CorollaULEV

2010 Maxima SV with 148,000mi. Bout time for something major to F up. Drove car to town...10 miles. Got into walmart parking lot and noticed that if i took foot off brake let car creep, it has a shuddering at round 2-3mph and then stops. Thought it was odd but maybe i hadnt noticed it before. Nope...got back in car and in drive or reverse, can hit accel pedal to floor and the car just does nothing. Absolutely ZERO power. Floor the accel pedal and it barely creeps along, then if i keep it to the floor long enough, eventually it will take off normally.

Now it wont even make it up my driveway. It also will not go into drive or reverse unless i allow it to cool down and then, still huge power reduction on take off. With car stopped and pedal to floor in D or R, it will rev up and apply power intermittently but takes time.

Using Autoenginuity (thank everything holy I bought this) it is pulling a code P0868 from the transmission control module - low secondary line pressure. Thinking my valve body has crapped out. Fluid changed 35,000mi ago and now it still looks great...very light tan, clear and does not look or smell burnt. TARGET secondary pressure at WOT at idle is 4.5Mpa and actual is about 1.7Mpa (sensor data read from Autoenginuity). At idle the target is 0.9 and actual is 0.1. Oddly, if it is in neutral the the target and actual pressure are the same. In gear, no. You cant feel it shift from N to D or N to R either. Thinking valve body, but dunno. Seems pressure related. Transmission does not whine, makes no odd noises, has never and this problem never existed until today.

Advice from intelligent experts?

Thanks...

ThinBlue82

iTrader: (1)

Damn. Sorry to hear about your cvt. Hope it's a simple fix. Keep us posted!

LtLeary

This is EXACTLY what happened to me when the alternator died. No other indications of low voltage/current. Engine revved fine in park/neutral. If you fully charge your battery, you may drive a few miles just fine. Take a look at your charging system. It is surely easier to replace the cvt than the alternator as you have to remove the AC compressor, but with the symptoms you outlined, that is very similar to what happened to me.

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

I was thinking the same thing. I remember that no matter how much I pushed the pedal I was only able to inch along.

I had the valve body on my transmission replaced under warranty, but never experienced those issues.

CorollaULEV

Thanks for the reply. That's exactly what mine is doing. Seems like if you can actually get it up to a decent speed, then whatever is leaking in there seals itself up and power is normal. However, it will shift into D or R....barely and then if you floor the gas, it will just barely creep along.

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

Sorry Corolla....need to clarify... The first part of my statement was in response to LtLeary's post.

I didn't have those symptoms with the CVT, it was due to a malfunctioning alternator.

What my CVT did exhibit was a lag in between changes from Drive to Reverse & vice versa. I believe more noticeable at startup. Once the valve body was changed, that went away. They ended up changing out my CVT when the other symptom was still present....CVT in sport mode & getting stuck in "1st gear". The RPMs would go very high & just stay there unless I stopped pushing on the pedal.

Lambo

I get the shuddering but instead of when letting off brake and coasting. For me it's when I go apply the gas. Too little it shudders. Give more and it smooths through glad to hear the alternator comment. But my guess was maybe a bad motor mount. I've had two bad motor mounts on a v6 accord couple and it felt kinda the same. Bye my car only has 62xxx

CorollaULEV

Well folks - same old same old. I pulled enough stuff off to get to the valve body electrical connector on the transmission, tested resistance of the line and secondary solenoids (3-9 ohms spec, they both tested 6.7) - so they are good. Who knows what they are doing when they get hot, though.

I ordered a new valve body from Nissan at $1152.51, a new transmission costs $2100. Junkyard transmissions run in the $1000 range. I sent a sample of the oil to Blackstone for analysis to rule out anything mechanical in the transmission, as I'm highly suspecting that it's electrical in nature, but who knows what I might have burned up in there by running it 15 miles with a bummed valve body and low pressures. I'm sure it won't be good and I'm probably looking at a new (or used) transmission. I just can't see it being a problem with anything other than the valve body. The Muranos apparently have a TSB for the P0868 and no power from a stop and it was problems with the valve body. Replaced transmission fluid 37,000 miles ago, but I've never changed the filter, so I may try that first, as clogged filter can cause this problem (then you gotta chase down whatever is getting chewed up to clog the filter up with debris).

Will keep y'all posted. Whichever way it goes, I'm doing all the work and will post some nice photos.

Late,
Travis

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

That sucks, sorry this happened to your ride...I was actually thinking of your situation today & was going to ask how it was going. Definitely keep us posted. I was debating whether or not to keep my Maxima past the 120k warranty. I really like my car....so does my daughter who is eyeballing it, she just turned 14.

