Costee

Nope. The sore spot actually is the valve body. If you take your time to go through this thread you shouldn't be too worried if the vb problem comes up. Many options to choose from on how to deal with it. Please use Nissan Matic K for the refill.

cfarrar

Wow, great job. I have essentially "shelved" my car until someone found a reliable answer. I didn't want to spend expensive money on a car this old. This solution sounds like a winner.

Has anyone had a shop in Houston do the work to replace with Rostra noids? I called several places and, to be honest, I think they are just afraid to try something new from a liability standpoint. They all want to replace the VB. I am about 75% deciding to try it myself, but if someone in Houston has a contact that will replace the noids for a reasonable price, I would pay for it.

I live in the NW side of Houston, more in the Cypress area, but anyone in Houston would do. Any thoughts?

Thanks again everyone!

tbudke22

Hello all, first off THANK YOU to Costee, poPimp, suprdave, and Rainman for all of your time and input. I have decided to go with the Rostra Solenoids and to do it myself, (after reading this entire 37 pgs, although I was convinced I needed an entire OEM VB at earlier points in the thread).

I have been babying my car for over a year now with the warmed up shifting issue. I'm hoping that there have been no major consequences, I live in a small town and don't experience rough shifts regularly, just because I don't drive far. That and my car shifts wonderfully the first 10 miles or so, so I don't think that the transmission parts can be damaged that badly.

Costee - here's a different one for you. My car went into limp mode the other day, I took it to a shop to have the code pulled and it was P0726, he didn't reset and told me to take it to nissan. I did, and they said they never saw that code but that I have a P0340 or whatever the CPS code is. They insisted that I replace BOTH sensors. I said well I have replaced both (at different times over the last 2-3 years). I went home in limp mode, found that the back bank had a loose connector on the CPS, fixed it and its back to its normal shifting issues. (Those clowns told me my trannys is absolutely shot and that it was missing gears, and the service manager said "well i don't see how the cam sensors could be related to how the car shifts") Any idea where that P0726 came from or went away to??

My fluid is pretty brown, should I do the 2x drain re-fill before or after the solenoids are installed? (obviously the 3rd refill will take place during the solenoid change)

TIA!

Costee

P0726 is an uncommon code all right. It’s described in the ESM as Engine Speed Input Circuit Performance. Signals from the ECM to the TCM. The possible causes are (i) the signal circuit is open or shorted, (ii) ECM. I suspect that the loose connection on your CPS triggered off the code initially, only to be replaced more appropriately by the CPS code. All became well when you fixed the loose connections.
I think a single drain/refill should suffice before the solenoid install, and maybe twice after the install at very short intervals.

tbudke22

Costee - that's what I'm thinking. I'm not going to worry about it unless it returns. I've never had a code on this car other than CPS code. Thanks!

BTW - I'm at 138K miles and really looking forward to keeping this car for a long time after I get the solenoids replaced. Also - What do you guys think? - but I'm planning to go the extra mile and fully remove the VB to fully clean it 100% before going back together with it....

Rainman1

Finally drove the wife's Maxima yesterday to check the rpms. At 70 mph it was between 2300-2400. Tried it with and without a/c, same rpms. Was hard to get it on a flat stretch in the area I was driving but when it settled it was at 2350 rpms.
Guess we need someone that hasn't had any solenoid (shifting issues) to test their Maxima at 70 mph and see what rpms they get to see if 2350 is normal. (A 6th gen. 5 speed auto)

Fred001

Bought my 04 SE Max when they first came out.... Starting having problems after the warranty expired.....Had Trans flushed and motor mounts replaced. It lessened the problems but was still there. Found this forum over a year ago...When the only options were replace VB or go with the kit. I haven't changed the VB. Only did the drain 3X every 4-6 months...It only lessened the symptoms....I'm glad to see that just changing the solenoids will work too....
I'd like to get the solenoids replaced but all the tranny shops want to replace my transmission. Does any know a tranny shop around Irvine, Ca that would do a solenoid replacement?


Thanks in advance

Costee

Not a bad idea if you have the patience and time. It should allow you to drain out more oil. Read rpsuprdave and Scrui's write-ups and you should be good. They mention two o-rings once the vb is taken off (the ESM calls them governor apply gaskets). Be sure to retain them in their positions when returning the vb.

