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Need help! Car shuts off when placed in reverse orDrive when first startup in morning

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Old Nov 18, 2005 | 05:11 AM
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Need help! Car shuts off when placed in reverse orDrive when first startup in morning

before when i first started my car up for the first time for the day, and when i put it in reverse and would hit the gas too hard, the car would sputter and feel like its about to shutoff

but now since its real cold, when ever i put it in drive or reverse it just completely shuts offf

i have to wait literally about 5mins for it to warm up before i could put it in gear, without it shutting off

i mean i cleaned the iacv
cleaned tb
fuel filters been changed
spark plugs been changed
knock sensor
o2 sensors

man basically everything except i have my pcv in the trunk not yet changed.

its not the MAF and im not getting any codes

im thinking maybe the coolant temp sensor? but that wouldnt cause the car to shut off...

when i star the car up my idle is at like 800 or so.. i mean its normal when cold. i cant think of anything else, unless injector cleaning or some shiet

need help!
Old Nov 18, 2005 | 05:57 AM
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Its your tranny do you have an aftermarket VB or solenoids?
Old Nov 18, 2005 | 06:59 AM
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i have a tranny cooler
Old Nov 18, 2005 | 07:08 AM
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Same thing happens to me... for the past year, this is why I hate the winter. I'm in the same boat as you. Most parts under my hood are brand new. Every one you mentioned, I even changed the PCV valve last week. I just make sure my temperature gauge is fully warmed up before I go anywhere. I don't think cleaning the injectors will help... all 6 of mine are brand new, didn't solve that problem. And I think 800RPM is a little low considering it's warming up. That's about normal after it's fully warmed up. It's not the ECTC, changed mine last winter, didn't solve my problem. I figure once I convert a 5-speed I won't have the problem anymore?
Old Nov 18, 2005 | 10:53 AM
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fuel pump i belive. went bad on my last car twice, cant be sure about the max, but it seems like the same exact symtoms. and ya it happend more when it was cold than it did when it was warm.
Old Nov 18, 2005 | 11:17 PM
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guys i need help!!

i was with my boys and we were driving around for a good half an hour. anyways the car is warmed up, but i raced this eclipse from a roll [obviously ate him] then about 10 mins later. at the traffic light im pressing the gas, and the car is reving and not going anywhere!!! wtf, when i turn the car off and start it back it works like normal need help!!!

btw i changed my fluid over the summer with a new screen
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 09:36 AM
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It's your tranny dude do you have an aftermarket VB? I have the stage II.5 and my boy has a stage II VB from Maximum Tuning. Both our cars act up for the first 5-10 minutes or so first thing in the morning. Like it'll stall, hesitate, rpms will jump around etc.
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 11:17 AM
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Originally Posted by HarrisH
It's your tranny dude do you have an aftermarket VB? I have the stage II.5 and my boy has a stage II VB from Maximum Tuning. Both our cars act up for the first 5-10 minutes or so first thing in the morning. Like it'll stall, hesitate, rpms will jump around etc.
Scroll up and read, it's already been answered. He only has a tranny cooler. And I have nothing done to my tranny but a DR mod, which is off anyway unless I turn it on.
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by 2 Da Max
guys i need help!!

i was with my boys and we were driving around for a good half an hour. anyways the car is warmed up, but i raced this eclipse from a roll [obviously ate him] then about 10 mins later. at the traffic light im pressing the gas, and the car is reving and not going anywhere!!! wtf, when i turn the car off and start it back it works like normal need help!!!

btw i changed my fluid over the summer with a new screen
Hmm... well I won't flame you for the street racing, but be ready for that. That sounds like the tranny's on its way out. Time for a 5-speed conversion
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 11:42 AM
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Originally Posted by lilaclucymaxima
Scroll up and read, it's already been answered. He only has a tranny cooler. And I have nothing done to my tranny but a DR mod, which is off anyway unless I turn it on.
It has NOT BEEN answered. He said he had a tranny cooler, he mentioned nothing about a VB. And regardless, his stock VB can go bad too. There's a bypass clutch valve in your VB for the torque convertor. If it's sticking it will not operate the TC properly causing the car to stall. Rob from NRH told me this.
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 11:46 AM
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Come on man.........why would you want to go racing in your car when you know that its having issues? Take it in to a shop you trust and have it checked out. They'll hook up your TCU to a scanner and hopefully be able to tell you what is up.
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 01:10 PM
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Here is some stuff I found about the stalling thing. Goes with what Harris was saying about the issued being with your transmission. By the way this thing is a PIA to deal with if you are in a hurry .

