Transmission assistance needed

[Issac]

Hi,More expert or experienced help needed.My 1995 with 170k has a groaning trans. It is worse at warmup, and it does not groan in (P) or (N), but does in (D). It is fairly mild once warm.

I have done filter, seafoam, flush, and put Mobil 1 in with red Lubeguard.

The insides were fairly clean with some sediment like black grease in the pan, very little metal on magnet to speak of.

My hunch is a trans mount, but the truth is I am out of my league on transmissions other than good maintainence.

It does this at a stop, and is worse when I am driving and I go to 3rd out of Drive. feels like a bad U-joint with a shudder. But U joints seems very good, and it does it at a stop...so???

Thanks much for all help.

[qship96]

We could guess at likely causes all day,but a trip to a dealer or other Infiniti specialist could pinpoint the problem after a visual and driving/diagnostic checkup-well worth spending the 1 hour labor to get ACCURATE cause of your problem.

[maxnix]

By "flush" I presume you mean drain and refill?

Seafoam won't do much.

Might try the BG Chemical flush with mechanical exchange. Black goop in pan indicates you have more circulating some where else in the transmission.

How does the fluid look now via the white paper towel test?
Modified by maxnix at 6:15 AM 2/26/2008

[Issac]

Ok now I am getting somewhere because I don't take my car to dealers.I have a thing about dealers and help.

They look at an old q45 like it is some kinda heap. My 90 was that midnight blue color and was rude fast, and they told me the transmission was gone. I gave it away-free. Hindsight-shift solenoid.

Nissan couldn't even put the tray back on the bottom right, so I just do it all myself.

Seafoam was just a mild attempt. Changed color telling me it did a little.The flush was 3 x of 4qt.

Then dropped pan.

The car is old. I don't expect anything and everyday out of it is a gift. I do take good care but rubber is going and it might be time to let it go. For now I am looking at another 20k miles that I need.

I don't know the paper towel test, and assume it is some visual check of fluid quality? I have never had dark fluid or funny smelling fluid, well some stinks from the start.

Of course the level of fluid is fine. But at drive, rpms drop at idle, and an goan under the seat area-stopped or moving.

I will probably always own a q45 and down the road would love to get feedback on 2002 model quality.

[maxnix]

1.) Ok now I am getting somewhere because I don't take my car to dealers. I have a thing about dealers and help.

They look at an old q45 like it is some kinda heap.

2.) Nissan couldn't even put the tray back on the bottom right, so I just do it all myself.

3.) Changed color telling me it did a little. The flush was 3 x of 4qt. Then dropped pan.

4.) I don't know the paper towel test, and assume it is some visual check of fluid quality? I have never had dark fluid or funny smelling fluid, well some stinks from the start.

5.) I will probably always own a q45 and down the road would love to get feedback on 2002 model quality.

1.) Luckily, Infiniti of Beaverton has Erik who is a Senior Intiniti Technician and maintains a 1994 since new for his father. However, he is limited by their policies and equipment.

2.) What do you expect? They never saw a VH45DE.

3.) So no filter change? Might try

http://www.bgfindashop.com

and see if they offer the services you require, - i.e., a NICO complete BG chemical flush, pan drop and filter and gasket replacement.

4.) Compare to new side by side. Change in color is degradation indicator. The time to exchange is before you can notice degradation.

5.) F50, like the FGY33, not up to the no holds barred engineering of the G50, and more doo dads to go pffft. Some who have moved to the F50 from the G50 wish they had kept the G50.

Fix yours. You have the means, you just need to cahnge your approach to utilizing the dealer and BG shops. By the way, Beaverton let me bring my own parts from Joe.

[Issac]

Thanks Maxnix! Beaverton was the one on my bad list actually. There is a helpful parts guy there actually.

They spent 2 minutes in my car (90 q45 RIP) and told me the trans was shot. They didn't look at it or anything. And ignorant I listened. But i will check with Erik in the future.

i did the filter and seafoam already, and the BG oil flush and fuel, but Not the trans flush.

Man that oil flush really cleans! I ended up doing what q45Tech said I believe with 2 changes. And that was after 80k of Mobil 1 at 3-4000 miles each.

I also went thru 2 fuel filters on crap out of the tank from Techron prior, man that one was messing me up. Twice it took.

I will place another order with Sco. Infin. along with my many other little parts that are adding up fast.

Is this product I am ordering a Flush (as in dump out after) for trans, or an additive?

its funny I have been reading all the common forum people on this site, and you seemed like a hard *** if i remember you right, but... it is you that helped me much. Thanks to all

[captainluigi]

Zac, allow me to introduce you to the kinder, gentler, more compassionate Brian.

Something about leopard spots comes to mind.

[RAP]

Reality check.Reading your tale of woe I suspect that your dealer,or, any dealer, would probably be as un-helpful. What THEY see is an OLD CAR owned by someone that will NOT spend what it takes to fix this oldie but ? goodie? Which according to what we read here is true on your part. Dealer repair shops at 80-90 bucks per hour do not crave working on old cars that may well belong to them for lack of payment for said work. Happens all the time. On top of that there is no shortage of non-customers caging some FREE repair advice or free trouble shooting. The service manager is obligated to keep cars coming in and out for the mech/techs as rapidly as possible who work as sorta independents. They are paid on commission. No pay for talk. One of the hard rules of repair shops, dealer or otherwise. Reading your descriptions of your problems it is difficult to understand what could be wrong with it. To me it sounds like you need a transmission swap.So...

Good luck

Jack

[Q45tech]

"Dealer repair shops at 80-90 bucks per hour do not crave working on old cars that may well belong to them for lack of payment for said work. Happens all the time."

