Gear lever stuck in reverse
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 62
From: Raleigh, NC.
Gear lever stuck in reverse
2 years ago I was changing my clutch and noticed the input shaft moving up and down so I knew my bearing and seal were bad and so I replaced them. The car had about 205000 miles on it. After installing the new bearing the tranny would feel really tough while shifting than before but I got used to it. So 2 month ago and about 34000 miles later, i was backing out of my driveway and I was stuck in reverse; I mean I couldn’t get the shifter to move from reverse even after stepping on the clutch. I figured out since I was backing up and then got stuck in reverse, I should continue backing up and maybe I would get it unstuck. It worked. I was able to get it to neutral again. For a while I avoided parking in areas where I have to put the car in reverse, fearing I would again get stuck in reverse, but later realized my reverse was fine again. It happened to me a about 3 more times and I would repeat the process of backing up until I was able to get it back to neutral or unstuck.
A week ago, I was backing out of my driveway and I was again stuck in reverse. So as usual I backed up for about 30ft and heard this horrible noise as though the gears were grinding or something, and the car turned off. My shift lever was still in the reverse position but when I turned the car on and let go the clutch, the car would move forward and I could tell I was on gear #2 even though my Shift lever was still in reverse position and wouldn’t move (weird!). Tried to drive it through my neighborhood still on 2nd gear hoping the lever would go back from reverse position to neutral but luck wasn’t on my side, I was still stuck. So I figured my tranny was gone and pulled it the garage and tore it apart. I did not see anything unusual and the reverse gear looked the same as the last time I saw it. I wasn’t going to take the risk of putting back that tranny in my vehicle knowing that it could fail me again so I got one from LKQ for like $100, took it apart just to make sure the bearings and seal were fine, put it back together and installed it. Took a test drive and it shifted fine.
So off I went to work (I put up signs for real estate). So around 3 in the morning while working, I need to back up so I put the car in reverse and backed up about 15ft, stepped on the clutch so I could shift to 1st, and the tranny was stuck in reverse again. I tried to back up again like I had done a couple of times with my 1st tranny but I heard that grinding sound again and the car turned off. So I turned it back on but when I let go the clutch it moved forward in 2nd gear while the lever was in reverse position just like the first tranny did.
At this point I had only put 65 miles on that tranny. Words can’t describe how I felt at this point. I was so pissed off I felt like torching up my maxima but I was able to regain composure and think straight ½ hr later. I was 25 miles away from my house and so I decide to drive in 2nd gear through back roads till I got to my house (didn’t really care what would happen to it because at this point I was almost done with it, Plus it was at night with no traffic) . I would step on the clutch and let it roll freely down hills. So I pulled in my garage and took out the tranny. I knew I wasn’t going to put in a 4th gen tranny again and after calling almost all the junkyards in NC, I was able to locate a 2001 AE 5sp, VLSD with 156000 miles for $750 shipped from GA and installed it yesterday (Used Amsoil GL-4 gear oil). So far it shifts much smoother than the 4th gen manual tranny and plus it has VLSD. I drove it to work last night and put around 200 miles on it, so far so good. I guess my question is, has anybody ever had issues like these with the reverse gear on the 4th gen or the a 5th gen tranny. I searched but could find much info on this. I would hate to think that my 2001 VLSD tranny has a chance of doing the same thing. Hope it’s stronger than the 4th gen tranny. Sorry for the long post.
A week ago, I was backing out of my driveway and I was again stuck in reverse. So as usual I backed up for about 30ft and heard this horrible noise as though the gears were grinding or something, and the car turned off. My shift lever was still in the reverse position but when I turned the car on and let go the clutch, the car would move forward and I could tell I was on gear #2 even though my Shift lever was still in reverse position and wouldn’t move (weird!). Tried to drive it through my neighborhood still on 2nd gear hoping the lever would go back from reverse position to neutral but luck wasn’t on my side, I was still stuck. So I figured my tranny was gone and pulled it the garage and tore it apart. I did not see anything unusual and the reverse gear looked the same as the last time I saw it. I wasn’t going to take the risk of putting back that tranny in my vehicle knowing that it could fail me again so I got one from LKQ for like $100, took it apart just to make sure the bearings and seal were fine, put it back together and installed it. Took a test drive and it shifted fine.
So off I went to work (I put up signs for real estate). So around 3 in the morning while working, I need to back up so I put the car in reverse and backed up about 15ft, stepped on the clutch so I could shift to 1st, and the tranny was stuck in reverse again. I tried to back up again like I had done a couple of times with my 1st tranny but I heard that grinding sound again and the car turned off. So I turned it back on but when I let go the clutch it moved forward in 2nd gear while the lever was in reverse position just like the first tranny did.
At this point I had only put 65 miles on that tranny. Words can’t describe how I felt at this point. I was so pissed off I felt like torching up my maxima but I was able to regain composure and think straight ½ hr later. I was 25 miles away from my house and so I decide to drive in 2nd gear through back roads till I got to my house (didn’t really care what would happen to it because at this point I was almost done with it, Plus it was at night with no traffic) . I would step on the clutch and let it roll freely down hills. So I pulled in my garage and took out the tranny. I knew I wasn’t going to put in a 4th gen tranny again and after calling almost all the junkyards in NC, I was able to locate a 2001 AE 5sp, VLSD with 156000 miles for $750 shipped from GA and installed it yesterday (Used Amsoil GL-4 gear oil). So far it shifts much smoother than the 4th gen manual tranny and plus it has VLSD. I drove it to work last night and put around 200 miles on it, so far so good. I guess my question is, has anybody ever had issues like these with the reverse gear on the 4th gen or the a 5th gen tranny. I searched but could find much info on this. I would hate to think that my 2001 VLSD tranny has a chance of doing the same thing. Hope it’s stronger than the 4th gen tranny. Sorry for the long post.