Thread:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....=stalling+gear

Link from thread:
http://www.jatan.net/tsbs/047481.pdf
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 01:58 PM
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welcome to the world of automatics. my dads did it a few times when its cold out. maybe the fluid is so thick that it stress' the engine enough to stall it. as if the wheels and the engine were mechanicly linked, and not through viscosity. kind of like a manual when you try to stop with it in gear it will stall.
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 04:19 PM
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Well my tranny as well as my friends was freshly rebuilt. My trans. is semi-bullet proof while my buddies is a normal rebuild. We both are experiencing what you are except for the slipping issue. I'm still wondering if it has to do with the valve body based on Robs (NRH Transmission in MD) explanation to me. Try this, put your key in the ON position but do not start your car, pop your hood and see if you hear any whirring coming from the trans., if not, pull your throttle linkage up a little as if you were depressing the gas pedal from inside, see if you hear it then. My car makes this whirring noise as does my buddies STOCK with STOCK AT. Not sure if it's normal or not but something you can get checked out.
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 06:29 PM
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alright, now i the fluid is good, i mean the tranny shifts hard and everything. just sometimes, NOT ALWAYS does it slip. only maybe once or twice.

sometimes when the car is in drive, and i have my foot on the brakes it could feel the car pulling and letting go, pulling and letting go and the rpm would rise and drop

now im using penzoil atf, i duno if thats what im suppose to use

my tranny does smell kind of burnt after driving for awhile.. but fluid is nice and pink

yes its the stock VB

could it be because my coolant sensor is bad? and the car and tranny is not warming up?? sorry just a though
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 06:47 PM
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Originally Posted by 2 Da Max
alright, now i the fluid is good, i mean the tranny shifts hard and everything. just sometimes, NOT ALWAYS does it slip. only maybe once or twice.

sometimes when the car is in drive, and i have my foot on the brakes it could feel the car pulling and letting go, pulling and letting go and the rpm would rise and drop

now im using penzoil atf, i duno if thats what im suppose to use

my tranny does smell kind of burnt after driving for awhile.. but fluid is nice and pink

yes its the stock VB

could it be because my coolant sensor is bad? and the car and tranny is not warming up?? sorry just a though
Hmm if it's surging like that I would assume it may also be related to something else. Maybe a coil pack, maybe a slight misfire, maybe a MAF going bad. ECTS would affect the temp. of your coolant and I would presume your "temp needle" would not be in the middle like it is suppossed to be at all times. Does the TC lockup and disengage out of lockup fine?
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 07:02 PM
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ok if sometimes if i put the car in drive it would not roll, it would feel like its in neutral

im thinking that the car only slips when the temp is on C

yo bro you got a number? pm me
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 07:39 PM
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Well I'm no mechanic just guessing. But have some tranny shop check out your trans. And I know what you mean when you say when your foot is off the brake the car should be moving. It could be your TC, VB, solenoids, anything.
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 08:32 PM
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For some odd reason, I'm not sure its really tranny related. THe throttle cable does not connect to the tranny at all, but rather to the intake manifold. This is an odd issue, and I'm not sure exactly where one would start, so I guess diagnosing the tranny is not a bad idea
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 09:08 PM
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Originally Posted by nupe500
For some odd reason, I'm not sure its really tranny related. THe throttle cable does not connect to the tranny at all, but rather to the intake manifold. This is an odd issue, and I'm not sure exactly where one would start, so I guess diagnosing the tranny is not a bad idea
Well when the throttle cable or throttle linkage assembly is raised up the TPS sends a signal to the TCU.
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 10:41 PM
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im having the same problems except that mine doesnt die on me but comes very close to it...
Old Nov 19, 2005 | 10:55 PM
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i dont know, this problem never happened to me last year winter, the tranny was fine then..
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 09:20 AM
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oh and i did install a tranny cooler on it. maybe thats the culprit. i really dont remember it doing anything like that before the cooler.
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 10:29 AM
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I'm almost starting to think if it's the cold fluid that's causing the trans to act up. Before this I never had a tranny cooler either, I had an aftermarket Stage II VB from MT in LI for almost 2 years on my original trans. NEVER a problem. But then again I'm speaking to tranny experts, Rob for e.g., and he's saying something else, that it can more than likely be the VB (the bypass clutch valve sticking when it's cold). Also Tilley had some issues on his auto trans. too when his car was an auto, after he replaced his VB his issues went away too.
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 02:31 PM
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i mean i bought some more penzoil fluid today, and a filter and gasket... i mean i know if change the fluid it wont make a difference, cuz i just put new fluid in it less than 3k miles ago.

i mean today the car was shifting fine, but sometimes from stop and go its slips just a little, and today i was driving WOT and it didnt want to shift into 2nd at one point

i mean the car acts up when it wants

should i change the fluid? or just take it back?
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 02:49 PM
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Well with a cooler, it will make the fluid even colder than it would have been, which might be overcooling it, causing that bypass valve to stick...just a thought
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 05:23 PM
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I found this on this website: http://www.2carpros.com/topics/trans.htm

I don't know how true this is but maybe moisture can cause transmission problems in cold regions.

