onespiritbrain

Does the ghosting change at all with vibration?

I used to only use those orange Fram filters.. I still use Fram but I get the top end one now. None of the Walmart’s around where I live carry the supertech brand filters, I watched a guy on YouTube cut them open and they were about the same quality as the top end Fram but for $3.

Ok ok ok... that’s not normal slipping. That is something else. Someone who knows more about this will have to chime in. It sounds to my like an oil pressure issue which is not present at higher RPM— higher oil pressures!

It does appear to really grab firmly when it’s done slipping. I have driven vehicles that are so bad you can’t give it too much gas or it’ll slip. So will it slip if you give it a lot of gas while cruising around in 1st? Or is it only right after the shift from 1st to 2nd?

Sorry I missed this question. I was using an infrared thermometer and I was putting it directly up against the cooling lines coming to and from the transmission.

The vast majority of OEM trans oil coolers are inside the bottom or sides of the radiator. Sometimes there is an additional cooler for extra cooling capacity when the integrated radiator based cooler isn’t enough. Actually a bunch of Pathfinders/QX4s have an additional cooler from the factory. I don’t trust engine coolant and transmission oil so close together... especially since Nissan has major problems with R51 Pathfinder’s trans oil coolers leaking coolant into the trans oil and oil into the radiator! I believe bypassing the integrated radiator trans oil cooler is a good mod in ANY vehicle. Normal trans temps are usually 125degF to 185degF and your engine coolant temps usually hover at 185degF at the coolest. If the integrated cooler was 100% efficient then you’d still have trans temps higher than desired.. I measured temps over 235degF with the integrated cooler. I can’t remember now whether it was before or after I found my radiator to be stopped up, but trans oil temps over 235degF is not good. There is a section of uphill freeway that always kicks me out of lockup and I guarantee trans temps were even higher after it!

If you bypass the radiator and use only the cooler then you can have trouble with trans temps being too low during very cold ambient temps since your not getting the heat from combustion at the radiator. The radiator kind of acts like a heater during the winter. If the temp is below 125degF (I think) then the torque converter will not lock. At best you will have lower gas mileage and at worst the oil is going to degrade from shear forces inside the torque converter leading to premature wear since the normal oil life cycle will not be as long. The solution is to create a system that will divert the oil from going thru the cooler when the temps are below 125degF. That requires a controller to look at the oil temp and actuate a valve (or valves), bypassing the cooler and routing the oil straight back into the trans. The parts need to be reasonably high quality since failure will kill the transmission and quality is expensive. Especially when you are looking at parts that are generally used in industry and the usual customer is a company instead of an individual. I can’t find a directional solenoid valve under $150 and those are only 1/4” valves.. Temp controllers are usually quite expensive as well but I have found a few that are cheap. Anyway I haven’t had too much trouble with temps being too low here in Georgia but the dead of winter isn’t here yet. People that live way up north where ambient temps can be sub zero might never see 125degF trans temps. I’m thinking a high quality oil cooler bypass system is going to be a little north of $500 just to gather parts.

I wonder if you could just adjust the 1/2 band? Supposedly you can tighten these bands up as they wear down..

Bypassing the cooler based on need is going to be expensive and there doesn't appear to be a way around it.. unless you want to plumb a hand operated directional ball valve somewhere that's accessible while driving... hmmmmm.. you really could do such a thing. You could have one of the outputs on the controller turn a lamp on to let you know its time to switch the valve to run thru the cooler and a second alarm with something audible and maybe a red lamp or something when the temps are higher than desired. You could even run with the valve in between positions and change it based on need... interesting

I too am revisiting this in my head.. I have noticed, for me with a bypassed radiator, if the conditions are right that I will dip below operating temp which kicks lockup off and subsequently raises trans temps allowing lockup again. It only happens one time when I first reach operating temps AND there is a long downhill stretch. Not a big deal but it definitely makes me want to at the very least be able to monitor temps.. I am interested to know what TowndawgR50 experiences up where he is.

A.Sans can you describe your slipping? Like slipping while shifting from 1st to 2nd? Or slipping after already in gear and getting on the accelerator?

Also can you video the tach during the slippage and put it on YouTube so we can see it?

If you want to check the oil pressure, there is a procedure to do it in the AT section. If it were me and I was going to dig into the valve body where the accumulators and solenoids are, then I’d grab one (a whole other valve body) to swap in from a donor at the junk yard. It’d be good practice anyway. The secret to a successful valve body removal is to remove only the long screws. So if you remove a screw and it’s short then put it back. Then, when the valve body is completely loose take it down very slowly and level. Don’t worry about any of the oil that’s pouring onto you, keep your eyes locked to the valve body as it’s coming down. There are three (or four— can’t remember) springs that are just sitting in the accumulators and they will fall out. I think there’s only one way it’ll go back together without having to fight it so if they fall out then it’s still okay. There’s a guy that posted for a short while about a fix for some shifting issue (only went into 2nd after warmed up or something like that) and his issue was completely resolved by swapping in a valve body from a donor RE4R01A at the junk yard. I think it was even from an Nissan Xtera too.

