ok... So i was having a bad 2-3 shift in my auto tranny... I have a 2002 btw.

any hoo.. i purchased the transgo shift kit.. not the racing one.. just the normal one. i had the valve body rebuilt with it and when i went to pick it up today.. the mechanic said it shifts worse... sure enough it does. i mean you can tell they did the work.. like 1-2 its quicker... but the 2-3 when it shifts, man it shoots STRAIGHT up to redline! then shifts smoothly...

3-4 is always ok as well.. and very quick.. not jolty but quick...

so it appears that the 1-2 shift is good.. the 3-4 is good.. but the 2-3 is like... driving a stick shift.. popping on the clutch quickly while maintaining throttle, shifting into gear and quickly yet smoothly let go of the clutch.. its just weird!

So today i decided to Disconnect the wire by the sidewall.. you know the Resistor mod.

now it shifts quick and snappy 1-2... and 2-3 its quicker yes, but it raises about almost 1000 RPMS before shifting and its not even a hard hit like 1-2.. and the 3-4 shift is snappy like 1-2 shift..

So i'm not sure if its the valve body? or the actual transmission. hell or even the torque converter...

i'm prepared for the worst and i already looked around for a used low mileage tranny just incase.

I guess my questions are..

1) what do you think it could be
2) do you think its the valve body thats bad as well? i ask this because if i do end up getting another used tranny, i would just like to take out that valve body and then just swapping it with the one i just had done!

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks all..

 

Sounds like weak clutch packs, typical for our autotragics. Only fix is a tranny rebuild.

 

Not an expert, but I would try replacing the shift solenoids.

 

where are the shift solenoids on this thing? on the valve bodY?

 

Finally, my first post, and I actually know what happened. I had the same problem. I installed the same kit, myself, it's a bit scary. When the mechanic installed the redesigned modifier valve, he probably accidentally placed a .218" check ball where the .25 check ball is supposed to go. What happens is the .218 ball jams into the valve locking the spring. The kit comes with extra .218 *****, the ones used in the VB, just in case one or two get lost. Trust me, you can't tell by looking. They have to be mic'd. After you get that fixed, 1-2 smoothes out some and 2-3 are QUICK. What you described by revving to redline is called 'cut-loose'. Check your kit for a .25 sitting in the box. It shouldn't be there. Hope this helps.

 

weres the resistor mod? does disconnecing that make it faster too pick up speed on the auto tranny?

 

ARE YOU SERIOUS?! DOOD DONT TELL ME THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I"M SURE THEY ..................sorry for yelling... *ahem*.. i'm sure they threw it away by now!

*facepalm*.. now i gotta go back and ask which they are prolly gonna deny and say they used the right one or something..

damn.. so its not the tranny that i need to get rebuilt?! or get another used tranny???

OH and the resistor wire is... when you pop your hood... walk to the driver side fender. where the strut mount/frame portion is... in front of it facing the headlight, about 3 inches down. there is a clip... unclip it... and boomderyago. ur check engine will cmon though..

man i really hope this is it.. but even still i wonder if they still have the left overs... crap!!!

 

Sorry MidN1te-----

You need to reopen the transmission,

If someone messed up/with your VB, you can either get it fixed or buy a new tranny. If you put this VB in a new tranny, I wouldn't be surprised if it shifted exactly the same.

The shift kit is mainly a VB mod. Drill some holes, plug a couple, change some springs and you have a 'reprogrammed' VB... aka---transmission.

If that gets messed up, you might as well fix it or get another transmission, the VB comes with it anyways. Find a different mechanic and definitely get another shift kit. These trannys are lame without it. BTW, mine shifts faster than any MT could.

The resistor mod sucks. Always 'neck-snapping' shifts suck. The VB mods are super-sweet. Now I really wish the TCM was easily changeable.

