I just had my transmission, at 137K, drop out of drive for the second time after driving no more than 100yds. The car stays essentially in neutral regardless of what the selector is positioned at. Reverse still works.
For about the last 50K, very approximate, the car has taken time to 'warm up' before shifting into 'overdrive'. Essentially after leaving my house, as long as I stayed below 50Mph, it would run at higher RPMs for a little while before dropping into the appropriate RPM range for the speed. As I type this, I'm thinking that what appears to me to be overdrive at lower speeds may just be 3rd gear, but I'll let someone else fill me in.
Just before this happened the reverse gear was jumpy, very mechanical and breaking feeling, but it did reverse and drive did engage when selected. The drive gear itself at this time was taking a moment to fully engage. When drive was selected after backing out of a parking space, the car would move forward slowly, as if the gear wasn't fully engaged, and then it would appear to shift into first gear and take off as usual.
Right now the car is parked and I dare not try to move it a third time; the second time was just to repeat the problem and get it into a better parking area, which succeeded, but it's obviously going to have to be towed to a shop to get fixed.
I'm hoping that someone here can present a range of diagnoses, and possibly a range of costs; I'm currently in training at a military base that's 9 hours away from my home, and the car will have to be towed off of the military base to a shop, and I'd rather not get taken to the cleaners. Any help would be appreciated!
Bad transmission issues
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johnctharp
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:06 pm
- Car: 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
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digitalbow
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2006 12:06 pm
- Car: 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5T
Re: Bad transmission issues (johnctharp)
You're actually lucky to have the POS automatic last you through six digits on the odometer. Unless you source a used RE4FO4B for the QR and find a good transmission shop (or DIY), a dealer will empty your pockets and put in a remanufactured POS AT that will never be as strong (relatively speaking) than a brand new unit. Your best bet is car-part.com for a local junker that might have one with low miles in good condition and a good transmission shop - not a Nissan dealership or general-purpose shop.
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johnctharp
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:06 pm
- Car: 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
Re: Bad transmission issues (digitalbow)
I had it taken to a dealer- something that I was aware that I might regret- to make sure I get a proper diagnosis. I don't really trust anyone with transmissions, so I guess I trust a dealer more than an Aamco. The dealer said the transmission was bad, after repeating the issue I had with it above, and checked inside; their cue was that they could see 'gold shavings' inside the transmission from the belts.
When they told me it was bad, however, they gave me a quote on one that had 50,000 miles on it, and the installed price was half what a new one would cost. While I'd really like a new transmission, dropping $3k on a 7 year old car that I owe about a year and 3 months on just isn't worth it to me, but on the flip side I do owe money on it and it is still otherwise a nice car, so it is worth fixing.
I went ahead with the transmission, will get it back this Friday or Monday (depending on pay cycles), and they say that I have a 30 day warranty on the used one. I will certainly be testing that out.
The dealer is also taking care of a headlight issue that's under recall, my left light had shorted out, and some other issue with the ECU that was under recall. They're also replacing a CV joint that went out.
While I know dealers are expensive, I'm hoping that the money is both well spent in making sure that the car is fixed right, the first time, and that while I'm two states away from my home now, I will still have a warranty on the work after I drive it home.
When they told me it was bad, however, they gave me a quote on one that had 50,000 miles on it, and the installed price was half what a new one would cost. While I'd really like a new transmission, dropping $3k on a 7 year old car that I owe about a year and 3 months on just isn't worth it to me, but on the flip side I do owe money on it and it is still otherwise a nice car, so it is worth fixing.
I went ahead with the transmission, will get it back this Friday or Monday (depending on pay cycles), and they say that I have a 30 day warranty on the used one. I will certainly be testing that out.
The dealer is also taking care of a headlight issue that's under recall, my left light had shorted out, and some other issue with the ECU that was under recall. They're also replacing a CV joint that went out.
While I know dealers are expensive, I'm hoping that the money is both well spent in making sure that the car is fixed right, the first time, and that while I'm two states away from my home now, I will still have a warranty on the work after I drive it home.
Re: Bad transmission issues (johnctharp)
Nissan's part numbers that end in an RE are not all remanufactured units. They could be new or a remanufactured unit, but regardless they are done by Nissan and carry the warranty as a non-remanufactured unit would.
Classic example. We ordered a transmission for a Sentra that was struck by lightning. I checked the part number and they had plenty at our closest distribution center. The next morning the part came back cancelled. I called Nissan and that day they had changed the part number to an RE version. It came in with the RE label over the previous label, which is the part that I had originally tried to order.
Nissan does not even offer a new distributor, they are all labeled as RE. The only part they use is the actual base plate, aka "body" of the distributor. Everything else in it is brand new. Aftermarket companies put new seals and a cap and rotor in it, whereas Nissan replaces everything.
Classic example. We ordered a transmission for a Sentra that was struck by lightning. I checked the part number and they had plenty at our closest distribution center. The next morning the part came back cancelled. I called Nissan and that day they had changed the part number to an RE version. It came in with the RE label over the previous label, which is the part that I had originally tried to order.
Nissan does not even offer a new distributor, they are all labeled as RE. The only part they use is the actual base plate, aka "body" of the distributor. Everything else in it is brand new. Aftermarket companies put new seals and a cap and rotor in it, whereas Nissan replaces everything.