RCAR50

So I got a pic hosting site that's works (thanks trainbrain) Here is what I found in the tranny pan... I was hoping the damaged seal was not allowing correct pressure but I wasn't that lucky... These are some large chunks of.... something... CAUTION GRAPHIC IMAGES!

Well here is my official "new to me" thread for our new rig. We call her "The Yeti" (anybody here make vinyl decals?) She has the tranny problem know reverse) but I've decided I'm done with it just sitting in the driveway collecting sap and pine needles so it's my new DD. I picked it up for a good price and am loving this thing. I haven't detailed or done much to it yet because I'm currently shopping for a good used tranny to swap into it. But here it is...

I'll try that site tonight.. Also as for the shift points I found my gear code is HG43 so it has the 4.363 ratio...

Well... It took me long enough but I dropped the pan today. First thing I noticed was a junk yard trans pan and the tranny is very clean compared to the block and t~case. Obviously been changed already. The fluid was muddy and very burnt smelling. The magnet is covered in metallic dust/sludge and there's a lot in the pan too. The filter has it in there too and there were large pieces of debris in the pan. I didn't pull the solenoids, but checked all wires and linkages and all looked good and were tight. Not sure its worth it but I'm going to put in a new filter and fresh oil next weekend and hope for improvement. I have pics to share but need to figure out how since the photobucket issue... Any suggestions

I didn't get a chance to open the tranny today, but I scanned it again and now instead of the P0755 it's showing a p0744... The other code is gone. The fluid is very clean, almost clear but did smell a little burnt, not sure. Not sure when I'll get a chance to open it, it's dark by the time I get home and I'm without a garage or cover from the rain....

And today I watched my 96 roll 276,000..still chiggin' along!

Thanks. I don't think it's in limp mode, it definitely shifted from 1st to 2nd and then to some other gear that allow the drive home with nearly no signs of an issue. I just hope I can get some type of answer while under it tomorrow.

So it sounds as though it definitely not shifting into overdrive... I'm pulling the pan and tinkering with it tomorrow..

This is my first experience with Nissan A/T. On my way home on flat road, under light to normal acceleration it shifted at about the 4K mark, maybe 4300, it sounded like it was higher than that but I'm used to my 96s M/T. On the highway doing about 60~65 it was running about 3500~3750RPMs. I hit the O/D button a couple times and it didn't shift down, seemed to me that it never went into O/D. Can someone who runs an A/T chime in here and give your shift points and highway Rpms. I'll check my gear ratio in the morning, I know that will make a difference along with tire size. Thanks guys!

Well the drive home went great! Still no reverse, but it goes forward with almost no issues. The drive was about an hour with the last 20 miles being a fairly steep incline. The only thing wrong that it does in "D" make the whirling sound (similar to a rough blower motor sound) when you let off the gas. under load or acceleration it sounds fine. And when floored it jumps way up to about 7k rpm before downshifting, I let off before it went any higher. Driving normal it did great... I'm not sure what the deal is, I'll be dropping the pan, looking for shavings, cause of fluid blockage and checking the solenoid as per Fluerys FSM suggestion.(thanks again for that info.) Anyway this thing rode so nice, solid and quiet... Very happy with the purchase, even IF a trans is needed after all. I'll keep the thread posted to hopefully help anyone else with similar issues.

I bought my new 2002 and drove it an hour home!

Well I am picking this pathy up in a couple hours.. I didn't feel any slipping in forward gears so I'm planning on driving it home. I am thinking of connecting jumper cables to the battery from my Pathfinder when I shift it into gear hoping that it may just be a low voltage issue. I know it won't be that easy but won't hurt to try it.. I'll report tomorrow on how the drive home goes....

Wow that is some great info! Thank you very much. I'll read through that and hopefully have a better idea of how to attack this issue. The first thing I do to this truck after correcting the transmission issue is a set of your spacers. I never did lift my 96. Still hoping to get this by the 16th.

Thanks for the reply! Ya, I plan to pull the pan and just tinker with the valve body and solenoids, check plug connections and the cables to the trans, change fluid and drive it home...hopefully. If everything goes right I'll be bringing it home the 16th or 17th. I'd like to swap in a M/T but that's above my capabilities at the moment. maybe later on if the truck holds up well enough. any other ideas or suggestions...I'm listening.

Hey Mods.... Please delete this or lock it or something.. My thread in the Garage section will be the used thread for this topic. Thank you!

I posted in the garage section also, I'll delete which ever doesn't get replies first, I'm not trying to clog up the forum...

