Transmission all of a sudden won't shift properly

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Micallen
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:36 am

Transmission all of a sudden won't shift properly

Postby Micallen » Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:30 am

I had cruise set. Went up a slight hill and it down shifted. Once the road leveled out, it would not return to the proper gear. I tapped the brakes to cut the cruise off and coasted a few seconds. It still wouldn't shift back. I turned about a mile later and when you give it gas, it wouldn't shift. I stopped completely, and sat a few seconds. When I start moving, it feels like it's starting in 2nd or 3rd gear. It will shift like once. I checked tranny fluid, and it's low, but there is some on the dipstick. It does not drip any on my driveway.

Any chance adding some back will help this? It's always shifted flawlessly.

Also, what type transmission fluid do I need?


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smj999smj
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Location: Prospect, VA

Re: Transmission all of a sudden won't shift properly

Postby smj999smj » Sat Jul 25, 2020 9:18 am

The factory ATF is NissanMatic Type "D" ATF. To top if off, Dexron III/Mercon ATF can be used, although it's not recommended if you were doing a full service. Most synthetic ATF's are fine for full servicing, including Valvoline Maxlife Full-synthetic ATF and Castrol Transmax Import Multi-vehicle ATF.

AT fail safe mode would cause the vehicle to start in 3rd gear, so it's possible you have an electrical problem with the transmission. The TCM should be checked to see if there are any store trouble codes. To do so, you would need to use a code reader or scan tool capable of reading AT codes or use the manual self-diagnostic method which is listed in the factory service manual. The FSM can be found through the service manual link found at the top of the page. Go to the automatic transmission section.


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