CorollaULEV

Yeh...appreciate the good thoughts. It's been such a great car, I can't justify scrapping it or trading it. Well, scrapping isn't a good idea considering I still owe 14,000 on it. However, tires, brakes, oil and transmission fluid and I've literally done very little else into it and it's held up well otherwise. Keeping fingers crossed that fluid analysis comes back okay, but not optimistic about it. I really don't have the cash for new or used transmission. Already paid for the valve body, which sort of screwed the rest of the bills for the month. Oh well...live and learn. If I can get by with valve body (already paid for) then I will be one VERY happy person. However, I keep looking to the day when I have time to put new VB on there and it still has the same problem...THEN I will be...dreadfully and woefully depressed and looking for a junkyard tranny I guess. But from the HOURS upon HOURS of research I've done, and reading all 189 pages in the TM section of the FSM, everything I've read suggests the VB as the culprit. It ran too good before this happened for it to be a mechanical problem with the transmission. Heavily relying on that tranny fluid analysis to come back clean tomorrow but quite pessimistic that it will.

Bummed I am...

LtLeary

Very bleak right now, but best wishes for a quick and (relatively) easy and inexpensive fix!

vball_max

iTrader: (5)

how do you still owe $14,000 on a car with 148,000 miles?

CorollaULEV

Yeah exactly - they saw me coming. Went $5000 upside down and financed $41000 on this car March 2011 for a 6 yr loan. Also drive 30,000+ miles per year.

Got fluid analysis back. Iron is slightly more elevated. Went from 91 at 43,000mi to 117 at 111,000 miles and now at 145. Personally, I don't think that's significant. The intervals were all roughty 40,000 miles when those samples were taken. Also think I might have scraped up some iron from the transmission pan because I used the Blackstone kit to suck it out of the dipstick tube.

As for now, I'm thinking the transmission itself is okay. Driving it 15 miles with a crapped out valve body and low pressures as well as about 30 minutes worth of diagnosis and periodic stall tests while reading fluid pressure probably didn't help matters.

I'm proceeding with valve body replacement on Friday and Saturday and REALLY keeping my fingers crossed that I haven't needlessly blown $1000 on the new valve body only to turn around and purchase another transmission.

Think good thoughts for me, folks...positive energy and such. LOL.

maximase86

iTrader: (24)

Does rubbing a Buddha belly count?

Good luck with this man. Hoping for a positive outcome.

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

Yes, definitely pulling for you & hoping that will take care of the problem.

CorollaULEV

Update: didn't get very far into valve body replacement. Pulled pan and massive amount of metal shavings in there. Looks like someone took a knife and just sliced big strips of metal off - lots of powder and some little triangular keepers laying in the pan. Obviously someone major has gotten trashed in there. So...junkyards here I come.

Majorly bummed...

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

That's really sucks.....figure you're returning the valve body & using that towards another cvt? Hopefully they don't hit you up with a restocking fee.

CorollaULEV

I am going to TRY to return valve body tomorrow. I hope the dealership will take it back. I opened it up...like a dummy "oh hey - let me see what $1000 got me". It was wrapped up in plastic, then absorbent fabric then boxed. Either way - I pulled it out of all of the wrapping but obviously never did anything more.

Think they'll take it back at all? I'll be escorted out by law enforcement if not. LOL. Shi'yadeh (Navajo for what the h3LL)...

LtLeary

That is terrible news, my sincere condolences. I don't think you will have an issue at the dealer. In my experience, the parts guys are pretty straight with you.

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

I don't think it will be an issue...always good to check the parts before starting the job.

ghost722

Sorry to hear about your issues. Looks like you had no trouble obtaining a valve body. I've been waiting over 3 weeks for one and my dealer keeps telling me it hasn't come in yet.

CorollaULEV

Oddly, i ordered on Monday and was at dealer on Weds. HEY....do you want mine?? LOL.

Sort of serious.

It's a 2010 Maxima with the 31020-1XE2A transmission (I believe mine superceded the 1XE0D).

I can't figure it out exactly if 1XE0D came before 1XE2A (I believe this is how it is) or vice versa. I'd be glad to give VIN and let Nissan tell you if it would work for yours. From parts.nissan.com (and a few others) says 1XE0D was 08/09 to 08/10 and 1XE2A was 08/10 to 05/11. My build date is 06/10 so something doesn't add up perfectly there. Either way - mine still has the barcode sticker on the tranny and it is definitely the 1XE2A...parts sites state either transmission is compatible with my car.

It was odd how that worked out...$1152.51 is what 2 local dealers quoted me, said there was one in SC that had one in stock. I thought I would save some time (because at the time I thought it would be a quick fix and the SC dealer isn't that far from me) called the SC dealer and was told "$1300" - mentioned that two other dealers told me $1152.51. The gal wasn't too happy and said "well, they're giving you the wrong price, but since they told you $1152.51, that means I have to give it to you for that price" - then called a 3rd local dealer and was told $1152.51, but he let me have it for $1000 even. Never knew they could modify the pricing of parts like that at the dealerships...

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

I always ask them if they can give me a better price....that's if I'm not getting parts from my friend, who is an Infiniti mechanic. Many times they lower the price for me.

ghost722

I'd buy yours, but I doubt my dealer would reimburse me. I'm still under warranty.

CorollaULEV

Oh. Yup - thought you were in the same sad boat I'm in. LOL. Nevermind in that case...

And yeah - highly doubt the dealer would touch that one with a 10 foot pole.