problem as well, unless it never shows up again.