 

How bad was the 2-3 shift before the shift kit? Only bad at part throttle or at part and full throttle? Only bad when cold and shifts fine when it warms up? If it was slipping all the time and worse when it warms up, probably a clutch pack problem.

 

I have that 2-3 issue, but if you go easy on the throttle its not the end of the world. On WOT, it would sometimes almost redline.

 

ok... i just called my mechanic.. he said he DID remember looking at a .25 but not sure if it went in for one, cuz he wasnt the only one installing the stuff..

and he said he'll fix it if thats the case...

where does taht .25 ball bearing go?

 

also, Where on this fricken forum is a Write up on how to replace the Auto Tranny for the 5.5 maxima's!

i mean if i can do it myself i will.

 

Ok just got off the phone with him again.

He said there were more .218 ball bearing's. he said he he has TWO .25 ball bearings.. he thinks ONE of them came out of the valve body.. the OTHER one is new..

SO... i'm assuming since you said if there is a .25 bearing.. and it shouldnt be. that it wasnt installed correct? because he said he had the smaller ones taht were .218 and there were more of those.

So is it safe to say they just didnt install the .25 like they were supposed to? also, Where does that go? i'm assuming if they installed teh .218... and NOT the .25... which one of the .218 ball bearings needs to come out and the .25 installed?

THanks!!!

 

Oh i just re-read your post.. its in the Redesigned modifier valve where the .218 ball bearing was placed instead of the .25 where its supposed to be correct?

 

Hey good luck with that kit, hopefully they can get it right this time...

I dont mean to hijack the thread, but Im wondering for those of you that have the kit, is it okay for daily driving? Does it make the shifts really hard or does it just make it comparable to a normal car (not ultra smooth shifting)?

thx

 

no not a problem nzelinsky. thats why this thread is here for.. people's input..

but from what i hear.. the shifts are very quick yet smooth. not jolty...

i was told the transgo kit is the kit that pretty much fixes the problems that nissan had.

anyways... i gotta drop the car off after work... and i hope they do fix this.. because otherwise i may just purchase a good used transmission and have the vb done again from Hills Garage in MD. dont wanna do all that but i may not have a choice.. hopefully they fix the problem.

 

Yup. I'm almost positive the factory VB has NO .25" ***** in it. The kit only comes with ONE, and it is imperative that it is placed in the modifier valve. If not, the modifier valve is not operating properly- aka broken. Like I said, the kit comes with EXTRA .218 ***** just in case you lose on. The VB already has twelve or thirteen .218 ***** in it.

FYI- The modifier valve is the main valve that changes the line pressures for every shift.

If your mechanic is willing to pull it out and check, you have a great mechanic, and I think you should, I would, at least slip him a Benjamin for the trouble. Reopening the VB is a pita.

At least reopening it will give him a chance to make sure nothing is missing or misplaced. And the second time he does it is always easier than the first.
(I've pulled mine apart three times to figure this out, it is in no way day at the park.)

Good Luck
Atomic

 

Yea he said if it was HIS mistake, he's willing to do it.. well.. since it was HIS mistake lol..

i'll be going there after work and i'll be explaining what you've said.

So basically he didnt do it. I mean he just prolly put the .218 instead of the .25 in the modifier valve. man i hope this fixes it.. dont feel like spending money for another tranny and having it done lol

 

I'm sure this topic has already been discussed, but not to much extent.

The kit is a wonderful improvement over the factory design.
It only shifts hard when you are pushing it. Sometimes, depending on the road surface, it will even chirp the tires into second. If you are driving calmly, 1-2 is the only shift you will feel. Even calmer, you won't even feel that.
But, when you jump on it, the transmission has no hesitation whatsoever, downshifts, upshifts, they're all QUICK. Faster than any MT.

The only downside to our transmissions are the electronics. The TCM tells the transmission when to up or downshift, actuating the solenoids, and I really believe it's logic is stupid. That is just the way it is programmed, and there's no way around it.