Rainman1

Fred you may want to check out some mechanic shops instead of a tranny shop to do the work. Of course they want to replace your transmission, it cost more.
Call some mechanic shops that you trust or that has a good reputation from others. Let them know what the problem is and what it involves (do some reading here to be up on the problem and how to fix it). Even print out the Rostra instructions and bring them with you to show the mechanic when you go. Let the mechanic know that the solenoids aren't in the tranny, that they are in the valve body on the tranny. You don't want them to be scared off by thinking it's transmission work. It's basic mechanic work.
Swapping the solenoids is a fairly simple procedure (especially for a mechanic with all the right tools). Shouldn't take them more than a few hours at most start to finish.
That's your best route if you aren't able to do the work yourself.

Costee

Yes Fred001, Rainman1 advised right. I'm worried however that you allowed the issue to linger for a year or more. It's good to keep the fluid red all right, but the frequency by which you drained and refilled should have warned you that the problem won't go away. Keeping the fluid red is more prophylactic than curative. One hopes indeed that the transmission is still intact. Any codes?

Yasser Jangjou

Thank you so much for your respond, So for the first thing I should refill right? and just keep dealing with it till it gets worse?

cfarrar

To make my long story short, thanks to everyone on this thread! My car started acting up with transmission problems about 2 or 3 years ago. It got so bad that I "shelved" the car for about a year and half. I saw the fix with "redoing" the solenoids, but wasn't convinced that it would work. Some people had success and others didn't. I had resolved myself to selling the car. As time went by, I decided to look at this forum again. New solenoids! Awesome. Sounded like a relatively cheap fix - if it worked. If it didn't work, then it didn't cost too much.


I found Noll's Auto Repair in Cypress, Texas - NW Houston area. They agreed to replace the solenoids with the Rostra that I bought. I told them I understood that it would not carry a warranty. For $200 Rosta Solenoids, and another $200 - $300 (I had a little extra work done), I now have my Maxima back!


The transmission runs smooth and I don't have the problems anymore. Like someone else mentioned on this site, I could get 10 to 20 miles out of my car before the problems started so I figured I had a good chance that the transmission was not messed up. And it wasn't!


Great job, guys. Thanks so much for sharing everything you know.

nupe84

What behavior was your transmission exhibiting? I am in Rosharon are of Texas.

cfarrar

My Maxima was exhibiting the classic case everyone has complained about. When the car heated up, the transmission would have horrible hard shifts, both up and down. From park, it would sift hard into drive and reverse. Sounded like a hard thump. From start to 60, it would shift hard. Driving at 60 was ok, but once I pressed the gas pedal, it would downshift extremely hard. Slowing down, the shifts were hard. At times, I am surprised that the transmission didn't fall out!

However, when the engine was cold, it would shift great. Maybe a little bump here or there, but it was good. That is why I had a feeling that the transmission itself was not messed up.

For $400 to $500 in parts and labor, I thought it would be worth the try. All of the transmission repair shops said I either had to have a new transmission or new valve body - anywhere from $2000 - $3500. I love my car, it it isn't worth that much for a cure that I wasn't sure would fix it.

I studied this thread for hours and finally found that a couple of people here had great success with replacing the solenoids. I figured it was a good risk at the price. And it worked!

dooniemacc

Ok all I'm back with updates since my previous post above. Original posts can be found on page 35. Since its always good to share progress with the community good or bad. Ok since my previous above post. I have since had the CEL codes taking care of. Also have sent the car to a transmission shop to have the valve body with the rostra's checked to see if they were installed correctly. He checked them and tested the ohms and they check out ok. Purchased a valve body through valve body Xpress and the first one had the same issues as before the swap. So he exchanged that one for a new one and all the hard shifts/jerks from p-r p-d are gone and shifts smooth through all gears except I still get a flare from 2-3. Had the computer flashed with newest software and still get the flare. So car is 98% better than before but me being me I want the full Monty. So now with all other options exhausted I am now in the process of just having the transmission overhauled. I will say this. the guy did and tried everything he could to get this car right without taking the overhaul step but after 3 weeks of no car and $6-700.00 rental car fees. I just told him to go ahead and overhaul it. he is thinking it is the 3rd gear band that is causing the issue so if he does drop the trans and open it up to check it he might as well overhaul it. Can anyone else think of any other possibilities? Also if anyone is needing a set of rostra's I have a set for a reasonable price.

m86stanggt

Hey all First post on this issue.

