My Mom's '95 SE automatic bangs into second gear when the car is cold. This seems to go on for quite a number of minutes until the trans heats up. Excessive warmup time completely solves the problem but it seems to me something is wrong. Cold or not, it shouldn't be slamming into gear like that. Fluid change maybe? Any similar situations?

 

transmissions do like to shift harder when they are cold. Is this something new, or have you noticed that as long as she has had it? How hard is it slamming?

 

She got the car in the summer. The problem didn't surface until we began having some night temps in the 20s. My Dad told me it was shifting so hard into second that he "thought the transmission was going to fall out of the car."

 

Frank, that doesnt sound good at all. I live in a cold winter climate in MA, and I've never experienced anything of that sort. The 2nd gear slam could either be AT trans that needs to be changed, in combination with the cold weather.....(we hope).. or it could be the product of a serious and progressive problem working its way to getting worse and worse. The first thing I do when i buy a pre-owned car, is get all of the fluids changed......very important. You dont know when it was done last. When I bought my Max last December, I brought it to my trusty Nissan Dealer in Keene, NH to have the engine oil and AT fluid replaced. Its always good to start fresh.
My advice.........get the trans fluid flushed and changed. Maybe there are some particles in the trans that are causing the problem. If that doesnt work out, replace it with a good used AT. Then your mom will be happy. ..I wish my mom would have bought a Max,.......instead of that granny Buick

 

yes get hte tranny fluid FLUSHED, use mobil1, redline or amsoil. it will take 12 quarts

 

yea, that sounds a little abnormal....unless a previous owner had the VB modified.

 

i would doubt that. Unless it was completely race tuned, wouldnt be THAT harsh. and if they did tune it like that, there would be a new torque converter...and atleast some other parts so you would notice it wasnt stock