Hello,

I first drove this car when the car had right around 120k miles on it (right after a transmission fluid flush). The 1-2 shift, especially when the tranny was still cold, was somewhat rough. After the car warms up, the 1-2 shift gets smoother but is still not great.

The car now has 153k miles, and the 1-2 shift hasn't gotten any better or worse. I am thinking about taking it to AAMCO to see what they say. They don't think it's the fluid, but predict it may be something electronic (maybe a sensor?) that is acting up. They won't be able to tell for sure until they look at it.

However, the rough 1-2 shift may just be a characteristic of the car for all I know. Above 100k miles, am I expecting too much out of this transmission?

 

I should add the shift is significantly rougher under medium-heavy throttle upshifts. It is at its worst when you give it heavy throttle in first gear to start off, and then let off the throttle a bit. Once I let off the the throttle a bit, the transmission will hold first gear a bit before shifting roughly into second.

To me, it seems like the engine isn't throttling back enough for the 1-2 shift.

 

that is a normal characteristic of the maxima auto trans.

think of it this way -- a slightly harsh shift is a good thing. means less clutch slippage, and therefore less clutch wear, and therefore longer transmission life than if the shift were butter smooth.

however, at 33k on the fluid you are ready for another flush. do it yourself via the cooler line. use cheap DexIII with no extra additives or fluid converters (e.g. lubegard).

 

What fluid did you use for the last flush? Try Nissan fluid to see if it shifts smoother. I heard that Nissan fluid is friction modified.

 

i also have rough shiftin tranny from 1-2. well, its more like it SLAMS into gear. i wonder if broken motor mounts has anything to do with it

 

mine was caused by tps issues. Look into that.

 

i have the same exact problem, hasnt gotten worse or better, guess its normal

 

It's funny, My VQ30DE does exactly the samething. It SLAMs into second gear weither slight throatle, or wide open. Here is what seems to confuse me. About half the time, it is nice and smooth ! ! ! I'm lost. I also know that I have a leak that I need to get fixed. I think it is the rear main seal. Not sure. Reading this thread has put my mind at ease about the "SLAM" sound!!!

 

Haha wow... never really thought of it like that, I just think of it as a lot of force applied to one area really quit and would = bad.

I havent had my Maxima for long, but i too have this 2nd gear slam. Its sort of fun if your driving hard, if your loking for a smooth ride its sort of annoying.

As long as it wont get worse or eventually destroy my tranny im cool with it.

 

i had this problem when i first got my car, had to get a new tranny and its still doing this. so im almost positive that its a normal condition for out 4th gens.

righton.

 

Does n't drop resistor cause hard 1-2 shifts?

 

Royal Purple is awful for our cars. It's recommended on shows and magazines but it is very thin and needs to be changed often. Look in the fluids/lube section for that stuff please.

 

yep similar here.....

 

i just put in dexron 5 an upgraade from dexron 3 as far as slamming into gear no its a very very crisp 1-2 and unless you have a vacum pump or whatever why would you drain through the cooler lines nissans have a drain plug for the transmission ,17mm plug

 

Check your tps sensor. Thats a big part in an auto tranny. I fixed mine after doing my 00vi and it makes a big differents, alot better shifts and none of that hard shifting in 1-2.

 

wouldnt a faulty tps sensor throw a code tho? im code free and ive always had that hard 1-2 shift

 

From what i have gathered on this site this is normal for our auto tranny's. mine does something like that as well. i suggest its time for the OP to do another flush, its at the recommended interval anyways

 

Same for mine, it was the TPS and it should throw a code.

And don't listen to that othere dude, (he thinks autos have a clutch!)

 

That is funny!!

 

Yea a faulty tps would give you a code. Mine was acting the same way before, then i fix the tps and put it to 0.510 volts. And have not had that problem again.

 

sounds like what pscmj84 is describing is most if not all 4th gen auto trannies.

DONT DO TRANNY FLUSH. 1. you have high mileage. 2. its a gimmick to empty your wallet. if it aint broken dont fing mess with it.

 

what?? are you kidding? tranny flushes are regualr maintenance every 30K or so....as long as hes been doing them regularly it should be fine.