I bought my max new in Sept 05, The one thing I kept putting off was a fluid change on the tranny. I made it to 125k miles with no issues and never touching it. Then it slowly started. Would flare and drop in to gear when rolling and getting back on it. Would flare 1 to 2 shift when fully warmed up.

So last week I ordered the rostra's. I put them in Friday night. I just swapped the solenoids. I did it with out removing the VB. I think because I had it jacked up so high it only drained 2.5 quarts of fluid. I refilled (matic K) and did the relearn.

Now I would say its worse then before. It shifts great some times from 1st threw 5th and then other times it will flare or bump 2-3 and 3-4. It also has a huge delay from P-R and N-D.

Any one have any ideas? I don't want to adjust the rostra solenoids yet per their Adjustment instructions yet.

I was thinking drain and refill again.

Thanks in advance.

Ryan

tbudke22

Ryan and others - I am in the EXACT same boat. I just replaced with new Rostra Solenoids and basically yeah its worse than before, although I don't seem to have the really hard downshifts that I used to have. Right now I'm getting the hard "flare" from 2-3 & 3-4 and when shifting into R it is a delay then bang.

I had a question about the directions on the "relearn" process, I've seen two different directions, one found here: http://www.rostratransmission.com/manuals/Form5250B.pdf but the ones that came with my Rostras were slightly different although first page is the same, it says drive at about 1400RPMs, let it shift up through 4th, repeat 5 times, then accelerate at about 1800rpm, let it shift up through 5th, repeat 5x, then accelerate at 2500rpms, 5x, followed by some braking for downshifting and then garage R to N multiple times.

Which process did you follow?

Has anyone had any luck making the adjustments?? I'm not even sure where to adjust these solenoids.....

I have a call in to Rostra, waiting for a call back.

I reallly don't want to pop that VB cover off....again....

Thanks, Tyler

tbudke22

I forgot, I meant to ask, how long does the Re-learn take? Minutes? Miles? 1000s of miles? Years?

I just did the relearn process this morning and haven't driven it anymore, not sure if it will keep getting better.

Rainman1

The one thing I kept putting off was a fluid change on the tranny.

Big mistake, by all of us! The dirty old fluid is the problem causer. The grit and grime (no matter how minimal) gets in the solenoids and causes all out head aches, shifting problems. If we had all know I'm sure we would have done changes early and often.

I think because I had it jacked up so high it only drained 2.5 quarts of fluid.
Getting as much of the problem causer out would be far better than leaving as much as possible in.

If mine would have shifted as bad or worse after I did the Rostra install I would have questioned if I hooked the electrical connections to the proper spot and if I installed the solenoids in the right position. I took my time and made 100% sure that all was correct before sealing my vb cover back on. Did each solenoid one at a time, remove one then install it's replacement (following Rostras instructions on positioning).
If I was certain I did the install and driving relearn proper (disconnect that battery for 5 to 10 mins first to reset the cars cpu) then I would have got that fluid good and hot and then done a drain and refill.

Don't go adjusting the solenoids, then you'll be guessing at what's causing your issues from then on.

m86stanggt

Update. Drove it all week and still had good and bad times. Last night I drove 100 miles on the highway and now it seams better.

Everything is installed correctly as it will shift great for a while then out of the blue flare a shift.

When I am back home I will drain and refill.

Thanks

Ryan

Rainman1

http://www.rostratransmission.com/manuals/Form5250B.pdf
Here is the relearn procedure that I followed to a T. I live in the country so I had the road all to myself. Was able to start and stop on the road as much as needed to do the relearn. *Make sure to disconnect the cars battery 5 to 10 mins to reset the cars cpu before the relearn.* Had mine disconnected the whole time I did my Rostra install. I removed my battery mounting plate to give me more room to work under there so the battery had to come out anyway.

Number 4 on the relearn is while driving the car you manually down shift with the slap shifter through the gears. Just making sure that's how it's being done.

Don't do any adjusting on the Rostras (see my post before this one). To adjust them you have to remove the vb cover (loosing all that expensive new/mixed with old Matic K). There are allen head screws in the ends of the solenoids that have to be turned to specific amounts. I watched a video of a tranny guy doing adjustments on some. He would run them all the way in then back off a set amount to put them to where they should be now. Rostra has adjustment instructions to back off / tighten a half turn / quarter turn for certain symptoms on certain solenoids.
Don't get into that unless it's your last resort. Then keep a written record of which solenoid you adjusted and how much turn(s) (in or out) and the driving result (better/worse, other symptoms now appearing...) And of course you would probably have to reset the cars cpu (battery disconnect and do a driving relean)... Could lead to worse head aches.

