A few problems.....

[qship96]

the coil packs fail more than injectors on a 96...

...

Not true on the 96Q.......maybe on the 97-01Q

[mtzgr777]

Now my car's making a whining sound like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDxp66zb5Lc the problems are nonstop lately....

[mtzgr777]

I ohmed testes the KS and got exactly 550k on one and the other one was crazy. It would jump around from 18 to 265 to 500 back down to 30 etc.. I have yet to figuere out what makes the car whine. When I shut it off and turn it back on again it goes away for the most part. I'll be replacing the fuel filter tomorrow, so hopefully that will help.

[Infinitiguy19]

When is the whine heard?

Check the ABS relay on ABS actuator.

[mtzgr777]

It's heard within 3 minutes of first starting the car. Usually occurs in the colder weather. Where are those relays located?

[mtzgr777]

Something else that's strange, my car tells me when it's going to run crappy, and when it's going to run fine. How you ask? I simply turn the key 2 clicks and it either says TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION or OK. If it says TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION, I turn the key to the off position and then turn it back 2 clicks again. I sometimes need to do this 3-4 times in order for it to say OK. If I start it before it says OK, the engine will whine and sometimes it doesn't shift out of first gear. Once it does say OK, I know that my car will be running good and it is now safe for me to start the engine!

Any ideas?????

[qship96]

Check the codes.....one of the advantages of obd2.

[Infinitiguy19]

Go to Autozone and have them read ALL of the codes. Because after looking at the 1996 Q45 service manual (Nicoclub.com/FSM) it seems that the TCU* and ECU are linked more closely together than the 1990-1995 Q45.

Honestly I know its the TPS.

*Transmission Control Unit

[mtzgr777]

I think you're right about the TPS.

[Infinitiguy19]

Now my car's making a whining sound like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDxp66zb5Lc the problems are nonstop lately....

I would check the power steering, Transmission pump and for any vacuum leaks.

Hopefully this topic is helpful: zerothread/203568. Found it out when I was going back through NICO's old topics picking out the best ones. For those who want to see my current progress: http://docs.google.com/leaf?id...hl=en.

To newbies: If you can't find what your looking for there then you should post...But ONLY then.

[goody90q45]

....If it says TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION, I turn the key to the off position and then turn it back 2 clicks again. I sometimes need to do this 3-4 times in order for it to say OK. If I start it before it says OK, the engine will whine and sometimes it doesn't shift out of first gear......Any ideas?????

Do the transmission self-check on page AT-41 of the FSM and let us know the results.

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Q45/1994_Q45/at.pdf

When the transmission on my 94 would randomly not shift out of 1st ger the (temporary) fix was to turn the engine off and on. The self check lead me to the revolution sensor ($130 at IOS) which I replaced to fix the problem.

If you don't own a voltmeter go get one and learn how to use it. It's a must for all Q owners. They're as cheap as $15 at Radio Shack. After the self-check follow the FSM a couple of pages further because next you'll be under the car checking the connectors for the 4 sensors mounted at the aft end of the transmission.

[Infinitiguy19]

The 1996 Q45 is a different beast al together Mike. I was wrong about the CAS on these cars, just like there is no way ti check the A/T codes through the diagnostic info screen. Only way to check the codes is with a code reader that also checks the ECU codes.

Awesome signature Mike.

[silkysmoothyjud]

Dam goody, looking good on that sig.

[mtzgr777]

UPDATE: I just got all four of my brakes replaced and while it was in the shop, I figured I'd have them check a few things. I changed my fuel filter and used carb and choke cleaner to clean my Throttle Body and it runs MUCH better. It's a lot faster from 0-30 and has a lot more "pick up" to it. Only problem that remains now is the whining/erratic shifting. The guy at the shop tried re-taping the wires a bit and cleaning the connectors (as I have done before) thinking that maybe it was just a dirty connection. It didn't fix it.

It still makes that whiny noise and struggles to shift into first gear. And when it does shift into first, it's a real HARD shift. This usually happens first thing in the morning when the car's been sitting for 12 or so hours. Sometimes restarting the car a few times will help it, but lately it seems I just need to deal with it until it fixes itself (for lack of better words.) Sometime sit starts up and runs perfectly with correct shift timing and everything, and other times it runs pretty crappy. I know I have a few sensors that are faulty as I stated above [1 KS, Camshaft Sensor, TPS Sensor and it seems to me that the TPS is definitely causing these symptoms.

Any ideas on what I should do before I go buy another Throttle Position Sensor?

EDIT: It does this no matter how long I warm it up in the morning.

[mtzgr777]

Also, when I turn the Key 2 clicks it sometimes says TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION and other times says OK. It's totally random from what I can tell....

[silkysmoothyjud]

hard shift (on a 94 anyways) is usually something besides the transmission; usually a fuel delivery (injector)/pressure (fuel line leaking/Fuel pump) or timing (ks) related issue, but that dam transmission malfunction code never appeared on my Q....Thats a scary code, but it could be caused by your other issues. Usually, as a general rule, if it starts slipping your screwed. I have went through many instances of hard shifting, but it went away after the car was put back to OEM spec...