Last edited by Dbird; Jun 2, 2011 at 01:02 PM.
2 years ago I was changing my clutch and noticed the input shaft moving up and down so I knew my bearing and seal were bad and so I replaced them. The car had about 205000 miles on it. After installing the new bearing the tranny would feel really tough while shifting than before but I got used to it. So 2 month ago and about 34000 miles later, i was backing out of my driveway and I was stuck in reverse; I mean I couldn’t get the shifter to move from reverse even after stepping on the clutch. I figured out since I was backing up and then got stuck in reverse, I should continue backing up and maybe I would get it unstuck. It worked. I was able to get it to neutral again. For a while I avoided parking in areas where I have to put the car in reverse, fearing I would again get stuck in reverse, but later realized my reverse was fine again. It happened to me a about 3 more times and I would repeat the process of backing up until I was able to get it back to neutral or unstuck. A week ago, I was backing out of my driveway and I was again stuck in reverse. So as usual I backed up for about 30ft and heard this horrible noise as though the gears were grinding or something, and the car turned off. My shift lever was still in the reverse position but when I turned the car on and let go the clutch, the car would move forward and I could tell I was on gear #2 even though my Shift lever was still in reverse position and wouldn’t move (weird!). Tried to drive it through my neighborhood still on 2nd gear hoping the lever would go back from reverse position to neutral but luck wasn’t on my side, I was still stuck. So I figured my tranny was gone and pulled it the garage and tore it apart. I did not see anything unusual and the reverse gear looked the same as the last time I saw it. I wasn’t going to take the risk of putting back that tranny in my vehicle knowing that it could fail me again so I got one from LKQ for like $100, took it apart just to make sure the bearings and seal were fine, put it back together and installed it. Took a test drive and it shifted fine. So off I went to work (I put up signs for real estate). So around 3 in the morning while working, I need to back up so I put the car in reverse and backed up about 15ft, stepped on the clutch so I could shift to 1st, and the tranny was stuck in reverse again. I tried to back up again like I had done a couple of times with my 1st tranny but I heard that grinding sound again and the car turned off. So I turned it back on but when I let go the clutch it moved forward in 2nd gear while the lever was in reverse position just like the first tranny did. At this point I had only put 65 miles on that tranny. Words can’t describe how I felt at this point. I was so pissed off I felt like torching up my maxima but I was able to regain composure and think straight ½ hr later. I was 25 miles away from my house and so I decide to drive in 2nd gear through back roads till I got to my house (didn’t really care what would happen to it because at this point I was almost done with it, Plus it was at night with no traffic) . I would step on the clutch and let it roll freely down hills. So I pulled in my garage and took out the tranny. I knew I wasn’t going to put in a 4th gen tranny again and after calling almost all the junkyards in NC, I was able to locate a 2001 AE 5sp, VLSD with 156000 miles for $750 shipped from GA and installed it yesterday (Used Amsoil GL-4 gear oil). So far it shifts much smoother than the 4th gen manual tranny and plus it has VLSD. I drove it to work last night and put around 200 miles on it, so far so good. I guess my question is, has anybody ever had issues like these with the reverse gear on the 4th gen or the a 5th gen tranny. I searched but could find much info on this. I would hate to think that my 2001 VLSD tranny has a chance of doing the same thing. Hope it’s stronger than the 4th gen tranny. Sorry for the long post.
Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 59
From: Kansas City, MO
mine did the same thing about a month ago when i got it rebuilt my mechanic said there is a little ball bearing that was in the wrong place inside the transmission ill call him and find out exactly what it was call and or where it was located but it sounds like it is the same problem
Given you had the problem twice in a row, both times having opened up the trans...I'd have to say the issue was in your reassembly process. Could be an issue with the detent *****, the bolt that secures the reverse idler shaft, the shift forks or striking lever assy, who knows.
Also, just an FYI, extraordinarily long blocks of text with no real paragraph structure are a pain to read. Try breaking things up next time, and you'll likely get more responses.
Also, just an FYI, extraordinarily long blocks of text with no real paragraph structure are a pain to read. Try breaking things up next time, and you'll likely get more responses.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 62
From: Raleigh, NC.
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 21
From: Canada
My story is the exact same as Dbirds. Had problems with getting stuck in reverse. This weekend left my car at the park 2go at the airport, guess what, come back to tranny which appears to be stuck in reverse, actually stuck in second. Obviously I know it's not a gear problem, I looked under the car and the linkage is fine. So is it a probly a detent ball problem or bent reverse fork? If anyone has had the detent ball as the fault, is it repairable or is the trans housing going to be worn out? whats the fix? thanx
My story is the exact same as Dbirds. Had problems with getting stuck in reverse. This weekend left my car at the park 2go at the airport, guess what, come back to tranny which appears to be stuck in reverse, actually stuck in second. Obviously I know it's not a gear problem, I looked under the car and the linkage is fine. So is it a probly a detent ball problem or bent reverse fork? If anyone has had the detent ball as the fault, is it repairable or is the trans housing going to be worn out? whats the fix? thanx
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 21
From: Canada
did it just get stuck in 2nd out of the blue, or had work been done on the transmission recently?
No, the idiots at the airport parking lot did it in for me! What origionally would happen is that if i reversed at idle it was fine, but if i accelerated over i'd say 5-10km/h in reverse it would start to make a grinding noise and get stuck. To unstick it, i would have to accelerate to like 30km/h in reverse and slam the brakes. I'm guessing the mexican at the airport was riping in reverse, got stuck, then started kicking the gearshift causing the fork linkages to jam up, thus stuck in second!
