So I just bought a 2006 maxima with the 5 speed auto from my father in law. Only got driven a couple time per week as of late and currently turned over 80000k.

The other night I did a couple of WOT runs up to about 80 just seeing what it still had. The next morning under the car was about a 10 in diameter spot of tranny fluid. I pulled the dipstick out and immediately started gushing fluid out of the fill tube. I was a bit concerned so I figured I'd do the whole 3 drains and replace for the fluid procedure.

I drained out maybe 4 quarts and then stared to put fluid in I got 3/4ths through the first quart and the fluid stopped going down. Airbubble...It burped and took the rest in the funnel. Got most of the rest of the way through the remainder of the fluid in the bottle before it stopped going down the fill tube again. So I stood there just staring at the half full funnel for a couple of minutes and it aint budging.

So I get in and start the car to see if that will make a difference. Sure did. It took the fluid right down. So I open the second bottle of fluid and get about a quarter way through it ( going down smooth ) and it stops again. Not only does it stop but it looks like its backing up. Fluid starts coming back up the fill tube. If that didnt worry me enough suddenly woosh!! It gushes fluid and air out of the fill tube and makes a mess out of the engine compartment. I go through this goofy routine (fill stop gush) for about 4/5ths of the second quart and I give up.

I button the car up, back it off the ramps and pull it out to the street. The front of the car looks like a horror show. Red tranny fluid everywhere and dripping down.

So..... Why the hell is this car possessed? I have NEVER seen this behavior from a car before. Do I just cut my losses and trade it in before the tranny grenades? I've driven this car many times and the transmission feels solid. I got a hell of a deal on it so I have no problems trading it in. I'd rather keep it but I dont love it enough to put a new transmission in it.

 

This is weird, it seems like the system is clogged and the fluid is just circulating in the drain pan and not being recirculating back into the system. If that would be the case to a clogged system then the car would not move but you said that the car drivable? Id just do a full flush. Find the line coming out of the radiator that takes the cool fluid back into the trans, disconnect it and put it into a container to hold the fluid. Start the car and see if the fluid actually comes out of that hose. if so let it come to the point where no more fluid comes out and keep track of how much comes out.

Figure out then if the system has too much fluid in it.

 

Yes it drives just fine. Been driving fine for about 25k and I know no one has touched the transmission in that time.

If it did have too much fluid in in then wouldn't issues have showed up by now? Can I just let the engine come up to operating temp and then check the fluid or do I need to drive it to get the transmission up to the proper temp too? I probably got half back in what I drained so naturally I don't want to be driving it with less fluid in it than it needs.

 

might be a good time to have a professional look at it. with the car sitting, on cold fluid, what do you register on the dipstick? just curious.

 

I'll head out there this morning and take a pic I think.

 

Its been a while since I posted. Sorry.

I went out there tonight to check the fluid cold and not running. Pulled the stick and it didnt even register.

I figured that I would try to put back what I took out so I poured in about 2/3 of a quart and started it up. I let it run for about 45 min and went beck out there to check on it. Apparently it had been spitting fluid out while I was in the hose because there was about 1/2 a quart of fluid all over the ground.

I guess its time to take it to the tranny shop. I can tell already that I'm going to regret buying this car. I'm thinking no matter the outcome I'm just going to put a shine job on it and trade it in. I wont own a car I cant work on.

 

You checked the fluid level while not running the car?
Why? WHY?