Good point.

 

Here is a great deal on a 4sp Transmission if you are in the market for one. No core charge and only $300 + Freight cost. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-...spagenameZWDVW

 

Yes.....24500 Miles had to replace tranny.........Driving my bro to stony brook on the northernstate on cruise control and suddenly my check engine turns on....switched to manual and saw it did not want to shift to anything higher then 3rd gear.



Lucky I was under warranty and I got stuck in a corrolla for a few days...Have to say Those corrollas have a pretty good kick accelerating but chokes when it hits about 50mph I got addicted to HIDS freaking lights are bright..still trying to get a pair for my 07 Max...

BTW if any one needs the 07 service manual hit me up I'll send it to you

 

Found this rebuild option for those who might be out of warranty: http://www.speedforceracing.com/inde...categoryID=650

 

from the chart poll it looks like 04s were the most year frame that had trans problems .....the 05s not so bad just a few here and there

 

QUICK QUESTION: I'm asking this on the behalf of my neighbor he has an 04 Maxima he is having tranny problems and I explained to him that a transmission cooler might help cause he said it was happening when the car was hot and had been on the road for some time. I installed one on my 02 and it help out my 3rd gear lag, his seems to be hanging there as well.
Well here is my question can a tranny cooler be installed on his or not. cause it doesn't seem to have the line my tranny has

 

4spd should be able to install the cooler. 5speed cannot. What does he have?

 

you CAN install a cooler on a 5 speed if you have the right type of cooler. I don't have a heatsink type cooler, my cooler hooks up to the radiator. I also have a 2004 5speed SE.

 

Anyone know of a good transmission shop in the Roseville/Sacramento Ca area. Need to have mine checked out. I really surprised these haven’t been recalled.

 

He has an auto 5spd and I don't see any line running to radiator like they normally do.

 

So, are you saying that if I buy a heat sink cooler it can be installed on a 5speed, (I have a 04 Max SL auto).

If so where can I get one, and how does it hook up ?

 

Ok So I got my car brand new. 05 Maxima 3.5 SE. 5 Speed Automatic. I now have over 90,000 Miles on it.

And finally my Engine light turned on. I had a Shop mech come over my place and tell me whats wrong with it.

The computer put out code# P0797 It said something about the. C. Ctrl. Solenoid. Pressure.
______________________

Here is some more info for anyone who is having this issue as well. Your problem could have happen to you from anywhere at 15,000K miles. I noticed my car would jump and give a small gentle gear change shove. When I went from park to Drive, Neutral to Reverse and so on. In hot or cold weather. Hot or cold engine did not matter.
I believe that these transmissions are not as bulletproof as Nissan claims.

***KEEP READING / COMMING UP WEBSITES******

I noticed as I added more mods to the car. Full Exhaust (nismo), CAI, Pulley, Etc. The gear change or drive change (reverse, Drive etc.) got worst over time. The only time it went away for about 5,000 miles before the problem started all over again. I had the tranny flush and changed the fluid. This was back in the 30K Service (I did all high end maintenance on the car). I later did the same at 60K. Same service premium.

After 75k Miles. I did all the maintenance on my car (Why? Warranty Expired).

The real complicated ones I took to the dealer. But did most of the oil changes/flushes, belts, oil filter, breaks the whole thing and tranny fluid change at 80K. I did this change early because of the gear changing was slamming at 2nd gear (automatic). The problem stopped for about 100 miles. But then it went back to normal ( as in bad).The fluid change helped but the problem remained.

At about 85,000K the slams and rocking got worst and nasty.. I noticed, I had my tranny mount almost broken. and the back Motor mount the same way and caused my engine to raise up a lot. So for 5,000 miles and driving like a 100year old man =) to be gentle on the Tranny and the car runs fine driving gentle. Thats one way to make these trannys last a long time. Drive very slow Specially on the take off. Even if you have this problem being gentle on your acceleration will help on the gear change.
I am now ordering parts and fixing the mounts my self and maybe even the solenoid.
But the key here is if you got these problems go to your dealership and run to it and tell them your tranny is going out. Because it will. Its just a matter time. It could be your tranny, Solenoids or even a faulty sensor. But you dont need a sensor to tell when something is bad.

I recommend if your tranny is slipping and changes gears very nasty from 1st to 2nd to even 3rd. And slips on 2nd. Before going really fast to 3rd. And even while on 3rd it feels like it slips and you loose power for a slip second. You should change your Solenoid and have it inspected if they tell you it works. Tell them you want it out of your car and replaced for good reasons too and tell them why. Its all a matter of time before you get the check engine light and it comes on. Even before that happens your tranny will just crap out on you all together. DO NOT WAIT. DONT WAIT. That was a mistake I did. Thinking that fluid changes was going to help They do. But the problem is a big defect in the tranny it self.

