i changed my driver side axle a few days ago and now my reverse lights are not working. i also went and drained my tranny fluid by removing some sensor that is black and had a 10mm bolt holding it in on the driver side. i did touch the sensor thing inside the transmission after i removed the black cover. any ideas guys on what could be the culprit for my reverse lights? thanks in advance

rog

 

Why did you drain fluid via the sensor, and not the drain plug? If you haven't noticed, it's quite aptly named because its only reason to be there is to drain your trans.

 

the tip of the axle that went into the trans broke off,so i removed that sensor to locate the broken piece. luckily i was able to pull it out from there. thats why i removed the sensor. do you think that removing the sensor affected the reverse lights working? i did have to stick my finger in that hole and touch some sensor piece in there.

 

i'm srry but do you know how rediculous that sounds?

 

inside the trans, on the selector pivot, is a small contact that activates the R lights when you hit R. a couple things could be wrong here .... but the probable cause is that the contacts are not touching, thus no R lights. the switch is $15 or so ... replace it, it'll come with the new pin contact as well.

piece of the axle broke off ... ????? how, but more improtantly, WHY? did this happen in the first place?

 

any idea to the exact name of that piece and how hard is it to replace? can i replace through the sensor cover opening?
i noticed that when i took that cover off, there was a piece that swivels a little bit and i know i moved it with my finger. i didnt feel any piece broken off inside of there. is there a certain position that swiveling sensor has to be in?

oh, the axle tip broke off, cuz i think the axle clip didnt snap in all the way into the trans. broke off right where the clip is. thank goodness it ws a clean break.thanks for the reply.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=552121

This is my write up from my rebuild ... that sensor is on the bottom of the trans, it's a 10mm bolt and the plastic is brittle. Inside the trans, is the pivot switch (white and copper, 1 ball roller swtich) ... put the car in N and that switch sits into the pivot head. With the car in N, place the pins in, then place the sensor in, make sure it starts evenly, then use a rubber (RUBBER) mallet to pop it in all the way. Trace the wires to the top of the trans, under the air box (or intake if ya got one) to the connector. It's an easy job ... but you will loose all the fluid when you pull the sensor .. so be ready. To refill the trans .... you can use a couple meathods. Funnel and tube works well, to the fill hole on the front side of the trans (3/4 ratchet drive). Our cars hold 4.5 qts of GL-4 gear oil ..... you should be able to feel into the hole and dip your finger in the gear oil (almost level) when it's full. Hope this helps ....


Dave (Dgeesman) ... what would happen if you "over fill" the oil in the trans? Just wondering.

 

thanks for the quick reply. that pivot switch,i moved it when i had the sensor off. when looking into the sensor hole,the switch can swivel towards me and back towards the rear of the trans. which way should it have been facing toward me or back? i dont think its broken because the reverse lights worked before i changed the axle.guess i should just try to look at it first and have extra fluid ready for refill.

Roger

 

It doesn't matter, it will swivel to the proper position after you install the round part.

The contacts are probably very very dirty, that will create problems. Remove the little peice inside, sand it down to clean metal (you will see just how varnished & nasty it is at this point) and do the same to the dominoes looking contacts on the big round part also.

Tells us more about this axle ordeal......

 

does anyone know what the black plastic sensor cover is called? the one mentioned above because if its brittle then i want to order one just in case it breaks.
i will try to clean it off ,because i know i touched the sensor when i had tranny fluid on my gloves,but im a little confused about how it would go back into place on its own whn i put the cover back on. i guess i have to remove the cover first and take a look at it again. thanks again for all the replies guys!

roger

 

yea the axle wasnt in all the way into the trans. i was told that it should click in with the C lip on the axle,and apparently it wasnt in all the way. i saw how the tip of the axle broke off from the C lip to the tip. it was a small fragment but it broke off clean. i had the axle replaced cuz of the vibrations i got in the steering wheel when accelerting. a lot of the vibration went away with this new axle but its still there though,argh. either way, paying 100 bucks beats paying 2000 for the trans,as long as ii got the car running again.

 

gear selector switch ..... that is the black sensor with the wires on the bottom of the trans. shouldn't be more than $20 and if it is .... you can find it cheaper. if it were me ... i'd wipe the old one down, put the car in N, make sure the switch (inside piece - white and copper / 1 ball rocker) was clean too, it just pulls right out. when you replace the black sensor, make sure it's all the way in before you go to tighten it down with the 10mm holding it in - otherwise it'll crack and you'll need to put gasket sealer all around it. (<--- well ... I know someone who did this, to save the $$$, worked just fine)

cheers mate ... let us know

 

Thats just inappropriate