Anyway, I pulled the tranny and disassembled it. The reverse gear is worn down on the engaging end and there is a couple chips in the teeth. Both bearings on the differential are worn out from contamination. As i thought, the shiftforks were all out of wack but nothing was missing or out of place other than that. And I know all the detent ***** were in place. I kinda am still not really sure what happened, so I called the tranny shop we deal with(Im a heavyduty mechanic) the owner there tells me the usual problem with these tranny's getting stuck in reverse is either from the reverse gear getting jammed up from wear and shaft play, or the striking lever assy is at fault.
I called nissan, they couldn't even get me a reverse gear for 3 weeks and the pricing wasnt to tasteful. I called every auto recycler in the city, no one had a tranny or if they could get one they wanted 675 - $1000 bucks for it. Kinda choked, went to a self serve auto wrecker today, looked at pricing, manual transaxle $99 plus $25 dollar core charge, I can handle that!
Looked through the whole import section, found one 4th gen max with an auto. ****, so I took 1 last look, found a 5th gen, never looked at one before. The drive train looks pretty much identical to a 4th gen, so I spent 1 hour pulling it before they closed, all i got left to do is pull the axles and 1 bolt holding up the tranny!
So my question now is, this 5th gen tranny is gonna bolt up to my 4th gen no prob?
Is the clutch the same?
Is the flywheel the same?
Or do I have to pull all this **** off the 5th gen, and mount it to my 4th gen?
Anything else I should know about?
thanx!
No, the idiots at the airport parking lot did it in for me! What origionally would happen is that if i reversed at idle it was fine, but if i accelerated over i'd say 5-10km/h in reverse it would start to make a grinding noise and get stuck. To unstick it, i would have to accelerate to like 30km/h in reverse and slam the brakes. I'm guessing the mexican at the airport was riping in reverse, got stuck, then started kicking the gearshift causing the fork linkages to jam up, thus stuck in second!
Anyway, I pulled the tranny and disassembled it. The reverse gear is worn down on the engaging end and there is a couple chips in the teeth. Both bearings on the differential are worn out from contamination. As i thought, the shiftforks were all out of wack but nothing was missing or out of place other than that. And I know all the detent ***** were in place. I kinda am still not really sure what happened, so I called the tranny shop we deal with(Im a heavyduty mechanic) the owner there tells me the usual problem with these tranny's getting stuck in reverse is either from the reverse gear getting jammed up from wear and shaft play, or the striking lever assy is at fault.
I called nissan, they couldn't even get me a reverse gear for 3 weeks and the pricing wasnt to tasteful. I called every auto recycler in the city, no one had a tranny or if they could get one they wanted 675 - $1000 bucks for it. Kinda choked, went to a self serve auto wrecker today, looked at pricing, manual transaxle $99 plus $25 dollar core charge, I can handle that!
Looked through the whole import section, found one 4th gen max with an auto. ****, so I took 1 last look, found a 5th gen, never looked at one before. The drive train looks pretty much identical to a 4th gen, so I spent 1 hour pulling it before they closed, all i got left to do is pull the axles and 1 bolt holding up the tranny!
So my question now is, this 5th gen tranny is gonna bolt up to my 4th gen no prob?
Is the clutch the same?
Is the flywheel the same?
Or do I have to pull all this **** off the 5th gen, and mount it to my 4th gen?
Anything else I should know about?
thanx!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 62
From: Raleigh, NC.
did it just get stuck in 2nd out of the blue, or had work been done on the transmission recently?
No, the idiots at the airport parking lot did it in for me! What origionally would happen is that if i reversed at idle it was fine, but if i accelerated over i'd say 5-10km/h in reverse it would start to make a grinding noise and get stuck. To unstick it, i would have to accelerate to like 30km/h in reverse and slam the brakes. I'm guessing the mexican at the airport was riping in reverse, got stuck, then started kicking the gearshift causing the fork linkages to jam up, thus stuck in second!
Anyway, I pulled the tranny and disassembled it. The reverse gear is worn down on the engaging end and there is a couple chips in the teeth. Both bearings on the differential are worn out from contamination. As i thought, the shiftforks were all out of wack but nothing was missing or out of place other than that. And I know all the detent ***** were in place. I kinda am still not really sure what happened, so I called the tranny shop we deal with(Im a heavyduty mechanic) the owner there tells me the usual problem with these tranny's getting stuck in reverse is either from the reverse gear getting jammed up from wear and shaft play, or the striking lever assy is at fault.
I called nissan, they couldn't even get me a reverse gear for 3 weeks and the pricing wasnt to tasteful. I called every auto recycler in the city, no one had a tranny or if they could get one they wanted 675 - $1000 bucks for it. Kinda choked, went to a self serve auto wrecker today, looked at pricing, manual transaxle $99 plus $25 dollar core charge, I can handle that!
Looked through the whole import section, found one 4th gen max with an auto. ****, so I took 1 last look, found a 5th gen, never looked at one before. The drive train looks pretty much identical to a 4th gen, so I spent 1 hour pulling it before they closed, all i got left to do is pull the axles and 1 bolt holding up the tranny!
So my question now is, this 5th gen tranny is gonna bolt up to my 4th gen no prob?
Is the clutch the same?
Is the flywheel the same?
Or do I have to pull all this **** off the 5th gen, and mount it to my 4th gen?
Anything else I should know about?
thanx!
No, the idiots at the airport parking lot did it in for me! What origionally would happen is that if i reversed at idle it was fine, but if i accelerated over i'd say 5-10km/h in reverse it would start to make a grinding noise and get stuck. To unstick it, i would have to accelerate to like 30km/h in reverse and slam the brakes. I'm guessing the mexican at the airport was riping in reverse, got stuck, then started kicking the gearshift causing the fork linkages to jam up, thus stuck in second!
