In case anyone is interested, I have decided to post my decision on what to do regarding my 2003 Nissan Maxima transmission service. My car presently has 42k miles on in and I have only owned it for a couple months. To my knowledge the tranny has never been serviced.


The car currently runs and shifts as smooth as butter. When I check the fluid using the dipstick, it looks, smells, and tastes just fine. Oaky, even I am not so analytical as to TASTE the fluid. If I REALLY thought it would help, I might do it, but I just would not tell anyone.


This post should be read keeping some things in mind.
The performance of my Maxima in its 100% stock state is all I need and more.



I really drive it like a granny most of the time. It was ALL the time that I drove like a Granny, but since I’ve been getting to know this car I want to ‘get on’ the throttle more than any car I have ever owned. It really seems to welcome it and cause some driving related adrenaline and euphoria bursts.



The reasons I am being SO analytical in making my decision regarding servicing this transmission are;

1. I want this car to last –AS- -LONG –AS-POSSIBLE without the need for a rebuild or major repair to the engine or transmission. If I can live long enough, I’d be HONORED to start a thread here on Maxima.org titled ‘The Million Mile Maxima Club and the analytics that created it’.


2. I have been told by more than one reliable source that the weak point on these 5th generation maximas is the Automatic transmission.


3. There seems to be widely varying opinion from multiple qualified sources on the best way to maintain one of these transmissions.

I have decided to do a ‘drain and fill’ now, then another the next time I change my oil.


At about 60k I will do the same thing except I will drop the transmission pan and clean the magnets and replace the screen.



In case anyone here does not know, the very BEST prices on OEM Nissan parts is Mossy Nissan. The site is www.NissanParts2u.com.
Here are the prices they gave me for the parts needed to do a service that includes dropping the pan;


tranny pan gasket = 31397-80X01 $13.60

tranny pan bolts = 31377-32X02 times 21 @ $0.54

Screen; RTV 999MP-1217HP $12.79

If anyone knows of a place that offers better prices on OEM Nissan parts, please let me / us know.

I had considered a procedure that may effectively (partially) clean the magnets in the pan without having to take the pan off. This procedure involves taking a magnet small enough to fit inside the drain hole attached to a rod or cable. Stick the magnet inside the hole until it reaches the magnets in the pan. When the magnet comes out of the hole it will have some metallic particles on it. Clean them off and do it again. I figure I could get maybe 50% to 60% of the metallic particles off the inside magnets this way.

I have plenty of time before the 60 transmission service, but between now and then I would be pleased to get any kind of feedback or opinion regarding extra magnets in the pan.
Personally, I would tend to think it would only help. I would think that as metallic particles accumulate on the magnets, the magnets become less and less effective, allowing more and more particles to flow back into the transmission. It makes sense to me that the more magnetic surface area, the less metallic dust will be flowing back into the transmission. Anyone? Anyone?


As an alternative to dropping the pan and putting more magnets in, I was considering putting a few REAL strong magnets on the outside of the pan. I think this would create some magnetic surface on the inside bottom of the pan, therefore attracting more metallic dust away from the guts of the tranny. Naturally, this would involve removing the outside magnets just before the next drain and fill, or the next pan removal.



When I do my next pan removal I intend to take some video of the inside of the pan making sure I document the location amount of the accumulation of any metallic dust to determine and demonstrate whether or not the magnets on the outside of the pan helped at all.


As some of you know, I had considered going a little overboard with this tranny service, kind of like some of you will say I am going overboard with this post. Even if I was going to go ‘overboard’, I had decided NOT to get a Tranny Flush.


Nissan North America says ‘DO NOT GET A FLUSH’. Much appreciation to the person that supplied me with this link;


http://www.scribd.com/full/20453285?access_key=key-24mengqv9u1zrujbsbst

In case anyone is interested , this is what I feel I could safely do and still go overboard;
I’d drop the pan now instead of waiting, clean everything, then, do 3-4 drain & fills. I’d also add an auxiliary transmission cooler and several magnets inside and maybe outside the pan.