I posted in the R50 section, but got a bit long winded and no reply so I'll try again here and keep it short. I am looking at a 2002 4x4 R50 with a 3.5 and A/T with just over 200K. I got a P0755 shift control solenoid B malfunction code when I scanned it but I couldn't find much on the topic on this site. It has a whirl or almost like a card in bike spokes sound coming from the transmission, present in all positions and becomes much louder when you shift into gears. It will not engage into reverse at all. It will shift into forward gears and drive, I only went 20 mph though, didn't want to push my luck. It doesn't seem to be slipping at all, it will launch from a standstill somewhat impressively. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hey again, It's been awhile and the ol' 96 R50 "PSYCHOPATHY" is still doing GREAT..I can update on that in another thread. I have a question for this thread. By the title it's obvious it is a transmission question. I am looking at picking up a very nice condition 2002 4x4 R50 with a 3.5 and A/T with just over 200k, my problem is it has this transmission issue that I need some help with. It fires up nice, idles super smooth and is real quiet. There is a slight whirl or almost like a card in bike spokes sound coming from the transmission. It is present even while in park and becomes much louder when you shift into gears. It will not engage into reverse at all and the noise gets louder and faster when you try, almost like a stripping actuator sound in an HVAC vent system (if your familiar with that sound), the sound is still there in "N" also though much softer. It will shift into forward gears and drive, though I only went a block and didn't exceed 20 mph. It gets louder and seems faster with speed. It doesn't seem to be slipping at all as it will launch from a standstill somewhat impressively and felt solid while at the low speed. I scanned it and it does have the P0755 shift control solenoid B malfunction code, but I couldn't find much on the topic on this site... I have read it could be a few things from dirty fluid to a TCM or even ECM. I've been wanting this body style and a 4wd for a long time now. but don't have the money to drop it at a shop for repairs though I am capable to do most repairs or swap a trans myself...No way I would attempt a rebuild though.. It's located about an hour from my home and my first idea is to pull the pan for a quick inspection, drain and refill fluid and hope it fixes or helps at least a little then drive it home with my fingers crossed but I don't want to damage anything further and make the repair any more costly. If it doesn't make it all the way I will call the tow truck on the insurance and get it the rest of the way home, but it only covers a small distance tow... Has anyone here dealt with this issue and resolved it? What did it take? If any more info is needed please let me know, I'd be happy to help you help me... Thanks all!

If my pathy was 4wd I know I could have made it up no problem, especially if aired down, but I don't bother with it in the 2wd with the current street slicks... I'm looking for a good 5sp 4wd pathy but funds are not allowing it right now. As far as kayaking, we headed up to Antelope Lake, outside of Susanville. It was nice and calm water for our first time out in them. There's a little island in the middle of the lake, actually a couple of them now that the water level has dropped. We paddled out and checked out the island, let one of our pits swim next to us and my wife even had the dog in the kayak with her for a bit.. It really was a lot of fun. I don't swim, or trust life vests (I know...) so don't do water sports often, but this is something I can see turning into a more often type of thing, maybe even a gateway activity that could lead to other watersports that I've not bother to try before...

Thanks. It must have been when I was changing the starter and cranking it for long periods of time. All I've added was an additional 12 volt socket behind the dash face to wire in my cell charger and GPS power wire, piggy backed into the stock power socket so it just pops a simple fuse if it was too much...months in use and never has yet so it's obviously handling it just fine.

Ok figured it out.. just put it on YouTube then post the embedded link.. Again it's not the best recording and a horrid angle but I was impressed the 2 wheel wonder was able to get up so far on such a steep incline.. https://www.youtube.com/embed/eooGOQg782A"

Not a rant, it's fine... I would imagine it has been that way since I purchased the truck, but I've been in there before and didn't notice it. It wouldn't start when I first bought it so I know I've been all through it trying to track down the issue, ended up being just a loose batt terminal (though it looked and felt just fine). I suppose it could have happened somewhere between me first looking in there to replacing the starter then finally replacing the terminals for the hell of it. I'll have to head to the wrecking yard and disassemble one and get the pieces I need. Nothing seems to not work properly except for the radio for a breif second at very low RPMS or occasionally with added draw like turning on a/c or lights. I just figured that the battery was getting old...the radio just blinks on and off with the ignition in "acc" position but everything else works and headlights do not seem extraordinarily dim... Does anyoneknow what that block is responsible for? It just says battery main on the cover for that section. Probably power distribution? Sounds like it could be the cause of my little issue to me...

Ok, can anyone share with me how to post a video without sharing my entire photo bucket collection?? Meanwhile, here's a pick of the Pathy fully loaded from our latest camping trip and first kayaking adventure... Definitely a new hobby for us, so much fun..

We went camping a while ago and as always decided to hit some trails. We ended up taking a very long shortcut through the woods from one highway to another. The trail started out as a nice dirt road and after about 30 minutes or so slowly reduced to not much more than some type of animal migration path. The PsychoPathy was doing a great job until we hit an extremely steep incline of a few hundred feet. I took a couple spirited attemps at the hill, but ultimately ended up backing down the winding trail. This is the first time this little truck has let me down, but I'm glad it did, the other side of this hill was even steeper and went nowhere, we would have been stuck and SCREWED! I gotta say the truck did an amazing job for being 2wd, I can't say enough good about it... Here's a short video of me backing (sliding) down the hill. Pardon the horrible angle but I was trying not to slide into trees on the passenger side, one hand on the wheel and the other holding the phone out my window. I wish I had gotten more footage. I ended up having to use the ebrake while coming down backwards to avoid the front wheels locking up and just sliding straight down making it impossible to steer.

So I was rewiring my cd player and amp power lead, done by the previous owner because anytime the rpms dropped below 700 or so or I turned on the a/c or sometimes even hit the brakes lights the radio would die and come back on..... I had thought this was due to a bad alternator or something similar but then read that bad grounds could also be the cause so I decided to pull the dash apart and fix it. At the same time I was going to reinstall the amp lead at the battery and while looking for a clean route I noticed this under the relay cover... Anyway, what do ya'll think? What could have caused it and what issues could it cause?? Thanks in advance...