I am in the process of putting in my Quaife LSD so I have my transmission apart. My car right now has 67,000 miles on it. Anyway I feel this post is so important I'm posting it twice in the Main forum and the 4th generation forum. I know this will be hard to visualize unless you've seen the insides of the tranny or have a FSM. I've got the input shaft and main shaft somewhere else, but I'm right now working on the differential assembly. All of my bearings and gears and synchros in the main and input shafts look fine. The driver side differential carrier bearing is fine, and visible before you take the differential assembly out of the tranny case. Anyway upon removing the differential assembly, low and behold my right side bearing had spalling and chips all in the rollers and within the bearings as well. Please visit www.motorvate.ca for more information on somebody else with the same problem, except my transmission didnt show any signs of this yet, but certainly after a while it would give away.

THIS IS THE FIRST/LAST/ONLY NISSAN CAR I WILL EVER BUY!!!!!!!!!!! From now on I'm sticking to Honda/Toyota. I've had complaints about this car before but this one topped them all. Praise the Lord I never had to deal with the dealership and I have spare vehicles to use while my car is out of commission. If I was the person on www.motorvate.ca, I would have pitched this car long ago. Unbelievable, especially after he went through his ordeal. Who else here has had a 5 speed transmission fail on them? I thought I was lucky and did not have any problems YET until I discovered this. Its almost fortunate I did buy the Quaife or I would have a car with a busted transmission on my hands. And imagine if I had no mechanical skills I would be out over $1000 just on a rebuilt/used tranny, which might have failed again. I will take pictures but right now I'm too poor to buy a digital camera.

OK, you're probably wondering what makes these bearings fail. Its due to excessive bearing preload. Basically you gotta use a precision dial-o-meter in order to get the correct shims from Nissan and adjust the preload. Too much preload and you get spalled and chipped bearings which eventually fail. There is also a cleaner "magnet" on the bottom of the tranny case and I was wondering where there was alot of metal shard down there. This explains it all.

On a few side notes, the differential pictured at www.motorvate.ca appears to be the limited slip type. Since it is a canadian website, I can only assumme its a Canadian car with the LSD. My current stock differential is nothing but 4 big gears and looks like a cheap open differential. The Quaife definately looks much better. You also need to buy a speedometer gear from Nissan to put on the Quaife, but I found out its plastic. So it will probably make it cheap.

Anyway, I thought I'd just share my experience here. If your 5 speed transmission blows up anytime it will be of no surprise to me. Wish me luck as I now have to replace even more components.

 

Cliff notes anyone?

 

Maybe it looks like that because of the way you drive it? :gotma: (I am not saying that you push it really hard) but that could be the case.

 

 

I suggest getting an automatic next. The hard truth is if you beat on it, it will break. Nissan is no exception. If you think Honda/Toyota doesn't have this problem, think again. All my car friends are into Hondas and nearly all of them have had gear and syncro failures. Civic SIs are notorious for having tranny problems and the Celica GT-S and the new RSX-S have syncro problems. Both cars are now infamous for a poor shift gate design which have caused thousands of over-revved and blown motors and trannies. There's a large Supra group here in Kansas City and most of them run autos. Why? Because the 6 speeds tend to fail under higher tq loads and harder driving.

I'm not brand loyal. I'm just telling you how it is. When you set your sights on a car you don't have, all you can go on is what people tell you about the reliability. When you own that car, you'll realize it isn't bulletproof. Treat it well and it will serve you well. Beat on it hard and it will break. Some earlier than others. I'm not saying you beat your car hard, but you clearly do race and run it to the extreme (ie not running a exhaust off the maniofolds).


Dave

 

My tranny went after only 65k miles!! and I had to pay 1000+ for a used one... and the one they give me lasted about a month and I had to change it again but this time it was warrantied....
now I have a 98 tranny that seems nice and tight but for how long ?BTW. im in canada

 

My tranny went after only 65k miles!! and I had to pay 1000+ for a used one... and the one they give me lasted about a month and I had to change it again but this time it was warrantied....
now I have a 98 tranny that seems nice and tight but for how long ?BTW. im in canada

 

 

My bearings went out at 64k miles, ridiculous. I don't even really drive my car hard, and even if I did rag it out all to hell, they should have lasted longer than 64k miles!!!!!! The auto tranny on my old 93 SHO lasted longer than that!!!!!

 

If you beat on your transmission, it will fail sooner. Doesn't take a genious to figure that one out. If someone beats on their automatic, it will fry out sooner. If someone beats on their 5spd, it will break sooner.

