Transmisson gone bad (no R, no D1,D abnormal) - 03 AT, only 82k kms, Toronto, CANADA
08-01-2010, 03:35 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 31
Transmisson gone bad (no R, no D1,D abnormal) - 03 AT, only 82k kms, Toronto, CANADA
I only had this car a few months, not it has no reverse, no D1, and D feels very soft.
OK, here is the story, bought the car back in April, was 79K KM (Toronto, canada), I did notice it is bit hard to move the dear from P to R, but anyways, I needed car badly at that time, and the price is right and KM is low, so I bought it.
1 week ago, when I wanted to reverse the car, the gear slipped to D, and I had to move to R to get it going... then 3 days ago, the reverse is gone, revs up but the car doesn't move. Looks like neutral but somehow the gear box is engaged, because I parked the car in a uphill and the car doesn't move backwards, I had to move the gear to Neutral, so I can get the car out of my driveway.
Took to a small garage (not transmission specialist), he drove it a bit, without any further diagnosis, he said the tranny is gone, I need to replace it, and told the cost could be around $1500 to $2000 CAD for a used one.
Then I took my car to Nissan dealer, paid $100 CAD for the diagnosis, after a few hours, tole me I need a new tranny... funny thing is, they told there is no error code from computer. They give me a quote ofr $3400 CAD to get it replaced with a NISSAN rebuilt tranny.
Here goes my question:
1: do you actually believe that the NISSAN dealer that there is no error code from the computer (or TCM)? The dealer is village Nissan in Markham.
2: doesn't worth to take my car to a transmission shop to take a look?
3; if my transmission is gone bad, which will be a better option: rebuild or buy a used one?
4: If I buy a used one, how to choose the used tranny? low KM tranny or medium range KM tranny? My theory is, if the KM is really kow, it means the damage on the car is really big, if the KM is in medium KM range, for example, 100K KM, probably the damage on the car is not too big so the car is totaled.
5: I found a local wreck yard has a few 03 auto tranny available, one is from I35, has 91K KM on it, another one is a 03 maxima, has 82K KM on it, both are $299 CAD (but not including warranty, I will have to call them to get the warranty price as well), so which one is good? the wreck yard is Standard Auto Wreckers Yard. You can search from car-parts.com.
6: If I buy the transmission myself, do you guys know any garage will install it for me? Or can anyone recommend a good transmission garage in Toronto area?
7: usually, how long it takes to get a transmission swapped at a garage? 3 hours labor? half day? or a full day?
Thank!
OK, here is the story, bought the car back in April, was 79K KM (Toronto, canada), I did notice it is bit hard to move the dear from P to R, but anyways, I needed car badly at that time, and the price is right and KM is low, so I bought it.
1 week ago, when I wanted to reverse the car, the gear slipped to D, and I had to move to R to get it going... then 3 days ago, the reverse is gone, revs up but the car doesn't move. Looks like neutral but somehow the gear box is engaged, because I parked the car in a uphill and the car doesn't move backwards, I had to move the gear to Neutral, so I can get the car out of my driveway.
Took to a small garage (not transmission specialist), he drove it a bit, without any further diagnosis, he said the tranny is gone, I need to replace it, and told the cost could be around $1500 to $2000 CAD for a used one.
Then I took my car to Nissan dealer, paid $100 CAD for the diagnosis, after a few hours, tole me I need a new tranny... funny thing is, they told there is no error code from computer. They give me a quote ofr $3400 CAD to get it replaced with a NISSAN rebuilt tranny.
Here goes my question:
1: do you actually believe that the NISSAN dealer that there is no error code from the computer (or TCM)? The dealer is village Nissan in Markham.
2: doesn't worth to take my car to a transmission shop to take a look?
3; if my transmission is gone bad, which will be a better option: rebuild or buy a used one?
4: If I buy a used one, how to choose the used tranny? low KM tranny or medium range KM tranny? My theory is, if the KM is really kow, it means the damage on the car is really big, if the KM is in medium KM range, for example, 100K KM, probably the damage on the car is not too big so the car is totaled.
5: I found a local wreck yard has a few 03 auto tranny available, one is from I35, has 91K KM on it, another one is a 03 maxima, has 82K KM on it, both are $299 CAD (but not including warranty, I will have to call them to get the warranty price as well), so which one is good? the wreck yard is Standard Auto Wreckers Yard. You can search from car-parts.com.