Anyway, I pulled the tranny and disassembled it. The reverse gear is worn down on the engaging end and there is a couple chips in the teeth. Both bearings on the differential are worn out from contamination. As i thought, the shiftforks were all out of wack but nothing was missing or out of place other than that. And I know all the detent ***** were in place. I kinda am still not really sure what happened, so I called the tranny shop we deal with(Im a heavyduty mechanic) the owner there tells me the usual problem with these tranny's getting stuck in reverse is either from the reverse gear getting jammed up from wear and shaft play, or the striking lever assy is at fault.
I called nissan, they couldn't even get me a reverse gear for 3 weeks and the pricing wasnt to tasteful. I called every auto recycler in the city, no one had a tranny or if they could get one they wanted 675 - $1000 bucks for it. Kinda choked, went to a self serve auto wrecker today, looked at pricing, manual transaxle $99 plus $25 dollar core charge, I can handle that!
Looked through the whole import section, found one 4th gen max with an auto. ****, so I took 1 last look, found a 5th gen, never looked at one before. The drive train looks pretty much identical to a 4th gen, so I spent 1 hour pulling it before they closed, all i got left to do is pull the axles and 1 bolt holding up the tranny!
So my question now is, this 5th gen tranny is gonna bolt up to my 4th gen no prob?
Is the clutch the same?
Is the flywheel the same?
Or do I have to pull all this **** off the 5th gen, and mount it to my 4th gen?
Anything else I should know about?
thanx!
Last edited by Dbird; Jun 1, 2011 at 09:24 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 21
From: Canada
Sorry to hear bout your problem. I had the same issue too, and thats why i started this thread. I finally gave up on my second tranny and ordered one form car-part.com that came out of a 2001 20th Anniversary. The transmission bolts right up just like the 4th gen tranny without any issues. The only difference would be if the new 5th gen tranny has LSD, then you have to get a different axle for the drivers side. Mine had LSD and so I had to order one. Otherwise if you dont have LSD, then it bolts right up and uses the same axles and you are good to go. I did not have to change the clutch or the flywheel. But since you already have the tranny down, why dont you just go ahead and change the clutch? (just my advise). I had already changed mine the first time i rebuild the tranny. Let me know if you have any questions
Sweet, thanx alot man! Sorry about hi jacking your thread, but its helped me out alot! I appreciate your advice, I just want to make sure I'm clear with you.
I know my 97 4th gen had a lsd tranny, so am I good to go on the driver axle? Second, if I'm not good to go with the 4th gen driver axle, can I just use the 5th gen driver axle on my 4th gen max with the 5th gen tranny?
Also, how do you like the 5th gen tranny in your car, big difference? Have you had any issues with reverse? thanx Dbird
Sweet, thanx alot man! Sorry about hi jacking your thread, but its helped me out alot! I appreciate your advice, I just want to make sure I'm clear with you.
I know my 97 4th gen had a lsd tranny, so am I good to go on the driver axle? Second, if I'm not good to go with the 4th gen driver axle, can I just use the 5th gen driver axle on my 4th gen max with the 5th gen tranny?
Also, how do you like the 5th gen tranny in your car, big difference? Have you had any issues with reverse? thanx Dbird
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 21
From: Canada
Sorry to hear bout your problem. I had the same issue too, and thats why i started this thread. I finally gave up on my second tranny and ordered one form car-part.com that came out of a 2001 20th Anniversary. The transmission bolts right up just like the 4th gen tranny without any issues. The only difference would be if the new 5th gen tranny has LSD, then you have to get a different axle for the drivers side. Mine had LSD and so I had to order one. Otherwise if you dont have LSD, then it bolts right up and uses the same axles and you are good to go. I did not have to change the clutch or the flywheel. But since you already have the tranny down, why dont you just go ahead and change the clutch? (just my advise). I had already changed mine the first time i rebuild the tranny. Let me know if you have any questions
I forgot 1 thing. Is there anyway I can tell if the 5th gen tranny has lsd?? thanx again
I forgot 1 thing. Is there anyway I can tell if the 5th gen tranny has lsd?? thanx again
mike,
glad to hear you took the thing apart and figured out the problem. as I read your post just now I was thinking "it sounds like his reverse idler gear is really mashed up and someone tried to force it in to or out of gear and bent a fork or rail end or something" and then the next sentence i see that you got it apart and it was indeed mashed up and the forks were likely bent lol
the axle for the LSD 4th gen tranny is the same as the axle for the LSD 5th gen tranny. if the 5th gen trans is LSD it will have the large driver's side axle seal (about the size of a hockey puck), just like your 4th gen tranny does. if it is NON LSD, then it will have a smaller seal (the driver's side seal and passenger side seals are the same size on NON LSD trans.) the other way to tell if the maxima trans is LSD or not is to look through the diff (through the axle holes) and see if the large pin that the spider gears run on is present. if the large steel pin is visible, it's a NON LSD trans. If there is no pin, it's an LSD trans.
the only difference that is worth mentioning is that the yoke on the striking rod is a slightly different length between 4th and 5th gen transmissions. so if you put a 5th gen transmission in your 4th gen WITHOUT changing the yoke over, your shifter will be moved about 1" further back. if you don't mind this then there is no need to do anything. if you want the shifter to sit exactly where it did with the 4th gen trans, just knock the roll pin out of the yoke on each one, and swap the 4th gen yoke onto the 5th gen trans' striking rod (and reinstall the roll pin of course).
