Hello.Just wondering if an automatic tranny can slip.Ive noticed when I hammer on it,it sounds like its slipping and then catches and slingshots.The sound is drawn out(about 2 sec)and gets louder and the lower before it catches or hits the gear.Any info on this or is this standard.Thanks in advance.

 

Norm, I cannot provide you an exact explanation, but your tranny seems to be slipping. This is not during when it downshifts is it? if so depending on how long it takes to grap I guess it could be commomn on this trany, but I will leave that up to the other auto owners to chime in on and decide.

 

Mine does it only when the car hasnt fully warmed up. If I floor it first thing it the morning it will do what you described. Ive read this is normal. If your car does this after driving for a while it might be a problem.

 

Oh yeah!
Check fluid {see manual for procedure} first the go to trans shop.

 

Give us an example of when it "slips". mine feels like it does sometimes.....

 

The pre-2k2's had this problem and actually had a TSB issued.

For the 2k2's there's no TSB but i, myself, feel the slip. Albeit, not always.

Even when the transmission is warmed up the slip acts up at times. The good (bad) thing is i know it's there. The bad (worst) thing is since it's not easily reproducible it's going to be hard proving it to the service peeps.

 

Slipping is usually noticed on upshifts... the engine seems to "speed up" when upshifting with about 1/2-3/4 throttle and there is a distinct loss of acceleration for a brief moment during the shift. A really good shift it just thumps right into gear, no loss of acceleration feel during the shift.

When downshifting, it's harder to tell if it's slipping... I don't think I could unless it was really bad. My Max, and the other's I have driven, are pretty bad down-shifters, taking a long time if road speed vs. gear is wrong. Traveling at around 25-30, even in third gear, if I floor it it will try to accelerate but the gear is way to tall (a distinctly dissapointing feeling!) It's as though the TCU is thinking "does he really want to do this?" or something, slowly deciding whether to downshift... and then it shifts to first, suddenly, and it's like I was slammed by a fist as it hits torque. But it never feels like slipping.

My expectation, when I floor it, is the TCU should immediately downshift to the lowest gear in range.. don't wait, just shift. But it doesn't do that so it's really best to anticipate what you want to do then grab the shifter and downshift ahead of time. It's really no different than with a 5-speed, just easier because you have no clutch to worry about.

BuddyWh

 

I think I've got the same sort of slippage that you are talking about. When the car is auto upshifting, I can feel it let go and "search" for the next gear. Sometimes I even add more throttle during this lag, and the rpms jump up quite a bit before the tranny finally slams in and the rpms then drop. I just have this nasty feeling that my tranny is about to die... 86k mi on the tranny.

 

Especially if you've never done it, change your ATF. New fluid can have a remarkable effect on shifting. Use ONLY the stuff Nissan recommends. You might also have the pan removed and clean the fine filings that accumulate in the bottom. Also change the screen.

I'd recommend draining the pan every 10-15k and replacing that amount (only about 1/2 total) with new fluid; you don't have to remove the pan as there's a nice drain plug provided!

BuddyWh

 

I feel ya bother. I have posted on this topic more than once. I think it's more like 1 to 1.5 sec myself but anyway I have been told it's normal. I asked a guy I saw yesterday with a 02 SE who said it was he 4th Max and we went 4 a ride and it was the same as mine. I have found that if you hold the throttle slightly off the floor (hard accell of course) that it seems to shift more firmly. My discreption is that it doesn't shift it shiiiiifffffts into gear. I am still waiting for my VB mod from Don to correct this flaw. Try the slight throttle left and let me know, others have said to put in drive (vrs od) and turn the trac off but I didn't feel a change.
l8tr -- SS

 

Do you mean "3" vs. "D" (OD)?

 

I have a 2002 SE and I thought my mind was playin' tricks on me. When I press on the gas from a stop I notice a very slight slip. I actually thought the car was taking off so fast that I thought I was just imagining things but I think it may be slipping a little. I'm going to monitor this for the next 1K miles.

 

GREAT.Ive only got 2800 miles on it and its starting to bother me.Anger rising.Going for oil change at Nissan this week so I will ? them about it but they will look at me like I just took a crap on the floor like they usually do.Well thanks for the replies,I appreciate it much.

 

THAT could be wheel spin... ya think??

BuddyWh

 

I know what you mean. I trust dealership mechanics like I trust the guys over at Jiffy lube. I mean, how much experience do you think these guys have with 2002 trannys? NONE. I hope Nissan announces a recall so these guys know how to fix the problem. I'm thinking about investing in the technical manual which is about $210.

 

I think I got the same problem. I have a 4th gen though. I even have Don's VB, the tranny still acts weird. I know an auto will get lag from time to time, but I have been getting the lag very often now. The shifts are pretty weird too. Sometime I would step on the gas, the rpms go up, but the car doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Odd.