If anyone out there has the same disease as I do, and is considering letting a tranny service consume their lives the way I have let my tranny service consume my life, I can suggest a way to do some research. This applies to not only a tranny service, but analysis of other car maintenance and repair issues as well.


Do a search on AutoTrader.com. Look up vehicles over with over 100k miles, then sort by highest miles first. Call the people selling the cars with the highest miles. I talked to a guy today with a 2003 Maxima with over 220k that had been sold a few days ago, but was still listed. He was the original owner of the car, and was willing to chat. The above made him a perfect candidate for the kind of questions I was asking.


Okay, Okay, before the flames come, I know…. Someone selling their car may not always tell the truth, and it will be rare that you find someone that is the original owner of a car with VERY high miles. This method may not ALWAYS be the most scientific, but I think I happened to get lucky.


Also, before the flames, please ask yourself if you want someone somewhere to try these things and ask these questions that just MIGHT make your transmission last longer?


Okay, I think that concludes my post. If you think it was too long, sorry. If you think I am overly obsessed with my car and or my transmission, you might be correct. Feel free to express such opinions, just be nice.


Hopefully someone, or some people will read this post some day and it will help lead them to an educated decision on how the want to do a tranny service on their maxima.

 

Wow. Hey we all have our obsessions

I think you are on the right track for what you are trying to accomplish. A few things I would change though. I'd do a drain and fill on every oil change till 60k, so maybe one more. Also, even though you are in FL, I may skip the extra cooler. There is an OEM one already, and you wont have to worry about long-term aftermarket hose/core/clamp/install quality. Sometimes less is more. Besides, going with full syn ATF should lower the operating temp quite a bit.

I did the above schedule with Mobil 1 (been drain and filling since a full purge at 60k) and noticed less noise and a smoother 1-2 shift. at 110k now and tranny has been flawless.

 

The other thing you may want to kick around is that the tranny is only the weak point if you drive the car hard. If you love seeing your tach at redline, or you manually shift the auto trans a lot, yeah, it's the weak point.

But for your everyday drivers, change the fluid once in a while, and you should be fine.
"Enthusiasts" have much higher cost of ownership then your average driver does.

 

Is it okay to use the Amsoil ATF for the drain and fill, or not use the synthetic ATF until the 'purge'.

I also cautiously ask, 'what is your purge procedure'?

 

I know M1 ATF is ok to mix, I would assume Amsoil is as well... I'm sure they can tell you for sure.

The purge I did is the one stickied in the fluids section. I didn't want to drop the pan so I purged it out the cooler hose. If I recall, it took me about 14 quarts to do it this way. Messy. If you're dropping the pan anyway that's the way to go. I prolly got 90-95% of my old ATF out with the hose method.

 

This really should go in the fluids section of the board.

Synthetic ATF (any brand) is ok to mix with standard ATF.

Also, in regards to the tranny cooler there is a downside with too much cooling as your transmission needs to be in proper operating temperature range.

 

That was a long route to get to a simple drain & fill. I'm a little apprehensive what your next analytical project will be.

You are one seriously strange cat, Tony. But if you're still driving this old 4dr in 10 years, more power to you.

 

Maybe a drain and refill of the windshield washer fluid?

 

I think I know what your favorite word is...

 

Anadykitical?

 

Funny... After I figure out the tranny and some other of lifes mysteries I'll work on the windshield washer project.

 

Tony, I think if we were to start a poll entitled "Who's had the most annoying threads in the last month", you'd fall in close 2nd to Clashez. Redundancy anyone?

Anyone wanna volunteer to start that poll? Rochester?

 

This Tony dude is a internet troll. Posting is BS threads about BS.

Tony, how about you get a dang book and read about how cars operate instead of annoying everyone here with your pointless threads.

 

No, that's not right. I'm pretty sure you would tell everyone.


Not me, jowo9. Honestly, I don't know what to think. I'm just rolling through it and watching. I am kind of curious to see what Tony focuses on next, though.