Two of my friends have '95 SE 5spds. Both have 100,000+ miles on them. One with 140,000 JUST had to get a clutch job. The other with 120,000 is doing fine.

It's not the Nissan Maxima's manual tranny's fault nessisarily. If you redline it 30 times a day, of course it's gonna ***** up. I don't think it's the nissan manual transmission's fault, as many have survived 6-figures with no problems.

Agree with me or not, if treated right, any transmission will last longer and would lead a long healthy life.(especially in the maxima's case)

 

I have every right to ***** about it. You try paying over a thousand dollars right after the warranty expires for a part that went out for no apparent reason. And I don't rag my car out, I take immaculate care of it, which is another reason I'm ****ed. Think about it, even with the hardest abuse, internal bearings should last more than 60k miles!

 

That does suck about your transmission. If the engine can last well over 200,000 miles, why does the transmission parts begin to fail after just 60k ! It's rediculous, but it's probubly just bad luck. Is that the only thing that's gone wrong with it ? My mom has driven stick for most her life then switched to automagic when she had kids, and said she didn't notice the manual giving her any more problems than the automagic.

I don't know what else to say, except your right your transmission shoulda been in good shape after 60k miles.

 

You can't go blaming Nissan automatically.

My family has had 4 Nissan 5sp's in the past 10 years or so.

- My 97 Max - 84k miles. Driven hard (at the track once a month). No problems. Not even a clutch.

- Mom's 91 Stanza. Orignal tranny, NO problems at 150k miles. I drove it for 3+ years, and wasn't exactly kind to it. Nothing except clutches every once and a while (its on its 3rd, but one was a bad istall and broke).

- Dad's old 88 Max. Sold with 140k miles or so about 4 years ago. No tranny problems, just 1 clutch. My dad drives the car pretty damn hard.

- Brothers 95 200SX. Orignal tranny with no problems. Just replaced the clutch about 5k ago because it was slipping. Car has about 100k on it.

So, there has to be something more than Nissan and how you drive it involved. I can't believe that myself and my family are that lucky.

Now, on the other hand the 1 Nissan Auto we've had was full of problems. More than I wish to list.

 

...let me get this straight, you just got a Quaife yet you are too 'poor' to buy a digi cam ?

hmmmmmm....

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say 4th gen maxima 5 speed trannies have problems. I had to replace my input shaft bearing. BriGuyMax had to replace 3rd gear. The guy at motorvate.ca had to replace his differential bearings 3 times. And it seems every week I see another person posting about a strange noise coming from their tranny. I can remember 3 specifically within the last 2-3 weeks, and then eric makes 4. Something's up.

 

Alright well my hard driving may or may not have anything to do with these bearings. Interesting how its the bearing (and only ONE of them of that) thats screwed up and not the synchros or any of the other gears. In addition, the guy on motorvate.ca does not appear to be an abuser type person. As of right now I know of at least 5 failed bearing saga gen 4 maxima's. The cause of this is excessive bearing preload, which is the fault of whoever built the damn thing, not me. Infact, I have yet to find any adjusting shims on my car. Guess whoever built it also didnt read the FSM.

My comments regarding other brands of cars is from experience, not just a "I dont have it, so it is perfect" assumption. I performed a "drop the tranny" operation on my 1990 Toyota Camry 4 cyl auto before to change the driveplate/flywheel (which was MY fault, cause my remote starter screwed up and grinded most the teeth off). That car is now being driven by my dad and has 190K miles on it. Its first alternator ran 155K miles, and managed to power my 2000 watt stereo. That was my first car and its taken a beating and a half, yet it still keeps driving, no failed bearings or anything like that in the transmission. That car has seen offroading, bumper bashing, tug a warring, trailer towing, other kinds of towing yet it hasnt been towed. As for another Toyota, my mom has the arch rival to my car, a 1998 Toyota Camry v6, which I have been driving when it rains and I cant ride the Honda 2 wheeler. That car has been reliable, quiet, well built and it too has survived the 1/4 mile track. Its engine doesnt need precatalytic converters for a dirty engine or 15 silencers and mufflers. Its dash board doesnt creek, and both Toyotas I've dealt with were made here in the USA.

As for Honda cars, I do have to say I've never had one in the family. However, I do have a Honda motorcycle and if its of any indication to Honda build quality and engineering next time around I'll give Honda cars a serious look.

