Allright i have been driving my 5th gen for a few months now and noticed that it shifted slower than my 4th gen did, both auto. Last night i was working on my old car and took it for a test drive and i really noticed how much faster it shifts. it shifts like 5 times faster than my 5th gen. When my 5th gen shifts from 3rd to 4th at like 5k it takes like 2 whole seconds for it to go into 4th. Is this normal for 5th gens? i have 32k miles on it and will be flushing the tranny with amsoil hopefully within a few months.

Another thing i thought of is that maybe my Drop resistor is bad on my 4th gen. I will swap in one from my 5th gen and see if it makes the 4th gen shift slower. If that's the case im going to put the bad resistor in my 5th gen or just unplug it.

My 5th gen auto shifts at the drop of a hat.

hmm thanks for the quick response. Maybe i just need to flush the tranny.

So does mine, it shift so much better than my 97 ever did. My 97 was really rough an jerky from 1st to 2nd.

I had the same problem, I flushed my Trans with Mobil 1 ATF, and my 03 shifts as fast as my 95 did.

I had had three 4th Gens (still have 2) and one 5.5 Gen, all autos.

The 5.5 Gen is much slower shifting than any of the 4th Gens, especially the 3-4 shift. Even with the DR mod the 5.5 Gen is slower. I couldn't believe it when I took my old 4th Gen, bone stock to the last race of the season and it chirped 1-2 with slicks, my 5.5 would't do that with a 100 shot of spray.

Presently I am doing a 3.5 swap to my 95 and can't wait to start using the 3.5 with the 4th Gen tranny just because of the shifts.

PS All my trans have been flushed and use Mobil 1.

Was this when the 5.5g was equipped with the DR mod? I find that hard to believe, but I do agree 100% about the 4g auto shifting much quicker stock for stock. The 5.5g feels like a dog, and also seems to be smoother, but much less crisp.


I have the DR mod on my 4g and II.5 VB on my 5.5g, and can say they both shift equally as fast, but the 4g just feels more solid, don't know why/how etc, but it does.

But still to the good ol 5.5g you had.. on a lease .

The 4spd autos that Nissan used from 95-01 were a lot sportier in feeling. The amount of shift-shock my transmission puts out when I floor it is incredible compared to the amount my uncle's G35x puts out. I can actually chirp my tires at certain downshifts. My transmission is definitely very, very responsive and powerful. I've always loved it; never had a problem with it.

But you still have never really experienced a 4th gen or 5.5g tranny ... so ... Which are you rooting for, 95-01 in terms of crispness?

My 97 Maxima shifted harder than my 2003 does.

I definitely feel like my Bro's 4th Gen shifts a lot quicker than my 5th gen. I'm at about 48K miles and I didn't flush my tranny yet. Hopefully, that will help.

My girlfriend's former 4th gen seemed to shift much more quickly than mine, that is, until hers started slipping...

Who me? I've experienced all of them dozens and dozens of times. My uncle had an 03 GLE before his G35x, and my cousin and aunt both have a 4th gen, 97 & 99. My other uncle also has a 2000 Q45, but I don't remember how that tranny shifted. But yes, my favorite transmission is definitely the one that Nissan was using for the 4th and 5th gen -- it just feels sportier than the other ones.

Ya I had the DR mod on the 5.5g right from the start and it shifted much faster than stock but nowhere near what the 4th Gen does.

However the 5.5g engine is head and shoulders above the 4th Gen, just like night and day.

well i guess its normal for 4th gens to shift faster. i took the old 4th gen for a cruise the other night and it was almost as fun drivin that with the faster shifts than my 5.5. I'll guess ill settle for slower shifts with the 3.5. Jime are you running a full throttle switch with the DR mod? I might go out and experiment with that a little and see how i like it.

Yes then I don't have to think about it, becomes a no brainer. Especially at the track I have enough things to do without trying to remember to turn it on and off. The older you get the easier it is to forget.

Can't wait until spring so I can try the 3.5 with the 4th Gen tranny, that should make for some tire burning shifts.