Weirdest thing ever....my Maxima slowly creaps forward after putting in Neutral and stepping off the clutch..can I adjust the clutch or anything elese to remedy this without replacing anything?! Thanks in advanced...

-LIEB-

 

Mine does the same thing when it's cold out.... I first start the car, then put it in neutral and come off the clutch (it's usually parked in gear) and it rolls forward a little.

Someone posted this same thing a couple months back and there were a few responses.... something pertaining to the gears in manual trannys of a Max always being engaged even when the shifter is in neutral... something or another.... etc.

Bottom line, this is expected behavior due to the design of our transmissions, so not to worry.

 

All modern transmissions have the gears engaged at all times, which freewheel on their shafts. There is a collar that is opeated by the shift lever that engages teeth on the side of the gear and connects it to the shaft. Look it up on howstuffworks.com, they've got pictures and diagrams.

 

i dont thinks its suppose to creep at all. i think its time for a new clutch or have the system bled for air.

 

Mine doesn't do that. I let off the brake pedal when I'm in bumper to bumper traffic because my legs get tired and my car never crept up. BTW, my clutch have been replaced several months ago.

 

Mine has never done that when the clutch is new or ready to go out.

 

It has nothing to do with the clutch.

As was previously mentioned , the gearsets are in mesh all the time. When in neutral, they freewheel on needle bearings on their shafts. Remember the input shaft turns all the time if the clutch pedal is not pressed in.

At low temps, the increased viscosity of the gear oil can cause enough drag in the bearings that the gears will tend to turn with the shaft. If you are on a level surface with the parking brake off, there may be enough torque generated through fluid friction to get the car to creep forward.

I first noticed this about 15 years ago after changing the clutch in a supra. The car was jacked up with the engine running and the transmission in neutral. The rear wheels were both spinning in air.

Solution, you have a parking brake for a reason.

 

Mine only does this in cold weather... usually 20 degrees or lower. After the car is warmed up it doesn't happen.

It's done this for as long as I can remember. Even after a new clutch last year, no leaks, no air in lines.... still the same behavior. I never questioned it. Trans shifts as smoothly as day one, even with 205,xxx mi.

 

you guys need to check out your systems then becasue your not suppose to get any creep in idle, and the clutch or slave cylinder could be worn keeping the gear engaged.

 

I've owned 2 maxima's 1997 and my current 1999 never heard of this. That doesn't sound right. When clutch is in or is in neutral gear the car shouldn't move even on flat ground. I would get that checked out.

 

COLD WEATHER ONLY BOYS..I can start my car in 20-30 degree weather in the morning and it wont do it...But if im out in the driveway and its about a 5 degree morning, and I start the car, and let off the clutch, the car will jult foward just a bit. My tires wont actually move my foward, but the car will buck foward alittle bit.... Im using MT-90 trans fluid. Ive heard its worse with convention tranny gear oil

Its completely normal

-matt

 

What you are seeing is normal on most manual trans cars. As eng92 noted, it is the grease viscosity causing it to pull. It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CLUTCH OPERATION. If you are using synthetic oil in your trans or those vehicles that use auto trans fluid like some GM 5 and 6 speeds do, it will not be as noticable. Even my touring bike when on the centerstand and running in neutral will allow the rear tire to rotate just like it is in gear.
randy

 

I'm not sure what it is but what you just said seems to be the most plausible. I do however use synthetic oil (Mobile 1) but I believe the cold weather in Montana is the factor causing the Max to be possessed : ) Thanks for the help ya'll

-LIEB-

 

Yeah the automatics do it, too. I was testing the hubs once and ran the car up on stands with the brake calipers removed. The axles were spinning even in neutral because of the way the planetary gears are set up. Very interesting.

 

It might also be a sign the viscosity of your gear oil is breaking down and you should probably do a gear oil change. In my 95SE when it was cold, it would do that AND grind a little going into 2nd. Putting in 100% synth GL-4 70/90w oil solved all issues.