J30 Transmission "Self-diagnostic Procedure"

[SteveTheTech]

Glad its back up and running.

[yodawill2000]

No doubt !!ROT8TOR..Post some pics of the bad boy..It's a BEAUT !!!

[ROT8TOR]

Alright, alright... Here it is. Doesn't look quite like this now that I've run it 120 today on the way home! I mean christ, I've only put 10 miles on it since I bought it, so this was the first real time I've gotten to see what it had!WOW!Now get this... It's got 250,ooo mi on it and I bought it for $400! It needed a starter, so the old geezers let it sit for two years and was covered in green mold. I was helping my buddy roof his house and if I wasn't up that high, I woulda never seen it in their back yard.

[IMG][/IMG]

Here's my other headache...

[IMG][/IMG]

Wanna talk about Rotary's???

Modified by ROT8TOR at 11:22 PM 8/26/2009
Modified by ROT8TOR at 12:05 AM 8/27/2009

[GerryO]

Nice car, GREAT NEWS and information.

Makes sense. Thank you for sharing.

http://www.ludicrous-speed.com...h.pdf

http://www.ej207.com/files/Sub...8.pdf

These might apply too, even if they aren't Infiniti.

[alex61089]

inhibitor switch it is... im looking to replace this immediately as this could be the answer to all my problems!. Thanks... and by the way. That J is #@$$! sweet especially for only 400.00... thats not a steal... it's grand theft auto lol

[yodawill2000]

Yeppers !!That even beats the deal Scott got on his T !!Helluva deal.

[kngofvegas]

I believe I have the same problem you had which started last week. Driving 70-75mph and tach is around 2500 rpms. After driving around 20 miles(after the car warms up) and driving the same speed, the tach shoots up to 4000 rpms. I brought it in to my mechanic and he thinks its a solenoid issue with the transmission which would cost around $1000 to fix or he could install one from the junkyard($550,90k on it) and $700 to install. Either way not a quick cheap fix. Can you give me info about this inhibitor switch so I can convey it to my mechanic?? Even though I dont know you, I feel like you might have saved me alot of money or being forced to buy a new car which my mechanic nicely reminded me that "your car would have been great to turn in as a clunker". The problem started the day after the clunker program ended.

[yodawill2000]

Along with the Inhibitor switch you can also check the TPS. Quick and free !!!That's what fixed mine.

Welcome to Nico !!!!!

[kngofvegas]

Thanks for the input! Sorry, TPS equals ???

[yodawill2000]

Throttle Position Switch

You will want to download the FSM(Field Service Manual)http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/J30

And Bookmark http://www.fuzzycats.comThat will answer a PILE of questions

[ROT8TOR]

Hail King,From what I've experienced, now that it's all said and done, there are mixtures of everything on this car which all need to be fine tuned. Even after I replaced the dratted Inhibitor switch I still had to go back and readjust the TPS.

The best way to tell if its the inhibitor is to do the "Self-Diagnostic test" (described earlier) IF THE TEST DOES NOT WORK, that means no communication with car... thus the Inhibby is where to start.

Tell your mechanic it's a 30 min job to do both. Better yet... do it yourself. 3 screws take off the switch, which is on the passenger side of the trans under the car. One side of the plug unplugs nearest the firewall side and the other end wraps around the trans and unplugs where the driveshaft connects. It took me longer to type this than it did to do the job.

Lastly, my TPS was set to "4.45". (to be exact)

On the road and cruisin',

R8R

[yodawill2000]

I'm still tickled you got it sorted.I could feel some serious frustration in a few of those mails. If that transmission they installed was a "good" one you will blow by 300K with ease.Live by the 90 Day oil/filter change !!!!

[alex61089]

so wait the inhibby switch is easily accessible underneath the car? i dont have to drop the transmission or anything do i? How do i adjust it? im pretty confused about it and i dont want to go underneath there and @#$@ something up to where i cant drive the car lol

[ROT8TOR]

EXACTLY!

It's tight and there are other plugs and wires wrapped around it, but yeah, you can get to it. I recommend putting it on a lift or jackstands, though.

R8R

In addition... Its NOT an adjustment, you'll need the part for replacement.
Modified by ROT8TOR at 10:27 PM 8/30/2009

[kngofvegas]

Just ordered the inhibitor switch from Infiniti. After I put it on, you speak of adjusting the T.P.S to 4.45. Can you walk me through that step and do I need any additional equipment to adjust it?

If the inhibitor switch doesnt fix the problem, I need to get a new TPS switch?Thanks!!

