The car recently started acting very strange.
As I begin to accelerate from a complete stop the car doesn't move at first and then all of a sudden it jerkes really hard, as if someone rear ended me, and then drives fine.

The weird thing is that it only happens one time each time I drive.

BTW, it's an auto.

 

Is that one time the first thing in the morning, after it's sat overnight? This immediately after you put it into Drive, or does it still do it if you're stopped in Drive for a few seconds, then pull away?

How's trans fluid level, condition?

It's either taking a second to engage the gear (most often due to attempting to accelerate right after you shift to it, where a very small delay is somewhat normal), or just plain slipping in gear when it's cold and then catches.

How many miles on the trans? Any maintenance history?

 

It never happens immediately after I put it into drive. It happens after I drive for a few minutes. Always when I'm in drive and I make a stop and then pull away. I can even feel it coming sometimes (its weird I can't really explain it).

I'll check the fluid level in the morning.
It has 92,000 miles on it and I'm not sure about the maintenance. I'm assuming a few flushes have been done, but I'm not sure. I'm not the original owner. It is the original transmission though and it has never been rebuilt.

 

Does it rev up and then jerks? If it does it could be slipping

 

Sounds like a slip. Any varnish on the dipstick or in the fluid?

 

I haven't checked the fluid yet because I'm out of town. I'll be back Sunday.

 

Mate, never assume anyone changes their auto trans fluid. LOL I'd get a flush done and see if it continues. Doesn't sound like anything too major or even a fluid level problem (but it very well could be). Dirty nasty fluid doesn't have the same viscosity / flow / or fluid dynamics as clean nice fluid does. Something to keep in mind for sure. Try a flush, if it doesn't work, go from there. I would almost question the TC if there were more symptoms. Any rough idle in gear or N ??? Does the trans 'jump' in / out of gear, make a noticble shift from P to R or D?

 

Slipping from a dead stop while the auto transmission is already in "D." Then bam it catches when the rpm's were already climbing and jerks like she just launched her car. My GF's maxima was having the same problem. Changed the torque converter and it runs perfectly fine now.

 

crap. Can it be anything else besides a torque converter?

 

Do a flush .... then go from there. Have you bothered to check the fluid level or condition?

 

so if you change the torque converter there wouldnt be a need to swap out the tranny? mine is slipping out of gear inbetween shifts. mainly the 2-3 shift. swap out the tranny or swap out the torque converter? suggestions?

 

Dont rush to say its the transmission, a bad (TPS) SENSOR would cause that problem i had the same issue with my 96 gle it turned out to be a faulty (TPS) throttle position sensor. When you are trouble shooting start small then work your way up if not you will replace parts that doesnt need replacing resulting in (WASTED MONEY)

 

No. Just change out the torque converter first. I made the mistake of thinking I'd need to swap out the tranny too.

I bought a low mileage tranny, took out my old, working condition was the same for the two so I put my old back on w/ new tq converter... It worked perfectly fine...

So now I have a spare JY tranny w/ 95k miles in perfect working condition sitting around... ='(

No, JY wouldn't take it back because I took too long to do the work (IT WAS COLD OUT!)

As the sleeper said... It was a waste of money...

 

 

Olezhka...did you ever get this tranny problem resolved? My car does the same thing; it feels like the tranny is "searching" for its proper gear at low speeds, usually right after a stop or going up/down a steep incline. It happens for about 3-5 seconds, and once it "finds" where it should be--it jerks. All other gears are fine. I sometimes bypass this problem by putting my automatic in 2nd and then shifting back to D after I get the speed up to around 5-7mph.

 

^^^follow up.....I changed the tranny fluid (brown and dirty), cleaned the magnets at the bottom of the tranny pan, and changed the gasket. I didn't flush being that the car has over 180k miles, and I've read that flushing might have adverse affects on a tranny with such high mileage.

With all this done--I'm still getting an occasional jerk at low speeds.

 

probably starting to slip, any codes? Mine did the same thing as you, but got worse and worse, and I had to change tranny's. Very well could be the tq too tho.

 

Could be a bad TC. Does it 'jerk' in park, neutral, or drive (at a stop)? Or, is it just as you're crusing at lower speed? Could be a solinoid pack going out or a pump. Neither is good, sorry to say.

 

Could be a sensor on the trans like a input or output shaft sensor. Don't do a flush, do a drain and fill especially since you don't know the history of the car.

 

Max does not jerk in park, neutral, or drive. It only slips at low speeds, or when Im going around corners, or when I'm going up/down hills.

 

Not the TC then .... I'd say you have clutches allowing it to slip, or a bad pump not applying enough pressure.

 

definitely check out your transmission fluid, and then torque convertor.
my max has 227k miles with orginal tranny, i flush out the tranny fluid prolly once every 6 months and still have no problems

good luck

 

I second this answer based upon my experiance with my Ford Ranger (did exact same thing with an A/T) needed new clutches in the A/T (basicaly a rebuild)

 

i'm having problems with my trans also, similar to some of the problems people posted. Mine only does it cold, when i first start it and put it in reverse it feels like the TC is locked up, car shakes, tires chirp, and engine stalls all in about 1 second. Which is leading me to believe its the TC or Pump not having enough pressure. the car has 120k on it, i changed the fluid about 20k ago when i got the car. the problem has gotten worse, it didn't stall at first, it would just try to stall and off the brake and it was fine. and when shift into drive after reverse, it delays and slips for about 2 seconds before it goes into gear and moves. once driving, coming to a stop, it feels like the TC is locked up and the car shakes and pulls the rpm's down and i have to put it in neutral to stop from stalling. once up to temp its fine... any idea or ways to actually check the pump and TC would be awesome!

 

Sounds like your ECT sensor maybe. Engine doesnt want to run under load when cold.

 

Ive been having problems with this sort of thing as well. It only happens when im in drive or reverse, it seems like it shakes. But when I drive it starts to go but doesnt take off for a few seconds them boom it kicks in. Finally, when I have the accelerator pressed to a precise position, the car shakes, its really wierd and today I swore I heard a pop or a click or something...its also slipped before but not for a few months. Any suggestions or am I pretty much screwed?

 

My 99 maxima is doing the same thing, like when i stop and try to go, it act like its in nuetural and it jerks in gear and takes off. But I recently just lost reverse and first gear. I don't know if I need a new TC or tranny.

 

Can someone verify this issue with the tranny? my auto 96 does the same thing described in the last couple posts. when cold the tranny will act like its slipping or struggling to find its gear, when in drive going from a stop it will delay then clunk, and slowly get going. the car seems to shift too soon, then when slowing down it acts like the torque converter is locked and will stutter coming to a stop and sometimes stall. once the car is at running temperature it never has a problem. it has 150k and i am the second owner. the first owners took immaculate care of the car and i know it has had at least 2 transmission services in its life, and the fluid now is clean and properly filled. Is this a solenoid? torque converter? filter? or the whole tranny? this is the only thing keeping me from having the confidence to drive this thing across the country