Drain and refill with Matic K (or whatever you used) and then do a full driving relearn procedure. I can't stress enough "Disconnecting the battery for 5 to 10 mins is the start of the relearn procedure and is very necessary."

Read back on my posts and I go into detail about how I did my driving procedure. Not sure what page it's on but only 3 to 4 pages back at most.


Sorry for the late replies, I don't check the site as often as I used to.

Rainman1

A drain and refill will probably take care of it. Drain it after a long drive (not a short warm up). Get that fluid good and hot to free up that grit and get it out of there. At least the Rostras are better designed to let the fluid flow through them a whole lot more that the OE solenoids.

I drove the wife's Maxima earlier today. It's got almost 7,500 miles on it since the Rostra install and still shifts great. I changed my Matic K about 5,000 miles before I did the Rostras hoping that that would solve the problem easily. When it didn't I had to do all that research to find out about the solenoids and the replacement Rostras. So I drained another 3.5 Qts 5K miles later with the Rostras so it's possible that helped my situation??? I bet it didn't hurt any.
I'm gonna order more Matic K soon and do another drain/refill (no later than 10K miles on the Rostras just to keep it clean).
I gotta study up on and change those motor mounts next.

tbudke22

UPDATE: Ok, I've continued to drive my car and it has gotten better, and now I know that the car is way better off than before the solenoid install. Right now the worst problem I'm having is a delay going into reverse, nothing happens for a solid second or two, (not a huge deal to me). I'm also getting a few flare shifts, although they seem to be further and further between, they're usually from 3-4.

I called and talked to Rostra, the guy over there is very helpful. He wrote the re-learn procedures and said the one that is linked above (Rev. B) is correct. He said that since I ordered mine through one of their distributors it had old papers in the box.

He said it is quite common for the Maximas to need adjustment on the solenoid that affects Reverse (I don't have the sheet with me) but he told me to go ahead and adjust that.

I'm going to keep driving it another week or so and then go ahead and adjust probably just the reverse solenoid, he said I could adjust the one that fixes the flare too.

Btw - the adjuster is just a flathead screwdriver on the Rostra solenoids, but on the OEM solenoids they are an allen.

I'm happy to not be having any slam shifts. I do plan to do about 2-3 drain/refills annually just to keep fresh matic K in there.

Has anyone seen any write-up on how to install a transmission cooler? That's something I'm interested in doing, but not taking a stab at it myself without some direction.

Rainman1

Have you done a relearn procedure that the Rostra guy said was correct?
Just wondering if that made the difference or just driving it for a week.
If not I'd try to do the correct relearn and then drive it for a week or 2/3 before adjusting any solenoid.

I think a drain/refill would probably help the symptoms and then if needed do the adjustments. (but then you have another drain/refill each time you do any adjustments on them). That's kinda why I didn't suggest getting into adjusting until last resort. I guess you could catch your atf in a clean container and then reuse it.
(correct, the Rostras have a flat head for the adjustment. Been a while since I installed mine. Looked at some pics I took of them and they are flat head. Regardless, the adjustment is the same method, turning them as per Rostras instructions).

Yes those slam shift will freak you out. I would always let off the accelerator to try to avoid the severity of them. If you change the Matic K once a year (10 to 15K miles) you would probably be fine. Maybe sooner on the 1st change since the solenoid change to get more new fluid in and more old (gritty) stuff out.

Seems like I did see a write up on this site about adding a trans cooler. Mine is an 06 and came with one from the factory so I didn't do any further research on that subject.

Update us to let us know what you did and the results.

James77

Just started reading this enormous thread. Not trying to bypass the reading, but I will post my story to see if I can get some quick suggestions while I continue reading the thread.

2006 Altima 3.5 SE V6. 285,000 miles on it.

I am on my 3rd transmission, though the 2 replacements after the original have been lower mile used ones(about $1,500 installed each). 1st one failed after 65k, just would not engage 1st when shifted to drive. 2nd one had the occasional "flare"(reving going from 2-3). Shortly before failing, it seized in reverse twice....meaning it would not back up unless gas was applied and it clunked. When it died, there was a "whirring sound" I was hearing while accelerating. It ended up not engaging any gear......but when it was let sit for a few hours, you could drive it for a few minutes.

