4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999) Visit the 4th Generation forum to ask specific questions or find out more about the 4th Generation Maxima.

Automatic transmission reprogramming?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 12-16-2005, 10:25 AM
  #1  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (14)
 
JwaxMax99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 836
Automatic transmission reprogramming?

This has been covered before, but is there way to get the 4th gen. auto trans. to downshift sooner. No car I have owned or driven is as lazy when shifting down. I mean the thing stays in third sometimes on a 5 mph takeoff!
I searched the net for info and found nothing useful.

(Yea, get a 5 speed; I know)
JwaxMax99 is offline  
Old 12-16-2005, 10:32 AM
  #2  
Bacon Lover
iTrader: (34)
 
Tatanko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: State College, PA
Posts: 7,672
There are TCU reprograms, however they've shown to do nothing. The sort of "action" you're looking for isn't mechanical either, so nothing like the VB or DR has to do with it, other than slowing down the process. TCU still has to tell it to downshift, though.
Tatanko is offline  
Old 12-16-2005, 02:17 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
iTrader: (2)
 
BluFlame's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Fairfield CT
Posts: 870
there is a manumatic mod that lets you choose your gears.
It's no longer produced.
BluFlame is offline  
Old 12-16-2005, 03:07 PM
  #4  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (1)
 
kc10fish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 429
drop resistor mod....look it up
kc10fish is offline  
Old 12-16-2005, 04:55 PM
  #5  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (14)
 
JwaxMax99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 836
Originally Posted by kc10fish
drop resistor mod....look it up
Hmm, this is contrary to what Tatanko wrote 2 posts up..?
This is why I asked this question, as I have read many differing opinions about this.
JwaxMax99 is offline  
Old 12-16-2005, 06:23 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
motorheadwannab's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 158
I just did the DR mod, its amazing btw, but doesn't help at all with downshifting...
motorheadwannab is offline  
Old 12-16-2005, 07:18 PM
  #7  
Bacon Lover
iTrader: (34)
 
Tatanko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: State College, PA
Posts: 7,672
The DR mod is mostly for upshifting, yes. Even if it did affect downshifting, though, the DR mod is power-sensitive. The more power you have, the quicker it will shift. You don't sound like your Max is much above stock However, if you choose to use it, do not run it all the time without a tranny cooler.
Tatanko is offline  
Old 12-17-2005, 06:20 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
iTrader: (6)
 
NightRider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,502
An upgraded TCU DOES help with downshifting. The TCU has to be reprogrammed at the same time as the vb mod for it to function right. If you dont do both at the same time, its like running an intake and exhaust with no upgraded ECU, you are not getting the full benefit.
NightRider is offline  
Old 12-17-2005, 09:25 PM
  #9  
Bacon Lover
iTrader: (34)
 
Tatanko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: State College, PA
Posts: 7,672
Originally Posted by NightRider
An upgraded TCU DOES help with downshifting. The TCU has to be reprogrammed at the same time as the vb mod for it to function right. If you dont do both at the same time, its like running an intake and exhaust with no upgraded ECU, you are not getting the full benefit.
Are you speaking from personal experience?
Tatanko is offline  
Old 12-18-2005, 04:50 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Subzero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: sf sd
Posts: 425
So who upgrades our slow granny trans. tcu programs? I would pay 500.00 just to have my trans up and down shift with out hesitation, and be more sporty.
Subzero is offline  
Old 12-18-2005, 04:55 PM
  #11  
dot dot dot ...
iTrader: (22)
 
NmexMAX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 34,588
Who else ... JWT .. AFAIK
NmexMAX is offline  
Old 12-18-2005, 04:58 PM
  #12  
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
iTrader: (19)
 
njmaxseltd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,033
We all know our trannys like to stay up in 2nd or even 3rd sometimes if you don't come to a complete stop. There's a simple fix to this.

Reprogram the way you drive and come to a complete stop. The tranny WILL be in first so you can enjoy the gobs of power and performance that happens when you stomp on the gas to take off.

Pretty simple fix....,,,,really.
njmaxseltd is offline  
Old 12-18-2005, 05:04 PM
  #13  
dot dot dot ...
iTrader: (22)
 
NmexMAX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 34,588
Originally Posted by njmaxseltd
We all know our trannys like to stay up in 2nd or even 3rd sometimes if you don't come to a complete stop. There's a simple fix to this.

Reprogram the way you drive and come to a complete stop. The tranny WILL be in first so you can enjoy the gobs of power and performance that happens when you stomp on the gas to take off.

