Alex_V

Well Thanks to tripleGmax, I got a new maxima for $300. Had to go get it from dayton but it was worth it. It was beatuiful. The paint was a little dull, but thats fine... But the leather interior was in great shape, and it didnt have much rust at all. The biggest rust spot isnt even a half in in diamiter. I'll take care of that real quick...

Any way, I got it over to my friends house, where Ive got both max's to work on. I tried to charge the battery but after not being started in a year it was toast. I charged the one outta my max, and it started right up. At first it didnt click, but I kept tapping the key into start position, it idled rough but eventually it fired. I reved it a little and let it idle. It warmed up a little and then I shut it off.

I tried R,1,2,D and moving the shifter constantly. It wouldnt engage, and and the shifter wasn't percise at all. Going to have to replace the bushings after its running.

So now to trouble shoot what it is. Could it be a bad TCU, or is that pretty much impossable? I doubt it would be that but Im up for fresh ideas. I was thinking it could be a bad CV shaft as the owners friend thought it might be, and there was a spare CV shaft in the trunk. (btw low long is the driver and passenger CVs? I know they are diffrent, wanna know which one I have) Any way I was thinking, jack the front end up and idle/rev it up to about 1500rpm in gear to see if it spins the wheels, or leave it in park and try to move the wheels. Would that work? Ive got good axles and tranny from my parts car to use, and Im doing all the labor my self.

Whats the easiest way to change the CV axles? Ill go check the stickies...

~Alex

Drivin Maxima

iTrader: (7)

Well if its not engaging in gear then I dont think its just a CV shaft problem. Cv shafts just transfer the power from the tranny to the wheels. I would begin by checkin the tranny fluid and seeing what that looks like. then I would just put it in gear and see what it does when you give it a little bit of throttle.

Alex_V

I know what CV shafts are, and I check the tranny fluid. It looks brand new.

I put it in gear and revved it, nothin. Ill take a closer look saturday night.

~Alex

garbury

iTrader: (4)

well the passenger axle is pretty long, and it should have a metal thing that has 3 bolt holes in it. If so its the passenger, though i have a manual so it may be a different axle. the drivers should be about 2 feet or so and the passengers should be about 3.
If you are going to replace the tranny, the easiest way to remove the axles is to just pull them off with the tranny. The passenger one will remain on the car and the drivers will remain in the tranny. Just tap it out with a wooden dowel. Doing this (pulling the tranny from the axles) damaged my axle seals, but i was going to replace them anyway (cheap part), and on a different tranny, who cares about the old ones.
My best word of advice is GET A SHOP MANUAL! I screwed up tranny during my clutch job, and it was not a cheap fix ($200), so make sure u know what ur doing before you screw with things...lol. Just make sure you know which bolts are the bell housing bolts (kind of obvious), and don't remove random unneccessary bolts that contain little detent *****.
Other than that, it should be cake, and if the boots on your axles are ripped, just spend the 10 bucks per boot kit and make sure the bearings aren't all screwed up. It should take about 2 days if it's your first time, but could be MUCH faster, like 6 hours. Good luck

Alex_V

Garbury- I want to try the CVs first, then if thats not the problem I'll go ahead and swap the trannys. Mine has 20k less miles tho, so is it alot more work to just goahead and do both or is it not much more work to do both at the same time?

Also, is the FSM good egnough for this job? I also have very experianced car mechanics to help me or give me advice, the haven't worked on max's tho

~Alex

avmaldo

FSM is the best shop manual made. CV Shaft isn't bad. Youll know what to do after doing one side. I replaced both mine at the same time.

garbury

iTrader: (4)

yeah if you dont plan on fixing the tranny, then do not attempt to remove the tranny, it is way more work. Just follow the FSM, it should be sufficient. I think you just pry the axles off, but the passenger axle has 3 bolts holding it in (for Ve 5 spd). Just gotta get down to the spindle and take the nut off, then the drivers axle should be good to pop out. Check the stickies for the link to the autozone website...They have a long article on cv shafts.

Wiking

VE or VG?

TCU can be toast. More probably voltage /connector oxidation problem (outside mechanical faults).

