Just bought my 02 I35 1.5 months ago I think I have transmission problems HELP!!!!

[assemboy]

Hello, I was driving yesterday and I made a sudden full stop, and then tried to accelerate again, and the car wouldnt move although the RPM did move. When the car did move it made a Jerk then moved felt harsh. This incident happened to me 3 times yesterday and twice today. It seems like it happens mostly after I start my car in the morning. I dont know what to do, and I am very worried at this point, because I shelled out my savings to buy it, thinking that it was a clean car. Other than that, I am changing my brake pads and rotors this week, which will also cost me $300. Any help from you guys would be appreciated. Has anyone experienced this, with the I35 ?? I dont want to bother taking to the used car dealer that i bought it from, because its been more then a month, and the warranty was for 1 month. Thank you guys

[NutriaforBreakfast]

Normally a maxima would crank 2000 RPMS at 60 MPH

Are your revs higher than this at 6o MPH?

My first instinct is the Mass Airflow sensor but I really can'tbe sure

[assemboy]

I dont know I havent checked but I asked a freind of mine who said its probably the transmission, now I dont know what to do, take it to the dealer and say what ?!! hes going to laugh in my face since the standard lemon law warranty is just for 1 month help any one please!!!! some one tell me what do now!!!

[MattB]

I saw similar symptoms to yours described on another forum, and the MAF was the culprit in that situation. Also check your transmission fluid level. If for some reason you're low on transmission fluid you could end up with what seems like a transmission issue. If the transmission fluid is really dirty it could also cause these kinds of symptoms. How many miles are on the car?

[assemboy]

I was very low on tran oil you were correct, I filled it up and we'll see I guess. What do you think I should do now, wait and see it the problem persists or take it back to the dealer anyway? the mechanic put it on the lift to check for leaks and he said that most cars are wet like that on the bottom... he said he doesnt know how long ago the previous fluid was put in so he couldnt verify if it had been leaking.... other than that I didnt change the filter yet, however the drive was better after the oil was put in.. what do you recommend i do now?!!!

Thanks
Modified by assemboy at 8:33 AM 10/7/2007

[MattB]

I was very low on tran oil you were correct, I filled it up and we'll see I guess. What do you think I should do now, wait and see it the problem persists or take it back to the dealer anyway? the mechanic put it on the lift to check for leaks and he said that most cars are wet like that on the bottom... he said he doesnt know how long ago the previous fluid was put in so he couldnt verify if it had been leaking.... other than that I didnt change the filter yet, however the drive was better after the oil was put in.. what do you recommend i do now?!!!

Thanks

Modified by assemboy at 8:18 AM 10/7/2007

Have the transmission fluid flushed.

[assemboy]

I'll go and have them do that but is this a temporary solution for now, or does this fix the problem for good? meaning is the transmission bound to go sooner or later? also after ten mins of putting the fluid in, I checked it again and it wasnt red anymore it was brown.... My freind is telling me to change the gaskit too? what do u say?

[MattB]

I'll go and have them do that but is this a temporary solution for now, or does this fix the problem for good? meaning is the transmission bound to go sooner or later? also after ten mins of putting the fluid in, I checked it again and it wasnt red anymore it was brown.... My freind is telling me to change the gaskit too? what do u say?

It really depends. If your transmission fluid is turning brown it could be as simple as that the majority of your transmission fluid is dirty and it really needs a flush badly. Take it to an Infiniti dealer and have them flush the transmission fluid with OEM Nissan transmission fluid. It's not guaranteed to solve your problem though because it's not clear that's the only cause of it. You could still have a bad MAF or something else wrong. But there are a lot of stories over in the Q45 forum about transmissions that seem to be nearly dead working perfectly after a fluid flush.

[assemboy]

Well I went to the dealer and unfortunately he wasnt there at the time, his worker said to call or come back tommorow. Apparently sunday is his day off...He also said that if there's a problem, they'll have their mechanic take a look and then let me know.. Although he didnt ask me if my warranty expired or anything like that... I checked it again after driving it for 1 hour and it didnt smell burned, it only was brownish... You mentioned something about MAF in your reply, what is MAF? I dont think i'll do the flush or anything else yet until I take it back to the dealer and see what he says about resolving the issue.. If it doesnt work out, then I guess I'll take the necessary steps to report him as well as to fix the car...

Thanks
Modified by assemboy at 12:15 PM 10/7/2007

[MattB]

The MAF is the Mass Airflow Sensor, and failure is not terribly uncommon on these cars.

