Here's a weird one. I have never heard of this happening in a car before, hopefully someone else has. I've recently had the timing belt, water pump replaced, and sparkplugs replaced. Car is an automatic.

(O/D on)
When I give the car some gas, it gets up to about 35mph and that's it. If I try to give it more gas and rev it up to 4k-5k, the car feels like it's in neutral. Car does not feel like it engages gear when lifting foot on/off the gas pedal. It seriously goes nowhere beyond ~ 35mph. The way the car runs up to 35mph, it feels like it goes through 1st and then 3rd gear, skipping/slipping second. I could be wrong, but that's just what it feels like as far as running through the gears is concerned.

(O/D off)
When I give the car some gas, no problems! The car runs fine, goes through all gears, and you can feel the car engage when lifting your foot on/off the gas pedal.

(O/D toggling)
If I leave a stopped position with O/D on, I get to about 35mph, and the behavior persists. As I cruise around at 35mph, I disengage O/D and you can feel the car go again. Normal driving up to 60mph+ is no issue running through the gears. As I'm going 60+, I engage O/D again, and now I can only coast. As I give the car gas, it just sounds like it's revving with no engagement to make the car go.

Cliff notes
- Car moves normal when O/D off
- Car moves only to 35mph and emulates revving in neutral when O/D on

I'm assuming this is an electronic problem since the car seems to only go when the O/D is disengaged (off). Any ideas? I'm stumped!

 

uh oh. Looks like your transmission is gone. Electrical causes would not cause slipping and unwillingness to slip into O/D. Have it checked out immediately, but my money would be on a done-with tranny.

 

Could be a bad solenoid pack. Try running the tranny's diagnostic mode. If your lucky, but its supposed to be common. And its relativly cheap and doesn't require dropping the tranny.



Unfortunatly if you take it to a shop or nissan they'll just want all your money and to throw in a rebuilt that'll only last 30k.

 

I replaced the tranny with a rebuilt tranny from Nissan in 1997. It's as strong as the day they put it in. Knock on wood.

Go figure...

 

U assume right, ITS THA electrons. Too few of them in the tranny...

Quite possibly your voltage is down; check out idling, batt for 13.5V or more.

Also your TCU etc connectors NEED cleaning,
Check out: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/14

lukiluki for the next .org page:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=383677


.

 

eric - How do I run the tranny's diagnostic mode? I wish this car had OBDII on it, would make this whole process easier.

Wiking - I read your link and it points the issue to the alternator. I have DMM but not sure I can hook that up and read it while driving. Any ideas?

Should I just take into the dealer and have them run an electrical analysis on it, not telling them about the O/D thing?

 

Alternators die after 150k or more... More like alt connectors, its main fuse or other wiring oxidation. Seek all my web pages on that. Check out Voltage while idling, hood open ... u can also rev it to see how voltage level behaves; turn the throttle axle by hand. OR make an adapter to tha cigarette lighter to your dmm. (I have one adapter with cut wire, screw terminals in the end.)

The tranny diag mode can be found at www.autozone.com ; free login. Also can paste it here if that is not available. Lookout u private message. Note that if [THEY ARE] your connectors are oxidized and/or low voltage, no diag will give proper results.

Nissan FSM has 'day long' check list on the tranny. If there at dealer is somebody who can do auto troubleshooting, "its one day" ? job. Ask for price. I still doubt that there is anybody who can do that... be careful. Ask if possible for autotranny shop references.

Cleaning all connectors is a job u can do -if- u can use a multimeter: the cleaner does not need to understand what-wire-where-why. Cleaning is the goal. DIY on all connectors, seek my website for that info. If that does not help, THEN go to a tranny shop - or that dealer. Most possibly u save '500$' juts by DIY cleaning.

The problem might be mechanical also, but with this info I doubt that.

 

Its in the maintanance sticky at the top of the page.

 

that is incorrect.
my trans will slip consistently on a rare occasion , but as soon as I shut the car down and restart , the slip is gone.
Believe me, that makes it an electrical problem. Eventually I'll fix it. maybe

 

The fixit FOUR lego bits are: TCU, connector conductance, input voltage level, solenoid resistance.