ugh...so i drove my car to my bf's work last nite to meet him for break and upon arrival i noticed that my shifter and center counsel was HOT to the touch...i had coins sitting in the counsel and they were hot! So my bf checks my transmission fluid....takes the dip stick out without re-dipping, wipes it off on a napkin and its black....Dips the stick back in to check level and the fluid itself is not black...but the fact that the first gunk he wiped off was is scary....NOT TO MENTION that my fluid was extremely low, I mean he put in a whole quart of tranny fluid and its still a little less then the appropriate level on the hot side of the stick.
The funny thing is...I would have never known...my transmission was not slipping or anything like that, havent noticed any obvious leaks or puddles around my car...My car hasnt felt all that great lately but i thought it was just due to the exhaust leak i have..
Anyway...with this new issue, the exhaust leak, cracked sunroof, lack of radio...I think its time to say goodbye to Maxine...(sniffle) I'm probably gonna still hang on to her til complete death...i mean its a great and extremely reliable car, even with all issues considered. BUT I just cant deal with fixing any more of her problems, so i think im just gonna run her to the ground...and be looking for a new car in the process (hopefully another max...maybe a 4th or 5th gen) Anyhoo...thanks for all your help guys.

 

why not just drain and refill...or flush and refill the tranny fluid so there's clean fluid working in there?

the slight bit of black material is normal. as long as it's not metal bits..i think it's wearing normally.

 

Well...i serviced the transmission about a year and a half ago doing just that. Is it due for another? I dont know the reccomended service on that.
The black gunk was only at the bottom of the dipstick, as soon as he first pulled out the stick - after wiping it off, the rest of the fluid looked normal he said. No metal bits...but i obviously have a leak somewhere considering how low it was. Its not a major leak, because I do not and have not noticed any puddles around the car...BUT after servicing the tranny a year or so ago, i havent touched the fluid since. It cant be normal to be that low on fluid..right? Like I said, he put in an entire quart of a/t fluid and its still slightly low.
just outta curiousity, how much would it cost to find/fix a leak having to do wit tranny fluid?

 

was the car running when you checked the fliud because it should have been

if it was off i bilieve the dip stick will read low

i think autotrans fliud change interval is 24 or 30k or somthing like that so 1.5 years ago it might be due

 

If it ain't broke...Dont fix it.

 

the car must be warmed up, the fsm says 5 mins of city driving then check it after going through all gears. i know when i changed my axles i lost fluid then had to put some in, i overfilled. but when i checked the level cold verse hot, there was a dfference on the stick. i agree with danny i think your max is doing fine

 

car off - higher level
car on - lower level

so if the bf is checking it when it's off then it should read higher.

 

DOH!!! im new these transmissions you call automatics

 

Hey....maybe thats the case... its possible to lose tranny fluid when changinf the axles?? I just recently replaced both of my axles soooo I dunno, maybe thats what happened
Anyhow, Joe checked the fluid again yesterday and it stayed at the same level so therefore if there is a leak, its not bad.

And to answer questions:
yes, my car was running for more than 5 minutes cause its a 10-15 (depending on traffic) drive to his work...and my car was driven through all gears AND it was running while he was checking the fluid.

 

p.s. well, there is a cold side and a hot side on the stick both at different levels, soo there is gonna be a difference between cold and hot temp

 

a lot of fluid gets lost during axle change

 

awesome....that must have been it then (hopefully)

Now i feel better...and i just might (once again) look into fixing the exhaust issue..thanks everyone!!

 

if youre careful like me it gets all down your arm and splashes off the ground onto your shoes and jeans while you try to figure out how to contain it with your hands full!!!

lol that was fun!

 

That happened to me once when i was draining my radiator... i thought it sat long enough but it definitely had not... so i went to unscrew the plug at the bottom and once fluid starting coming out it sprayed all over me and then i had to figure out a way to take the plug out because the radiator fluid was spraying in a really wide spray... thankfully it wasnt hot enough to burn me, just enough to make me scream like a little girl.

 

you mean you never shampoo your hair in ATF?

 

Doesn't the fluid rise when the car is on, showing a higher level?

 

psf conditioner works the best...no flakes.

 

It may be lower because the fluid is running around and getting deeper into places where when its off it is just sitting and it isnt spread out as much.

 

wow danny, i've haven't seen you so active in one thread without making hostile or sarcastic remarks in a long time, if ever... trying to get in the little gal's knickers perhaps??

 

Is that the case with manual trannys as well? The loss of fluid, I mean? BTW...any suggestions on good manual transmission fluid?

1993 SE, 5spd, 179k and still like off the lot!

 

Yeah, about 2 quarts.

 

well hey now...is danny hot or what?!? LoL....J/K

seriously...i find that DanNY is one of the most helpful members on the org (in my opinion anyway) ...He usually seems to get what I'm talking about, even when i have a hard time explaining things...and for the most part has a lot of patience with me considering my awesome stupidity when it comes to cars....AND his replies are very useful and the best part of all...they make sense, and are relative to whatever the issue is that i was posting about.

so umm yea...kudos to DanNY! WoOhOo!!!

 

exactly my point, if you were a guy he would probably publicly insult you and talk $%#! about your job, or maybe i caught him on a bad day i have no problem with the fact that i deliver pizza. i get paid $15/hour avg. to stab around town in my free maxima and listen to music

 

but you still deliver pizza.......and at 15 bucks an hour and the great gas prices/mpg the maxima gets in town, youre probably rich, lol jk man.

 

300 miles per city tank. it's not bad, $1/order for gas and wear and tear...it adds up. about $20 per shift, $7 in gas. it's hell on my tranny though to get back on topic. damn bearing.

 

When I recently changed out the engine in my 92 Maxima, I accidentally jerked out axle out of the tranny. I lost about 4 quarts of fluid. I drained the rest and found about 3 more quarts in the milk jug it got deposited in.

Used Valvoline high-mileage Dexron III and a pint of Lucas transmission oil stabilizer. And my 225K mile tranny still shifts like a dream.

 

a few months back i had a fluid leak from the front of the transmission, small leak right above the starter on the drivers side... it was comming from a "servo" (what my transmission shop called it) not exactually sure of the correct name for this part.
the "servo" looks like the bottom of a coke can sticking out of the front of the case above the starter. well, the shop had installed this new tranny 65k miles before the leak. so, being that i was in 2000$ for that job a few years back, they replaced a $2.57 seal around the servo and didnt charge me any labor.. just $2.57 for the seal.

its held in place by a large c-clip and the whole thing pops right out, seal goes around the edge and then it is reinserted and reclipped.

very nice guys. being a transmission only shop, they really knew what to do when i brought ol Max dripping. ever since... not a drop.

if any of you are concerned where your fluids are going, park on top of a big piece of cardboard and look for drips... that will help determine where any leaks are.

 

have i started with you recently? why are you singling me out here?

you think i haven't given LMaRiE91MaXiMa crap about her car? don't feel special...i call them like i see them.

- she actually understand that FSM = FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL.
- she actually understands the advice or the information i give her.
- she actually take the advice and info and doesn't mess up her car and then in turn blames me for giving her bad information.
- she actually thanks me for the information and not come back a day later and tell me that "oh i knew that already"
- she doesn't come on the forum complaining about it and making up stories how the mods are getting paid here
- whatever her occupation is i assume she actually does it and not ditch it like yourself.

do i need to continue?

so yeah i am nicer to her and any other member because they are not an **** clown like yourself. her gender has NOTHING to do with anything.

 

well we all can't be driving around in your pizza-mobile pimpin to the grade school girls. remember 15 gets you 20 yrs.