dineth00i30

ok for the past few months i have been noticing that when im cruising at around 50mph or 60mph my car's rpm is higher than what it was when i first purchased it.

before it was 1500rpm=50mph and 2000rpm=60mph.
now its 1700rpm=50mph and 2100-2200=60mph.

and today i was driving home and i got on the highway and only drove for about 2 exits and in ny dats a small area but i noticed that my car was at almost 2200rpm when i was only doing 50mph. my car is a 2000, so i checked to see if my OD was off but it was on so maybe i didnt give it enough time or wat ever. either way tho my rpm's are higher than what they were before. what could be the problem? maybe im dragging my e-brake or a dead caliper or is it a transmission problem?

thank you.

P. Samson

It's sounds like the torque converter isn't locking up. On a level stretch of highway, cruising at a steady speed like 60, when you accelerate smoothly (not quick enough to have it drop down into 3rd), does the RPM "follow" the speed increase, and then follow the speed decrease when you decel back to 60? It should feel like a manual tranny car, in other words.

dineth00i30

it does follow the speed from what i can remember when i accelerate ( i know this bcus im a calm driver and never punch it so it has to downshift) but i will make sure about the deceleration thing. also is it normal for these cars not to go to 4th when the car is cold? im asking cus if i dont warm it up for about a min or 2 it doesnt go to 4th it stayes in 3rd for a while then it goes to 4th.

kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

How long is your drive?
What was the ambient temperature outside?
Now that its beginning to get cold I notice the same. The torque convertor takes longer to lock up. I already had the dealership check it and it came back with no issues.
That is the normal working of the auto trans. The TC wont lockup until it has warmed upto operating temperature.
I notice the TC will lock up just fine once you have driven the car until the trans fluid has sufficiently warmed up. In my book that varies from 10-15 minutes of driving.

dineth00i30

its around 50 degrees right now and yes if i drive it for a long time and park and if drive withing an hour it doesnt do that soi guess its normal..but i want to know whats the deal with the TC is. i really dont want to go to a dealership to get this checked..can a shop that is specialized in trans can check to see if its good?

kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

Yes, a trans place should be able to charge you some $$ and give it a clean bill of health.

Trust me sir, I bought my maxima with about 105K and now I have 167K on it... shes done this every winter and I have absolutely no other issues such as slipping etc as others report about their auto trans! all I have done to it is do drain and fill on the trans fluid with Dexron III from costco every 15K miles rather than 30K miles as I just drain and fill the 3 quarts.

P. Samson

The tranny fluid has to reach 104 deg. F before the TC will lockup. Your Owner's Manual does make mention of a warm up period. Obviously the cooler the ambient temp the longer this period will be. The engine brake clutch has to operate correctly as well, so if you still think something isn't right, then it might be wise to get the tranny checked out. A good dealer? or tranny shop? should be able to verify the tranny/TC operation, including reading the TCM data. You can check the basic engine brake clutch operation (at least in 1st) by selecting 1st when stopped and then accelerating up to maybe 15 mph and decelerating back almost to a stop. The engine RPM and speed should follow each other if the engine brake clutch is operating. Or on a down hill at closed throttle the engine will "hold the car back". It'll feel like a manual tranny. Have you checked the fluid level/condition?

kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

When I took in my car for this issue, the tech at the dealership did exactly what you are describing, put in 1st and accelerate to 15-20.... I just could not remember the "engine brake clutch"... i have been thinking way too much about my pending strut mounts recently

I'm siding on a tranny working fine and the cold weather causing the late lockup... its always a little concerning when the cold days start and you begin to notice it! but as P. Samson said... for your peace of mind do get it checked out.. and once you do... please let us know what the outcome is

dineth00i30

I will try the 1st gear test but, what about my high rpm when I'm cruising even after it goes to OD? That is my main concern because i dont have a problem warming it up for few minutes in the morning.

I will go to a shop when I get a chance but I really hope they dont bul**** me bcus im only 18.

super6

iTrader: (5)

ye sounds like a tranny but if outherwise it drives fine id look into the tps, maybe its bad, maybe going bad? any check engine lights?

also MAF possibly? my rpms were off whit a bad maf. if it otherwise drive ok then i wouldnt worry too much.

by the way if your going to staten island nissan, they are most likly gonna charge you too much just to look at it and say nothings wrong.

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

Don't worry about warming it up a few minutes in the morning, just drive the car, it heats up faster that way anyway. As long as once the car is fully warmed up the rpms are normal, there is nothing wrong. Every car I've ever driven with a lock-up torque converter is the same way until the car is warmed up.

If your car is taking a long time to warm up, you might want to make sure the thermostat is working properly.

VQP0WER

If the TC was locked up, he would almost certainly stall out when coming to a stop.......no?

P. Samson

After checking the FSM again, forget the 1st gear check that I mentioned for checking the TC lockup operation. I was wrong on the TC lockup operation in first (the engine brake clutch is supposed to be engaged mind you). According to the FSM the only time that the TC will lockup will be with the selector in D and the tranny actually in OD (the TC will lock under the right conditions). AND the TC can lockup as well when the selector is in D but with the OD selected OFF and the tranny is actually in 3rd with the throttle opening less than 3/16 (I haven't figured out the 3/16 but I read it as being most of the way closed).......and the overun clutch (engine brake) is engaged at this time as well. I kinda wondered about why there seemed to be quite rapid closed throttle deceleration when driving at about 40 mph, up and down hills, with the OD disabled. With your car fully warmed up and driving with a STEADY throttle at a steady 60 mph on a level stretch of road and if the RPM is actually at much over 2100 and "wondering", then it might be worthwhile to spend probably a 100 spot and get the car checked out.