KYTater

Hello All,

New member and new Maxima owner here. On Friday I purchased a 2005 Maxima SE with the 5 speed Auto tranny. It has 105,000 miles and seems not to have any of the symptoms described in this thread. It came from a mom and pop dealer who bought it from auction, so I don't know the history other than what is on Carfax, which indicates no transmission work or maintenance. I checked the fluid and it does not smell burnt but is definitely reddish-brown.

I want to AVOID trashing this transmission and would like to get some input as to what would be the best course of action. I have seen discussions about doing 3 to 4 drain/fills with Matic K, and I have also seen others (not here) recommending to switch to a "compatible" full synthetic ATF from Mobil_1 or Amsoil. I have seen lots of recommendations saying ONLY use Matic K though. Most of those discussions were from several years ago.

So, would doing the fluid drain/fill right now be the best first course of action to ward off problems? Or would anybody recommend getting the valve body replacement done before problems start?

Any thoughts on Matic K vs Full Synthetic "compatible" to Matic K? (I'm going to go with the more expensive Matic K by default unless someone can convince me that a full synthetic would be more beneficial other than to my checkbook.)

Thanks and cheers,
Greg

Costee

Stick with Matic K. You may do the drain/refill thrice. Wait a while on the valve body until it announces itself.

KYTater

Thanks Costee. And I will need 11 qts of the Matic K, correct? Or 12?

Costee

The rule is refill with the quantity drained. At all events I don't think you'd need more than 3.5qts at first refill. Yes, you don't need more than 11qts.

KYTater

Thanks again, Costee! This forum is a wealth of information.

If anyone is interested I found single quarts of Matic K on Amazon for $11.38 with free shipping (Amazon Prime). I also found a better deal if you buy 12 qts on eBay that is $118.83 including shipping. So that would bring it down to $9.90/qt if you buy 12.

Will be doing the transmission drain/fills this weekend.

Cheers,
Greg

Eddie Baird

I have an 05 maxima doing the same thing with code p0735 came up twice when tested please help with any hints to fix or cheaply thanks

mrkannan3

I have Altima 2005 3.5 SL (I think its a same engine as Maxima) and having the same issue with slipping gear when I stop and start from lights. This is not happening for little while when I use the car for very first time on every days. Please let me know if this will fix. I dont want to spend about $500 and its not fixing the problem. your help is much appreciated.

Enoch Kuo

I have a question here since my transmission is rebuilt and it also includes a remanufactured valve body. Will the remanufactured Nissan valve body have the same issues or is it one of the newer ones with the Nissan fix? (Do I need to also buy the Rostra solenoid?)

Anchalus

Pls am in nigeria using 2005 maxima. Apart from mobile 1 is there any other good engine transmission oil? And also what kind of gear transmission oil s good because mine gear have nt being selecting well bt am tld that nissan oil is so costly... Pls any help?

logokster

Hey. I am posting to say thank you to everyone for coming up with the solenoid fix. I purchased my Maxima new and I have 150k miles on it. I started having the transmission issue about a year ago and it started with delayed/hard shifts between D/R and R/D. Then a few months ago it started between 1/2 and 2/1. I decided I would give the fix a try since it cost less than $200 total including the Rostra solenoids and transmission fluid. I wasn't optimistic I would be able to pull it off and I fully planned to be purchasing a newer vehicle when I failed...well it was a success. It took me about 5 hours or so total. Thank you again.

AndrewNelson

Hi folks,

I've been searching with no luck since there are a few temp sensors and I get a lot of false hits. I installed the Transgo kit and everything seemed to go back together without a problem, except my big fingers getting in the way. Put it all back together and topped up the fluid. Put the car in reverse to get it out of the way and it seemed to shift fine. Backed it up slightly and stopped. Shifted back into Park. When I shifted into drive I had no gears. Same when back into reverse. It sounds like (RPM changes) but it doesn't go into gear. I took the valve body cover off and the a/t fluid temp sensor was not in.

This might sound like a silly question but, if the sensor was not in place would it cause this issue, or so i need to keep digging into the valve body to see if there is a different issue? It seems like when I put it in reverse I didn't have the sensor in tight enough and it pushed out and now can't get the pressure it needs to shift. I'd like this to be a simple solution.

Thanks in advance and sorry if this is in fact a dupe post.

