Hi there,
The reverse gear on my maxima is not engaging, have no clue to where to begin the fault check. And am seriously not in a mood for spending $$$ anymore. It is an automatic and at high speeds if accelerated the shifting becomes confused, and then after slowing down i realise the gear hasnt shifted to the 1st or 2nd...its still running on 4th.
PLZ HELP ME OUT!
Modified by wazzupwaleed at 11:32 AM 1/9/2010
2001 Nissan Maxima - Reverse Not Working
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wazzupwaleed
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 9:14 am
- Car: Nissan Maxima 2001
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loystock
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Re: 2001 Nissan Maxima - Reverse Not Working (wazzupwaleed)
How is the level and color of the fluid? If it is dark and smell burnt, the transmission may be on the way out. When was the last time the transmission fluid flushed? A good fluid should be pinkish red in color.For longevity, it is recommended to flush the ATF every 24-30 K miles/2 years.
If you are a DIY person, you can do preliminary servicing by dropping the pan, cleaning the pan and magnets and replacing the transmission filter and installing new gasket. Make sure the fluid is at the correct level before draining it. There are 21 bolts that secure the pan. The filter has several bolts with varying sizes and one has a NUT (with reverse thread). Make sure you take note of the bolt location for installation. If the car has more than 85K miles and no proof of prior ATF flush, most shops will refuse to do the flush because of liability issue. So you can do multiple drain and refill below to emulate aflsuh.
After re-assembly, add the same amount that was drained. Run the engine for @ 100 secs (switch gears if you want to),stop engine, drain and refill - repeat 2 to 3 times. Each drain will yield @ 3 quarts but must be measured exactly to avoid under/overfilling the transmission. At the end of the drain and refill, add LubeGard Red ATF Protectant (@ $14 from Napa).
The recommended fluid is Nissan Matic-D and you need a minimum of 12 quarts. However, you can use Dexron III or better yet, the newer Dexron VI or Mobil ATF. There are numerous vendors of Dexron VI ($3-10/quart) now and even Walmart sells them. Your call which one to buy.
If you are not a DIY, take it to a trusted shop. You definitely need a pan drop, filter replacement and flush. I would stay away from AAMCO unless you know that particular branch is good (to avoid rip off). Check BBB rating. They may also check the wiring and solenoids of your transmission.
If the above actions did not fix the problem, you may need a replacement transmission..
If you are a DIY person, you can do preliminary servicing by dropping the pan, cleaning the pan and magnets and replacing the transmission filter and installing new gasket. Make sure the fluid is at the correct level before draining it. There are 21 bolts that secure the pan. The filter has several bolts with varying sizes and one has a NUT (with reverse thread). Make sure you take note of the bolt location for installation. If the car has more than 85K miles and no proof of prior ATF flush, most shops will refuse to do the flush because of liability issue. So you can do multiple drain and refill below to emulate aflsuh.
After re-assembly, add the same amount that was drained. Run the engine for @ 100 secs (switch gears if you want to),stop engine, drain and refill - repeat 2 to 3 times. Each drain will yield @ 3 quarts but must be measured exactly to avoid under/overfilling the transmission. At the end of the drain and refill, add LubeGard Red ATF Protectant (@ $14 from Napa).
The recommended fluid is Nissan Matic-D and you need a minimum of 12 quarts. However, you can use Dexron III or better yet, the newer Dexron VI or Mobil ATF. There are numerous vendors of Dexron VI ($3-10/quart) now and even Walmart sells them. Your call which one to buy.
If you are not a DIY, take it to a trusted shop. You definitely need a pan drop, filter replacement and flush. I would stay away from AAMCO unless you know that particular branch is good (to avoid rip off). Check BBB rating. They may also check the wiring and solenoids of your transmission.
If the above actions did not fix the problem, you may need a replacement transmission..
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wazzupwaleed
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 9:14 am
- Car: Nissan Maxima 2001
Re: 2001 Nissan Maxima - Reverse Not Working (loystock)
First of all thanks for the solution, its my first tym with a car and really appreciate ur explanation.
However, i am a DIY person, but can not DI myself due to the weather condition.But i did notice the transmission fluid color is brown. and i have no idea when the car was recently flushed. I will be taking it to a specialist who has a good rating as all there work includes a 1 year warranty. Lets see what they say, and i am hoping the fluid is the problem. Because the problem began suddenly without any breaking noise or cracks.
However, i am a DIY person, but can not DI myself due to the weather condition.But i did notice the transmission fluid color is brown. and i have no idea when the car was recently flushed. I will be taking it to a specialist who has a good rating as all there work includes a 1 year warranty. Lets see what they say, and i am hoping the fluid is the problem. Because the problem began suddenly without any breaking noise or cracks.
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MountainMax
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 1:15 am
- Car: 2001 Maxima
Re: 2001 Nissan Maxima - Reverse Not Working (wazzupwaleed)
Just to share. With my '01 Maxima somewhere between 120k and 150k, I had the problem backing out of parking spaces, transmission not engaging right away when I went back to Drive. I had the transmission fluid replaced, they cleaned a magnet or changed a filter (not sure which), and no problem at all since then (228k now). May be a totally different situation, but hopefully you can get that quick fix.