Question: 1996 Ford Windstar 3.8 mileage: 60k. I will be towing a 2500 lb. camper on an extended vacation this summer and want to install a transmission cooler. My Ford service manual says the factory cooler which comes with the towing package (which my vehicle does not have) has a fluid bypass valve that redirects fluid around the external cooler below 32 degrees. Do any aftermarket add on coolers have this valve and is it a good idea for me to pursue buying a cooler of this type?

Answer: We do not know of any aftermarket transmission coolers that have a bypass valve. It probably is a good idea to have this valve if you live in an area of the country that has cold winters. If the fluid in the transmission does not warm up during normal operation to drive the moisture out, the fluid will become contaminated.
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 07:27 PM
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yea i dont know..it feels like the tranny is going, but it still shifts strong

i mean when the car is cold, it shifs perfect and does not slip

but when the car gets warm, its starts to slip
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 07:51 PM
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Originally Posted by 2 Da Max
yea i dont know..it feels like the tranny is going, but it still shifts strong

i mean when the car is cold, it shifs perfect and does not slip

but when the car gets warm, its starts to slip

My buddies is doing the exact same thing, he's getting his checked out on Monday I'll make sure he keeps me up to date so I can keep people up to date with similar problems.
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 08:01 PM
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ok thanks alot bro.
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 08:12 PM
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Your tranny is going for sure bro. I had the same problem with mine. I'll be driving, and then all the suddent, the car basically looses half of it's power, and when I floor it, it's bearly pulling. I had to stop the car, turn it off, and turn it back on. I also had the problem at start up, it just wouldn't roll.

Start looking for a 5sp and stop wasting your time and money trying to find out wtf is going on.
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 08:17 PM
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Honestly 5 speeds have reliability issues too, I don't think any tranny is perfect unless your granny driving it... and if you were granny driving it I doubt you'd be on this board.
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 08:18 PM
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2 Da Max listen probably it torque converter is slipping are u sure its good because ive seen this happen before , if u want i can take a look at it
Old Nov 20, 2005 | 09:53 PM
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Originally Posted by urmab
2 Da Max listen probably it torque converter is slipping are u sure its good because ive seen this happen before , if u want i can take a look at it
Torque Convertors dont usually ever go bad. They are VERY beefy components. Ask any tranny expert I bet you they'll tell you the same.
Old Nov 21, 2005 | 06:57 AM
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well my old torq converter had a lot of sratches and digs in it..

but i heard it could be torq conveter lock up as well?

i dont know man, i really need this car for school and shiet.
Old Nov 21, 2005 | 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by 2 Da Max
well my old torq converter had a lot of sratches and digs in it..

but i heard it could be torq conveter lock up as well?

i dont know man, i really need this car for school and shiet.
Well scratches and digs I'm not familiar with. I don't know how since it's bolted on to the flywheel and sits in the bell housing unless it was actually hitting the flywheel? Torque convertor lockup and unlockup is controlled by your TCU and in your VB. There are valves which control when it will lockup and disengage. Correct me if I'm wrong someone.
Old Nov 21, 2005 | 09:16 AM
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Exact same thing happened to me with other max- I went through the same steps as you, but for some reason it ended up being my EGR valve. I just took the assembly apart and cleaned it up real good, and problem solved.
Old Nov 21, 2005 | 11:05 AM
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ok well, i called Jeff at maximum tuning and he said that my torq converter is shooting debris all between the solenoids and all throughout the tranny

he said i might need a full rebuild... but i dont understand how this is happening i dont beat on my tranny at all, i take good care of it

would too much fluid in there mess it up?
how would the egr effect the tranny?

i just did a full tune up yesterday on the engine
Old Nov 21, 2005 | 02:12 PM
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dam so u think my tranny took a crap?
Old Nov 21, 2005 | 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by 2 Da Max
ok well, i called Jeff at maximum tuning and he said that my torq converter is shooting debris all between the solenoids and all throughout the tranny

he said i might need a full rebuild... but i dont understand how this is happening i dont beat on my tranny at all, i take good care of it

would too much fluid in there mess it up?
how would the egr effect the tranny?

i just did a full tune up yesterday on the engine
What time did you call and speak with Jeff? I called 4 times and Dan picked up the fourth, it was around 1045ish 1100ish and he said Jeff wasn't in at all today and won't be in this week..



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