6: If I buy the transmission myself, do you guys know any garage will install it for me? Or can anyone recommend a good transmission garage in Toronto area?
7: usually, how long it takes to get a transmission swapped at a garage? 3 hours labor? half day? or a full day?
Thank!
Last edited by brisk; 08-01-2010 at 04:43 AM.
08-01-2010, 06:31 AM
#2
www.torontomaxima.com for some local help!
08-01-2010, 05:31 PM
#3
Same exact thing happen to me 140k miles thought I was done for my check engine light came on took it to the shop and they didn't see nothing wrong but recommended a tranny flush so I did it and back with no problems pushing it to the limit and so far so good!! It happen to me when I was flying then my car would rev to like 2k and barely start moving and no reverse but let the car sit for all night till like 10 next morning and reverse was back but it was a B!tch like F@@k how much is this going to run but good luck!!
08-01-2010, 10:31 PM
#6
If the fluid has a burnt smell and is very dark, odds are a flush isn't going to save it.
Definitely do not get a rebuilt one, 99.9% of shops don't have the first clue how to rebuild an import transmission. Get the lowest mileage used one you can find, make sure you check the fluid and that it smells like ATF is supposed to and the color is red. Be sure the shop doing the install flushed out the cooler lines and doesn't reuse your torque converter (both will have contaminated fluid and clutch material all through them).
Definitely do not get a rebuilt one, 99.9% of shops don't have the first clue how to rebuild an import transmission. Get the lowest mileage used one you can find, make sure you check the fluid and that it smells like ATF is supposed to and the color is red. Be sure the shop doing the install flushed out the cooler lines and doesn't reuse your torque converter (both will have contaminated fluid and clutch material all through them).
08-02-2010, 04:10 AM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 31
Thanks, so what you are recommending are:
1: flush the coolant at the same time when replace the tranny?
2: also replace the torque converter because torque converter and tranny share the same fluid, since the old fluid is not good, so I can expect that the torque converter may also not good, and it is best to replace it as well?
3: what else I need to be aware?
thanks
1: flush the coolant at the same time when replace the tranny?
2: also replace the torque converter because torque converter and tranny share the same fluid, since the old fluid is not good, so I can expect that the torque converter may also not good, and it is best to replace it as well?
3: what else I need to be aware?
thanks
If the fluid has a burnt smell and is very dark, odds are a flush isn't going to save it.
Definitely do not get a rebuilt one, 99.9% of shops don't have the first clue how to rebuild an import transmission. Get the lowest mileage used one you can find, make sure you check the fluid and that it smells like ATF is supposed to and the color is red. Be sure the shop doing the install flushed out the cooler lines and doesn't reuse your torque converter (both will have contaminated fluid and clutch material all through them).
Definitely do not get a rebuilt one, 99.9% of shops don't have the first clue how to rebuild an import transmission. Get the lowest mileage used one you can find, make sure you check the fluid and that it smells like ATF is supposed to and the color is red. Be sure the shop doing the install flushed out the cooler lines and doesn't reuse your torque converter (both will have contaminated fluid and clutch material all through them).
08-02-2010, 07:30 AM
#8
Thanks, so what you are recommending are:
1: flush the coolant at the same time when replace the tranny?
2: also replace the torque converter because torque converter and tranny share the same fluid, since the old fluid is not good, so I can expect that the torque converter may also not good, and it is best to replace it as well?
3: what else I need to be aware?
thanks
1: flush the coolant at the same time when replace the tranny?
2: also replace the torque converter because torque converter and tranny share the same fluid, since the old fluid is not good, so I can expect that the torque converter may also not good, and it is best to replace it as well?
3: what else I need to be aware?
thanks
Once the replacement transmission is in the car and working properly for a few months, consider adding an auxiliary transmission cooler along with the Trans Go shift kit. The cooler will help keep the transmission fluid cooler under harsh driving conditions (stop and go traffic, hot weather) and the shift kit will quicken shifting and reduce overlap (tranny is momentarily in two gears at once to make the shifts softer, but that increases wear) which also reduce heat build up.
BTW, it is normal for a bad transmission to not trigger an SES light since it is a mechanical failure and not due to bad sensors that would give you and SES.
08-02-2010, 10:35 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Pleasanton,CA
Posts: 1,136
FYI, if the tranny was flushed and the fluid is burnt then the situation is not good. If you searched the forum there is an unanimous concensus that rebuild is not worth it and a used tranny w/ low miles is the best option.
Good luck
Good luck
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