96vqi30de

Today I started up my car and went to take off only to find out that now I have no 1st 2nd or 4th gear. The car takes off in 3rd gear only, I have reverse too. I've tried to shift it manually nothing No blinking O/D light or anything Please help!

rexrodriguez

did you warm the car up first? alot of the time the transmission fluid is cold and turns to slush

96vqi30de

Yes the car warmed up for about 10 mins before I moved it

maxinout93

Do you have enough fluid in the transmission??

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard on any automotive forum!!
Please step away from your car and buy a horse. A bicycle might be to much for you to understand.

To the OP:
Check the fluid level, other then that it sounds like its toast.
Did this happen suddenly?

98maxaholic

Maybe He didnt put prestone in yet fro the winter!
how many miles on the tranny?

grey99max

iTrader: (12)

That sounds like the ECU has gone into SAFE mode for some reason. Figure out a way to scan for codes thru the OBD2 port - maybe a local auto parts chain store and there might be a clue there.

1992maximase30

Only time I experienced safe mode was when the fronts wheels would spin and I hit the brake right away. Then next thing you know. 3rd gear only.

Reality sucks

iTrader: (3)

Scan it.. Look at trans data. Although limited it is there.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

I think grey99 is onto something here. Does the car move in D,1&2 but only does so in what feels like 3rd gear?

If so, grey is right - It's in safe mode. That's probably do to an electronics failure then hardware. Your trans might be OK. Have to figure out why it's in safe mode. Have it scanned by an auto tech that has good equipment. AutoZone cannot read trans codes with their hand held junk.

grey99max

iTrader: (12)

I've probably broken everything possible in my drive train over the last few years, but I do remember the car dropping into Safe mode occasionally, with no apparent reason, and I used my code reader (which lives under the front seat) to clear all codes, then shut the car off and re-started it and the problem was gone. Maybe you will be that lucky. Find a local auto parts store, or Sears, or Harbor Freight, and buy one for yourself ( maybe $50 -$60 bucks). A good investment for the future....

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

It is likely your inhibitor switch, it is the cause of sooooo many problems in this transmission. You can test it to find out. Being that the issue happens when you are stationary really helps to narrow down the possible culprits. I would also check to ensure all of you lines, especially the lines to the cooler are connected and not torn. It might be beneficial to do a line pressure test as well. The re4fo4a is fairly easy to diagnose especially when you have taken it apart as many times as I have.

96vqi30de

Well I found out that my GF got stuck in the ice yesterday morning. I looked into it the fluid level was just a bit off the full mark. I let it sit over night and this morning went out started it up let it warm up and it shifted fine???? I think it may have been in safe mode

rexrodriguez

Ridiculous? You must not know anything about cars. The purpose of warming up a car is to get it up to operating temp including the fluids. If you have old tranny fluid all the old **** and cold tranny fluid stops up the filter
Which keeps the car from shifting correctly

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

it takes longer to warm up tranny fluid, cant really "warm it up" without driving it around and shifting. Not like the coolant

rexrodriguez

put a transmission temp gauge on and tell me it doesnt warm up significantly

98maxaholic

Well if you start the car in cold weather and let it run for a while, i would have to say that as the coolant warms and goes through the radiator it has to warm the tranny fluid some what...but i doubt no matter how long you let it idle , the tranny fluid doesnt get as hot as it does while driving!

rexrodriguez

I agree that it wont get as warm from driving but letting the car warm up definitely raises the tranny fluid temp also u never want your tranny fluid hot

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

You need some education my friend.
ATF or otherwise referred to as Hydraulic Fluid has a typical operational temperature range of about -75F up to just over 300F. At ZERO the fluid is perfectly capable of flowing adequately for proper transmission operation.

Cold ATF stops up the filter? Do you make this $hit up as you go along??

Just ask those peeps up in Alaska how they drive to and from work in -25 to oh lets say -40F Hell I have buddies up on Burlington VT who start and drive their auto transmission equipped vehicles, without a warm up in crazy cold with no issues.

And to further the "warm up the car before you drive" myth even more, if you allow only the engine to warm up, then think it's OK to drive off, think again. You are putting further strain on every other operational system in that vehicle by doing that. OH you ask WHY? Because their ICE COLD!

The best way to warm up an ice cold car is to start it, wait a minute or 2 if you want and drive it slowly so EVERY operational system in it, bearings, tires, brakes, exhaust, suspension, drive line etc. warms/loosens up at the same time.

Here's an ATF viscosity chart, things at -20 (0F) are null, at -30 and down is when there's some increase in viscosity.
And at -40C which is also -40F - I ain't leaving the house!!

4th gen maxi

iTrader: (1)

So now we go around insulting people.
there a reason why this forum was invented, everyone can drop their two cents regardless of how ignorant their statement is. you obviously had a rough week and now you sit behind your computer talking smack.
you must be the transaxle guru or some... looking up google pictures in a minute flat and now you consider yourself a master tech.

you sir have the mentality of a gulf ball and think with a mentality of a gulf ball.

ABIGBRAIN

iTrader: (1)

One or more of your tranny solenoids may have some blockage due to debris. Small stuff that can pass through what Nissan calls a tranny filter but still get caught up in the solenoid passages impeding flow.

furbiss112

iTrader: (9)

You were in fact in limp mode. This usually is a sign that your transmission is on its way out. So if after hard driving or spinning you wheels this may happen repeatedly until the transmission gives. It will reset each time after the transmission has had enough time to cool before restarting the car and driving again. In the end, it will go in to limp mode and it will not reset. That will mean the end of your transmission. THis has happened to me several times.

Ferhan

1992maximase30

96vqi30de : I can see it now. She hits the gas realized its not going anywhere then hits the brakes to quickly. When you started the car the "code" was still in there so there for it was in safe mode. Then when you started driving your tcu was checking the electronics then realized well the temp is fine, spedd sensor is fine, range sensor us fine, shift solenoids are fine, t/c solenoid is fine. Then once you resterted the car again it went back into normal mode. Your trans is fine. Trust me you wouldve actually been on here with a different issue


And as foe the tranny warming up. My car has a external trans cooler and i let my car warm up for at least 10-15 minutes amd the tranny fluid isn't fully warm (t/c doesn't lock up till tranny temp within spec).

Glsd you figured it out.

rexrodriguez

So you can safely heat the tranny up to 300 degrees??? HAHAHA please get YOUR tranny up to 250 degrees everyday for a a couple minutes and see how healthy your tranny is in a month. Viscosity changes with temperature buddy please educate yourself and the transmission is not going to have 100 % fluid in it there will be other debris etc causing trouble plus your chart only has cold temps why dont u find a chart comparing the viscosity of tranny fluid at 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 0 degrees fahrenheit and lastly im pretty sure -40c and -40f is not the same temp

ABIGBRAIN

iTrader: (1)

They are the same temp at that one and only time on their respective scales. They call it a crossing point on the temperature graphs.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Yes indeed they are the same temp. He just buried himself yet again showing his inability to read the chart and his lack of education regarding the F & C scales. You would think he'd have the common sense to at least google that fact, but nope!

He also didn't understand my comment regarding the operational range of ATF or hydraulic fluid, not the transmission itself. What are they teaching in schools these days???

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

That's a failed mode like limp home mode!

rexrodriguez

Okay so you are saying that the tranny fluid will be hot but the transmission wont? and ohhhh right sorry for not googling stuff i bet u must have a PH.D in "F & C scales" from GOOGLE lol and you said lack of education twice at least proofread your comments before insulting my reading skills lol how long did it take u to come up with that response lmao theres no need for me to waste anymore time dealing with you morons
Later