Help with my Versa transmission.

[epcasuga]

Hello, I've got a 2012 1.6 4 spd that's having trouble. Not knowing this was a 4 spd, I first did a flush with CVT fluid. This caused slips that would go away once restarting the car.

Once I realized it was a 4 spd, I flushed the transmission with ATF fluid but now I have other problems. The car stalls randomly and sometimes while shifting to other gears. There is no check engine light.

Could this be non-transmission related? Without a CEL, I'm lost and have no way of diagnosing this. Please help. Thanks!

[centralcoaster33]

Hey, welcome to NICO!

That's quite the situation you have there. Maybe you need two or three flushes to get all of the CVT fluid out of your transmission. Maybe you need to drop the pan and change the filter as well. Some trannies are pretty finicky about their transmission fluid ingredients.

As far as Check Engine Light (CEL) goes, your engine is fine, no need to check! At least that's how I think it goes. You probably do have codes, just not for the engine. I do think the flashing ebrake light is a code sort of thing. Anyway, get a scanner plugged in and see if you can pull a code. It doesn't matter if your CEL is on or not.

Finally, we have a link to the Factory Service Manual (FSM) in the service manuals link on this page near the top. Check out your manual and see what it says about the flashing ebrake light, changing fluids in the transmission and troubleshooting transmission issues.

Feel free to post back with any updates, further questions or even the solution. Especially the solution!

[epcasuga]

While shifting through all gears without driving, I noticed that there is an odd whirring sound sometimes but not always. This occurs just before shutting off and it sounds like something may have gotten in there during the flush. Either that or something broke off and is circulating inside there. Again, no check engine light. I just might try your suggestion. Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes.

[epcasuga]

So the 4spd auto transmission in my Versa is bad and I've decided to either rebuild it or swap it out for another. However, I can not figure out a way to remove the torque converter nuts on the flywheel. There's just not enough space to get the right angle. Does anyone know of a method that works? Thanks.

[centralcoaster33]

I'm not sure. Which bolts? Please refer to the FSM page you are using. I'm looking at TM-250 give or take a few pages.

[epcasuga]

TM-251 step 11.

[epcasuga]

I've been trying with an air ratchet and PB Blaster for the past few hours. I still can't get them off.

[centralcoaster33]

I admit I'm confused. Sorry. So, I'm trying to look at the FSM and I tried both the 2012 hatch and sedan FSM. Both were different and neither had a step 11 on page 251 (step 11 for me is to remove the starter motor). Now, I think, you have to rotate your engine crank (clockwise) to get the flywheel bolt into a position with access and you'll have to do that four times. The access I believe is behind the starter motor. Does that help?

Maybe post up a photo for ideas.

[epcasuga]

I see where the confusion is. This Versa is a 2013, my mistake. I have been doing exactly what you've said and I finally found what worked. I removed the bumper and accessed the bolts at the passenger front side with a knuckle and long extension while cranking with a huge pipe for leverage. I could not, for the life of me, loosen them at all from behind the radiator even with air tools. Also, mine has 3 nuts instead of 4.

[centralcoaster33]

Okay. I'm glad you got it. I saw a step for taking off fender liners and was like... I don't know that that is gonna help this guy. So, are you gonna inspect or tear down the whole thing or maybe just fuss with putting in a new Torque Converter?

[epcasuga]

I was wrong again, there isn't 3 nuts. There's 4. I'm gonna keep going at it. I already have 2 off. The knuckle broke so I need to get a new one and continue tomorrow. I won't know what else I'll need until I open up the transmission. I don't believe I'll need a new torque converter.

[centralcoaster33]

Okay. Best of luck with the last two bolts (or nuts I guess). I guess I was wondering how the CVT fluid could ruin a transmission and thought maybe it's because it's slushing around inside the TC. Anyway, maybe it messed up the belt things (clutches and brakes) that hold the planetary gears. Maybe it clogged up the hydraulic lines somewhere. What do you think you'll find or what will you be looking for?

[epcasuga]

Well, seeing how both magnets in the pan and the surrounding fluid were saturated with specks, I'm guessing I'll need more plates. I do expect to see worn teeth.

[epcasuga]

Speaking of which, do you know where I can get internal parts? I only found one place in Aus/NZ. This is an RE4F03C.