Cheers,
Andrew

mrkannan3

Thanks to all. I was able to replace 3 solenoids and improved a lot but still having some delay (almost a second) between 2nd and 3rd. I am going to drive for a week to see if its getting improved. I cannot thank you enough for your directions and tips.

atmans

Hey all,

First, yes, I own a 2005 Altima SER and hope to have her for a long time (I love its look and power). I have confirmed that I have the same transmission as you awesome maxima owners - RE5F22A.
I bought the car used with only about 140k on it and when I took it for a test drive from the lot, I did not notice any problems (other than the usual SER oil pressure sensor - false 0 pressure warning). However, by the time i drove 40 miles home I noticed a pretty bad problem with the transmission. In short, ONLY WHEN AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE, the transmission has bad 2-3 and 3-4 lag in engagement and awful bucking downshifts 4-3, 3-2, 2-1 can all be felt very prominently. Also. the car has harsh 4 second delays in P-D and R-D when warm. They are delayed, and VERY harsh.
Again I will iterate this only happens when warm and at operating temp. The first start of the day and long periods of rest between starts have near no problems. No harsh R-D engagement and no delays, also the downshifts are not nearly as noticeable. Tranny fluid seems in good shape, a couple shades darker than fresh, but still very red and smells new.
I am very keen on trying to replace the solenoids and am more than willing to do the work. (I have read most of these posts here also...)
Anyone think it will give my transmission some relief?
Thanks.

Costee

Is the SES light on? The symptoms point to a valve body issue alright. The issue may be solved by changing the three pressure solenoids. But sometimes too the other five shift solenoids might have become compromised. Changing the pressure solenoids is the cheapest route, but the more secure option (albeit more expensive) is the valve body change. Good luck whatever option you choose.

atmans

No SES, and no dormant codes. I am going to purchase the solenoids and do the install some time soon.
I will definitely report back with results.

Jimbeezeetheman

Hey guys! This is my first post, asking for help. I have an 06 Nissan maxima 5speed. I'm trying to diagnose the problem with the transmission. Hopefully you can hear the sound in the video, minus the rain and wipers. Shifts from 1st and 2nd fine, maybe 3rd, but can't really tell. Downshifts fine as well. Idles quiet. From reverse to park, doesn't make a thump sound, but shifts into the gear slowly. These are the codes that came up on the last scan U1000 p0726 p0882. Thinking there might be a problem with the ecm, but not sure. Any help appreciated! https://www.dropbox.com/s/gzo7iwqyijwm98u/20180105_123148.mp4?dl=0

Costee

If my reading of the FSM is anything to go by, I think the principal culprit is P0882. You may proceed by checking the A/T PV IGN relay. It is located near the TCM in the passenger compartment (under the glove box) and blue coloured. Check too 10A fuse [No. 19, located in the fuse block (J/B under steering wheel to the left) or No. 48, located in the IPDM E/R in the engine bay by the windshield washer reservoir].

Jimbeezeetheman

thank you for the prompt reply! ok, couple questions...1-I located the relay under the glove box, but what is it I'm looking for, or how do I check it? When I located the fuse block under the driver side in the fuse block, they aren't labeled with numbers so I checked all the 10a fuses haha. They all looked good though.. And 2- the fuse box near the windshield washer fluid I located, but what is the name of the fuse because they are labeled with names, but no numbers?

Costee

Try and download the FSM for more information, especially on the wiring schematics. Meanwhile to determine the integrity of the relay it says to "apply 12V direct current between A/T PV IGN relay terminals 1and 2; and "Check continuity between relay terminals 3 and 5."

Jimbeezeetheman

do you have any information on my car possibly being in "limp mode", or how do get it out of that?

Costee

Limp mode can be caused by sundry things. Is the gear indicator on the instrument cluster displaying 5? What code(s) are you getting?

Jimbeezeetheman

yes when I go to higher speeds, it says it's going into 5th gear, but reving high. The codes I got in my recent odb scan yesterday says P0171 p0174 p0882 u1000 p0726. I put in a new battery cause of the p0882 code, but that didn't help.