for anyone else that views this - there are 2 other scenarios i have come across that are likely to cause the trans to get stuck in gear, but generally they are the result of a botched reassembly (someone forgetting an interlock pin/plunger which is very easy to do in this trans) or the trans being tipped on its side during installation or shipping when it's in neutral - this can often cause the 1st/2nd or 3rd/4th shift rail to engage a gear without the gear selector shaft commanding it, resulting in a gear selector which is stuck in neutral, but a trans which is stuck in a gear. The missing interlock pin/plunger would require the trans to be torn down again and the proper part installed. the shift rail getting stuck in gear when the selector is in neutral is easily fixed with a screwdriver and a flashlight (after you remove the trans fluid and pull the reverse light sensor plug, you can clearly see the shift rail misalignment, and you can just pop it back in to place with the screwdriver.) I have pics of this if anyone ever needs them. Actually I think i might have posted them before but I can post them again if anyone needs.
glad to hear you took the thing apart and figured out the problem. as I read your post just now I was thinking "it sounds like his reverse idler gear is really mashed up and someone tried to force it in to or out of gear and bent a fork or rail end or something" and then the next sentence i see that you got it apart and it was indeed mashed up and the forks were likely bent lol
the axle for the LSD 4th gen tranny is the same as the axle for the LSD 5th gen tranny. if the 5th gen trans is LSD it will have the large driver's side axle seal (about the size of a hockey puck), just like your 4th gen tranny does. if it is NON LSD, then it will have a smaller seal (the driver's side seal and passenger side seals are the same size on NON LSD trans.) the other way to tell if the maxima trans is LSD or not is to look through the diff (through the axle holes) and see if the large pin that the spider gears run on is present. if the large steel pin is visible, it's a NON LSD trans. If there is no pin, it's an LSD trans.
the only difference that is worth mentioning is that the yoke on the striking rod is a slightly different length between 4th and 5th gen transmissions. so if you put a 5th gen transmission in your 4th gen WITHOUT changing the yoke over, your shifter will be moved about 1" further back. if you don't mind this then there is no need to do anything. if you want the shifter to sit exactly where it did with the 4th gen trans, just knock the roll pin out of the yoke on each one, and swap the 4th gen yoke onto the 5th gen trans' striking rod (and reinstall the roll pin of course).
for anyone else that views this - there are 2 other scenarios i have come across that are likely to cause the trans to get stuck in gear, but generally they are the result of a botched reassembly (someone forgetting an interlock pin/plunger which is very easy to do in this trans) or the trans being tipped on its side during installation or shipping when it's in neutral - this can often cause the 1st/2nd or 3rd/4th shift rail to engage a gear without the gear selector shaft commanding it, resulting in a gear selector which is stuck in neutral, but a trans which is stuck in a gear. The missing interlock pin/plunger would require the trans to be torn down again and the proper part installed. the shift rail getting stuck in gear when the selector is in neutral is easily fixed with a screwdriver and a flashlight (after you remove the trans fluid and pull the reverse light sensor plug, you can clearly see the shift rail misalignment, and you can just pop it back in to place with the screwdriver.) I have pics of this if anyone ever needs them. Actually I think i might have posted them before but I can post them again if anyone needs.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 62
From: Raleigh, NC.
Sweet, thanx alot man! Sorry about hi jacking your thread, but its helped me out alot! I appreciate your advice, I just want to make sure I'm clear with you.
I know my 97 4th gen had a lsd tranny, so am I good to go on the driver axle? Second, if I'm not good to go with the 4th gen driver axle, can I just use the 5th gen driver axle on my 4th gen max with the 5th gen tranny?
Also, how do you like the 5th gen tranny in your car, big difference? Have you had any issues with reverse? thanx Dbird
I know my 97 4th gen had a lsd tranny, so am I good to go on the driver axle? Second, if I'm not good to go with the 4th gen driver axle, can I just use the 5th gen driver axle on my 4th gen max with the 5th gen tranny?
Also, how do you like the 5th gen tranny in your car, big difference? Have you had any issues with reverse? thanx Dbird
One way to tell if the 5th Gen tranny is an LSD is obviously by trying to find out about the vehicle the tranny came out of. If am not wrong, all 2001 20th Anniversary came with VSLD. The other way like I was told by a guy from the dealership is by looking at the tranny itself and it should have a sticker that indicated if its LSD. (mine didn’t have one but it was LSD).
Now here is the real test. I took the pictures from last time when I was changing the tranny.
If you look through the hole where the axle goes in the tranny and you can clearly see through the other side without anything obstructing you, then the tranny is LSD like the picture indicates. (pic taken from the 5th gen LSD)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05549.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05544.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05543.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05542.jpg
If you look through the hole where the axle goes in the tranny and you cannot clearly see through the other side because there is a piece of metal rod that goes across in the middle distracting you, then its not LSD just like the picture in the link indicates. (pic taken from the my old 4th gen tranny none LSD)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05562.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05555.jpg
Another major test is by comparing the left axles themselves. As you can see from the picture, one has 2 sets of splines or double splined (left picture). That is the one that goes into the LSD tranny. None LSD on the other hand is not double splined (Right Picture)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05567.jpg
Another test you can try after installing the tranny is by jacking up the car(well its already jacked up since you are installing the tranny…lol) and gently spinning one wheel with your hands while you observe the other wheel. If they both rotate in the same direction, then you’ve got LSD. If they rotate in different directions, then you have a none LSD.
Here are the 2 transmissions side by side. (4th gen left, 5th gen right)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05554.jpg
And before I forget, you also have to swap the Reverse Light Switch from the 4th gen to the 5th gen while the tranny is on the ground (takes less than 5 minutes)
With these examples, you should be able to determine whether you have LSD or none LSD. By the way I LOVE my tranny. Haven’t had issues with the reverse gear and I also love the LSD since I don’t get stuck in the mud like I used to with the none LSD. (I put up real estate signs where I am forced to pull on the side of the road and sometimes I’ve gotten stuck in the mud due to one wheel losing tration and spinning while the one thats got traction just sits there..lol...now it does the opposite. No more getting stuck with the LSD so long as I dont go off roading...lol). There is definitely a difference in acceleration too since you have more traction. I think you are good to go man. Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.
