Strange transmission things + Nissanmatic "C" ...?

[Joel_]

Hi everyone...I just came across your site and immediately subscribed. What a great site! (I hope to post some non-problematic topics as well...)However, at the moment have a 1990 4WD Pathfinder SE with an automatic transmission thats doing a couple of strange things....Reverse, 1st and 2nd work pretty much okay, but only for a few minutes. Put it in Drive and accelerate and instead of shifting into 3rd it hesitates at the shift point, the transmission oil pump (I think) starts sounding like a power steering pump low on fluid and then nothing. Just revs in all gears. If it is turned off and immediately started up it works fine with no noise. But only for a couple of minutes...and the cycle repeats itself. Does anyone have any suspicions? Also, any insight on Nissanmatic "C" vs "D" vs a Dextron III? Just wondering if they're all somehow linked...

[s13sr20chris]

i have never seen matic "c". nissans normal atf is matic d. have your checked the atf level with the engine idling in park?

[PalmerWMD]

Isnt NissanMatic "C" the older spec of Nissan ATF?Kinda like Dexron II vs Dexron III?

Am not sure am not an expert but thats what I thought..

Fred..

[Joel_]

The fluid level is good. Stuck shift solenoid maybe? The pump makes noise too, though. Does the line pressure solenoid regulate pressure...or just acts as an on/off gate?

[s13sr20chris]

shoot, i dont have a fsm for your pathfinder and i know thats not the same trans as a s13. i believe that the line pressure solenoid regulates the pressure. if you have access to pressure guages it would not hurt to check them.

matic c may well be the old version of matic d. i dont know. guess that shows how long iv been with nissan!