[assemboy]

Thanks for keeping my hopes up matt, I was really worried that I would have to shell out 2k for a new transmission. It sounds like it wont be as bad, or at least I hope it wont. I'll talk to the dealer tommorow, and let you know what happens.. Funny thing, is that he promised that the brakes had 60% left on them, and when I took to the shop 2 days ago, the mechanic said both the rotors and the pads need to be replaced..

[MattB]

Thanks for keeping my hopes up matt, I was really worried that I would have to shell out 2k for a new transmission. It sounds like it wont be as bad, or at least I hope it wont. I'll talk to the dealer tommorow, and let you know what happens.. Funny thing, is that he promised that the brakes had 60% left on them, and when I took to the shop 2 days ago, the mechanic said both the rotors and the pads need to be replaced..

Sounds like the dealer you bought it from is lying to you. Call an Infiniti dealer and have them pull the service records on the car to see what its dealer maintenance history is like as well. At this point I doubt you have a transmission failure (obviously I can't be 100% sure on that though). The transmissions on these cars are well built and if you maintain them properly they will run trouble-free for a long time.

[assemboy]

[QUOTE=MattB]

Call an Infiniti dealer and have them pull the service records on the car to see what its dealer maintenance history is like as well.

How can I do that just call infiniti and ask for it ??? what will they do email or fax it to me???

Thanks

[MattB]

Call an Infiniti dealer and have them pull the service records on the car to see what its dealer maintenance history is like as well.

How can I do that just call infiniti and ask for it ??? what will they do email or fax it to me???

Thanks

Pretty much. I just asked for it when I was at the dealer for an oil change, but you can probably get them to fax it to you or email it to you. Any service that has been done on the car by any Infiniti dealer will show up on this record so it's good to have. It's also part of the reason that I take my car to Infiniti dealers for service, so that when I go to trade it in I have all the records.

[assemboy]

called the dealer today, he repeated "its 1000 miles or 1 month" and so I said i didnt even drive the 1000 yet. He said bring it in, and I'll take a look at it, and if its one of the covered items in the warranty I'll take it to my mechanic for you, and have him fix it.. Well that got me excited until I thought about it alittle more, this guy knows that i bought it more than a month ago. Is he just saying this to have me bring it in and waste my time?? I dont know... But at least I can take it to him and show him the problem.. what do you think matt?!! I am thinking this guy was just trying to be nice to me, and then when I bring it there, He'll be like its over a month u are screwed... UGHH..

let me know what you think Thanks

[MattB]

See what he says, and be very skeptical of any repair price he quotes you if he won't warranty it. Honestly if he won't fix it for free just take it to an Infiniti dealer. Depending on the mileage on the vehicle and its in service date, you may still be under the factory powertrain warranty too which would cover a transmission issue.

[assemboy]

ok I will let you know what happens..

Thanks

[assemboy]

Hey Matt,I took it back to the dealer today, he test drove it and said theres no problem with the transmission and that i shouldnt worry about the color of the fluid. I am not taking a chance so I called aamco. Guy over the phone said flushing and changing the transmission fluid wont solve the issue, he said we need to know "why" if its internal, if its a leak ect.. He also said that doing that would only preserve a working transmission, so he recommended that we do an external transmission diagnostic which will cost me $50. I am confused right now and I dont know if I should listen to the dealer or to the aamco guy... I can either have AAMCO do the flush and leave it alone or I can have them do the Diagnotic and see where we are that takes us..... either way I'll have to spend some money... so what do you recommend to do Note car is driving better transmission fluids dont smell burnt I think theres a leak Thanks

[MattB]

The dealer who sold you the car is an idiot. Dirty transmission fluid means it needs to be changed. It's not necessarily a huge issue but it's something that needs to be taken care of. AAMCO might be fine for your average Ford Taurus or Chevy Cavalier, but I frankly wouldn't trust them with something advanced like an I30/35. Infiniti techs are trained on these things and can better diagnose the issue. Unless you know an independent shop that specializes in Nissans, take it to an Infiniti or Nissan franchise dealer for the best expertise on it. A fluid flush can make a noticeable difference even on a perfectly maintained transmission, my car had its first fluid change at 60K as recommended by the manufacturer and the shifts went from smooth to barely perceptible. On a car with dirty fluid or more miles the difference should be even more noticeable.

[assemboy]

I am gonna bug out soon, after work turned the car on and "service engine soon" was ON. This is crazy...... I dont wanna give up but I dont got alot of money to spend beyond the 10k that I paid for it.... this piece of S-----.....