Last edited by Dbird; Jun 2, 2011 at 03:02 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,005
From: Worcester, MA
mike,
the shift rail getting stuck in gear when the selector is in neutral is easily fixed with a screwdriver and a flashlight (after you remove the trans fluid and pull the reverse light sensor plug, you can clearly see the shift rail misalignment, and you can just pop it back in to place with the screwdriver.) I have pics of this if anyone ever needs them. Actually I think i might have posted them before but I can post them again if anyone needs.
the shift rail getting stuck in gear when the selector is in neutral is easily fixed with a screwdriver and a flashlight (after you remove the trans fluid and pull the reverse light sensor plug, you can clearly see the shift rail misalignment, and you can just pop it back in to place with the screwdriver.) I have pics of this if anyone ever needs them. Actually I think i might have posted them before but I can post them again if anyone needs.
If u can find the pics then post them up.
Pic is worth a thousand words!EDIT:
This is a very informative thread.
OP, is there any way u can change the title to something more descriptive or SEARCH friendly. If i even have to swap a 5th gen into a 4th gen tranny this is a good thread to use.
Last edited by cashoit; Jun 2, 2011 at 06:42 AM.
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 21
From: Canada
mike,
glad to hear you took the thing apart and figured out the problem. as I read your post just now I was thinking "it sounds like his reverse idler gear is really mashed up and someone tried to force it in to or out of gear and bent a fork or rail end or something" and then the next sentence i see that you got it apart and it was indeed mashed up and the forks were likely bent lol
the axle for the LSD 4th gen tranny is the same as the axle for the LSD 5th gen tranny. if the 5th gen trans is LSD it will have the large driver's side axle seal (about the size of a hockey puck), just like your 4th gen tranny does. if it is NON LSD, then it will have a smaller seal (the driver's side seal and passenger side seals are the same size on NON LSD trans.) the other way to tell if the maxima trans is LSD or not is to look through the diff (through the axle holes) and see if the large pin that the spider gears run on is present. if the large steel pin is visible, it's a NON LSD trans. If there is no pin, it's an LSD trans.
the only difference that is worth mentioning is that the yoke on the striking rod is a slightly different length between 4th and 5th gen transmissions. so if you put a 5th gen transmission in your 4th gen WITHOUT changing the yoke over, your shifter will be moved about 1" further back. if you don't mind this then there is no need to do anything. if you want the shifter to sit exactly where it did with the 4th gen trans, just knock the roll pin out of the yoke on each one, and swap the 4th gen yoke onto the 5th gen trans' striking rod (and reinstall the roll pin of course).
for anyone else that views this - there are 2 other scenarios i have come across that are likely to cause the trans to get stuck in gear, but generally they are the result of a botched reassembly (someone forgetting an interlock pin/plunger which is very easy to do in this trans) or the trans being tipped on its side during installation or shipping when it's in neutral - this can often cause the 1st/2nd or 3rd/4th shift rail to engage a gear without the gear selector shaft commanding it, resulting in a gear selector which is stuck in neutral, but a trans which is stuck in a gear. The missing interlock pin/plunger would require the trans to be torn down again and the proper part installed. the shift rail getting stuck in gear when the selector is in neutral is easily fixed with a screwdriver and a flashlight (after you remove the trans fluid and pull the reverse light sensor plug, you can clearly see the shift rail misalignment, and you can just pop it back in to place with the screwdriver.) I have pics of this if anyone ever needs them. Actually I think i might have posted them before but I can post them again if anyone needs.
glad to hear you took the thing apart and figured out the problem. as I read your post just now I was thinking "it sounds like his reverse idler gear is really mashed up and someone tried to force it in to or out of gear and bent a fork or rail end or something" and then the next sentence i see that you got it apart and it was indeed mashed up and the forks were likely bent lol
the axle for the LSD 4th gen tranny is the same as the axle for the LSD 5th gen tranny. if the 5th gen trans is LSD it will have the large driver's side axle seal (about the size of a hockey puck), just like your 4th gen tranny does. if it is NON LSD, then it will have a smaller seal (the driver's side seal and passenger side seals are the same size on NON LSD trans.) the other way to tell if the maxima trans is LSD or not is to look through the diff (through the axle holes) and see if the large pin that the spider gears run on is present. if the large steel pin is visible, it's a NON LSD trans. If there is no pin, it's an LSD trans.
the only difference that is worth mentioning is that the yoke on the striking rod is a slightly different length between 4th and 5th gen transmissions. so if you put a 5th gen transmission in your 4th gen WITHOUT changing the yoke over, your shifter will be moved about 1" further back. if you don't mind this then there is no need to do anything. if you want the shifter to sit exactly where it did with the 4th gen trans, just knock the roll pin out of the yoke on each one, and swap the 4th gen yoke onto the 5th gen trans' striking rod (and reinstall the roll pin of course).
for anyone else that views this - there are 2 other scenarios i have come across that are likely to cause the trans to get stuck in gear, but generally they are the result of a botched reassembly (someone forgetting an interlock pin/plunger which is very easy to do in this trans) or the trans being tipped on its side during installation or shipping when it's in neutral - this can often cause the 1st/2nd or 3rd/4th shift rail to engage a gear without the gear selector shaft commanding it, resulting in a gear selector which is stuck in neutral, but a trans which is stuck in a gear. The missing interlock pin/plunger would require the trans to be torn down again and the proper part installed. the shift rail getting stuck in gear when the selector is in neutral is easily fixed with a screwdriver and a flashlight (after you remove the trans fluid and pull the reverse light sensor plug, you can clearly see the shift rail misalignment, and you can just pop it back in to place with the screwdriver.) I have pics of this if anyone ever needs them. Actually I think i might have posted them before but I can post them again if anyone needs.
