Before asking me why I would want to do this (vs. getting a 5 speed manual), please just tell me if it is possible to mate a 5 speed automatic from a 6th Gen (or 5th Gen?) to a 4th Gen VQ?

If not, then what about the 4-speed auto from the same model group?


Thanks in advance.

 

You must know something I don't because I prefer the 4th Gen 4 spd even on the VQ35. Much faster at shifting the 1-2 and 2-3 and especially the 3-4 where the 5th Gen autos are really bad.

 

No manual mode on 4th Gen's. That is what I want to have.

Don't know about your automatic, but mine cannot make up its mind sometimes whether to downshift to 3rd or 2nd. "Hunting" I believe is the term.

Simply turning off O/D when I want 3nd instead of 2nd is one thing I do. Also, turning off O/D and then hitting the pedal will guarantee I get 2nd gear instead of 3rd. when I need it.

A manual mode (shiftronic, tiptronic, etc..) would do away with all this nonsense (besides the 5-sp manual swap).

Unless, the automatics on all subsequent models are really as crappy as you say they are.

 

The only advantage is the gear ratios... Other than that, the wiring would be a total nightmare that you would never wake up from.

 

No it is possible unless you can figure out a bunch of electronics or swap the entire 6th gen engine, harness, ecu, and tcm.

The CAN system > us.

 

 

Canadia??

 

Actually, doing the whole VQ35 + tranny swap is what I would eventually do.

 

actually the CAN is the bus system that the 99+ ECU's and tcms use to communicate vs. the tranny outputs 1-4 on previous 4thgen ECUs

i seem to recall this topic being discussed previously so i will resurrect this thread:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=450152

like all other threads it seemed to go off topic at times..

dr-rip: that's probably the best route to go to actually getting the 5at to work. Get yourself a 2002 Maxima FSM and do some reading in the EC and AT sections to get started.

 

6th gen is the full CAN system IIRC. Before that it is just partial.

 

i think its a bad idea
but thats just my 2 cents
no offense to anyone

 

Do you know something I didn't mention? Please share..

 

I agree, it's alot more cost effective and practical to throw the 4spd auto in there. Not to mention it's most likely lighter than the 6th gen 5spd auto, and as Jime said, it shifts quicker. If you want to shift gears yourself, get a 5spd.

 

Ever have a situation, like getting stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for two hours, and wished you did not have to shift all the time?


Ever injure your left leg to the point where you cannot operate a clutch without major pain?



5-speeds are great....but NOT all of the time. The previous car to my Max was a 5-speed. My Max was an automatic, and I thank God it was not a 5-speed. Otherwise, my left leg would have been more screwed up than it is now after this A-hole pulled out in front of me and I rammed my Max into his POS.

Sometimes I get the feeling that those with 5-speeds treat their gearboxes as some kind of sacred, religious object, and treat other drivers who have automatics as being less than human.

 

He said it shifts quicker than the 5g auto, not 6gen.

This thread IS about a 5 speed, you mean 5MT...
Lets clear things up...

This thread = 5AT, most refer to 5 spd when referring to a 5MT, but not in this particular thread.

 

Thanks, NmexMax. I did write "5-speed automatic" in the subject line...but, then again, who ever reads that?

And you're right about members making 5-speed" synonymous with manual...as if that was the only tranny that has five forward speeds.

Another possibility instead of getting a new tranny is for me to get my present 4AT rebuilt and change out the TC and TB for high performance ones.

That is, assuming I want to keep it.

 

You understand what I meant. Thanks for clearing it up though.

 

If you are purely interested in getting to shift your auto via auto-stick like feature there is a "manumatic" mod for the Auto which allows you to control the shifting of the gears, up to a certain point (i think it won't let you go into first unless you come to a stop? not very certain) this was discussed here previously.

 

Yes it can be done, and without the CAN BUS.

 

I've seen a box with buttons that does the shifting. I hope that is not what you had in mind.

 

I've gotten in bad traffic with my manual, and i really didn't mind shifting. Traffic is traffic.

Don't make this about something it's not. Many people prefer 5spd manual over 4spd auto, typically the younger crowd. I know I did, that's why I swapped. Also, the 5spd manual with the stock engine provides better performance, and an all around faster car than the 4spd auto.

No, I have never had a left leg injury, but I would imagine If I couldn't drive my manual, that would be a lot different than if I didn't want to. An auto would be a necessity. It's a bit different, as you don't really have a choice in the matter.

 

More details or point me to what I should read about..

 

That would be a Plus 1 sir....

 

RTFM like I did.

 

AHHH crap he wont spoon feed us!!!

/sarcasim

~Alex

 

> *

 

why would you say that

 

Because of responses like this (after I ask people to limit their discussion to automatics):

And yes, I'll still take the stick shift, thanks. I've driven a CVT and I can't stand how they feel. The 6-gear premap will help it to the standing of a regular auto, but IMO neither one compares in even the slightest bit. If anyone thinks that an auto can be funner than a stick, they haven't driven a stick.

 

EPA estimates for the 1998 i30:

Fuel Economy (city / hwy): Front-Wheel Drive

4-Speed Automatic Overdrive 21 / 28 mpg
5-Speed Manual Overdrive 21 / 26 mpg

SHOCK!! The slushbox gets better mileage?

 

Welcome to 12 years ago.
That's old news

 

Man FSM confused me. It seems our TCM is has more wires going to the ecu than the 6th gen.

It seems as long as the tcm gets the various sensor readings it will work. Maybe we can wire up a 5speed ecu and a 6th gen TCM and not have any cels.

Prob a bad idea that wont work

 

If you use the new TCM you need to talk to it somehow. Maybe there is a CAN converter out there somewhere to make the job easier. You could also use an aftermarket TCM that will control the 5pd, however those things are pretty expensive ($700 for the one I found).

Then there is option C, use the 4spd TCM to control the 5spd auto for the first 4 gears then rig up some other kind device to activate the 5th gear solenoid.

 

Option C seems easiest to make. I need to dig up this old thread and show you.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=69043

Like that thread? Rig up something that will make it shift into 5th.

 

Not to someone who buys a used 4th Gen today!

Forget the original EPA estimates, in the real-world, after these cars have been broken in, the mileage data seems to favor the 5-speed manuals in both city & highway (that is, if what other members are saying is true). So, old news can be misleading. Yes?

The only way I can get 21 mpg in the city (usually it is 18+) is if I can drive on the city's interstates with no traffic around, or drive on the local roads with a tailwind.

Now, when I do get onto the highway, I roll up 31mpg, which is not too shabby for a 4-speed automatic.

My point is that I may not want a 5-speed automatic if the MPG's I get with it are goling to be less than the 4-speed AT.