As far as transmission longevity, certain people agree that quicker shifts actually increase the life of the tranny because it cuts down on the time the clutches and bands are used. Which makes sense. The smoothest shift uses the clutches more, wearing them out. I am more concerned about my motor and tranny mounts than I am my tranny.

The reason I put this kit in was because of the ridiculously smooth and long shifts that are programmed in by design. It also cuts your quarter mile times, by a lot.

 

yea i agree.. my main focus was the longevity of the tranny... thats pretty much it..

but knowing how easily our cars can take to mods, i figured if i ever do mod this car, i would start with the tranny to make sure it could shift quick and be able to handle the extra power... so thats why i'm doing this nao...

i hoped to one day put the intake, headers, y-pipe , exhuast and just toss my ecu to techno-square and just be done with it...

my toy car is my turbo s2000 so this is definately a nice daily but at the same time.. i like it to perform.

i really hope that little ball is the culprit and it gets fixed...

 

Well, honestly, I'd just be happy to help you out. Maxima.org has helped me so much I've felt guilty for not helping others. I'm hoping for you that the ball is all it is too. Keep us updated.

BTW, I would love to whip that s2000, 9K rpms, I'm down.

 

hahaha thanks i appreciate it!

also, my s2000 is the ap2... there are 2 versions of the s2000.. ap1 and ap2... 2000 to 2003 come with the 2.0 that revs to 9k.. 2004 and up is ap2.. 2.2 motor revs to 8 but has more torque.... i got the ap2

 

HA! so guess what.. i went there to drop off the car and check out the stuff...

he has not one.. but TWO ball bearings that are bigger... why? i dont know....the kit shows a picture of TWO and he as TWO.. so i dont know what to think about that..

also the size .265 not sure why... but the other one was .218 or close to it.

but i guess bottom line.. they didnt install it. SO they said they'll take it apart and put it in there. Also, we were looking at the spring and now i got a visual of what you were talking about it, you said the smaller ball bearing gets caught up in the spring right? or locking the spring or something...

any whoo... i gotta wait til tomolo and find out what the deal is. I hope its exactly that. I'll report back with it tomolo if this is is.. They will nao know what the full extent of it is and can professionally do it

 

 

sounds like u need a tranny rebuild i did mine 2 years ago lovely autos

 

just like 1sexyleo and alot of other members had that same problem for years with no ending result. the only option that was good for anything was tranny replacement.

 

OH your talking about Danein? yea i was chatting with her about this..

she's gonna have the tranny completely rebuilt bullet proof soon... Man... i just know that with all these bolt on mods and reflash, this car can be very quick.

well...i hope this tomolo gets fixed...if not.. i guess its up to Hills Garage or something we go to get a swap AND do the valve body at the same time...

i'm also kinda wanting to buy the hot shot? headers? no wait.. whichever the ones from ebay are that are having great success, then bolt it to Cattman's exhaust... Supposedly flows well? then intake and have the ECU reflashed from Techno-square...


i guess we'll see what happens tomolo...

how hard is the 6 speed swap again? HAHAHAHA

 

you spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round

 

Ok update:

just got off the phone with them... They replaced the ball... The Technician said it feels more aggressive now. I'm not sure what he meant by that but he said it flares in 3-4? is that possible?

i asked does it chirp the tires he said ..with hesitation..nnnnnnnnooo... so i'm wondering if that meant it shifts quick now? he couldnt really describe it to me...but from what i gathered was that since he said its more aggressive and he also said it's kinda like a race tranny.. that it's fixed? ionno..

i gotta go there today after work and figure out whats up..

all i know is the ball that was supposed to be in there Wasn't. So i dont think i should be charged since well... they didnt place the correct part..

but i guess there is only one way to find out how it shifts. So wheni get home later, i'll be going there to pick her up. if anything, i think i should probably just pick it up for sure and drop it off at Hills garage. might be a situation where i need to take it the mechanic who is more familiar with this situation..

