2004 Altima 2.5S Auto Transmission problem

General discussion area for the L31-chassis Altima, including the 05-06 SE-R models.
knaackb
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2006 3:44 pm
Car: 2004 Nissan Altima 2.5S

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Any advice is appreciated!!.............

I own a 2004 Nissan Altima 2.5S with Auto transmission. It has 41,000 miles. The past few weeks I've noticed, when the engine gets warm, that the shift from 1st to 2nd gear is a "hard shift" (for lack of technical term?!). Similar to what it would feel like if you were popping the clutch on a shift between first and second on a manual transmission. It jerks on the shift and not as smooth as it used to be. Any advice on what I can do first, before I take it into the dealer and they hook it up to their $90 diagnostic equip????

It's been serviced regulary, I bought it used with 31,000 miles on it in Sept. '05 and had it inspected by a mechanic at a Nissan dealer prior to purchasing


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l31nismo
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:15 am
Car: 2002 Nismo Altima 3.5 SE 5 spd Manual/ 2005 Nissan Sentra SER Spec-V
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Yeah dude I'm a Service tech at a Nissan Dealer. I can help. The problem is the fluid. It takes a 80w90 gear lube but It's too thick. This sometimes causes a "Stuck" or "hard shift" problem. One thing to do is refill your tranny with 1 quart of 10w30 synthetic motor oil, either valvoline or mobil1, then fill the rest up with the 80w90 gear lube. This should fix it. Also be sure to check the clutch fluid to make sure it's not low.

nismo96ka
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:38 am

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ok well that's good advice if his car were a manual but it's an auto. there is a technical service bulletin i remember for the auto altima. involved pulling out the valve body. hopefully you haven't followed this other guys advice. i saw prolly a dozen or so altimas with this same problem when i was at the nissan dealership....i miss my nissans

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l31nismo
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:15 am
Car: 2002 Nismo Altima 3.5 SE 5 spd Manual/ 2005 Nissan Sentra SER Spec-V
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Oh Your talking about the solonoid packs. I'm sorry I thought you were refering to a manual. My 3.5 SE is a Manual So I just always assume everyone else has one as well. He is correct there is a bulleting to basically remove the trans solonoid packs and solder some wires and re install. You might want to take it in to a dealer for this. Sorry once again.

david gussie
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:47 am
Car: Altima

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l31nismo wrote:Oh Your talking about the solonoid packs. I'm sorry I thought you were refering to a manual. My 3.5 SE is a Manual So I just always assume everyone else has one as well. He is correct there is a bulleting to basically remove the trans solonoid packs and solder some wires and re install. You might want to take it in to a dealer for this. Sorry once again.
ok

sjogran
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:43 am
Car: 2004 Altima 2.5S

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OK guys I've had the SAME problem with my 2004 Altima 2.5S. It has 72,000 miles, I've never replaced the fluid (since I've had it 42k miles) but the fluid looks nice a pink/red and smells OK. The car DOES get worse when its hot which seems to be a fluid issue.

3 months have gone by with me working with the hard shifting from 1st to 2nd (accelerating and letting it coast into 2nd as to not damage it more) and just the other day it had a bad shift from 2nd to 3rd for the first time. About 30 minutes later, the transmission seemed to have failed. It felt like it was in 4th gear and I couldn't hardly move. I tried to put it into 1/2/3/R manually and it didn't move at all. I did hear a high pitched wizzing sound faintly in the engine. I turned it off, let cool off for a couple of hours, tried again to no avail. So I had it towed last night...

THIS MORNING, the technician at the tranny repair shop I took it to started it up and drove it 2 times for a total of 25 miles! The only thing he experienced was the hard shift from 1st to 2nd. He is baffled and is looking more into it tomorrow. Computer/Electronic issue? The SES light is on but only shows O2 Sensor and something else not related he says. I'm very frustrated and don't know where to go from here--hopefully he does.

Any ideas why my transmission seemed to have totally failed yesterday and this morning works fine?

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icey
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:51 pm
Car: '04 Altima 2.5

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I have the exact same problem. Though I've grown accustomed to it. Is this hard shift a sort of "slip" in between 1st and 2nd? Because I experience the same thing you are, whether my engine is cold or hot. almost the same stats as your car as well, 04 altima 2.5S and I just hit 41500 miles yesterday. I have had this problem though since 30k miles.

I'm really no help. But I highly doubt that changing the fluid will help this situation. My warranty is gone so I don't even care for taking my car in. Because I recieve no respect at the dealership without a warranty. Well good luck with you. lol.

N Riley
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:17 pm
Car: 2005 Nissan Sentra

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I am having the same problems with my 2005 Nissan Sentra (automatic). I bought the car used last december and over the summer had no problems with except for a chirp when my car shifts from 2nd to 3rd. Nissan assured me that the chirp is just a sound the car makes and they have a lubricant that takes care of it. Well, about 3 or 4 months ago the hard shifting into 1st gear started. At first it happened rarely. Now it is hard shifting almost every time, whether I have just taken my car out of park or have been stopped at a light. Today there was a good 3 to 5 seconds of high RPMs before it would click into gear. I've been having to let off the gas and hope it goes into gear. My fluids are fine. I check them once every month. Does anyone have any idea what causes this or what the best course of action is. I'm a poor college student and I need to drive home for thanksgiving. lol.

viratp114
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:56 pm
Car: nissan altima 2003

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Hi i have a altima 2003 auto trans and the problem i am having is when the car engine is cold and you put it into drive it doesnt go... but when the engine warm up then it goes.. when you drive there is no problem with the trans meaning no sliping or leaks or sticking... please someone help me

viratp114
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:56 pm
Car: nissan altima 2003

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does anyone know what the problem is, i am waiting for someone to give me some info or atleast try to help me please thank you

viratp114
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:56 pm
Car: nissan altima 2003

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since you work at nissan, you think you would be able to help me, why my car wont go when its in drive when the car is cold

CPS
Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:08 pm

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Sounds like solenoid packs to me.