[centralcoaster33]

I rebuilt my transmission about 10 years ago. It was a manual, so I got a kit with bearings and syncrhos. I got the kit that used Timken or maybe NSK branded bearings. Ebay versions had generic. I ordered it through the internet and don't recall where but it was some sort of transmission rebuild place and cust. service helped me identify the kit. Most everything matched except for maybe one bearing or maybe reverse syncrho IIRC. Now, there were several versions of the manual transmission and most had similar parts in the kits, with just one or two odd parts being different. So, I'm saying, kits for a very near same transmission, might have most if not all the parts you're looking for. Here is a rebuild kit for a similar transmission RE4F03A that may or may not have parts you can use in yours: http://www.auto-repair-manuals.com/Impo ... fgodMBMLKQ I would spend a bit of time checking cross-compatibility if you can, before purchasing. Of course Nissan Dealerships will have all the parts, not likely in a kit, but maybe. The dealership will be expensive in comparison, but certainly the correct bits.

[epcasuga]

Thanks for the link. I've got the radiator off and still can not remove the last two nuts. They are wearing down under all the torque and slips and I'm afraid of stripping them to the point where they'll no longer come off. Any suggestions? I may just put everything back on, give up and deal with it some other way.

[centralcoaster33]

What size nut is it? 10mm? 12mm? Sometimes a 3/8" socket can be hammered onto a rounded off 10mm bolt. A 15/32" socket can be hammered onto a rounded off 12mm bolt.

From my perspective, I'd grab a 3/8"s breaker bar, with a 6" extension and a 6 point socket of the correct size. You need to be on the nut snug and perpendicular to it's surface. No, off angle struggling. If you fear stripping, never use a socket with more points than the nut (like, do not use a 12 pt in this case). Ya know, sometimes a hammer can provide a quick and sharp force that will "break" the nut or bolt loose. Sometimes using more and more arm force will just round off the nut or bolt. If using the hammer method, you don't want rotation to take away from the force, so brace up your crank pulley or something to keep it from spinning at all.

[epcasuga]

It is 14mm and thanks for the tips. I do have the crank pulley stopped and I'm using same pointed sockets. I'll try the hammer thing more even though it hasn't worked thus far. Maybe taking a torch to it might help loosen it up...

[centralcoaster33]

Hmm, I might go for grinding off things with a dremel before putting torches to it. It would be very difficult to focus the heat where you want it without getting other stuff hot I think.

[epcasuga]

Do you mean a dremel for if it strips down too far? There's not much surrounding it that can be damaged from a small torch.

[epcasuga]

Well, the heat didn't work and the last two nuts got rounded so I did drill/grind them off.

[epcasuga]

Ok, so I got around to inspecting the plates and everything else inside the transmission and it all looks fine. A torque converter issue, as you first suggested, seems to be it. Another thing that would suggest this is that much of the shavings I found were caught in the teeth of the shaft that goes into the TC.

[centralcoaster33]

Well, I don't have much experience with automatics, but following the shavings makes a lot of sense. Do you have any shaft damage or can you tell that the shavings are from the TC? PS - I'm glad you got that dang thing off finally!

[epcasuga]

No, there isn't any visible shaft damage but I also did find a chip that's maybe 1-2mm large caught in a lip near the shaft (face of pump). I'm leaning towards a TC problem so I'm gonna swap it and see how it works.

[epcasuga]

So the majority of the shavings come out of the torque converter, which would cost around $1200 as far as I could find. Meanwhile a whole transmission (TC included) costs me $500-$700. I went with the cheaper option.

Also, a salvage yard sent me a CVT advertised as a 4spd and decided it wasn't worthwhile to retrieve it after they issued a full refund. Anyone need a CVT?

[epcasuga]

Quick update: I had my TC sent in to "Florida Torque Converters" and the guy confirmed my TC was busted. He had it repaired the next day after delivery. I highly recommend these guys. Very fast with great customer service and only cost me $199 plus S&H versus $1200 for an OEM TC.

[centralcoaster33]

Wow, great news! Thank you for sharing. Let us know what you think when you get it all put back together?

[epcasuga]

Will do. Should have it all together sometime next week if weather permits.