Pretty simple fix....,,,,really
Makes sense, on of which is or should be common in nature.
NmexMAX is offline  
Old 12-18-2005, 05:21 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
thisisausername's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 177
Originally Posted by Subzero
So who upgrades our slow granny trans. tcu programs? I would pay 500.00 just to have my trans up and down shift with out hesitation, and be more sporty.
you could pay less than that and choose ur own gears with a 5spd, well, if you did the labor yourself. I'm sure there are plenty in the junkyard.
thisisausername is offline  
Old 12-18-2005, 05:27 PM
  #15  
dot dot dot ...
iTrader: (22)
 
NmexMAX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 34,588
Originally Posted by thisisausername
you could pay less than that and choose ur own gears with a 5spd, well, if you did the labor yourself. I'm sure there are plenty in the junkyard
. ....... It would cost nearly 3x that even with a junkyward tranny.
NmexMAX is offline  
Old 12-18-2005, 05:46 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
thisisausername's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 177
you can't tell me a maxima tranny in a junkyard would cost more than 300 bux. you could proly get the tranny, the shifter itself, and the linkages for 300 bux in the junkyard. if you gotta change ECU's or something to get it working it might be a lot more...
thisisausername is offline  
Old 12-18-2005, 05:54 PM
  #17  
dot dot dot ...
iTrader: (22)
 
NmexMAX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 34,588
Originally Posted by thisisausername
you can't tell me a maxima tranny in a junkyard would cost more than 300 bux.. you could proly get the tranny, the shifter itself, and the linkages for 300 bux in the junkyard
What about the clutch, engine mount, slave cylinder, pedals, clutch lines etc?

It will cost, at cheapest, 1000, and even that is very, on the low side, conservative.


Originally Posted by thisisausername
if you gotta change ECU's or something to get it working it might be a lot more...
ECUs re: a 5MT covnersion are interchangeable minus a few CEL's, and even then they can be had for less than 100$... but I'm sure you already knew that

Post about something you actually know about instead of spreading false information.
NmexMAX is offline  
Old 12-19-2005, 09:02 AM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
thisisausername's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 177
500 might be a little too hopeful but it would still be less than making the auto tranny get the same perfomance. I wasn't aware you needed a diff engine mount and I forgot to add cost of pedal and other clutch related dealies. this isn't a dictionary man, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, even if they are wrong .
thisisausername is offline  
Old 12-19-2005, 09:04 AM
  #19  
dot dot dot ...
iTrader: (22)
 
NmexMAX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 34,588
Opinion > as.suming
NmexMAX is offline  
Old 12-19-2005, 09:28 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Subzero's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: sf sd
Posts: 425
Originally Posted by njmaxseltd
We all know our trannys like to stay up in 2nd or even 3rd sometimes if you don't come to a complete stop. There's a simple fix to this.

Reprogram the way you drive and come to a complete stop. The tranny WILL be in first so you can enjoy the gobs of power and performance that happens when you stomp on the gas to take off.

Pretty simple fix....,,,,really.
Yeah ok, so when your coming up to a stop light and you slow to 10 mph and get ready to come to a stop and the light turns green you just stop then?? Yeah right, and have people honking at you. Nothing better than taking off in 3rd gear. Japan makes awesome motors but the automatic transmissions pretty much suck for reliability. Especially nissan and toyota ones.
Subzero is offline  
Old 12-19-2005, 09:36 PM
  #21  
dot dot dot ...
iTrader: (22)
 
NmexMAX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 34,588
Originally Posted by Subzero
Yeah ok, so when your coming up to a stop light and you slow to 10 mph and get ready to come to a stop and the light turns green you just stop then??
What about 75%-100% throttle ...
NmexMAX is offline  
Old 12-20-2005, 04:20 AM
  #22  
Bacon Lover
iTrader: (34)
 
Tatanko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: State College, PA
Posts: 7,672
Originally Posted by Subzero
Japan makes awesome motors but the automatic transmissions pretty much suck for reliability. Especially nissan and toyota ones.
My tranny has 120,000 miles on it and hasn't failed anyone once. I'm pretty sure it's reliable
Tatanko is offline  
Old 12-20-2005, 06:18 AM
  #23  
dot dot dot ...
iTrader: (22)
 
NmexMAX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 34,588
Mine's faling @ ~232.k and 11 years. Not too bad
NmexMAX is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
hcarter1112
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
42
07-18-2022 03:35 PM
ef9
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
10
10-04-2015 08:43 AM
Pied
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
0
09-26-2015 03:29 PM



Quick Reply: Automatic transmission reprogramming?



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:23 AM.