90 Stanza, Transmission temp sensor

I have a 90 Maxima GXE automatic that I think has the same tranny as your Stanza. My tranny was doing the same thing a few years ago until I had it rebuilt. Cold shifting problems are very common with this tranny and I've read several complaints on the newsgroups about this occurence. If your tranny is running normally when hot, you might want to change the fluid to synthetic. It doesnt' have the cold viscosity problems as mineral oil does. Also, make sure your thermostat and engine temp sensor are all good. That will ensure a good signal to the computer and will allow the engine to heat up properly. You could also pour a can of transmission fluid conditioner in. That stuff will swell the seals and make it shift a little harder and cause the fluid pressure to build quicker. Unfortunately, with that many miles, you might be ready for a rebuild. I gave $1500 for a complete rebuild and torque conv for my 90 Max and it runs very well now.

Chris