[kngofvegas]

Just to retiterate my problem. I am not having any lockup at all. After the car warms up 10 -20 miles, it gets stuck in 3rd gear. At 70mph, its hitting 4000 rpms when it should be at 2500. My mechanic thinks it the solenoid in the transmission.

Will the inhibitor switch fix this problem or is it something else?

[ROT8TOR]

Whoa, whoa big guy! Slow down.

First, you MUST perform the "Self-Diag Test" !!

Do that, then get back to me.

R8R

[ROT8TOR]

KING,

RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE WASTING MONEY !!!

THE CAR WILL TELL YOU WHATS WRONG WITH IT.

PLUS, THE TPS USUALLY JUST NEEDS ADJUSTING, NOT REPLACING.

[alex61089]

wait. you have to understand first that auto trannys are different from manuals. In a manual you start off with no gears, hence you having to time it right to get into first. In an auto you start out in first automatically. so your first shift is actually you going into second, second into third, third into 4th. Perhaps it's not locking up because your tps is not set correctly.

[kngofvegas]

Obviously a novice at this. How do I perform the self test myself? Do I need special equipment or do I have to bring it back to my mechanic?

[ROT8TOR]

Who has a manual? I thought we were talking about an automatic?

Also, KING, read the whole thread. You'll see about "Self Diagnostic Test".

And "No", you don't need a mechanic to do it... that's why we're here.

[yodawill2000]

Here ya go Kingo

Transmission Self DiagnosticsCourtsey of Gerardjg

Transmission Self Diagnosticsusing AT light below your temperature gauge on the dash1-Warm up engine2- Shut off car and turn ignition switch to ACC position3-Wait 5 seconds4-Move shifter to D5-Turn ignition switch on do not start

AT check light should come on for about 2 seconds

6-Move shifter to 37- step on gas fully and release8-Move shifter to 29-Move shifter to 110-step on gas fully and release

The At Check light should start flashing 11 flashes aslight pause and start over again. All flashes shouldbe the same length, any flash that is longer indicates atrouble the following list is what the trouble circuit or part is.

A longer flash indicates

1st Flash Revolution sensor2nd flash Speed sensor3rd flash Throttle position sensor4th Shift solenoid valve a5th Shift solenoid valve b6th overrun clutch solenoid7th tourqe converter clutch solenoid8th fluid temp sensor9th engine speed signal10th turbine revolution sensor11th pressure solenoid valve

[alex61089]

the point of telling him that is that he might think its not shifting into 4th because it actually is already in 4th. He might expect 4 shifts. when you only have 3.

[yodawill2000]

"I believe I have the same problem you had which started last week. Driving 70-75mph and tach is around 2500 rpms. After driving around 20 miles(after the car warms up) and driving the same speed, the tach shoots up to 4000 rpms."

Don't think he's in 4th after it warms up.

[kngofvegas]

I did the test and the 4th flash was longer than the others which equals Shift Solenoid valve a. Do I have to drop the transmission to replace this part? Or is it somewhere outside of the transmission? Please help!!!

Thanks again for the test info!!

[ROT8TOR]

You do have to drop the pan to get to them. I had a feeling you had a different problem, that's why I said stop spending cash and throwing parts at it. I'm not the one to ask on how to do the actual procedure, but it looked simple enough to do yourself. I would stop driving the car though.

[yodawill2000]

AgreedBack to the Basics.What does the transmission fluid look like ??Wipe it on a "WHITE" paper towelAnd let us know.Color goes from bright pink to brown.I'm a little twisted on the solenoid thing.Why would it work fine till it warms up ??


Modified by yodawill2000 at 4:28 AM 9/1/2009

[kngofvegas]

its brown not burnt though. I called the parts guy at Infiniti and told him about the Shift Solenoid valve a and he wasnt sure what that meant. He looked up a part called the control solenoid which was over $400 but didnt know if the transmission needs to be dropped.

Does anyone know if I need to replace the entire solenoid? If so, what that entails?

[yodawill2000]

Brown fluid = NOT GOOD."Brown not burnt" doesn't compute

[ROT8TOR]

Yeah, Yoda, I'ma lill' confusua ona dis one too. ???

K of V,I'd go with replacing the solenoid. It's like if I told my Dr. my splean hurts... The car told you whats wrong, so DO IT! It looked to me like "a twist and a pull" and the thing slides right out. I usually do a "Mexican Hat Dance" for luck.

On the parts side... This transmission came in most of the rear wheel drive Nissans, so I would think the solenoids would be the same. (someone correct me if I'm wrong) Searching for one used may be a bad idea, but I have one I could send you. $400 seemed high and it sounds like that parts guy was an idiot.

R8R