Do you have a service manual?

Bulbs?

Interesting. After I first put this transmission in I had almost the exact same thing happen to me. I hit a big pothole as I was coming to a stop sign and the transmission downshifted (separate issue with the TPS— thank you Slart!) then the 4WD light flashed several times and went out. This is purely a guess, but I wonder if there is a normal condition produced at low speeds and with loss of traction that the tcase finds fault with. I know it has the capability to sense certain types of traction loss and sends power where it needs to go accordingly when in auto mode so maybe it’s possible that the tcase senses a certain traction loss condition and is signaling that 4WD should be engaged?? Anyway hopefully it’s benign and never happens again!

I love this time of year!

I pulled this from another forum: 1. Start engine and warm it up to normal engine operation temperature. 2. Turn ignition switch to 'OFF' position. 3. Set power shift switch to 'AUTO' ( For early models) 4. Set overdrive switch to 'ON' 5. Move selector lever to to 'P' position 6. Turn ignition switch to 'ON' 7. Shift indicator lamp should come on for about 2 seconds. (if it doesn't more inspections is needed and code can't be retrieve) 8. Turn ignition switch to 'ACC' position 9. Move selector lever to 'D' 10. Set overdrive switch to 'OFF' 11. Turn ignition switch to 'ON' position (Do not start engine) 12. Wait more that 2 seconds after ignition switch 'ON' 13. Move selector lever to '2' position. 14. Set overdrive switch to 'ON' position. 15. Move selector lever to '1' position. 16. Set overdrive switch to 'OFF' 17. Depress accelerator pedal fully and release it. 18. Check power shift indicator lamp. The lamp will begin to flash ON and OFF ( "OD OFF" lamp for 1996-2004). Refer to the attaches figures to diagnose the code. **Judments 11 and 12 ( 'Figure #011' and 'Figure #012' ) are for 2000-2004 models. t1=2.5 seconds, t2=2.0, t3,t4=1.0, I’ll have to get the judgments from my FSM when I get back to my laptop

There is some kind of way to check transmission codes. I’m away from my laptop so I can’t look at my FSM. What year is yours?

I missed this thread. Nice job guys. Looks awesome and I’ll will be doing this sometime as well since I check the oil at night all the time!!

You can pull just the tcase????

The oil pressure in the transmission is higher when it’s cold and applies greater pressure to the clutches but as the oil thins when everything warms up there is less pressure and the worn clutch slips. There is a product called Lucas Transmission Fix and it will help to increase oil pressure at temperature. It’s worth a try. I don’t think you should change the trans fluid. It will likely cause the slipping to become even worse. I’d just add the thickener(Lucas) and see what happens.

Well those symptoms, for me, ended shortly afterward in complete transmission failure. When mine died (for those who know about my recent trans failure, this what I’m talking about now was the first trans failure and was before I knew about this forum) it made a very loud grinding noise, like so loud the windows vibrated, and locked into 4th gear permanently. I had to put it in 4LO and drove at 40mph for almost an hour to make it home. By the time I got home the transmission had gotten extremely hot and smelled like burned clutch super super strong even from 20-30 feet away. Also it didn’t matter what position the lever was in, P R N D 1 2, it always had forward movement. When I took the pan off there were large curls of metal, some were several inches long, tons of metal chips, and probably 10-20 whole pins from pin bearings and a whole bunch of pieces of broken pins... Our integrated radiator trans oil cooler is inadequate in the summer time.. especially if you have a clogged radiator like I had. I measured transmission temps over 225degF and that’s not okay. Prolonged 230-250degF trans temps will dramatically shorten the life of the transmission even if your changing the oil all the time. Rubber hardens at those temps with time. Anyways, what in the world is it with family mistreating vehicles..?? Also, first thing to do is check the oil. If that looks OK then you might borrow a temp gun and after a long spirited drive stick it right up against the cooling lines coming to and from the transmission to the radiator as close to the trans as possible. If you’ve got 230degF+ temps then you need to bypass the stupid radiator trans cooler and buy a big aftermarket one to go in its place. At the very least you will stop the excessive wear from overheating.

When you say that it was tough to put into gear, you mean the lever itself was harder to move or the shift from park felt tough? Also, does it take a few seconds to engage drive, especially from reverse? For instance, my old transmission would take 3 seconds, sometimes even more, after I moved the lever to D before actually engaging 1st. Check the fluid, and not just on the dip stick. I’d clean the drain plug area real good and drain about a half cup or so to bring inside your house and inspect closely. Didn’t you just buy this vehicle? One more question, does the transmission fail to downshift ever? Say your driving on the interstate, has it ever kicked out of OD while passing (high RPM) and then wouldn’t shift back into OD (4th) even if you take your foot all the way off the accelerator?

Is your transmission still acting up??