I put in this current used transmission at 255k, the used tranny had 72,000 miles on it. Worked beautifully for about 20,000 miles. Now I am getting a hard shift into 2nd, as well as the 2-3 flare. The flare will go weeks with not happening at all, then it will have a "bad day" and do it to the point of me shopping new cars. Glad I found this and other similar threads .

Right now, the hard shift is near constant. The flare happens several times a day....usually mild. Very high miles on the car....but it is paid for and the engine is still great and there are very few repairs it needs. I already resolved the good old timing chain tensioner, and the only other problems are power steering pump leak and an axle. Engine is still very powerful.....I would not mind getting 100k more miles out of it(about 2-3 years)

I am very mechanically inclined, but little experience on cars( I do brakes, struts, radio/amp installs, and small stuff.

Is this a DIY possibility? Suggestions if anyone has a minute would be appreciated

Rainman1

Yes, it's a DIY job (with the mechanic know how you say you have) and with the right tools.
Start at page 31, post #1235 and read to this one. Once you read that you'll fully understand the problem and cause of the shifting issues with your tranny. You'll find out what tools and parts are needed to do the work to fix it.

I know you may want a quicker answer but reading those few pages (and the links in those posts) will help you far more than a quick answer would. The work needing to be done will be easier also once you read up on it (lots of helpful tips in those posts to help make the job easier from people who have done it already).

If you need more info after that just post, we'll be glad to share what we know.

Costee

@James77. With three trannies it's now clear that the problem is not in the whole assembly of our Max (Altima in your case) but its valve body,although, your continued use of the car despite the bad shifts could have had deleterious effects on the assembly.While it's almost certain what the cause of your problem is, I think it's better still to have the car scanned and post the codes here for reference purposes. AsRainman1 advised, endure reading the thread so that you are well advised on the options open to you.

James77

Thank you....still saved me 20 pages of reading

Those Rostra solenoids seem simple enough, I am going to be ordering them today or tomorrow. I am going to check with my mechanic to see if he would throw them in for $150-ish, only because I am limited to jacks and stands, so it may be worth it. Otherwise, I'll take a stab at it......my main issue is the ease of access. The rest looks simple.

I am a little concerned on any damage done or will be doing by driving it for a few more days......do you think it is an issue? The hard shifts are not extreme, just annoying. The flare is what gets my attention.....not sure if that damages anything?(not holding you to anything , just curious)

Luckily, I will have access to a loaner car free of charge for as long as I need, so I can completely take my time.


What of the smaller 5 solenoids beneath those....do they play a role in the problem>?
Edit....NM, you answered this in post # 1303

James77

Is the scan picked up by OBDII? Because I do have a scanner that will pick up those and ABS codes.

Yes, I am going to re-read from 31 on again tonight when I have more time, but it is very informative. I am not sure what killed the 1st and 2nd trannies.....both had similar things with hard shift and flares. I was quite rough on the 1st one(couldn't help it....the car was fast ), and the 2nd did end up having roughly 250,000 miles between me and the first owner, not all that bad.

James77

Last question......at least for tonight

Correct kit?:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AW-55-50SN-5...ed9e64&vxp=mtr

Rainman1

Yep that's the ones. Same place I got mine from also.

Not sure on the scan... Is your CEL on and if so what are the codes?

You mentioned that this (3rd) tranny didn't have a lot of miles on it correct? If so it should be fine. They are tough and good transmissions, just issues with the solenoids. Baby it til you get them fixed if you have to drive it. Try to prevent those slam shifts (let off the gas when it flares, don't accelerate until it engages in P/R...)

Check for metal filings when you or your mechanic drains the atf. That will tell you what shape the tranny is in.

James77

Cool, I ordered from them about an hour ago and it is shipped already.

My CEL is off, and I just scanned it for anything(like stored or pending) and nothing is coming up. I had the tranny fluid changed at the dealership maybe 7-8,000 miles ago when I first felt the slipping, it did help I think briefly. But they did not mention any metal in the fluid....

