I think my car is falling apart. I've got almost 80k on it now, had it for a year and a half. So last week the auto is starting to shudder when downshifting from 3rd to 2nd; BUT only when you accelerate "slowly" (it doesn't do it if you just mash the gas). It's a 1-2 second "bumpy" noise/feel (best I can describe it). Like it's missing the gear, then locks in place. Upshifting doesn't seem to have problems. And it does not do it if I try to manually downshift to 2nd and accelerate. Only if it tries on it's own. Fluid level is ok, no leaks that I can tell.

Any ideas? it's doubtful, but someone tell me that a cheap tranny additive can fix this... What pisses me off is that I hust had the tranny serviced (flushed) about 3 months ago as maintainance to keep this sort of thing from happening.

 

I would post this thread on the 4th gen site and ask Daniel B. Martin specifically. Ask for his help in your thread title.

 

Hey, I think my superblack Maxima is the official "dust magnet." It's been in my sig for like three years now.

Seriously, if your transmission is acting funny, there is a way to pull a code from the TCM (not ECU). It involves using the O/D indicator light and the instructions are in the Haynes repair manual (you can get one from your local library I think). I think Daniel Martin would also gladly post that info for you. I would post it, but I'm up in college now and I left my Haynes book at my folks house.

 

Shuddering is a classic sign of clutches slipping or starting to fail. No way to fix this easy.

Time to rebuild the tranny (or find one to replace it with). Its not bad yet, you definately have time to look for a new one.

The flush might have actually caused debris into the clutch area and damaged the clutches. If it hadn't been changed regularly, its best to not change it at all (in cases where fluid is burnt).

I doubt seriously it is electrical. The only other thing it could be is the torque convertor (just thought of it). Sometimes debris will damage the rotors in the TC and cause pre-mature wear. Check the fluid to see if it smells burnt or fluid is overheating(bubbles).

An additional fluid cooler may be a good quick fix to more severe problems down the road.

 

Thanks, Don. This is scaring me big-time. How much does a replacement tranny/TC cost?? (how about versus an upgraded level 10 system?) When the shop flushed it(at 68k miles), and replaced the filter, there was not a trace of debris either in the pan or on the filter, or the magnet on the pan, which actually suprised the mechanic.
Fluid levels seem ok, and it's not burnt from the look or smell of it.

I'm going to look into a cooler I think.