frougier

I have 96 GLE auto maxima. Last year the transmission was replaced because of shifting issues between the 1st and 2nd gear (2 weeks after I bought it at 80K). The Maxima has ~87500mi right now and the shifting isn't crisp at all between 1st and 2nd gear and 2nd and 3rd gear.
What do I mean by not crisp? Well, I feel when the car is shifting. I had a Toyota Corrolla before and I never felt the car shifting. The car will rev up (in 1st gear) then jerk as the engine RPM would drop drastically on my dashboard. The original problem with the transmission was a lateness in shifting from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. The car would increase its RPM with no change in speed for a while. I know the car has to shift since I drove manual cars before.
Also when downshifting, the would be a period of forward jerk when braking for example. I know this is not normal. I checked the transmission fluid level but I can't read it because the oil smudgers on the dipstick and reading has never been straight forward even for oil level.
The transmission work that was performed last year is still under warranty and I was wondering what the problem might be before I send it back to the shop. They might invent something and charge $1000 for not performing anything.
Let me know guys.
Thanks.
PS: I gave as much info as I thought would suffice, if it isn't enough please let me know and it will be a pleasure...

BlkCat

Whats the color of the tranny oil? If its browny-pink then its time to replace the oil. I just replaced mine on Sunday and noticed better shifting afterwards.

frougier

I will check it out once I go downstairs.
How much did it cost you to do the change?
Was your car shifting poorly?

maxima1995se

I have an 95SE. I bought it new in 94 and it was never really smooth, especially if you jump on it. It always shifted a bit hard. All of the earlier 4th gen Maximas were like this. It is normal. So long as it shifts and does not slip you are fine. I complained that it shifted a bit hard when it was new, but it has not changed in 6 years.

It seems the transmission is tuned for sport driving. I drove a Milenia and it was smooth as silk.

Have fun!

Daniel B. Martin

Please check your dropping resistor. This component is mounted on the front side of the drivers-side strut tower. It has a gray plastic connector with two wires. This test is made with the ignition off. Disconnect the connector and use an ohmmeter to measure the resistance. It should be about 12 ohms.

BlkCat

Well I'm pretty close to 60 thousand km right now and when I shifted from Park to Drive it felt notchy. I installed a B&M tranny cooler and drained the tranny oil myself. Bought a couple of 6 ton jack stands, propped the car up and crawled underneath. Took me nearly 3 hours to do the install. As I had the SC I couldn't lean the radiator back so I took off the front grille so I could install the cooler. I used Quaker State as it is $2.99 a litre here. Mobil 1 is selling at $8.99 a litre.
Once the oil was in I noticed that the shifting was better from 1 to 2, 2 to 3 and that the stick lost its notchiness when moving from Park to Drive.

'98 Maxima SE auto
Stillen V2 Supercharger
Courtesy FSTB
Koni Sports
Eibach Pro Kit
PIAA Superwhites

sinewave

I agree that it sounds like the dropping resistor, but the resistance should be between 11.2 and 12.8 ohms (not K ohms).

Daniel B. Martin

I'm puzzled. My factory service manual says 12 ohms. When I posted this information on 05/25/01 Ben Garner ("mzmtg") corrected me, saying it is 12 Kohms. Since Plain Jane (my '99 GXE) is a 5-speed, I can't check the vehicle.

sinewave

I was doing some calcs on installing a rheostat in series with the dropping resistor a while back. BigTexan7 sent me the RE4F04A transmission manual so that I could do some research into line pressures, etc. I got the acceptable range from that manual. The measurements I took with a Fluke multi-meter shows the resistor on my car in that range.

Eric L.

To check the ATF level, you must drive the car for a little bit (warm the engine up), and then check the ATF with the engine on. If you don't you won't get an accurate reading.

frougier

I get so many answers that is great. I love everyone!
I will post the result soon and let you know what I got.
Franck.

mAdD MAX

I get the same problem that 'frougier' gets with my auto transmission. And I have a '99 GLE with 34K kms! When you come to a complete stop, you can feel the car jerking. And when you go from Park->Drive, you can feel resistance. As if the shifter doesn't want to goto Drive. Also when your driving at around 60km/h and you have to overtake someone and you floor it, the RPMs jump up and then after a second it shifts.