Dont get me wrong..the shop i took it too has done alot of great work on my turbo s2000... i guess ya cant win em all right...

 

it sucksss........im on my 2nd tranny but mine is a 98 soo

 

WElp..... guess wat... they replaced that ball and they said the other gears from 1-2 are more aggressive, the 3-4 is aggressive... but the 2-3 still flaring.

looks the suspicion is correct.. might be just the clutch's going in the tranny...

now... wats the typical mileage before they start acting up on the shifts? because i would like to have a used 50-60k mile tranny shipped and installed WITH the valve body that was just done because it appears that the valve body prolly isnt the culprit.

He was nice and didnt charge me anything.. but that ball did make a difference.. just not in the 2-3 shift... SO.....

i'm gonna go hunting for a used tranny.. have it shipped and installed with the valve body... HOPEfully its the tranny and NOT the valve body cuz i'd had to put the one i just had done swapped in the good used tranny.. blahh....

Sucks for me...

 

I've had a 2-3 lag/slip for about 30-40k miles. It's only noticeable in the cold though.

 

BTW - How many miles are on that '02?

 

I've had it since I got my car at 113,897 miles. I just passed 157,000 last night and it hasn't worsened. Once warmed up, at full throttle the 2-3 shift is very quick and absolutely no slippage.

 

Same thing here. Where you been? Haven't seen you on in awhile.

 

Rain finally stopped here. Cars need detailing. Been doing a lot of road biking too, already have 2140 miles this year.

 

i'm at 106K

today i picked it up... man... from 1-2 shifts like it wasnt sure it made the right decision now...

it would shift from 1-2... then kinda felt like pushing in the clutch just a tad like you were thinking you werent sure if you put it in the right gear...then once you realized you did.. you let go and the gear fully in..

then ofcourse the 2-3 is still flaring.. and 3-4 seems to be ok... so...wth...

Fustrating this is Fustrating...

Ok... well... i also DC the line under the hood to shift at full pressure..

man.. this thing doesnt hit HARD at all... it actually feels nice! LOL...i mean 1-2 hits...its noticeable thunk.. but not harsh at all... 2-3 has the 800-1000 flare but it shifts quicker... just no thunk... and 3-4 is nice...... i like 3-4...my new best friend all the other gears can kiss my booty..

anyways.... they called transgo to see what is it thats making it do it...

they told my mechanic.. if my car is still doing that.. after the valve body mod....the clutches have to be going... especially if i DC the line to full pressure and its not hitting hard on the 2-3 shift like its supposed to...

ionno guys... i know its coming down to having to have the tranny replaced with a used one..

i'm wondering would it be worth it to just take out the valve body in the 60kmile one and just have that done? i'm thinking of taking it to HIlls Garage in MD... supposedly they really are more of nissan/infiniti mechanics and have done alot of work.... I've spoken to frank about my problems and he said its most likely the tranny but first wanted to see the car act up...

anyways... anyone have a suggest as to where i can send the valve body to? maybe just have it reworked but a good mechanic? if so, how much do they charge?

 

my tranny has its mind all the time
1-2: sometime very hard shift, like a bang. sometimes its like going into second then the clutch release a bit late, you get a delayed kick
2-3: shifts fine when going WOT. feels like a manual when partial thorttle.
3-4: is fast and smooooth, like a butta.

I havent done a rebuilt yet, just kinda live with it.

 

I've been working on transmissions for over 20 years and based on what you've described in the post it's time to rebuild. The transgo kit works great but it won't fix one that has nearly burnt up 3rd clutches. This is the weakest link in this trans and there are some improvements in that area that can be made when it is all apart. Look around and ask around in your area where is a good place to go to get your transmission rebuilt. Generally speaking if the shop uses alot of the Transgo products they care about making the transmission really work well and not just work. Good luck.

 

The weakest link is the clutches? What would you recommend to do when rebuilding to make improvements??