90 Max...Looks like it's seen its last day
 

Hey guys,

I've got a 90 Maxima SE, 207k miles, A/T. Looks like it saw it's last drive yesterday.

I was driving it down a nice country road yesterday, goin around 60. The Power/Comfort switch was in Auto (where I always leave it), then all of a sudden there was a loud bang. Sounded like the transmission just fell out from under the car. This wasn't the case (obviously), but I managed to have enough momentum to pull into the shoulder but the car wouldn't move an inch from there. In gear, the engine won't go past 2000RPM (and the car won't move). Out of gear it'll rev all the way up but when it comes back down it drops to ~700, makes a clanking noise, and goes back up to 800rpm. Also, the hose coming from out of the top of the transmission (looks like a vent or overflow or something) was putting out a little smoke after the car stopped.

After the car got towed, I noticed a puddle under the right front tire. Could have been tranny fluid dripping down the driveaxle, but I didn't really get to look at it. The tow operator started up the car and I noticed the amber "Power" light on the mode switch lit up for a second or two before shutting back off.

I put the transmission in 10,000 miles ago from a junkyard and it was running fine all along, never gave a hint of a problem, but then this happened. I love the car, but i'm deffinitly not up for putting in another tranny (or a TC for that matter). If anyone has any ideas about what it might be (hoping theres still a chance that it's something minor). I love the car to death but it might be time for me to start parting it out on here/on ebay and start saving for a new car. (The car's in real good physical shape if anybody wants anything from it and I decide to go that route)

TIA group,
Fred

don't know what you could do, but if you part it out, i'll take the foglights, switch and relay, if you've got them, and possibly the radio, i live in cranston so i could pick it up from you

check the axle, it may have broken.

Car didn't come with foglights (I imagine they were removed after a front bumper swap from an accident before I got the car), and I bought it without a stereo. I do still have the original front speakers tho.

To the other point: That's not as bad as a blown transmission but it still is pretty bad. The right axle (which it would most likely be (hence the puddle) was such a pain to get in and out thanks to those three little screws. Plus it was grinding, which could indicate that it stripped inside the tranny. But if that were the case, wouldn't the car still be able to move, and why would the revs top off at 2000 in gear?

do you have a rear spoiler?

1. the car won't move (my wife's van busted an axle and she was stuck, heard a loud clunk first)
2. it may be a safety feature.
3. grinding could be the axle hitting something external or the cv joint grinding.

jack it off, oops, up and inspect

the guy's car is broken...THIS IS NOT A FS THREAD. STOP ASKING FOR PARTS! :slap: :slap:

he brought it up first. ;)
I'm not much of a mechanic, but good luck. Hopefully it is just an axle. :) If you do decide to part it, I may hit you up for a few things also.

It looks like the car will be getting junked. I just installed a transmission 10,000 miles ago and I'm in no mood to be messing around with doing more powertrain work. Plus I've got a steady job now and a bit of a commute and it's time to get something more reliable than a 16y.o. car with 200k on it. I'll salvage whatever people want off the car first, make an offer in a PM, I made a thread in the FS forum and it's located at http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....60#post3786760 ("Parting out a 90 Maxima (White)

Request lock.