I"m buying an 04' Maxima SE Friday. I'm new to the Maxima although I own an 03' 350Z 6sp that I bought new...
I'm buying a one owner car that was dealer maintained. Never been hit according to carfax, everything seems legit. Car has 126k on it. Trans has been serviced regularly along with coolant flushes and oil changes. Are there any tell tail signs of trans problems that I should be aware of when I test drive the car?
Thanks!

Eric

 

I'm guessing it's a 5spd auto? Look through the transmission fix thread at the top of this page, a good amount of info in there.

In short, look for:

SES trouble codes pertaining to the transmission
rough engagement / delayed shifting from P-R, R-D. P-D etc,
harsh upshifting and downshifting
shift 'flare' or high revs before engaging with a violent bang
car getting stuck in 5th gear (failsafe mode, usually can be resolved by replacing the camshaft position sensors).
check fluid condition

Important: Make sure you give the car a good amount of time to heat up (at least 20 minutes), as in some cases these issues do not present themselves until the car is completely warm (happened to me!)

Good luck, and welcome!

 

Thanks!

 

how do I know if the auto trans is 4 or 5 speed? Did they exclusively put the 5 speed auto in the SE and 4 speed in the SL? Thanks again

 

The shifter I believe will tell you

tiptronics = 5 speed

 

OK, seems easy enough
Seems like auto trans problems are inevitable with these 04-05 models, even if they have been maintained with fluid changes?? Sorry for the stupid questions, not trying to buy a problem though!

 

Yes, though some SL come with 5speed too.