I took it to the Nissan Dealer and they said it was normal and nothing was wrong. Btw, this car faces extreme weather conditions since I live in Toronto, Canada. It's usually parked outside during the snow storms and such, if that has any bearing on the problem.

Also Dan B. Martin, is it possible for me to check the tranny oil without any jackstands or lifts? All I have is the jack that came with the car.

Thanks.

sinewave

On a 4th gen with an A/T, you check the fluid with the dipstick just to the right of the forward cylinder head. Make sure that the engine and tranny are warm and that you check it in park with the engine running.

With the temperature extremes that you have to deal with, you may get better drivability by switching to a synthetic fluid. If you just drain and refill, you will only exchange about 4 out of 11 quarts. Some of the quick lubes can do a full exchange with a special machine, but it is a little pricey. I had a complete change to Royal Purple Synthetic and the cost was $180US. Hell, a good synthetic will cost $5US a quart off of the shelf.

Synthetics are compatable with conventional fluids, so you could just drain and fill without fear. Also, someone had a technique on pumping out the fluid by running the engine for a few seconds. Do a search; you should find it.

Daniel B. Martin

Yes. Checking the automatic transmission fluid is done with a dipstick in the engine compartment. You need a jack and jackstands only if you intend to drain the tranny.

There are several tests you can make with the fluid on the automatic transmission dipstick.

1) Level. It should be up to the full mark. If not, add as required.

2) Color. It should be bright red and translucent. A brown or black color is a sign of fluid degraded by excessive heat, and/or worn friction materials. A milky pink "Pepto Bismol" color is a sign of water contamination.

3) Odor. It should have a clean oily smell. A burned odor is a sign of fluid degraded by excessive heat.

4) Feel. Wipe the dipstick with your fingers and then rub your fingers together. It should be smooth and slippery. A "gritty" feeling is a sign of worn friction materials.

Sometimes the service life of a transmission can be extended by changing the fluid. Automatic transmission fluid is loaded with detergents, so new fluid can clean the insides of the transmission. If you decide to do this, find a shop that uses the Magic Sucker Pump which removes -all- of the old fluid. An ordinary drain-and-refill changes only about half of the fluid.

jiaxima96

I got a chance to measure the dropping resistor. I used an old analog meter so the accuracy isn't as good as digital meter. It is about 11 Ohms.

I wonder what the dropping resistor does. Is it a sensing resistor that changes its value under various environment conditions such as temperature, or is it just a typical, fixed value resistor?

BTW, mine is 96 auto GXE. I haven't had any shifting problem since day one. The down shift is much quicker than 96 Camry LE V6, and that is one of many reasons my wife and I decided on Max in the last minute, five years ago.

Thanks.

sinewave

As far as I can tell, it is a fixed resistor. The Transmission manual doesn't have wiring diagrams or a detailed explination of what it does. We do know that it effects hydraulic line pressure, but the pressures have not been quantified (one of the things on my "to do" list).

Daniel B. Martin

The '99 factory service manual has a wiring diagram which includes the dropping resistor. Terminal 1 of the Transmission Control unit is connected directly to the ungrounded end of the Line Pressure Solenoid Valve. Terminal 2 of the TCM is connected to one end of the resistor, and the other end is connected to the ungrounded end of the LPSV.

The manual mentions that line pressure is determined by various factors including Automatic Transmission Fluid temperature, throttle opening, and gearshift position. Line pressure is reduced during gear changes to reduce shifting shock. The book does not specifically say the dropping resistor plays a role in controlling line pressure, but it seems reasonable that it does.

jiaxima96

Thanks a lot Sinewave and Daniel. I'm definately learning a little by little.

frougier

I found the resistor, however, I am wondering if I have to remove it in order to check its value. The position its in is definintely not good to do the check. Is there a simpler way?
I tried removing the connection to the DR and drive a few yards. It is extremely brisk shifting with a noisy shift knock. I am not experiencing this type of "notchiness." It is better comparable to a slight jerk forward with a visible drop in engine rpm on the dashboard.
When braking there is a slight acceleration pickup as with a manual when engaging momentarily the neutral gear then proceeding with an actual downshift.
I hope this is clear enough

supertool

1996 SE Auto shifts roughly. Only 85000 miles on it.
I kinda assumed all maximas shift rough.
Any suggestions? Thanks.