In addition to not having transmission bearing issues, Honda and Toyota cars hold their resale value much better then Nissans and perform better in IIHS high and low speed crash testing. They also have independent rear suspensions, as well as isolated subframes. Those are part of the reasons for me to never buy a Nissan again, especially the Maxima being the FLAGSHIP CAR of their line!

 

I see it this way, sometimes we come across a good product with a flaw. I know that the Maxima is a great car but I knew a guy who owned a 4th Gen an he claimed he had nothing but problems with his engine. After months of dealing with the issue, he finally gave up on the Maxima. I haven't experienced any of the problems this guy did and I know he didn't beat on the car. I knew I wanted one and that incident didn't turn me away from buying one.

To add to Dave's comment about the other companies, I have owned an Toyota automobile with an automatic tranny and the syncros did go bad so it really has nothing to do with brand, its mainly about design and materials.

Mainly what I am getting at is not every tranny will break like your's did Eric. I know Aaron(theblue) runs his car hard to get the times he gets but he also doesn't ride his clutch when jumping off the line. His technique save on a lot of tranny parts. Maybe there was a flaw with your tranny for it to give so quick.

 

Automatic transmissions will tend to last longer. Why ? Because it shifts perfectly. Manual transmissions require human shifts, and noone can shift perfectly. That puts more wear and tear on the transmission, especially the clutch.

The conversion doesn't look so good. I think i'm gonna keep my automagic.

Deezo, do you plan on staying automagic ?

 

was it built on a friday or a monday? i guess it's the luck of the draw. once i've heard someone had a problem w/ the window. it kept on making a hard metal sound every time the car window rolled down. when the dealer opened the door panel there was a empty soda can in there. BTW it's a domestic car

 

Maybe this is a problem with 97 Maximas? Consumer Reports lists the 95-99 Maxima transmission as excellent. www.alldata.com lists no technical service bullitens, etc on the 5 speed.

I've owned 2 Hondas (86 Accord LXi and 90 CRX Si). These cars proved to be very reliable and only needed general maintenance. However, if you've ever driven a Honda, you'll know there is absolutely NO torque. The powerbands are like switches. Either on or off. If you're caught off guard in a 14 second Honda, you're driving a 16 second car. Without torque you've got no time to recover plus driving around in these cars is way too high strung. The car ALWAYS sounds like it's giving it's all no matter if you're going 20mph or 100mph.

The Nissan Maxima is put on rediculous pedestal. People seem to think they're cruising a Benz or something. Maybe it's the name "Maxima" that fills peoples heads with unfounded propaganda. The Maxima is the NISSAN flagship...not Infiniti. The Maxima is the best handling, largest, best assembled, most optioned, and fastest sedan they offer. That is why they call it the "flagship". It's not the "flagship" of midsize Japanese sedans. BTW, find me a state-side Toyota or Honda sedan that offers this much bang for the buck. My Maxima has a couple creaks when I hit big bumps on my Koni and Intrax lowered suspension. Otherwise, it is extremely solid. It much more solid than my wife's 98 Legacy GT wagon or any of our prior cars (94 Z28, 97 Altima, 94 Altima, 87 Toyota 4X4, 90 CRX Si (rattled more than my Z28), 86 Accord.

65 1/4 mile passes, 4500rpm launches, near powershifting, and I've had no tranny problems. I've got 73K miles, the stock clutch and it's never slipped. I've beat this car pretty damn hard sometimes and it's never bitten back. I don't think my car's reliability is that all uncommon either. If I break something in the tranny, it won't surprise me. With all the hard 1-2 and 2-3 shifts I've done in this car, something eventually has to give. With nearly 3 years of use, this car has only given me one CEL, the evap canister which was fixed with WD40. The car's never been to the shop. To be honest, I'm a bit worried about the next car I get because I doubt anything can take the abuse nor offer the reliability this car has given me.

Much of the reason the Maxima has a elaborate exhaust system consisting of pre-cats is because of the emissions fleet quotas Nissan must meet with each model. Unlike Toyota or Honda, Nissan's flagship only comes with one engine, a V6. We all know Toyota/Honda sell tons more I4s than V6s in their flagships therefore they meet their fleet emissions quotas without choking their V6.

Dave

 

Dave,

Very, very well put.

 

The Toyota camry that me and my brother bought as an easy project was a 4 cylinder 5-sp. The reason we got it cheap(free actually) is becuase it's 3rd gear was shot. So if you basing your opinion on just the few comments and your experiences, I might as well throw that one in too.

 

I too will be taking my trans apart soon to install the ATB and will let you all know how it looks. I put an a-s-s wippin on it with the juice, so we shall see. I agree with Dave B.