Run the self test after checking that u get healthy +12V to TCU.

check: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/15

Alex_V

Both are VG autos. Im not going to repair anything, just take the good tranny outta my parts car and the axles, and put them in this one. I need a car so if i only have to do the axles Id rather do that. But if i have to do the tranny I can do that too.

I'll be doing a 5speed swap asap

~Alex

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

Run the tranny diagnostic mode, the instructions should be in the stickies.

MaxToGo

Sorry for using your topic. I can't seem to post a new topic.

I have a 98 Max. with the digital instrament cluster. The AC controls are dark and I can't tune AC or fan on since it's dark. Any ideas?

DaWifey's90

iTrader: (3)

maybe try hijacking a thread in the right forum...like the fourth gens

DaWifey's90

iTrader: (3)

can you elaborate on "not precise"? do mean that the shifter does not line up with the PRNDL?

have you checked the shifter cable? do you have absolutely no gears at all?
you mentioned that you checked your fluid and it it looked good to you. if your fluid quality and level is good and you put it in gear and get nothing, i would think that the next logical link in the chain would be main line pressure is bad - meaning your tranny pump is toasted

tripleGmax

iTrader: (8)

you need switch over the TCU from your wrecked max then go from there clean up connections and pray you dont have to swap trannies...or say **** it and get a 5spd and call it a day.

twinkle

iTrader: (1)

if the axels are really bad the speedo will move and the car wont while its in gear right? At least thats what happend to a friend of mine when his CV axels went out in his civic, thats a funny story, but i wont go into it

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

actually where he said the shifter is not precise. that may simply be the shift cable bushings (once again), there is one at both ends of the cable, they usually break and fall off the car.

Alex_V

Yea if it want it in 2ed, I have to hold it above or below (cant remember exactly) to get it into that gear. I think its a sepertate problem tho. Like if It was in any other max that ran and everything this would be a secondary problem. I'll fix it but a rolling max is more important then one that shifts exactly.

The speedo doesn't register any MPH or move at all.

DaWifey- Where can I find the tranny pump?

~Alex

Wiking

Pump is inside tranny. Pump pressure can be measured. To get idea of pressure presence, loose one hose going to radiator trannycooler, start engine (stop it quickly). ...oil should shoot out, try to collect...

For exact trannyinfo, go, check bottom of page: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/1

garbury

iTrader: (4)

what twinkle said makes sense...If the car would go into gear yet the axles were broken, the speedometer would move with any input from the gas. The speed sensor is bolted right onto the tranny case itself, so twinkle pretty much eliminated the broken axle hypothesis. Don't waste your time troubleshooting with those unless the boots are all cracked and they need replacement. Definately a transmission issue at hand.

DaWifey's90

iTrader: (3)

the tranny pump is internal to the tranny and i wouldn't recommend cracking it open unless downtime and money are no object. tranny internals are really not the sort of thing that you can pick up at the local parts store either. i keep the first auto tranny i ever took apart in my garage just to remind me of the endless lessons learned (there are still parts missing that i can't locate).

in any case, if you put a guage inline with the line going FROM the tranny TO the cooler and determine you have the proper pressure (a spec i do not have - i'm more accustomed to school buses and rigs that actually have a pressure measuring port) - then more likely than not you have a fubar'd convertor and shold just have to swap it out and be done with it

DaWifey's90

iTrader: (3)

just be sure it's the bushings that are causing the misalignment and not a faulty or loose MLPS (or whatever nissan calls the lever position switch that is actuated by the shifter).

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

you didn't ask

DaWifey's90

iTrader: (3)

i can't believe i never thought of it....just might be time to resurrect a 12 year old project

Alex_V

Dawifey- If its internal im not going to mess with it! Ill pop this tranny in the trash and put in the one from my wrecked max.

I still havn't gotten anything done because I got a migrane yesterday morning, the day I was suspost to at least get the good tranny outta the wrecked max...another weekend shot....

~Alex

Wiking

Wihout bodily limits, my max would fly... Er forgot to mention also family limits...

tripleGmax

iTrader: (8)

yo alex, if you need any help this saturday, i can come down. let me know, it could be fun, plus you could help me bleed my brakes and get that new caliper on there, heehee