[MattB]

I am gonna bug out soon, after work turned the car on and "service engine soon" was ON. This is crazy...... I dont wanna give up but I dont got alot of money to spend beyond the 10k that I paid for it.... this piece of S-----.....

$10K isn't a bad price for an I35, that's slightly less than I paid for my '01 I30. For the SES light, go to your local Autozone, they can read the codes for free.

[assemboy]

with 89k that is

[assemboy]

hey matt guess what I took it to aamco just for them to have a look at it They said that car is leaking from drivers side axle seal and that theres excessive play found in differential. These guys said transmission must be removed in order to repair... what do u think my freind..

[maxhopper]

As I said in your other thread, that Aamco is most likely full of dodo.

First off, $10k for an 02 I35 with 89k on it is a really good price. Congrats on the buy.

The best thing to do would be to call your local Infiniti dealer's service department, and ask for a quote to replace the driver's side axle seal (that should also include changing the fluid, but ask to make sure).

Then call the lot that sold you the car and see if they will cover, or at least pay a portion of, the cost to replace the axle seal. Try negotiate the terms before telling them you have a quote.

Report back what you are told.

A couple of questions:

Did you buy the car from an individual, independent used car lot, or a dealership?

How mechanically inclined are you?

What sort of tools/help do you have access to?

[assemboy]

Hey Max,

I called My nearest infiniti Dealer service dept, and they said it would cost me $199 for the flush and fluid replacement and $208 to change the seal, "if the axle is not broken".Called the dealer said he wouldnt cover since the my lemon law warranty expired. I bought the car from an independant car lot. I am not mechanically inclined, although my freind is and hes got most of the tools. I can try and see if he would help, why do you anything in mind for me to work on? I'll tell you at this point I dont know if I want to spend 200 bucks for them to replace a seal that cost $10. I understand theres labor invloved, but give me a break.. Since you are the expert, I trust your advice max, what do you suggest I do?

Thanks SamNote I will be going back to autozone today to find out exactly which sensor is out and order it. One last thing someone told me yesterday, is that if the previous owner hasnt changed the fluid in years, changing it and flushing it now would hurt more benefit.... what do we do about that!!!!

[maxhopper]

Well if you trust your friend's abilities, just buy the part from Infiniti and do the install yourselves. Especially being the driver side, it should only take a couple of hours.

First remove the wheel, and drain the transmission fluid.Then unbolt the brake caliper and move it out of the way.Then remove the cotter pin and castle nut from the end of the axle.Remove the 36mm bolt on the end of the axle (the hardest part of the job).Remove the two bolts that hold the spindle to the strut.Turn the hub to one side and remove the end of the axle from the hub.Pry the other end of the axle out of the transmission.Remove the old seal, and carefully install the new one making sure not to damage or distort it.Then do everything in reverse.

That is a basic overview of the job going off memory. I'm sorry if I left anything out.

As for changing the fluid, doing a drain-and-fill should have no ill effects on the transmission. You may want to stay away from a flush. If the fluid is particularly dirty, you may want to do a fluid change now and follow up with another one in 3-4 months.

[assemboy]

I appreciate all of your help... You're awesome!!! I will change the seal and then as far as the transmission fluid, I will make sure to drain it all out and replace it with OEM nissan transmission fluids Only .. I think I will take care of that first and then change Oxygen sensor... I will keep you posted, and hope that everything will go well..

ThanksSam.

[assemboy]

Hi,Ok I checked the p0051 code and autozone confirmed that its bank2 sensor 1 that we need to change. Where is this sensor located?? and is there any diagram on the site that shows how to replace it?? and is there a model number that I should go and order? I looked online at infinitpartstore.com, and they had 4 to choose from I dont know which one it is.....

Thanks

[NewfoundlandDude]

Let us know how the repair went, and if the seal fixed all of the problems.

I had the same problem in May with cold starts and revving, then the hard shift before the car would move. I got the fluid changed and a month later I lost the transmssion on an 01.

I lost 1st & Reverse which the dealer could not explain, but they tried to test-drive the car and immediately told me that the transmission was gone.

I would like to know what actually happened to my transmission, so any repair stories would be nice.....

[assemboy]

Actually I been having kind of the same issues lately with the cold starts.. It starts, has this sound like its sick or something lolz like it's got a cold heavy sound then when I shift to move it does shift harder.. Now that you said that I am getting concerned about this.. I will try and remedy it with the advice I got from the people here and worst comes worst ...UGHH I dont even wanna say it ....