 

I too will be taking my trans apart to install the quaife. I have put a wippin on my trans with no probs yet, I'll let yall know how it looks. I do agree with Dave B.

 

Well, I'm pretty damn happy that I got the extended 100k mile warranty. I'm at 45k now, so we'll see in 20k more....

 

OT but didn't all the previous altimas outhandled the maxima? and the new 4dr SE-R is coming, should be better handling then the maxima? no?

 

I still think my car is very reliable even though the bearings went out. I think it has just as much quality, if not more, as any Camry or Accord. Like someone else said, I think I just got "unlucky".
I got the car with 48,000 miles on it, and like the dealer said "That's just what you get with used cars." I still think it was some sort of defect, but oh well what can you do. It's fixed now and runs perfectly.

 

Eric didnt you post a while back that you do 5000 rpm launches. Doesnt take a genius to know that the tranny isnt gonna hold up under 5k launchs without slipping the clutch.

 

I did a 5000 RPM launch TWO times, once running a 14.8 and the other a 14.6. Anyway, how many times must I repeat myself that this worn bearing is caused by EXCESSIVE BEARING PRELOAD, which would be Nissan's fault back at the factory, when the adjusted shims were not selected properly. I am well aware it was my driving habits that caused my stock clutch to be toast. Thats not the issue here. Its the differential carrier bearing, two very different and slightly related parts. If it was abuse that caused it to fail, wouldnt the other side also show some sign of wear, except that it is perfect?? Or how about how every other gear, synchronizer or bearing race was also perfect within the transmission? It wouldnt matter if my mom was driving the car with a misadjustment like that it will fail eventually, but after over tens of thousands of miles. We're talking in the thousandths of inches here. In the next few days, I will take measurements against the factory Service manual's cross reference chart to prove that it was the shims and preload that caused this.

I was fortunate that I caught this problem before it caught me. I am also fortunate it caught other people first such as Frank from www.motorvate.ca, and I guarentee other Maxima owners that others have this problem too and you dont know it yet. Cause my car showed no sign of it at all until I cracked the case. So before I hear any more comments about me driving the car hard, realize that hard and abusive driving had nothing to do with this particular failure, where it was the fault of whoever built this car in the first place.

 

Ummm, I *read* the article... had nothing to do with beating the car or inferior bearings. it was about the nissan tech (dealer and/or factory), not following the recommended procedure on the preload and proper shim size..

or did I miss something?

 

sounds like u need an auto tranny swap

 

Dealerships are notorious to not replace things until the warranty expires .. I honestly think they should last more than 60k, but the dealer might be your problem here. If things magically wear out 3 weeks after your warranties gone, the dealer should have warned you. If they didn't, make sure you tell em you're taking your business elsewhere when you bring it in, cause they'll be waiting with their hand out.

 

How long are trannies supposed to last?

 

It's idiot's like you that make me mad.

I for one bought a 5spd with the specific reasoning that tranny failure's were a rarity.

If you do 5000rpm launches don't you think something is bound to break? So go shove that **** down your throat and keep it to yourself coz you don't know how to drive.

 

I never said I was leaving. Those other people started with, "Go get a 5 speed." I love my car the way it is. It just needs a little more under the hood.

 

HELLO, LOOK WHO'S THE IDIOT HERE, ONCE AGAIN THIS PROBLEM IS NOT CAUSED BY ME BUT THE FOOLS AT NISSAN NOT ADJUSTING THE PRELOAD CORRECTLY. IF YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT, THEN YOU SHOULDNT WORK ON YOUR CAR. 5000 rpm LAUNCHES TWICE WOULD RUIN CLUTCHES AND GEARS NOT BEARINGS!!!!!

(AND YES I AM SHOUTING)

 

1.)Your sig is not MedicSonic approved.
2.)Yes, YOU did something that you were not supposed to do. An idiot launches a car that makes peak HP at 4000 at 5000 rpms.
3.)You are using a reference from ONE person's experience and are using it as gospel for what is wrong with your car. Not only is this inaccurate, this is silly. Can you reference more than 5 people that have had the same problem? And if this is in fact Nissan's fault, how do you explain the VAST majority of 5 speeds that DO NOT have this problem?
4.)Your condemnation of all of Nissan for a problem that your own car is happening is silly, just silly. Find more than 5 people on this board that have had the same problem as you and maybe you'll get a little sympathy from some people.
5.)Posting something that will cause a flame war is .