Is this transmission going bad ?

1995 Maxima GLE automatic, 80,000 miles. Ever since I got it 4.5 years ago, the shift from 1st to 2nd was noticeable - like letting go of the gas and then hitting it again but lightly. Not too bad, I didn't worry about it. All other shifts are smooth as silk, barely noticeable. About a year ago I had the dealer power-flush and refill it. The 1st - 2nd shift was smoother after that but now it's back and more noticeable than before. It feels harsher. All other shifts are still very smooth. The car has plenty of power, quiet engine, really a pleasure to drive.

So - is this harsh shift expected behavior or not ? If not, what do you think the problem is and what's the best way to resolve it ? I'd rather take care of it now and not wait for a tranny failure. By the way, at what mileage are Maxima trannies known to start having problems ?

Reply to
Gershon Shamay
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My '98 with just under 30k miles is very much the same on 1-2. It is a lot smoother with some weight in the car (i.e. passengers and luggage). With just me in it, it is a bit sharp. It also seems smoother some days than others. In the other gears it is really smooth.

Reply to
Microstar

My 96 GLE with 94k miles behaves exactly the same way. Sometimes it shifts from 1-2 with such harshness I feel as though the tranny fell out of the car and look in the rear view mirror to check :), other times, especially after its warmed up, with weight in the car (as mentioned in the previous post), it shifts really smoothly. I have had regular fluid flushes done, and been to the dealer twice regarding this while I was under the powertrain warranty - just to get it in writing from them that it is normal behavior. I just try to get the fluid flushed every two years (not drain-and-fill, but a complete flush).

I have also noticed different behavior when I am either accelerating from a stop going up-hill or downhill - uphill the 1-2 shift is smooth, downhill the 1-2 shift is very sharp. In general I have noticed that under moderate-to-hard acceleration the 1-2 shift is much smoother (3500-4500 RPM shift point), while under light acceleration (1500-2000 RPM shift point) the shift is sharper...

Hope all that info. helps - it's nothing concrete - just my experience so far.

Nirav

Reply to
Nirav J. Modi

My experiences exactly! I think the behaviour described must be normal for these transmission.

Reply to
Microstar

Well, you aren't using NISSAN fluid I'll bet. You probably have some stuff in there that the shop paid 60 cents a quart for, that's how they buy it, low bidder type stuff. There really are subtle differences in brands of Dextron III, & you should not complain about minor issues too loudly if you're using something the tranny was not designed for. Before you embark on a search & destroy mission to find a problem, I suggest you do a complete flush & refill with Nissan fluid.

Each time I've changed the fluid in mine (with Nissan), I've noticed smoother operation. The fluid, any fluid, can decline with age. Yours may be starting off on the wrong foot, and be going further away from Nissan specifications even faster.

JM

Reply to
JM

I am not sure about the OP, mentioned in my post, I have had the transmission flushed regularly every 2 yrs (approx. 24,000 miles driven between flushes) - at a Nissan dealer. If my dealer is substituting the cheapest local tranny fluid he can buy then there is not much I can do - other than buying the Nissan fluid and flushing/drain-filling it myself - but I don't think this should be something I have to resort to, i.e. if I take my car into a Nissan Dealer to have some work done, in this case a transmission fluid flush, I expect parts/materials used to meet Nissan requirements.

If there is any discernble performance difference between Nissan Dexron III and a Dexron III compliant tranny fluid, I would expect my "Nissan Dealer" to use Nissan fluids - but then again, am I expecting too much?

Nirav

96 Max GLE, 94k
Reply to
Nirav J. Modi

Mine has had Nissan fluid; twice as often as service recommendation. I still find 1-2 a little 'sharp' on a light throttle. I don't really consider it a problem, it could be that I drive it too gently. If I drive it a little harder the shift is smoother.

Reply to
Microstar

Me too on my 1998 auto MAx

Reply to
Daniel

Even dealers use what they consider to be "serviceable" materials. They're trying to make a profit, and they are in competition and are pressed to cut corners if they think they can get away with it. Don't rely on them to use Nissan fluid; only rely on them to charge you for it. My Infiniti dealer didn't even have Nissan fluid in stock.

JM

Reply to
JM

search & destroy mission to find a problem, I suggest you do a

My local Nissan dealer did the last flush - I want to believe they used Nissan approved materials and processes. Am I too naive about this ?

My 1-2 shift was indeed smoother right after the flush, consistent with your experience. I get the clear message from this group that my tranny is as normal as all the rest out there. I'll sleep a little better tonight.

Reply to
Gershon Shamay

Unfortunately, even if I go in the next time and explicitly request Nissan Fluid, if I'm not in the shop watching them put it in, its hard to know what they used. Realistically though, is there a dealer out there that is going to change their transmission fluid "sucker-pump" setup to use something other than the bulk fluid that it is already setup for ? (i.e. via overhead suppy hose or whatever).

Maybe I need to read the other post about DIY tranny fluid swaps. :)

Cheers Nirav

Reply to
Nirav J. Modi

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