Costee

The presence of U1000 indicates an electrical issue, and I think P0882 has something to do with it.

atmans

I have installed the rostra solenoids and replaced the transmission fluid about 2 months ago.
The days after install seemed a bit off but the shifts did get better over time. It wasn't a crazy increase over a week or two, but noticeable enough. After about a month, though, 1-2 and 2-3 started thumping and are not smooth transitions. Also, when very cold there is a 2-3 bind up where it feels like it won't let go of 2 fast enough. This does not happen when the tranny is warm. And the downshift bumps were also 100% gone.
I then took it to a tranny shop and they were willing to pull the codes and reset the shift learning to see if it would tune it better to the way I drive. There were 2 codes P0726 and P0882 in the tcm but I am not sure if they were there before the fix or after as I didn't check tcm codes beforehand. I had them cleared and the shift learn cleared. This cleaned up the shifts a little bit, but not much at all. (I haven't had the codes checked again.)
1-2 and 2-3 bump when warm, but I haven't tried tuning the solenoids. Anyone think this will help?
I also haven't replaced the motor mounts, they don't look completely shot, but have a couple of cracks in 2 mounts.

I am glad I did the install. It helped the transmission quite a bit, but I don't think its anywhere close to shifting as good as it should. I would like to hear any thoughts on tuning the solenoids.

po8pimp

I'm not sure you can "Tune" the solenoids. I didn't do the solenoid replacement yet, just the shift kit. Might want to open it back up and check everything over again make sure you didn't miss anything. My buddy did this repair with no issues and shifting like butter. Also cracks in the motor mounts means they need replaced. You will not see the worst of it until the motor is revved high. The engine needs to lift or torque to notice the damage. I replaced mine with stock OEM and poly inserts. Huge difference.

po8pimp

You my friend have the Camshaft/Crankshaft Position Sensor Error. Will cause Limp mode and the U1000 (generic electrical code to trans) and possibly the p0882. Replace both CSP sensors with OEM and nothing else. You will thank me later. You can read up on the CSP sensor issues with this car. Short story is they heat up expand and create hairline cracks allowing gas/oil mixture inside them, ultimately damaging them. easy repair, but costly around $90 each sensor.

https://www.autocodes.com/p0726_nissan.html

Anthi Tony

Here is a 2004 Nissan Maxima SE going for $500 https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...10805079716212 It states in the decription that it has 160,000 miles on it; And, they belive "The camshaft and transmission are nearly shot on this barely runs but it moves" . What do you think the chance is that the info just above, and this Transgo shift kit - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/TRG-RE4F04B-HD2/ - with other pertinent information from this thread would bring this baby back to life?

Jerry Hicks

po8pimp

There are a lot out there that fit exactly what you are saying. Side mechanics and car salesman do exactly this. Buy the cars, fix them and sell them for huge profit gains.

Josh_951

Hi everyone. First off thanks for all the input on this thread. It has helped me considerably. Can anyone tell me the relearn procedure for the re5f22a? My car is an 04. I tried it with my snapon scanner but it just won't do it for some reason. Is there a manual way ? Thanks

nemrod811

Theres a manual way there is no other way that I know of to do the shift relearn it's really easy its buried somewhere in this thread I read every page when i did my max,u just gotta look try the search button for shift relearn

Josh_951

Some high end scanners can do it. However I did search on here and it just brings up a link on sonnax's website that's expired...

Costee

A relearn is only necessary when you install a used tcm or transmission. If it's just the vb, then it's plug and play.

Josh_951

Costee

Ok. I just sent you a mail.

Josh_951

Thank you.

Ceelow94

Hello everyone,
Thank you all for your helpful insights and info.
Feel like I’m beating a dead horse with this 40 page fun read.
So in a nutshell, 140k. I replaced the 3 solenoids.
Performed the relearn. Car was shifting and driving fine for a few miles. Finally took on the highway and getting off the highway I came to a stop. Gave it gas and car didn’t move anymore. No ses. Put in neutral car rev’d fine, put back in D and nothing. Car would not move. I shut off the car and turned it back on and now moved a few blocks in D. Then lost power again midblock. Car turns on but feels like it’s in failsafe mode.
Did I perform the relearn incorrectly ?
Do I need to play with the adjustment screws on the solenoids?
Again. Thank you so much for all your help!
greatly appreciated!

Ronstang

Very late to the game but I just starred having tranny trouble with my 05 at 109K miles. I am doing the solenoid replacement as I type. This thread is so old all the links are dead and I cannot find the torque sequence on the VB cover and I cannot find the CPU relearn process anywhere either. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.

Costee

Maybe this: https://rostrapowertrain.com/wp-cont.../Form5250B.pdf

scrui

I don't recommend doing a solenoid swap. Buy the whole throttle body. I have two 2005's. I did one at 89k, and the other at 100k. Its more expensive but mind at ease Never had an issue again. Knock on wood. Easy swap. Only thing is I don't know how much they go for now a days. I bought mine through Courtney nissan online. $844 back then.