Diesel Auto Questions

[artrix]

higot what is probably a dumb question but as i have just aquired a 1990 2.7td terrano auto that didnt have an owners manual inside it, i have to ask some questions....

 

1/ what is the switch that is marked HOLD A/T POWER for . this is the first automatic i have owned and so im a tad confused.

 

2/ the car has an intermittant problem with gear changes it seems slow to go into top gear (od)on the highway, i have found that sometimes it just sits in 3rd and revs hard at 100k's.

 

3/ when it is in top gear and cruising nicely it sometimes for no reason drops back a gear and stays there........

any help with this one would be really appreciated. rest of the car is fine just seems like i have scored a gearbox with issues.........

 

4/are these A/T's on these cars usually a pain ..... i must admit that all i do at the moment is listen for gear changes.

 

5/ why would you bother not having the O/D on , is it a bad thing to do around town.

 

6/ on the gear lever at the bottom on the front there is a button of some sort ....whats it do?

 

7/ does anyone know hwrer i can get an owners manual that would explain all this stuff its a terrano would someone have a scanned manual that i could get a copy of.......

 

like i said this is the first auto i have owned and ive driven very few so im not really sure what is normal.

any opinions will be gratefully recieved.

 

just reread this post ...i sound like a right pumpkin head

Edited July 13, 2007 by artrix

[GhostPath]

higot what is probably a dumb question but as i have just aquired a 1990 2.7td terrano auto that didnt have an owners manual inside it, i have to ask some questions....

 

1/ what is the switch that is marked HOLD A/T POWER for . this is the first automatic i have owned and so im a tad confused.

 

2/ the car has an intermittant problem with gear changes it seems slow to go into top gear (od)on the highway, i have found that sometimes it just sits in 3rd and revs hard at 100k's.

 

3/ when it is in top gear and cruising nicely it sometimes for no reason drops back a gear and stays there........

any help with this one would be really appreciated. rest of the car is fine just seems like i have scored a gearbox with issues.........

 

4/are these A/T's on these cars usually a pain ..... i must admit that all i do at the moment is listen for gear changes.

 

5/ why would you bother not having the O/D on , is it a bad thing to do around town.

 

6/ on the gear lever at the bottom on the front there is a button of some sort ....whats it do?

 

7/ does anyone know hwrer i can get an owners manual that would explain all this stuff its a terrano would someone have a scanned manual that i could get a copy of.......

 

like i said this is the first auto i have owned and ive driven very few so im not really sure what is normal.

any opinions will be gratefully recieved.

 

just reread this post ...i sound like a right pumpkin head

 

 

1: Might be the normal/power switch - in the gas trucks, that changes the shifting pattern for greater performance at the expense of fuel economy.

 

2 and 3: I think you need to have the gearbox overhauled.

 

4: Yeah, the Nissan automatics from this era don't seem to be all that great for longevity. Didn't have much luck with them in the 300ZX, either.

 

5: When towing or carrying a heavy load, you would wish to turn off the OD to keep the engine from either stalling, overheating, or lugging while going up hills, etc.

 

6: Post a pic!

 

7: Try a dealership or eBay. I got my manual off eBay. Here's an aftermarket owner's manual for the car: http://cgi.ebay.com/Nissan-Terrano-Pathfin...1QQcmdZViewItem

[rustyole88pathy]

GhostPath did a good job of addressing your questions..but I'll throw in my 2 cents as well.

 

1) That switch (in my Pathfinder it is a button found on the automatic gear level) allows the engine to hit higher RPM's before the transmission will upshift to the next gear. Like GhostPath said...makes you go fast...but bad on the MPG...and also not so good for the tranny (and other aging parts). I wouldn't use it if I was in your situation...

 

2-4) Yeah...unfortunately our auto trannys aren't going to last as long as those little miracle engines Nissan blessed us with. Best advice would be a.) stick on a tranny cooler (maybe help it live longer) b.) get the tranny rebuilt (lots of $$$) c.) wait until it dies and get yourself a 5 spd swap.

 

5-7) GhostPath's response was right on...

Edited July 13, 2007 by rustyole88pathy

[88pathoffroad]

Another thing to check is drivetrain grounding. If the trans is not grounded well enough it will sometimes shift funny. It IS computer-controlled...and a new ground wire is easy as pie to add.

[artrix]

Another thing to check is drivetrain grounding. If the trans is not grounded well enough it will sometimes shift funny. It IS computer-controlled...and a new ground wire is easy as pie to add.

 

 

thanks all for input .... transmission ground wire , where is that , unfortunately manuals for these things are hard to find. thanx