One way to tell if the 5th Gen tranny is an LSD is obviously by trying to find out about the vehicle the tranny came out of. If am not wrong, all 2001 20th Anniversary came with VSLD. The other way like I was told by a guy from the dealership is by looking at the tranny itself and it should have a sticker that indicated if its LSD. (mine didn’t have one but it was LSD).
Now here is the real test. I took the pictures from last time when I was changing the tranny.
If you look through the hole where the axle goes in the tranny and you can clearly see through the other side without anything obstructing you, then the tranny is LSD like the picture indicates. (pic taken from the 5th gen LSD)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05549.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05544.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05543.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05542.jpg
If you look through the hole where the axle goes in the tranny and you cannot clearly see through the other side because there is a piece of metal rod that goes across in the middle distracting you, then its not LSD just like the picture in the link indicates. (pic taken from the my old 4th gen tranny none LSD)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05562.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05555.jpg
Another major test is by comparing the left axles themselves. As you can see from the picture, one has 2 sets of splines or double splined (left picture). That is the one that goes into the LSD tranny. None LSD on the other hand is not double splined (Right Picture)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05567.jpg
Another test you can try after installing the tranny is by jacking up the car(well its already jacked up since you are installing the tranny…lol) and gently spinning one wheel with your hands while you observe the other wheel. If they both rotate in the same direction, then you’ve got LSD. If they rotate in different directions, then you have a none LSD.
Here are the 2 transmissions side by side. (4th gen left, 5th gen right)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05554.jpg
And before I forget, you also have to swap the Reverse Light Switch from the 4th gen to the 5th gen while the tranny is on the ground (takes less than 5 minutes)
With these examples, you should be able to determine whether you have LSD or none LSD. By the way I LOVE my tranny. Haven’t had issues with the reverse gear and I also love the LSD since I don’t get stuck in the mud like I used to with the none LSD. (I put up real estate signs where I am forced to pull on the side of the road and sometimes I’ve gotten stuck in the mud due to one wheel losing tration and spinning while the one thats got traction just sits there..lol...now it does the opposite. No more getting stuck with the LSD so long as I dont go off roading...lol). There is definitely a difference in acceleration too since you have more traction. I think you are good to go man. Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.
Now here is the real test. I took the pictures from last time when I was changing the tranny.
If you look through the hole where the axle goes in the tranny and you can clearly see through the other side without anything obstructing you, then the tranny is LSD like the picture indicates. (pic taken from the 5th gen LSD)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05549.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05544.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05543.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05542.jpg
If you look through the hole where the axle goes in the tranny and you cannot clearly see through the other side because there is a piece of metal rod that goes across in the middle distracting you, then its not LSD just like the picture in the link indicates. (pic taken from the my old 4th gen tranny none LSD)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05562.jpg
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05555.jpg
Another major test is by comparing the left axles themselves. As you can see from the picture, one has 2 sets of splines or double splined (left picture). That is the one that goes into the LSD tranny. None LSD on the other hand is not double splined (Right Picture)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05567.jpg
Another test you can try after installing the tranny is by jacking up the car(well its already jacked up since you are installing the tranny…lol) and gently spinning one wheel with your hands while you observe the other wheel. If they both rotate in the same direction, then you’ve got LSD. If they rotate in different directions, then you have a none LSD.
Here are the 2 transmissions side by side. (4th gen left, 5th gen right)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...3/DSC05554.jpg
And before I forget, you also have to swap the Reverse Light Switch from the 4th gen to the 5th gen while the tranny is on the ground (takes less than 5 minutes)
With these examples, you should be able to determine whether you have LSD or none LSD. By the way I LOVE my tranny. Haven’t had issues with the reverse gear and I also love the LSD since I don’t get stuck in the mud like I used to with the none LSD. (I put up real estate signs where I am forced to pull on the side of the road and sometimes I’ve gotten stuck in the mud due to one wheel losing tration and spinning while the one thats got traction just sits there..lol...now it does the opposite. No more getting stuck with the LSD so long as I dont go off roading...lol). There is definitely a difference in acceleration too since you have more traction. I think you are good to go man. Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.
So like I said, found the 5th gen tranny thanx to Dbird, never would have even looked otherwise. Went back to the wrecker first thing this morning and finished pulling the tranny. Got it for 100 bucks plus tax = sweet! Threw it in the back of the truck and was busy all day until now, havent even looked at it.
Thanx to Dbirds picks, took a look at my axles, and the left axle is double splined, so happy!(by the way, I did end up taking the vin from the 5th gen anyway) also noticed that the shaft seal on the left axle obviously has to be bigger than the right. Hopefully ur right about all 20th ann's being lsd. Gonna take a look at the 5th gen in the shop tommorow and I feel confident It's good to go!
I'm very glad u told me about the reverse light sensor, as I will change it out no prob tommorow. As well as i noticed the shaft seals in the 5th gen trans look kinda ****ty, so their getting changed also.
Just thinking, Nealoc187, like i said previously, the striking assy' in the 4th gen is usaully a big blame on the stuck gear problem. So could the difference in yoke on the striking assy' from 4th to 5th gen been a fix by nissan for this problem? or have you done swapped it out no issue? Or is it just the person assembling the transmission incorrectly in the first place at fault?
Anyway, I'm gonna slam in this 5th gen tranny on saturday night if everything goes as planned. I'll let you guys know how it turns out! Thanx again everyone, I love maxima.org! Peace
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 21
From: Canada
Installed tranny last night! Started by changing the postion switch on the 5th gen tranny. Installed new output shaft seals.Mounting the transmission by myself was a lil tough( almost **** myself lol) kinda heavy, but went good.