***THE GOOD PART****

What really ticks me off is I paid top dollar at the dealership for services and this darn tranny still crapped out on me. I thought I was going to have this car without serious problems such as this. Till the car hit 200K.

Then I call the same dealership...... I ask them how much is the Control Solenoid. I give him the check Engine light #P0797. The error also read something about pressure. The dude went from saying it cost $430 to later trying to BS me saying oh.... dude because of your year and VIN# you have given me yours is a special one..... its going to cost you over $1,100. Then I was like holy ****. I later found the part on the Internet for Under $375, The only thing that has me confused is if the Part# and Manufacture#. re the same???? As the ones the dealership has.... are they the same number???

If this guy is not pulling my leg (which I think he is). This is going to be a very, very expensive fix. In just parts alone. If I am not up to the task for doing it my self.... I am looking at maybe $2,000+ with labor and parts and what not. (dealerships kill you with the labor). I will update later on the Solenoid and post back info as I get it. This is to help out the ones without warranties like my self.

Ok so to my fellow 6th Gen Maxima Owners. I found a nice website a while back. I have bought from them before. I have bought Rotors and breaks from these guys and Belts. I can tell you they are good and deliver fast. Its at http://www.autopartswarehouse.com They have a lot of parts for the car And have many performance options as wells from many makers of performance parts.
_____ UPDATE ON THIS POST_____
I will not be buying the motor mounts here or the solenoid. After talking to some people I did not like the feedback on these motor mounts I am going with dealership mounts and I got a nice deal on them close to what they cost on that website. I do how ever belive that link is helpful to buying other things so I will leave it there for now.

 

send your valve body off to LEVEL 10 performance. They will fix it and swap out the crap solenoids for new and better ones. Their service is 595 I think for the whole valve body. That's like paying for 2 solenoids and getting the rest for free.

 

I dont know if I should post numbers or not. But I will let you guys in whats going on so far.

So I talked to a lot of shops and dealers online and talked to some people & friends.

I was seeking information on how to approach the dealers Service Manager with my problem and walked in with knowledge of the problem(s) and what could be causing it. ( Even thought I had a real good idea of what it was already) & walking in knowing what I was talking about.

The end result was this. At the dealership I went. I have a good history of good maintenance on my car. Some of the mechs also know who I am. In the past I even wanted to buy an Extended warranty at that dealership before my original one expired at 75K. The end result was this. The Service tech. Called the warranty guy in the back and told um about my tranny acting up. I was letting them know that its the valve body almost certain of it. They did a diagnostic check on my car. They called me 2 hours later suggesting I should replace the whole transmission & replace the valve body. So the dealership offered to put 50% of the cost and split it with me.

I took them on the offer and said yes. Now I dont know if this is a new transmission. They claim it is... But I have to see it to believe it. At this point I think its a Re-Manufactured tranny. But for something that could possibly be Re-Man Getting something that works with warranty on that installation. Its a win/win. For what I am paying its a steal and getting a heck of a deal.

So my services at dealerships worked out and payed off in the end.
I will keep you guys posted on this matter. Next week is when the new tranny arrives. Nothing is in stone. I do how ever have a deposit with them right now & I was told the tranny was going to be NEW... If it is in fact new I will have them install everything and make sure of it that is new. If I see its used and in bad shape I will reject the offer and demand my new transmission. If its a re manufactured tranny I will take the offer as long as I get a 12/12 deal.

Good news so far. I hope this helps some of you that are going through the same problem. And talk to your dealership hopefully they will be just as nice.

 

Just had them instal a reman last week $3,865 I dont think they put in new ones. pisses me off that they only offer 12/12

 

wow for that much you could have purchased a level 10 transmission which would have been complete and able to withstand 600+ hp. Also comes with a much improved high stall Torque converter.

 

I thought about the level 10 trans but i would have to pay shipping both ways and im in cali and also still have to pay a shop to install.

 

Man I thought of doing what you said.... But the time consumption would have been to much to bare. Well for me anyways I have to much going on to do all the steps that have to be done. So I settled with what the dealer had to offer. Which is a great deal.

I do how ever want to do that rebuild and beef up the valve body. Its just going to crap out again anyways. Its the same Mechanics as I have now.

Its bound to fail. I have lost faith in Nissan but I love this dang car. And the Skyline GTR trannys are crapping out there are so much failures on the system and this is going on with less than 1,000 miles on the GTR. Nissan has a great idea but they executed it very poorly and we are left to pay for there mistakes or get really pissed off. I feel like a test dummy at this point. THE GTR and the 6th Gen Max was very poorly done (tranny wise).