Seriously, what's next, OP? Analytical brakes, maybe? EVAP 101?


Don't hold back for political correctness, Mark. Say what you really mean.

 

"The correct procedure for starting your car, more analytical"

 

paralysis by analysis

 

This guy has a solid grasp on how to properly use the English language and is posting threads that are at least somewhat of a contribution, albeit they are rather pointless and "analytical" to the point of being annoying. I didn't even read the entire first post because of how ridiculously long and boring it was.

All that Clashez moron does is ask questions about the quickest and easiest ways to rice out a Maxima while demonstrating that he has the literacy skills of the average three-year-old. He would take first in that poll without a doubt, this Tony guy would be a solid contender for second.

To at least offer some on-topic contribution to this thread, I will say that I got my transmission fluid changed for just the second time in my car's 120k mile tenure a few months ago. It was amazing how it made the car drive like it was practically new and it will definitely be something I plan to keep up on more than the previous owner did.

 

I do not think that 'everyone' is annoyed and I am very sorry that you are.

I will try to think of a way that I can keep posting directly related to Maxima stuff and not annoy you.

If you think of it before me, please feel free to let me know...

I think I kind of have an idea that might work, but i'll hold back for now and see if anyone else mentions it first.

Okay... Well, please let me reiterate that my intentions are pure. I just wanna make the very best choice, and get all the info I can on how to make my tranny last as long as possible.

It would be great if someone in the future is able to benefit from this as well.

If some of you get a laugh or a smile, I guess that would be a nice side-effect.

I am glad to not be the MOST annoying poster to some of you.

I refuse to speak negatively about anybody here no matter what they say or do.

I only hope that the main focus of the site remains the maxima, not the people talking about the maxima.

As stated earlier I have an idea that might let me keep posting about maxima stuff and not offend anyone.

I'll withhold that idea for now because it might come across a slightly unfriendly and that will NEVER be my intention here no matter WHAT people post.

So, to all who have read my posts or who will ever read my posts;

Be nice, and may your vehicle live long and serve you very well.

 

 

Not likely. But good luck with that.

You're going to need a thick skin, it seems.

 

I'll bet the found the hidden storage tray in the center console faster than I did...

 

Uh...what happened here?

 

Wow! I thought i was obsessed with my car. If it makes you fell any beter i have a 4th gen that just turned 289,000 2day. And farasi know its oe tranny. BUT, i think its starting to make a little noise around the diff barring; drivers side(ouch!)? My plan is to reach 1million miles with this car, so good luck with yours

 

OH MY GOD!!! Dude. I am glad I was sitting down when I read this. My 1996 got totaled and I had planned to keep it for a million miles as well.

I was really glad to read your post.

Thanks VERY much for your contribution and PLEASE keep us (me) informed on your million mile journey.

Tell us, how often you change your oil, what do you use? Tranny and motor please.

 

Well, as far as I can tell, Tony here replaced the fluid in his low-mileage, fully functioning transmission.

And that's about it.

 

I see. I think I will now go ahead and shove a spoon in my ear. If I'm going to hurt this bad, I should do it to myself.

 

Every time I see the word "analytical" in a thread topic, I look for "tony".

 

The weak link seems to be the valve body. Many of us have a soft or slipping 2-3 upshift when the car is cold that goes away once it is warmed up. If the fluid is red and doesn't have a burnt smell, the problem is the valve body and the solution is to replace it. Apparently, several here have fixed the problem by installing the Transgo Shift Kit. Unlike a shift kit for a GM TH-350/400 automatic, ours is very complex and is probably best left to someone well experienced in modern computer controlled transmissions.

When I got my car, it had 113,867 miles on it and while the transmission fluid smelled okay it was pretty dirty. I did 4 drain and fills over a couple months, now I do them once a year. I am now at 191,400 miles and so far, so good. Transmission still seems to shift well and the cold weather issue seems to have actually improved compared to the previous winters. I guess it is the combination of changing the fluid regularly and using the Lucas ATF additive which is supposed to help reduce slipping.

