dlb Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 hi gang. new to the forum but done a fair amount of wrenching on older vehicles. 4wd tercels are my passion, i've kept 6 from the crusher so far. my in-laws have a '95 2wd pathfinder with auto trans at their vacation home in kauai. for quite a while (they're not sure how long but possibly years), it has intermittently gotten locked in 3rd gear, aka trans fail safe mode. it's about 50/50 now as to whether it shifts normally or is locked in 3rd. i got the code from the trans and it indicated faults in shift solenoid valve A, shift solenoid valve B, and the clutch overrun solenoid valve. that's as far as i've gotten since i don't have any tools here, and am probably not allowed to work on it outside their retirement condo anyway. before i go ahead and do any more tests or figure out how i'm going to replace anything, i want to figure out why these solenoids seem to be such a common failure point on these auto transmissions, and hopefully fix that first. i've read lots of similar accounts but the only possible cause i came across was that these trans's are prone to running too hot due to inadequate radiator cooling. if that's the case, it's easy enough to add an auxiliary ATF cooler. does anyone have any idea why these auto trans solenoids are so prone to failure and what is the best way to correct for them, or are they just a lousy design? my next question is where is the cheapest source for new ones? i checked rockauto.com but couldn't find them there, and imagine they are going to be prohibitively expensive from the dealer. thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebayfish Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 The solenoids are not as big of weak link as the pump. Reverse often goes out due to it not building much pressure due to breakdown. The solenoid pack that you need to replace is on the backside of the valve body. There are 3 solenoids grouped on one mount, solenoid a,b, & overrun clutch. The line pressure solenoid is right next to that & shares a harness. These are oftensold together for a few hundred dollars, or you may be able to get one from a wrecked vehicle. Once you drop the pan, all you need is a 10mm socket to remove a couple dozen bolts to get to it. Remember, it is an electrical part,and just like a o2 sensor or tps, eventually it may fail, after all it is a 20 year old devise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebayfish Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Also check all connections at the transmission, make sure the issue isn't being caused from a loose harness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlb Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 thanks ebayfish. i have read accounts of people losing reverse as well. i have no issues in that regard right now. i should point out that despite its age, the vehicle only has 68,000 miles on it. where are the wiring connections on the trans that you suggested i check? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebayfish Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 If you get under it & look. You will see several relays going into the case. For good cause check them all & put some dioelectric grease on the connections, maybe you'll get lucky. I believe they are on the opposite side of the 4wd shifter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialWarr Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 They are indeed located on the passenger side of the transmission and with little space to spin a wrench, like usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flnl Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I bought a (said) new pack of these solenoids. They came a bit oiled. Is it common? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Don't know if it's common but it's a good idea--wouldn't want them to rust in transit or storage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flnl Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Yeah, I asked the tranny repair guy and he told me the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlb Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 I bought a (said) new pack of these solenoids. They came a bit oiled. Is it common? how much was the solenoid pack, and were did you get it from? the only place i can find it is from the stealership for $388 so i'm hoping you or one of the other members here knows a good website where i might find it cheaper. btw, for anyone else looking for the pack of solenoidds (shift solenoids A, B, and clutch overrun solenoid), the nissan part # is 31940-41x04. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Nguyen Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 The solenoids run about 185 dollars. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlb Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 The solenoids run about 185 dollars. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk from where? like i said, they are $388 at my local nissan dealership so if i can get them for $185 that would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Nguyen Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 All the transmission shops run about that price. The RE401RA transmission was used in various cars for over a decade. http://www.importperformancetrans.com/catalog/nissan-infiniti-transmission-electronics-solenoids-156-1.html Also give Rob a PM. He can get you great prices. His handle is Alkhoril or something here on the board. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlb Posted December 9, 2016 Author Share Posted December 9, 2016 back in kauai now, hoping to get this sorted out during this visit. here is the update. back in the spring of this year, i called the place in the link above, 'import performance transmissions,' and had a good talk with the guy. he was very helpful. he thought it was odd that all 3 solenoids would be bad so he thought it more likely that they shared a plug or ground, and that was likely corroded. he suggested i look more into that before dropping $200 on a part i may not need. so now that we are back here, i got underneath and in the engine bay but haven't found anything suspect. all of the plugs from the trans look good, and the grounds i found looked good as well but i sanded them anyway. but i agree with the IPT guy and am not convinced i've looked at everything i need to. on the passenger side of the trans is a plastic piece that has wires bunched and covered in a white cloth-like sheath, and i can't find where those wires go. from below, they appear to head up to the inner passenger fender in the engine bay, but from above, i can't see that particular bundle of wires anywhere. if anyone has any idea where these go, i'd love to know. so that's where i'm at -- basically still at square one but with slightly more info. any more tips from you fellas would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Nguyen Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 The bundle ends at the passenger fender at the transmission harness junction tree. You'll see like 5-6 plugs on a metal bracket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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