[Infinitiguy19]

One thing to check when you have a hard shift problem is the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS). Should have .5 volts coming out of it, anymore and it could be bad. If the TPS is malfunctioning it will cause the engine and the transmission to not work in synthetic, causing the trans to shift hard. Sometimes causing the wheels to chirp. Something to check if there is nothing wrong with the tranmission. TJ

7168 http://www.asashop.org/autoinc...h.htmh ... ech.htmMAF: A mass air flow (MAF) system measures the actual amount of air flow into the engine and compensates fuel for this amount. So, a MAF system does not go rich when confronted by less air flow or no EGR. The only assumption a MAF system makes is that there is no pirate air getting in behind it. This is the weakness of the MAF system. Detecting vacuum leaks in this system is critical, even crankcase air leaks. Throttle position sensor: Now we are dropping lower on the critical sensor authority list. The TPS does three main inputs. It is usually used to show idle (eliminating the idle tracking switch on Fords and the nose switch on GMs). It shows rate of change in the throttle opening, making it important as the replacement for the accelerator pump in a carbureted system. Also the TPS tells the computer when the engine is at wide open throttle (WOT). WOT is important at cranking speeds to put the computer in "clear flood mode," another mimic of the carburetor days. Also the TPS tells the computer when to drop out of closed loop under WOT at higher than cranking RPM for full throttle power enrichment. Some systems depend on the MAP, the accelerator pump enrichment and only use TPS switches for idle and/or WOT. Exhaust gas recirculation: All of the inputs above add fuel to the base calculation; the EGR is a subtraction. The exhaust gas that is recirculating the cylinder is inert to the combustion process, therefore, it slows the combustion by getting in between the O2 and the HC. When the EGR is introduced into the intake manifold, less air flows into the cylinder at the same RPM. With less air in the cylinder, we need less fuel to maintain the same fuel mixture. The more EGR, the less fuel.

Lubeguard red & black

Red is synthetic sperm oil (can't kill whales anymore) and is used to smooth out the final engagement shock (lock-up.) It is a friction modified that lowers the coefficient of static friction relative to the dynamic friction. Dynamic is when the clutch faces are slipping past each other--static is when they are stationary.

Black lubeguard increases static friction and dynamic friction coefficients, raising the locked-up torque handling capacity of the clutch unit (results in 'firmer' feeling shifts)

The Q45 TCU/ECU backs off on torque during the shift to give smooth shifts. For a given transmission condition/temp/oil condition, one can 'tune' the fluid characteristics somewhat. Factory settings are a compromise between smoothness, durability, and performance.

Ideally you would get a continuous flow of driveshaft torque under all throttle and speed conditions, with no noticeable jerk or sag. Hard to achieve in this world.

You want to be careful with harsh shifts--they stress the metal parts and clutch faces (and driveline parts) more than intended. This is not to say they will fail (right away), but incremental wear/damage is unavoidable with hard shifts.

Regarding Lubeguard. (No comment on Nissan D fluid since I am ignorant of the specific characteristics) I AM knowledgeable on DEXRON (all previous and present versions) and the 'type F' fluids.

Q45's through version III for certain were designed for the friction characteristics of DEXRON. This fluid had friction modifiers that shallow the slope of the torque vs slip curve as the clutches approach 'lock-up'. AND these fluids are suitable for those cars that ALLOW continuous slip of the 'lock-up' torque convertor to smooth things out.

Some transmissons are designed for different fluids, ones that have either no drop in torque transfer as slip goes to zero, or even fluids that have HIGHER torque transmission ability as slip drops to zero. This characteristic is called HIGH STATIC FRICTION. Dexron fluids have HIGH DYNAMIC FRICTION.

If youput a 'high static' fluid in a transmission designed for 'high dynamic' fluid, you will significantly increase clutch lock-up shock--even to the point of shearing the metal driving lugs on the clutch plates. You may even feel a 'firmer shift', but that is easily confused and misnamed. You can also get a 'firmer [faster] shift with higher viscosity fluid or increased oil pressure in the transmission operating circuit. 'Firmer shift' and 'clutch lock-up shock' are different processes and not necessarily coincident. You can have 'soft shifts' caused by worn clutches, leaking clutch pack seals, low oil pressure, and STILL have 'lock-up shock.' You can have fast, firm shifts and still have smooth , no jerk clutch lock-up.

I recomend AGAINST adding Lubegard BLACK to Q45 transmissions in an attempt to get 'firmer shifts'. All you are doing is increasing the momentary torque loading( lock-up shock) on the metal parts in the transmission and can break some real expensive parts. This transmission IS NOT designed for harsh shifts and WILL break.

IF your Q45 transmission has slow, lazy shifts at moderate and more throttle openings, slips on shifting (engine speeds up), then either your throttle position switch is misadjusted, the transmission is worn and leaking internally, the oil filter is plugged, the fluid burned (worn-out), the clutch linings coated with varnish (from infrequent oil changes) or the valve body is malfunctioning for some reason.

Change the fluid. Add one pint of Berrymans Transmission cleaner and seal conditioner--run it easy for a week, re-drain and refill with DEXRON III --not synthetic--most DEXRON III fluids already have as much as 50% 'synthetic' base oil in them to meet the very low temperature viscosity requirements. What you are trying to do is clean off the clutches, clean out the valve body, and renew the friction modifier additive package. IF the shifts are not velvety smooth on lock-up, add one pint of LUBEGUARD RED. Do not confuse 'smooth lock-up' with 'firm shifts'. DO NOT ADD LUBEGUARD BLACK trying to get 'firm shifts'. To get 'firmer shifts' you will need to increase the transmission 'line pressure'. There are after-market spring/parts kits to do this. Use at your own risk. You DO NOT want to create harsh clutch lock-up under any condition--the metal parts will not survive.