 

You might want to check into that. I think they have the transmission built ship it to you. You pay exact shipping cost upon receipt. Then they give you the option to return your transmission for the core charge. Which is around $1k. Check the site I think it explains the whole process. As for valve body rebuild, the shipping rates are standard and the process is you sending your valvebody in for a makeover. So you pay shipping there and they pay it to you. Either option you pick seems worth the cost to me. Down time would not make a difference to me concidering insurance will pay for your rental if your car is being repaired. Most people think that only applies to when you are in an accident. Not allways the case. call insurance to make sure you are covered.

 

Sorry about the tranny problem. My 06 has 39k miles and has no tranny problems. However at about 20-25k I noticed hard down shifts from 5th to 3rd, especially when traveling down hills. At time 2nd to 3rd would have some hesitation - dealer checked and and was OK. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

yeah keep your finger crossed. I just started getting hard shift from 1st to 2nd and when i slow down too. I keeping my crossed that it doesn't go out for a while or that it something simple thats wrong.

 

With all of the trannie problems the Max has -- including some problems with the CVT -- I remain upset that Nissan has not brought back their best transmission: the 6-speed manual. I have 85 K miles on my 04 and have only changed the fluid once, at 30 K. I'm due for another fluid change at about 90 K. I love the combination of the VQ engine & the 6-speed = It's Great.

(Those with the problem 4 and 5-speed auto trannies - eat your heart out !)

 

im gonna tell you guys one thing....i was just waiting to see this before i said anything....

you never i repeat NEVER change your tranny fluid....you just top it off.....

i had a 4th gen 80k miles 5mt, 5.5gen 25k miles 6mt, 3rd gen altima at, 4th gen altima cvt 93k miles, and now 09 max 11k miles....

not one tranny problem......just top it off

 

You can't be serious. you sound like one of those guys who never replaces their oil either, just top it off. If you have ever changed out the tranny fluid you will know that it should be done. Allmost every tranny I have changed a filter on had shaving in the bottom of the pan or attached to the magnet inside. From Fords to Nissans to VWs. All the same. Follow your recommended tranny fluid guidelines from the dealer for the most part except Nissan's 5AT for 04-06 models. Nissan recommends 60k, from experience I recommend 30k. If it smells burnt then you should change it. If it is dark brown/not red change it. If you check the fluid and it seems overfilled and you didn't add any fluid, or you see suds not fluid, then drain, replace filter, and refill it. If it shifts erratically drain and fill at least before having serviced. These trannies have a defect in their design. Most believe it to be in the valve body. I think it is probably a combination of poor cooling design, valve body design, and torque converter. Nissan does not know what is wrong and that is why they got rid of this transmission in 2006-07. Doesn't that seem odd to have a transmission only put in 2 year models. I think it was a last minute choice because the CVT wasn't ready yet. Now the CVT will be in Nissans forever. They have a CVT2 coming out soon that is supposedly better than the current one.

 

2005 57K miles. .. .driving to work today, and the max choked. rev limited at 2K rpm, and gear stuck in 5. TCS light stuck on, Check Engine as well as Slip. Took 3 times as long to turn on ignition after that. Lets see what the dealer will have to say. Luckily i still have the extended warranty. . . .its sad to see so many tranny issues with this car, mine and others.

 

Is that 57k without ever have the fluid drained and refilled at 30k

 

As far as the 6th Gen... that's what Nissan gets for using a Volvo tranny...

 

Nope. Did the maintenance as told. Update from the dealer. Crank Sensor, tranny both need to be replaced. Oh also, the two front struts need to be replaced (there was a squeaking coming from them for the longest time. . i just been too cheap, pissed, and poor to take it there. .. ). My car has been in the dealership, literally, over 40 times since i bought it back in 05, not including maintenance

 

I would suggest getting another extended warranty on your tranny and engine. Your tranny is still going to mess up in the future. They are using the same mechanics and the same tranny you are going to replace it with.

Its going to mess up later on. If you plan on keeping the car for lets say another 3 to 5 years. I would get it if I were you.

Unless Nissan has seen the problem (which they know of) and are doing something about it. Which I dont think they are. Your getting a Re-man (I dont think its new) factory Tranny which is bound to fail.

I dont know how much you plan to drive as of now. but if your warranty is going to expire I would suggest getting an extended one.

---------------ON ANOTHER NOTE---------------

The dealer called me on Friday around 4 p.m. Saying they had installed the so called (new) tranny. And my car was ready for pick up.

They also found the front motor mount broken. Which I had to tell them 2 times to inspect and they (OMG) finally saw it was broken. So I paid for the motor mount and they installed it for free (of labor that is) along with the tranny.