BTW, 3/36 bumper to bumper, 5/60 powertrain (which should include the aforementioned solenoid packs), and 8/80 on the catalytic convertor. Take it to the dealer.

M2daa2da2xny
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:05 am

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so whats the final verdict?

sweetmisty03
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:26 am
Car: 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5S

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I'm not a mechanic, but it sounds like the problem that my car is having AGAIN. I purchased my car brand new and my car had to have a solenoid in the transmission replaced at 41,500 miles. Having to have it done again this week at 85,500 miles. Sucks a** since it is not under warranty anymore! I took it to a mechanic yesterday and the got the code P0745 off of it which matches with what was repaired by Nissan the first time I had the problem.

Sorry to say it, but get ready to bend over and touch your toes buddy.

Mafioso2000us
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:58 pm
Car: 03' 350Z, 03' ALTIMA

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Any updates from your car? I think I have thesame problem. How much did it cost to takecare of?

sweetmisty03
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:26 am
Car: 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5S

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Yes I got it taken care of. I took it to a private mechanic and he fixed it for $800 including the part which is almost $400. It was the solenoid.

Blizzard
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 12:31 pm
Car: 2004 Altima

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viratp114 wrote:Hi i have a altima 2003 auto trans and the problem i am having is when the car engine is cold and you put it into drive it doesnt go... but when the engine warm up then it goes.. when you drive there is no problem with the trans meaning no sliping or leaks or sticking... please someone help me
Did you ever find out what the problem was? I have the same issue.

03_altima_tx
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun May 20, 2012 8:39 pm
Car: 03 Altima 2.5s
Location: Sugar Land, TX

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Blizzard wrote:
viratp114 wrote:Hi i have a altima 2003 auto trans and the problem i am having is when the car engine is cold and you put it into drive it doesnt go... but when the engine warm up then it goes.. when you drive there is no problem with the trans meaning no sliping or leaks or sticking... please someone help me
Did you ever find out what the problem was? I have the same issue.
i thought they said that iwas the solenoid pack was the issue

45yearcarvetasetech
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:12 pm

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:facepalm: :facepalm: :nono:
to the service tech who out this advice...your giving out incorect info...if this were a manual transmission then id say you may be right but this topic was on an automatic transmission. :nono:
l31nismo wrote:Yeah dude I'm a Service tech at a Nissan Dealer. I can help. The problem is the fluid. It takes a 80w90 gear lube but It's too thick. This sometimes causes a "Stuck" or "hard shift" problem. One thing to do is refill your tranny with 1 quart of 10w30 synthetic motor oil, either valvoline or mobil1, then fill the rest up with the 80w90 gear lube. This should fix it. Also be sure to check the clutch fluid to make sure it's not low.
:facepalm:

45yearcarvetasetech
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:12 pm

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If it me...id drain all fluids in trans put in new filter get 15 qt fluid... Disconnect return line at trans, put a clear hose on reurn out of cooler to a 5 gal plastic pal put in 4 qt start engine and pump out what you put in, shut it off put in 4 more start it again just let it idle till you pump out again, now after shuting it down fill it back up and then see if the fluid is red now, if so shut it back down. Get a magnetic inline filter from transtar, or local autoparts store and make sure the arrow is pointing to go with the flow back to the return in the trans, this will get any fine metal particals that may be trapped in the cooler snd whatever works its way loose in the clutch drums torque convertet ect and will help in preventing future shift problems that come along from dirty fluid and fine metalic particals...it dosent take much to make shift solinoids and valves to stick and start causing shift issues. Trans service should be done every 26 to 36k miles if you dont your just asking for trouble$$$!!! :bigthumb:
03_altima_tx wrote:[quote="Blizzard"
Did you ever find out what the problem was? I have the same issue.
i thought they said that iwas the solenoid pack was the issue[/quote]

rvargas208
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:54 am
Car: 06 Altima 3.5
08 Altima 2.5

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Just in case someone else reads this.
I had the hard shifting on mine, after warm up. This issue was resolve when I changed out the cooling fans on the radiator. They had been broken and I was troubleshooting the A/C system when I found this. The engine never overheated, the apparently the transmission did until I changed them out.

nando989
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2017 11:15 pm
Car: 2002 Nissan Altima S

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I ordered a transmission from jdm for my 2.5 S with automatic transmission. Here’s where it gets strange. The transmission dip stick says use only Nissan Matic J Fluid. Dealer says for 2002 use Nissan Matic D. Well this dealership has steered me wrong before so I insisted on useing Nissan Matic S Fluid that has replaced J type. Car shifts smooth as can be. Also seen that this type (Matic S) helps with transmission temps. I will be using this Matic S in my other 2002 automatic transmission. I’m sure D is ok. But let’s think about why the Japan engenderes deseided to go with Nissan Matic type J only. FYI for you people thinking about doing a transmission swap from Japan. You have to open the case and transfer the diff assy as well as the diff gear to match the Japan transmission. Glad I check my back lash before I sealed her up. Japan doesn’t use a speed gear on the diff for the speedometer. Everything else is identical.


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