CommandoRabbit

Today I was driving my Max around town when I noticed that I no longer had first and second gear. It felt like my car had locked into third gear. I stopped and turned off the car for awhile and then got into drive again. This time the car would shift like nothing was wrong. Is this a sign of imminent tranny failure??? Please help. Thanks

CommandoRabbit

By the way I have a 95 Maxima SE with the supercharger equipped and I did install an auxillary transmission fluid cooler.

Kevlo911

iTrader: (36)

u have activated fail-safe.it is nissan feature.if u want to turn it off look in the owners manual i forgot where it was but i think it is under driving.


97max gle

Daniel B. Martin

Did the O/D OFF light blink?

A quote from the '99 Maxima Owner's Manual...
<font color="blue">
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, the next time the key is turned to the ON position, the O/D OFF light will blink for approximately 8 seconds after coming on for 2 seconds. While the vehicle can be driven under these circumstances please note that the gears in the automatic transmission will be locked in third gear.

If the vehicle is driven under extreme conditions, such as excessive wheel spinning and subsequent hard braking the fail-safe may be activated. This will occur even if all electrical circuits are functioning properly. In this case, turn the ignition key OFF and wait for 3 seconds. Then turn the key back on the the ON position. The vehicle should return to its normal operating conditions. If it does not return to its normal operating condition, have your Nissan dealer check the transmission and repair if necessary.
</font>

Daniel B. Martin

If the O/D light did not blink you may have a
problem with Shift Solenoid Valve B, which is part of the
Valve Control Body inside the transaxle.

Your automatic transmission has two shift solenoids, designated A and B.
They control which of the four forward speeds the transmission is using.
If these solenoids, or the fluid control valves they operate, malfunction
you would have symptoms of shifting misbehavior, and possibly a dashboard
Malfunction Indicator Lamp as well.

Here's how the shift solenoids control the gear selection:
1st gear: A=on B=on
2nd gear: A=off B=on
3rd gear: A=off B=off
4th gear: A=on B = off

Suppose your shifter is in Drive and you are starting from a standstill. A
and B should both be "on", and the transmission would be in first gear. If
shift solenoid B or the valve it controls was defective, your transmission
would always be operating in third or fourth gear.

Find the harnesses which emanate from the transaxle. One of them
terminates in a brown plastic connector with eight pins. This is connector
F42. With the engine off, disconnect F42. You want to measure the
transmission side of F42. Hold the connector such that the plastic latch
is at the top. You should now see two rows of four terminals. These are
numbered (top row, left to right) 1 - 4, and (bottom row, left to right) 5 -
8. Connect one probe of your ohmmeter to a clean ground. The resistance
of shift solenoid B is measured between ground and terminal 1. The
resistance of shift solenoid A is measured between ground and terminal 2.
The specification for both solenoids is the same: 20 - 40 ohms.

There is also a "bench test" procedure for testing the shift solenoids with
a 12 volt supply such as a car battery. However, this requires removal of
the shift solenoid valve assembly. I don't know if you want to get
involved with that.