I told them Check my struts they might be going bad on me. They never said a word about them... I told the guy hey I want your service manager to test drive my car and with me in it and then I test drive it with him as passenger. If something is still wrong I will point it out and expect it to be fixed right.

UBELIVABLE.... I have no warranty and the dealership acts as if nothing is wrong... WTH is wrong with them!!?? I mean damn I am paying for everything what is the damn issue with dealerships these days. Are they hiring idiots who cant inspect a damn car. They see a 2005 model and eyeball it an go.... "oh yea it looks good nothing is wrong"...... Is that what dealership mechanics do these days holy ****.

The bad part was I could not pick up my car because I would not get there on time. So I am picking it up Saturday morning.... I hope everything is fixed and in tip top shape.

 

For the record, I was on my original fluid when mine went at 58k. It's not the fluid fellas, it's the trannies.


I will be doing Level 10 if and when mine goes again. I expect it will, they are are just rebuilds of the model that failed. On the other hand, not all of the trannys failed only about 30%.

 

So I got my car back today. ON the invoice it said I got a RE-Man tranny. I told the dude why is it reman, you guys said it was going to be new (just giving them a hard time, but not being an A** about it.) so they explained why it could not be new, I told them ok thats cool. I cant argue at the fact that I only Paid HALF of what it would have originally have cost me and they tossed in the front motor mount free of labor ( i paid for the part though) which was cool of them to do.

All in all I paid $1,995 with the front motor mount and Taxes, S/H of parts Etc. I also got a new core, new Valve body And 12K miles or 1 year warranty with this deal. How cool is that.

I have to admit the car feels and rides like new. I am happy with the money I have spent I cant argue there. I am going to break in this tranny before I start to put it to the test.

I also noticed the same problems though back when I had my old tranny Which was new off the factory and when it hit 15,000K miles. The same little things that start to happen before the tranny goes bad as time passes.
I already know this tranny will not last me more than 3 years.

The next step to do is take it to Level 10. Get this beefed up before it goes out. I will wait till my warranty expires though. Hopefully it breaks though so I get another reman . I dont want to keep tossing money into this tranny till another year.

Hard decisions ahead.... hate it or love it... This car is cool if it was some other car I would have traded it a long time ago. There really is no correct advice on which direction to go at this point. You either keep the car and toss money into it or trade it in for something else. For me its to late I owe 4k on the car and I have spent to much money in mods to trade it in I am keeping this car for the long run.
Peace.

 

Don't wait, take the car to the best transmission place near where you live and bring the invoice of the reman being installed by nissan. Tell them you want them to do a Level 10 upgrade and where wondering if they can do the work and warrent their work for 3 years/36k miles. Most shops offer that type of warrenty on their work. If this is a good shop then they will know of Level 10. If they haven't ask around you will find a shop. Plus they will feel more comfortable working on an allready working new/reman transmission. This will help you sell the 3 year warrenty deal. If you wait the tranny could be bad enough to pass as working at 1 year and break at 13 months . that is why nissan only offers 1 year warrenty. Their work isn't worth 3 years. Good luck and sounds like you got a steal out of the dealership. My repaired trans was 3500 without MM or anything else. Free of course. Ohh and get the Motor mount inserts installed right away no matter what you deside on doing with my advice. The Inserts will preserve the life of the mounts and keep the engine from moving around with the tranny.

 

Yeah i dont know much about Nissans, but my girlfriends 04 maxima will down-shift randomly during acceleration. Is this the problem everyone else is having? And also, how long does the warranty on the transmission last?

 

One thing I have noticed after switching to Amsoil ATF for my '04 5sp Auto... that random downshift jerking when coasting at lower speeds is pretty much gone completely. 51,000 miles on it too.

 

Funny you mention that I have a close friend who has a 2004 5sp Auto and had the herky jerky issues, she went to the dealer and they recommended Amsoil ATF and some BG additive for ATF before they do anything else. They took it for a test drive and half way through the drive they told her the symptoms were all gone and called her to come pick up her Max.

She picked it up from the dealer and on the drive home she thought they installed a new transmission, she stated to me it never shifted this good when she first purchased it.

That was 14 months ago and I haven't heard anything from her since.

 

Yeah... I was really surprised, actually.

Too bad you haven't heard from her since! lol

 

Well I see her a few times a month and hasn't mentioned any issues with her Max, I know she would as she knows about my two cars and my weird craving for all things Nissan.

 

Ok cool, ill try using Amsoil ATF and see how it works out.

 

I will be switching to this as well when my tranny is done.

 

OK guys 05 max with about 100k miles on it now, transmission is just about shot now going to cost over $3K to replace with rebuilt one, its cheaper to get a used from a crashed Max, anyone know what other Nissans/Infiniti's transmissions fit on the 05 Max, any help would be appreciated....thanks