 

http://autotechrepair.suite101.com/article.cfm/040206

 

ok sweet ill let you believe the internet. i mean, its not like i learned the hard way that you need to change your fluid. my tranny never sh*t the bed because i didnt change the fluid. not once. and i deffinatly must have dreamed i was taught you have to change it every 15K or do a full flush every 30K. f*ck a degree. what does that mean?



oh wait i guess i wasnt dreaming...

edit:

i should add this too:



the only time you do NOT want to change you fluid is if you start changing it and its dark pink/red or has metal shavings in it. this would indicate that the fluid has been burnt or that its a worn transmission. for some reason, changing the fluid would make it die almost instantly, but the old thick fluid somehow helps hold it together for a while longer. and if a shop recomends a tranny flush, and it turns out its dark in color/theres metal shavings they SHOULD tell you. if they changed it anyway and the tranny dies its on them. free new tranny for you.

another edit:

taken directly from YOUR link:

"The fact is, if you do frequent engine oil and filter changes and service the transmission every 15,000 miles there is no need for a flush. I have customers that change their oil every 3,000 miles and they don't need to use fancy oils and filters, and after over 100,000 miles, the oil comes out almost as clean as it goes in. They have regular transmission services and their transmission still shifts like new, even with well over 100,000 miles on it."

 

I change mine every 13 - 15k.

 

Yup...when my TPS went back...my gears were literally BANGING. It was painful to drive the car cause I thought I was doing some SERIOUS damage to it.

 

The bad TPS made the tranny slip on me.

 

that link is full of BS.

1) engine flushes do not involve high pressure back-flow as he implies.
2) most modern ATF flush machines do not involve high pressure back-flow. the new ones use pump pressure to pump the fluid out the normal direction.
3) ATF does not have more detergents than motor oil, and will do nothing to clean an engine. 40 years ago this may have been true, but not anymore.

here's what's true:
1) high back-pressure flushes may be bad for a tranny.
2) normal pump pressure "flushes" (aka exchanges) are fine
3) DIY cooler line flushes (pump pressure exchanges) are fine.
4) ATF color means very little. Red fluid can still be full of metal, causing abrasive wear. dark fluid can still be fine (Honda Z1 turns dark very quickly regardless of its condition). the only way to know for sure is with oil analysis (see below).
5) regular ATF changes are important. drain/fill every 15k, or cooler line flush (exchange) every 25k.
6) there is never a reason not to change the fluid if service is due. in cases of severely neglected transmissions, a fluid change might make the clutches slip. this is because the old abrasive fluid caused the clutches to wear out, but the fluid was so full of metal that it provided enough friction for them to engage anyway. such a transmission will die shortly no matter what. putting new fluid in it just hastens the symptoms. a "stop slip" additive might help it engage again, for a very short time.
7) don't ever use solvent/chemical flushes on your engine. ever. they will do more harm than good.

here's my last ATF report for my 99.
-- column 9/15/05 was 9k mi after dealer drain/fill. the fluid was bright red and visibly clean. however, as the report shows, it was borderline abrasive with wear metals.
-- column 6/10/06 was 9k mi after I did a DIY cooler line flush with Amsoil. visibly, the fluid looked the same as before. but the actual difference is obvious in the report...

EDIT -- oh, and btw, I have the same harsh 1-2 shift as the OP, and it clearly isn't hurting anything....

 

i was mainly suggesting not to do a tranny flush because his mileage is way high. and it sounded like he hasnt done any flush/maintenance on it. youre prolly better going the life of your tranny on the same fluid at that point.

and willard00 look more carefully. i know tranny maintencace is good. no one was debating that. but i said "flush". no where in your book does it say anything about a flush. yes changing fluids but that can be simply pouring and replacing the fluids.

 

I've had the strong 1-2 gear shift in my auto since I bought it 6 years ago. I also thought my tranny was going out on me, so I installed a tranny fluid cooler and have been changing the fluid every year or so at the stealership. I guess it's normal for us 4th genners. I gotta admit though, I actually kinda like the strong 1-2 shift.

 

I'm getting the same 1-2 and sometimes 3-4 hard shift, I ran it through the diagnostic machine and it came out with a knock sensor and pressure control valve circuit mal-function

 

i get that too, and i have no codes. It' s just the nature of the beast. (when it's cold)

 

I get a hard 1-2 only when the tranny is still cold,like just after pulling out of my spot first thing in the morning. After about 5 minutes though its smooth,not harsh at all. From what Im reading this is probably something I could look forward to I guess. Hmmm,heres what Im wondering though,whats the cause of this? I mean obviously these cars didnt do this when they were brand new and it had to start at some point after that,what though? Is it a driving habit(WOT runs?) that causes this? Before I did the DR mod I hated going WOT cause the 1-2 shift was painfully long....could accumulated WOT 1-2 shifts cause this kinda problem? My know how of inner working of tranny's is nil so Im hoping you guys have some input.

 

The tranny fluid was drained and filled yesterday with no change in shift smoothness.

Oh well, it was time for the fluid change anyways.

 

amen as long as your tranny is in fact snapping off shifts like the 1-2 atleast its performing 100% thata means its in good shape soft shifts are never a good thing

 

My tran still does the hard shift even when its warm, its less harsh when its cold. Not only that but it does it when it goes into overdrive.