Neither do independents at $85 per hour, dealers are $125 now in metro areas.

Although we have never ended up owning a Q where we changed transmission for $3300 and owner abandoned. We habe been suckered into holding Q for 3 months while the owner came up with money.

For some unknown reason owners think a specialty transmission repair shop can rebuilt a transmission cheaper than a mass production factory............getting cheap access to the factory output is the hard part with few middle men.

[maxnix]

There are several BG Quick clean products. You want the one to put in the transmission before the pan drop and subsequent mechanical ATF exchange. Sorry I don't know of any BG shops to recommend in Portland area.

http://www.bgfindashop.com

Call and outline the services you want because some won't drop the pan.

My problem is I care about the car more than most owners do. Like Q45tech says, they never drove one new or restored to as new, so they have no idea of what it is capable in OEM trim. Modifications should be done thoughtfully a carefully only afterwards, realizing there are consequences fro every change which usually involve more expense than the modifier is willing to bear.

http://www.bgprod.com

Erik works full time, so it is difficult to chit chat with him and the service writers will try to do the interfacing. If he knows you are interested in maintaining your car correctly, he will appreciate it as will any good technician. I haven't been to Beaverto for a few years, so you may call to see if he is there still. If he is, tell him the guy f(formerly) from Seattle with the 1995 DJ2 Q45t recommended him. He rebuilt my suspension with parts from Joe. Erik's dad had a 1994 Erik has been maintaining for him since new. If he is not at Beaverton, I would find him if he still is working. Senior Infiniti service tehcnicians are a rare and endangereed breed.

Read Q45tech's posts on social engineering service writers and tipping technicians. Every Q45 owner has to have a realtionship at least with a service writer or manager at a dealer because at some time you will need their services, and you want to get those services on your terms.

[Issac]

Actually money is not the problem, and I don't go asking mechanics for freebees.

Generally, people that make shallow observations (Beaverton-which is also the place where the car was purchased and serviced prior) to form a judgement, are not the ones I would want to do business with.I also have owned classic cars. it is a quality thing.

I change all my parts, fluids, filters and more, within reason, because i know that it is not half assed. No one taught me ****. But I feel good when I save and know how the mechanics of the machine function.

I know that it will not be zip tied or a hose clamped-yes happened. I have yet to see my tray put back properly, or trans back to the proper level, and differential not grossly overfilled... So i do it.

I could go on and on about dealers, but I really don't care. What is the issue is that I am a Q45 owner, and will probably be again soon because my wife is looking at the 2002-4 range of q45's. I have hand many nissan/infiniti cars.

Doing something myself is also a learning experience. I could go to school, or I can gather as much info from people like you guys, have patience, and move from old carb and non computer tech, to modern cars. This is really why I do all this. Sure I can pay and if it doesn't start I call a tow truck. But I am not like that. I have found that others replace just the part in question and don't look at surrounding issues. So when i do it I can figure it out better.

So some say here that if you cannot dump huge amounts of money into it, don't buy it, but that really has not been my experience.

Thanks for all your help. The transmission needs all the treatment anyway so i will finish the job.

[maxnix]

....and differential not grossly overfilled... So i do it.

Not that overfilling the differential would hurt, but the only way I could think of that happeining is if your car was hanging from the front tow hooks. Not a pretty sight.

Doing mundane things like checking fluids, changing filters, hoses, plugs and drainable lubricants, cleaning and inspecting operational parameters of compnents is what an involved and careful owner does, before he shops for dubs or any other fetish he may have.

However, some things are more thoroughly accomplished with the porper equipment, like a lift, transmission jack stand, fluid extraction and refilling machines, and mechanical exchanging machine. One has to use the resources to the best of one's ability. For some time, and quality of the service is more important than doing it less well with only one's own effort.

[Issac]

Thanks Maxnix.Yes I couldn't imagine how it was overfilled either. I would not know how unless it was cold or tilted. But...3 days ago I drained it. First I checked that I could fill prior to drain plug, by turning plug on side face. When I took it out, on level ground, the oil was pouring out for a long time. Maybe up to a half qt.

I did not figure it out except maybe the machine they use dumps it in fast, or moisture???

I know...sounds like I am full of it. Maybe. But not on this.

[maxnix]

That is truly bizarre!

Wonder how they did it? Was it foamy? Maybe filled it under pressure from the drain orifice?

Maybe a little extra drag, but better cooling!

For the F50, look at 2003 and up.

[Issac]

And thanks again Maxnix. i always read your name as Manix in my head since I read up on most all post when trying to learn.

No the oil was the regular stuff, regular everything. That service job was at Nissan, so like someone said-what do I expect.

I wondered if they used LSD also. It made noise after that like a slight vacuume sound. I put Royal Purple in now and it is quiet.

More importantly, thanks for the advice on the purchase. My wife is getting sick of me doing the $200 here, $400 there on the car, and I say it makes more sense than dropping 20 grand. I will not be touching the new. I just don't feel safe doing that. I have owned enough of these to feel not scared ****less touch it.

I was not sure on what years are good and stuff after 96, so that helps me.

[maxnix]

Have used RP 75W-140 and it worked fine.

One has to maintain any car, even new. The kitty starts from new as eventually something will wear out, and if you trade or sell it before the warranty expires, you can use the fund to offset the depreciation you have suffered.

Maybe she needs to study the Q45tech missal on preventative maintenance? $400/month (ignoring the time value of money) is about 7 years of driving a maintained car vs. laying out $20K today and setting aside a like amount monthly for its maintenance kitty.