I'm worried about a possible transmition problem, not sure though it could be something else. When I'm at a red light and it turns green, I take my foot off the brake and give it gas to go but it does nothing. As if it where in neutral, I'll give it gas some more and it will kick in and jolt. It is exactly as if I where in neutral, and then I reved it up and threw it into drive. Just wondering what the problem could be. Shifting isn't that smooth sometimes. I noticed it more when the engine is cold. I bought new Platinum spark plugs I'll put them in soon. It's a 98 SE, automatic. Any ideas ???? Thanks!

El Cid

 

Could be the neutral safety switch. It shouldn't be that expensive. How she gets better soon!

 

the hard shifting is normal when cold, i have had the same thing since i bought the car new. Can you provide more details, ie when was the fluid changed, miles on the car, if this happens shifting in all gears or just into first, and if there is anything else unusuall about the way the car shifts.

 

For the most part it shifts prety smooth. It sometimes revs high and then drops. 1st to 2nd & 2nd to 3rd are the most noticeble ones. The car has 104,000km on it. I took it to a nissan dealer but since it didn't act up when they looked at it, they couldn't establish what the problem is. Shifting isn't too bad at all, but when at a stop and then give it gas and it does nothing then goes into drive hard causing it to jolt doesn't feal good at all. Safety switch? Where is that?

El Cid
98 MAxima SE Black

 

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Maybe low trans fluid?

 

Transmission fluid was changed about 1000km ago, and is good in color.

El Cid
98 Maxima SE

 

I have a Japenese Cefiro. My trans isnt perfect either. It gets confused. like from say 1 > 2 if I step on it while its changing It attempts to go back to 1st but then changes its mind and goes to 2nd anyway.

I know on my 3rd gen the gear shift could be in D but still in Neutral in the trans. I had to push it right back to D and then it would go to D. Maybe this is what is happening with yours?

 

I'll be driving and everything will be fine. I'll even go through several lights, stop and go, no problem. And then out of nowhere I'll be stopped at a light, stop sign, intersection whatever. The way will be clear to proceed and I'll give it gas and nothing it just revs, I check my shifter it's still in "D", and then it will just kick in pretty hard sometimes depending on how high it was reving obviously from my last stepping on the gas. Is it maybe a sensor? Or is it the transmission? I'm really concerned.

El Cid
98 Maxima SE Black

 

OK. Im not quite sure what is happening. Does it do it regular?

My guess is that it is in the process of shifting from 2nd to 1st. That wouldnt explain the jolt though. Try shifting it to 1st on the shifter the lights. Has the OD light flashed at you before after starting? There is a faq at the top of the 4th gen forun to get a read out of codes. Try that. How do you usually drive? Hard acceleration? Light acceleration?

Intermittent problems are hard to diagnose.

 

No codes show up at all. I usually accelerate slow, when I'm at a complete stop. The OD light has not flashed. I don't beleive it's shifting from 2nd to 1st cause it happens when the car is at a complete stop. And it doesn't do it everyday Yesterday it never did it, today for example it did it twice in a row.

El Cid
98 Maxima SE Black

 

What about the Neutral Safety Switch? What is it's purpose and could that maybe be the problem?

El Cid
98 Maxima SE Black

 

I'm seriously thinking you have a low tranny fluid level. Check it. The low level will cause EVERYTHING that you describe, but the car will run apprarently fine once moving.

 

I have to agree with Med. check your fluid level when the car is cold, first thing in the morning and on level ground.

 

It would be possible that the shop filled it but didn't refill after a run. Or did you do it yourself?

 

I had the same probem on my 98GLE at 45K. Took it back to the dealer 3 times, the first time they could not find a problem. The 2nd time they replaced the a TCS solenoid on the tranny. The problem started happening again in 2 weeks after the repair. The 3rd time the dealer replaced the tranny with a new one under warranty. The Dealer service ticket mentioned they had technicians found metal grindings in the old tranny.

The problem has been resolved, since the tranny has been replaced, but at times the tranny is somewhat sluggish getting into 2nd gear. In other words, when I step on the gas the car does move forward, but if I press a little harder on the gas pedal it slips into 2nd.

Hope this info helps.

 

I've been working overnights so haven't got a chance to do anything yet, hopefully tomorrow. But I will for sure get the transmission fluid changed, and check it's level. It seems that several people beleive this could be the solution. Thanks!

El Cid
98 Maxima SE Black on Black

 

Not a good sign. Maybe low hydraulic pressure in transmission? After engine idle for sometime, hydraulic pressure drops and cannot hold 1st gear clutch.(Or torque converter problem)