Yeah, this 3rd tranny has somewhere around 90-100,000 on it between me and the prior owner. The hard shifts are not really bad at all, not really slamming just harsher than it should be. The flare does not result in it slamming into gear.....and mostly the flare is 200-300 RPM's. Rarely does it do a large one. If I drive it the way I like to drive....it shifts pretty well, that is moderate acceleration. But, I have use of my mothers car as mcuh as I want, so I am going to keep driving it to a minimum.

I am going to round up the tools and oil this weekend, parts should be here either Saturday or Monday. I will post any questions I come up with, as well as how it went for me.

Couple final questions:

When putting the VB cover back on with the RTV sealant....how much of a PITA is that? Does the cover hold itself there fairly well(and not smear around ) as you get the bolts in?

Thanks

Rainman1

On the tools you don't have, most auto parts stores will rent them out. You pay for the tool(s) in full and get refunded when you bring them back (with the receipt).

Not bad but you do have to guide the cover so that it doesn't touch something (scraping off the rtv). Another person the help from up top would be great but you can do it solo if you guide it slowly.

Don't try to let the rtv hold it in it's place once it's in place. Hold it with one hand and put 2 opposing bolts in finger tight (the easiest 2 that you can get in quick). Use RTV black (oil resistant). Finger tight on all bolts, then let it set up for an hour (I think) then torque to specs and in sequence in one of the links.

Make sure to follow those tips and instructions, don't try to rush the job.
Read rpsuprdave's How To to help on the tear down (stopping after the vb cover is off). I linked it in several post of mine.

James77

Yeah, I just need a small torque wrench and those Torx bits, I have the rest I think. I have an Advanced Auto directly across the street from me should I need anything common. But Harbor Freight is great for that kind of rarely used tool, and my sister gives me endless 20% off coupons as well for them.

I have some helping hands should I need them. Having a borrowed car means I can take all the time in the world. I am just not looking forward to the accessibility of it....it has "not fun" written all over it

Looks like Tuesday and/or Wednesday I will be doing this, supposed to be perfect weather.

I will follow up after I complete, during if I have questions.

Thanks again....this thread, and the how to rpsudave/your experience posted are a tremendous help.

Rainman1

If you take off all the parts that is mentioned in the how to there is plenty of room to do the work needed (from under the car).
There is that one bolt that is tricky but with the set up I used (tools in the pic) it wasn't bad at all. I
I did the job in only a few hours total (including the waiting time for the rtv to set up). But i let mine drain all day before refilling and the relearn. So you can easily do it in a half day.

James77

Great....that is very reassuring

I plan on prepping it Tuesday afternnon(jacking it up, removing tire, battery, covers, drain, etc) and do the work Wednesday morning. I like working in the AM better, all the more time to go to stores if it goes wrong

I'll report back later this week unless I run into a question or problem....

James77

What of calibrating the Rostra solenoids?

I know it has been stated that they are calibrated to factory specs. My concern is if they do need tweaking, as I came across a thread on another forum where he did need to.

A calibration kit, comprised of grommets that allow access to the solenoids, can be installed while the VB cover is off.

http://www.makcotransmissionparts.co...ct_Code=TEM-55

Am I over thinking it? I have only been able to come up with the one thread on a person having calibration issues with it. Not sure what the policy here is on posting other forums, but if you google "Lessons from a AW55-50SN Solenoid Replacement" it is the first hit.

I am just thinking "while I am at it".

Rainman1

That would have to be your call.
I didn't have to do any adjustments. If I knew about the grommets before I installed my Rostras I wouldn't have put them in. (but that's completely up to the individual).
You do have to drill holes in the vb cover (in precise places).

James77

Its the first time I even saw it mentioned, or that anyone had a problem. Poking holes in things doesn't always go right

I'll probably pass on them.

Do you recall if one of your Rostras had a moving part inside you could hear if you turned it side to side? The others do not.

Agains....thanks for the replies Rainman.....I will post how it goes when I do this/

Rainman1

I actually watched a video of a guy (tranny guy) doing the adjustments on the OE solenoids and he drilled the vb cover to do it... not sure what he used for plugs.
But I had no intentions of adjusting unless absolutely necessary. Then I would have just removed the vb cover to do it and hope for the best.

Yes, that's fine if there is movement in there. Shake the others harder and you may feel/hear the others rattle but don't sweat it if they don't (mine were like yours). The function by electronic control so they will move when installed.