I went to start the the engine, when i was cranking, i noticed the engine kinda hiccuped a lil bit. But it started within 3 seconds ( figured it was the cranksensor searching for position). Took it for a drive. Preeety sweet, shifts alot nicer than my 4th gen did and it feels nice all around!
I went to bed after that last night. Went to start it today and it hiccuped and misfired while cranking for about 20 seconds before actually starting. It runs good while running. If I shut it off, it does the same thing over again. It sounds like the timing is off. My maxima started really good before this tranny job.
Thinking I forgot something, I triple checked everything. The ground wire is good on the transmission. All electrical is plugged in. All hoses hooked up. No check engine light on. I removed the crank sensor before i pulled the tranny so i know its good.
Not to sure what is wrong.
Thinking
I went to start the the engine, when i was cranking, i noticed the engine kinda hiccuped a lil bit. But it started within 3 seconds ( figured it was the cranksensor searching for position). Took it for a drive. Preeety sweet, shifts alot nicer than my 4th gen did and it feels nice all around!
I went to bed after that last night. Went to start it today and it hiccuped and misfired while cranking for about 20 seconds before actually starting. It runs good while running. If I shut it off, it does the same thing over again. It sounds like the timing is off. My maxima started really good before this tranny job.
Thinking I forgot something, I triple checked everything. The ground wire is good on the transmission. All electrical is plugged in. All hoses hooked up. No check engine light on. I removed the crank sensor before i pulled the tranny so i know its good.
Not to sure what is wrong.
Thinking
going to either pull the trans and sand the mating surface or ad a ground wire when i did my clutch a year ago i didnt sand the surface it had hard start probs. had to add a ground wire.last week i put a new trans in my car and i made sure i sanded the mating surface and i havent had a problem yet
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 62
From: Raleigh, NC.
Installed tranny last night! Started by changing the postion switch on the 5th gen tranny. Installed new output shaft seals.Mounting the transmission by myself was a lil tough( almost **** myself lol) kinda heavy, but went good.
I went to start the the engine, when i was cranking, i noticed the engine kinda hiccuped a lil bit. But it started within 3 seconds ( figured it was the cranksensor searching for position). Took it for a drive. Preeety sweet, shifts alot nicer than my 4th gen did and it feels nice all around!
I went to bed after that last night. Went to start it today and it hiccuped and misfired while cranking for about 20 seconds before actually starting. It runs good while running. If I shut it off, it does the same thing over again. It sounds like the timing is off. My maxima started really good before this tranny job.
Thinking I forgot something, I triple checked everything. The ground wire is good on the transmission. All electrical is plugged in. All hoses hooked up. No check engine light on. I removed the crank sensor before i pulled the tranny so i know its good.
Not to sure what is wrong.
Thinking
I went to start the the engine, when i was cranking, i noticed the engine kinda hiccuped a lil bit. But it started within 3 seconds ( figured it was the cranksensor searching for position). Took it for a drive. Preeety sweet, shifts alot nicer than my 4th gen did and it feels nice all around!
I went to bed after that last night. Went to start it today and it hiccuped and misfired while cranking for about 20 seconds before actually starting. It runs good while running. If I shut it off, it does the same thing over again. It sounds like the timing is off. My maxima started really good before this tranny job.
Thinking I forgot something, I triple checked everything. The ground wire is good on the transmission. All electrical is plugged in. All hoses hooked up. No check engine light on. I removed the crank sensor before i pulled the tranny so i know its good.
Not to sure what is wrong.
Thinking
That was about 2 years ago. Ever since I haven’t had any starting issues. If I were you I would go ahead and try grounding since it will only take you bout 45-60 minutes to do and cost you about $15. Its also fairly easy to do. Failure to do so, you could mess up you ignition coils like I did, and your vehicle could start misfiring. Good luck my friend!
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,005
From: Worcester, MA
going to either pull the trans and sand the mating surface or ad a ground wire when i did my clutch a year ago i didnt sand the surface it had hard start probs. had to add a ground wire.last week i put a new trans in my car and i made sure i sanded the mating surface and i havent had a problem yet
Further to this point...
Last wk i was reading the EC section of the FSM. In the beginning of the section it talks about grounding and EMPHASIZES how important grounding and electrical is to this car.
Gotta keep those grounds clean and adding a few def dont hurt.
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 21
From: Canada
The first time I installed my tranny I had similar issues. It took me anywhere from 20 to 40sec to start the car. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. This went on for about 2 months. I read about grounding from the forum and I decided I would give it a shot. So I went Lowes bought some thick wires and made my own grounding wires. I grounded almost every part that I could think of. Added about 4 to five new grounding wires. I also cleaned out the original grounding points (kind or sanded them). Held my breath, cranked my car, and long behold it stated right up without hesitation.
That was about 2 years ago. Ever since I haven’t had any starting issues. If I were you I would go ahead and try grounding since it will only take you bout 45-60 minutes to do and cost you about $15. Its also fairly easy to do. Failure to do so, you could mess up you ignition coils like I did, and your vehicle could start misfiring. Good luck my friend!
That was about 2 years ago. Ever since I haven’t had any starting issues. If I were you I would go ahead and try grounding since it will only take you bout 45-60 minutes to do and cost you about $15. Its also fairly easy to do. Failure to do so, you could mess up you ignition coils like I did, and your vehicle could start misfiring. Good luck my friend!
I just think it's crazy how ground sensitive these engines are! Never thought it would happen to me!
And i also noticed when I pulled that 5th gen tranny at the junk yard, the 5th gen has about 5 thick ground wires running down to a trans bolt i think! Guess nissan sloved the problem then!Anyhow, Iv'e been busy building a deck, but since this may affect my coils, I'll get on it tommorow. Just gona run a 0 gage wire to a trans bolt.
Thanx again bud! I'll let you know. Have a good one!
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