Gradual loss of pressure in transmission, now car won't hardly move. What happened?

[sixteenXnine]

MY GXE's transmission has always had a hard 1st to 2nd shift.

A couple months ago I noticed that when cold, it took a few secs for the pressure to build in reverse... like, I'd hit the gas and there wasn't enough go... and then a couple secs later all was well.

Then it started happening in forward gears a couple days ago... the car wouldn't downshift, and it just felt sluggish... the motor felt hampered by the transmission.

It got worse.

So on thanksgiving eve I was going to go grab my kids for the holiday, 30 miles away. I thought I'd stop at Auto Zone and grab a $10 bottle of transmission stuff to possibly help the problem.

Car was running... I put the bottle in, shut the hood, get in, put the car in reverse...

No go.

Nothing works except "D". But I needed to back out to leave.

Had to call a cab to get home, and had to find another way to get the kids over to my house.

Crap!

I noticed that while on my way to Auto Zone, if i revved the motor after slapping it into neutral (while coasting) I felt a bit of a push forward... wtf! Neutral's not supposed to push me forward! Same thing happened in the parking lot after the car wouldn't do reverse...

Why would the transmission be so confused?

I drained/replaced transmission fluid in the summer.. I've only put 2k on the car since then.

BUT maybe I should have had this done in the shop? Uhh, so the fluid in the torque converter could have been drained and replaced?

... or is this a sign of transmission DEATH?

Do I need to start looking in the Nissan section of the Elmira?Corning Pick-A-Part for a Maxima transmission?

My GLE is already in the shop after the hugest buck I've ever seen (and there are big ones up here in the Finger Lakes) smacked the front end @ 60mph, causing 6k of damage... (airbag didn't deploy though, saving the car from being totaled) ... SO... now we have no cars, when once we had two nice Maximas...

No check engine light, btw.

Oh and FWIW, I have no access to the car at the moment, it's stuck at Auto Zone.. I haven't called Triple A yet as I don't know if I should have it towed to my house, or to a local shop (I have no idea what shops deal with trannies).


Modified by sixteenXnine at 8:31 PM 11/26/2008

[MinisterofDOOM]

Sounds like kind of what happened to my Maxima when the trans died. All forward gears were the same, neutral wasn't neutral anymore, and reverse was gone.

Hard to say, though. I'd definitely have the car towed to a dealer or a TRUSTED (!) transmission shop for diagnosis. There's no telling what could be going on in there. Definitely DON'T do what I did and drive it anywhere like that. It could just be a minor issue and driving it could make things worse. You might just have a valve body problem or something replaceable along those lines. Still lots of labor but it means you don't have to replace or rebuild the whole unit.

[sixteenXnine]

ok... took it to transmission shop.

It's screwed... "binding up" he says.

$1250 plus parts for the rebuild.

How much are parts, usually?

I can get a 135k transmission from the Corning Pick a Part... pulled for $215.

Anyone know what labor generally is for a transmission swap on a Maxima?

bleh, I hate asking these questions, thinking about this crap... A month ago I had 2 nice '00 Maximas, and now one's nursing deer damage and the other has a screwed transmission.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I paid $2400 total to have mine rebuilt 3 or so years ago.

Even if it costs more, you'll be far better off if you choose a shop that offers a very good warranty. Some even offer "lifetime" transmission warranties with complimentary regular service. Don't skimp now, or you'll wish you hadn't later.

[sixteenXnine]

Well, I'm gonna have to take it off the road now, and let it sit for a while, because I need to save some money for this...

If only I hadn't spent all my money on trying to beat cancer!! d@mmit.

[sixteenXnine]

ok... took it to transmission shop.

It's screwed... "binding up" he says.

$1250 plus parts for the rebuild.

How much are parts, usually?

I can get a 135k transmission from the Corning Pick a Part... pulled for $215.

Anyone know what labor generally is for a transmission swap on a Maxima?

bleh, I hate asking these questions, thinking about this crap... A month ago I had 2 nice '00 Maximas, and now one's nursing deer damage and the other has a screwed transmission.

[sixteenXnine]

Man, I hate having to do this, but with the economy being how it is, and me just now returning to work after a year absence and a 2 year battle with cancer, I gotta go cheap, as our family must have this car on the road.

So I bought the junkyard transmission. $225.

And I'm having it installed for $550.

I sure hope it's a better unit than the one I've always had.