I have not dropped my pan or cleaned any magnets. Nor do I baby my car. I didn't buy a 255 hp car to just putt around in. I don't romp on it every chance I get or anything like that, but the car is pretty fun getting on the freeway and quickly passing slower moving cars.

 

The tranny in any auto Maxima will never last 1x10^6 miles, evAr.....

You'd be lucky to get 25-30% of that, IMO.

My A32 has 241k, and the tranny is all but gone. It only has 1st and 3rd, and slips like you wouldn't believe into the gears that actually work.

A tranny cooler, regular drain/refills, and regular magnet and screen maintenance is the best and cheapest insurance.

 

Yeah, I have 140K miles and is not perfect. My DR mod is prolonging its life, but I've resigned myself to the inevitability of failure at some point. Fortunately, used trannys for our cars can be found at junkyards for cheap. Speaking of which, do you plan on replacing yours/doing a 6 speed swap Nmex?

 

I'm still undecided. I've always wanted to do the MT swap on my 4th gen. At the time, I couldn't afford the downtime nor barely the $$. Now, I can afford both, but I don't have much ambition to work on the old A32 any more. But, if the swap were as simple as it was on the A32, I would have don't it on the A33. Thing is, what deters me is that engine mount debacle, and the repositioning/fabrication, etc. I don;t like that it's not a direct type of deal like the old 4th gen. Sorry for that rant, but yeah, still mixed feelings on that.

After fighting with that VB for that weekend, it reinforced, and now I now know even more as to why I hate AT's.

 

Traffic here is usually so bad that while I'd love a 6 speed, an automatic makes more sense. Just wish it had 5-6 gears and paddle shifters.

 

I disagree...I have 2K auto with 210,000 miles on the original tranny and no issues.

However, I do have the valvebody mod with a trans cooler installed at about 20,000 miles. I use Mobil 1 synthetic ATF, flushed it three times in total and that was the only maintenance I have done with it.

 

OH MY GOD!!! Dude. I am glad I was sitting down when I read this.

 

My A32 tranny was fine @ 210, the problems really began @ 230. I too had your mentality @ that point(210), saying this thing would last forever, then the problems started.

Time will tell, maybe you will be lucky and it will last 4 times longer.

 

Well with a car with that high mileage, you should just throw a used transmission in and call it good. I agree with the A33 problem. I never wanted an auto maxima to begin with, but at the time I bought my 5.5, I had my A32 S/C'er 5-speed. Now I regret not buying a 6-speed when I had the chance. Now I'm contemplating doing a level 10 rebuild on my A33.

S

 

My A32 is essentially retired. I gave it to my mom, she works part time because she's bored and her work is 1 mile exactly to and from, so 2 mi round trip. She usually doesn't rip through the gears I don't think.

As for the A33, she's fine, just automatic, tranny is fine, runs fine so I'm not planning on anything in the near term.

 

Well, the OP listed some part numbers & prices and I am always looking for a less expensive place to get parts from. So I compared them with Infiniti of Scottsdale Arizona, 866-464-5727 (www.everythingnissan.com).

The first price is Mossy Nissan (in Poway CA) then Infiniti of Scottsdale in parenthesis.


tranny pan gasket = 31397-80X01 $13.60 ($12.76)

tranny pan bolts = 31377-32X02 times 21 @ $0.54 ($0.51)

Screen; RTV 999MP-1217HP $12.79 (not found)

Results:
Infinity of Scottsdale = 25% off list
Mossy Nissan = 20% off list
Courtesy Nissan = 18% off list.

 

I've dropped my pan and changed the fluid many many times, and have yet to change the bolts. Also, I've re-used the gasket more than once (not my choice ) with no leaks, and no other effects, just sayin' if you're in a bind, it's not catastrophic. If you have the chance, change everything, do it right.

 

Tranny pan gasket(s) for my two 4th gen Max's ran $27 ea. at Mossy Nissan. $13 looks like a bargain to me. Mossy will also give you a 20% discount if you ask them for it compared to shopping online...