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02 Xterra with Crazy Overdrive

11K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  MeToo 
#1 ·
02 xterra auto, 110k miles. Recent problem with Overdrive. On the hiway after driving for 25 minutes or more the trans will downshift out of OD and then upshift back. This happens repeatedly,. You can watch the tach drop and rise as it occurs. I have checked for codes (none) and checked the trans self diag. (all blinks are the same). Fluid has been changed with no help. This only occurs when the truck gets HOT/NEVER COLD. I`m thinking maybe a sticky solenoid? Any ideas?? Next step is to drop the pan. Anybody have a good source for a solenoid pack?
 
#3 · (Edited)
The P0744 is set when the A/T cannot perform lock-up even if electrical circuit is good. engine-codes.com

The Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) solenoid valve is activated, with the gear in Drive, by the Transmission Control Module (TCM) in response to signals sent from the vehicle speed and the Engine Control Module (ECM).
Lock-up piston operation will then be controlled. When the torque converter clutch solenoid valve is activated, the torque converter lockup clutch will engage creating a 1 to 1 RPM ratio between the transmission input shaft and the rotational speed of the torque converter.

Lock-up operation, however, is prohibited when A/T fluid temperature is too low.

When the accelerator pedal is depressed (less than 2/8) in lock-up condition, the engine speed should not change abruptly. If there is a big jump in engine speed, there is no lock-up.

When the a transmission solenoid is working intermittent, in most cases the problem is not the electrical part of the solenoid; the problem is foreign material obstructing the mechanical function of the solenoid or the flow of the fluid through the transmission valve body. If the transmission fluid is very dirty, it is recommend changing the transmission fluid and if possible removing the transmission pan for further diagnosis. Excessive debris or metal particles on the transmission pan could be an indication that there is a transmission mechanical failure and that the transmission will need to be rebuilt or replaced.

Read more: http://engine-codes.com/p0744_infiniti.html#ixzz2DTi9zK00

Possible causes
- Faulty torque converter clutch solenoid valve
- Torque converter clutch solenoid valve harness or connectors
- Torque converter clutch solenoid valve circuit is open or shorted
- Low transmission fluid level
- Dirty transmission fluid
 
#5 ·
Try rock auto and courtesy parts
 
#7 ·
After your tranny issue...

After your tranny issue...

Get a motor oil change for your truck and add KREX GRAPHITE OIL ADDITIVE

You can find it on AMAZON.COM

It will run about 60 bucks for 6.

You can also ad some to your rear differential.

It is liquid graphite.

Thank me later..

XTERRA OWNER of 4 different Xterras.
 
#8 ·
Hi there, I have a related issue: 2004 Xterra SC. Purchased last fall and driven very little since then (son's vehicle, driven to high school and soccer practice and not much more). Transmission started slipping about 3 weeks ago. It was throwing a TCC intermittent solenoid code. After resetting the code it seemed to drive normal on a 3-mile trip to the store. Yes! On the drive home it seemed to be slipping again. Noooo!

Here's the relevant info:
1. Vehicle has 133K on it, and as far as I know the previous owner didn't maintain properly. So probably no tranny service.

2. Drained pan and replaced ~1 gallon of fluid. Fluid was dark, but not sure I'd call it black. More like brown. After replacing 1G it was a lighter brown. Burt odor? IDK. Not enough experience to know if it's really burnt-smelling. Also added a pint of Trans-X.
No improvement in slipping problem.

3. Drained pan, dropped pan, replaced filter, checked TCC solenoid (14.4 Ohms, and it seemed to work fine when I applied 12V; nice solid click, with no indication of dragging or sticking). Cleaned magnet (I had never seen one before, and it looked like the underside of a mushroom, and felt squishy, like a sponge! I realized it was metal filings when some of the goop I pulled out stuck to a different magnet. There were no big pieces, just lots of tiny strands held together in a big blob by the fluid and magnetism) Installed new filter, reinstalled pan, refilled with new ATF. No improvement.

4. Seemingly important and telling info: The slippage occurs in D, but not in 1 or 2. In other words, in Drive it starts to slip in 2nd gear after reaching ~3k RPM, but if I drop it into 2 there's no slippage. This would seem to point to a problem with the TCM or ECM or harness.

Any thoughts? The transmission folks I've talked to seem to dismiss the weird behavior in #4 , but nobody has offered an explanation. Everybody just tells me it needs an overhaul/rebuild, and maybe it does, but is it possible it just needs a TCM, or maybe there's an issue with the harness?

Thanks!
Sam
 
#9 ·
Hi there, I have a related issue: 2004 Xterra SC. Purchased last fall and driven very little since then (son's vehicle, driven to high school and soccer practice and not much more). Transmission started slipping about 3 weeks ago. It was throwing a TCC intermittent solenoid code. After resetting the code it seemed to drive normal on a 3-mile trip to the store. Yes! On the drive home it seemed to be slipping again. Noooo!

Here's the relevant info:
1. Vehicle has 133K on it, and as far as I know the previous owner didn't maintain properly. So probably no tranny service.

2. Drained pan and replaced ~1 gallon of fluid. Fluid was dark, but not sure I'd call it black. More like brown. After replacing 1G it was a lighter brown. Burt odor? IDK. Not enough experience to know if it's really burnt-smelling. Also added a pint of Trans-X.
No improvement in slipping problem.

3. Drained pan, dropped pan, replaced filter, checked TCC solenoid (14.4 Ohms, and it seemed to work fine when I applied 12V; nice solid click, with no indication of dragging or sticking). Cleaned magnet (I had never seen one before, and it looked like the underside of a mushroom, and felt squishy, like a sponge! I realized it was metal filings when some of the goop I pulled out stuck to a different magnet. There were no big pieces, just lots of tiny strands held together in a big blob by the fluid and magnetism) Installed new filter, reinstalled pan, refilled with new ATF. No improvement.

4. Seemingly important and telling info: The slippage occurs in D, but not in 1 or 2. In other words, in Drive it starts to slip in 2nd gear after reaching ~3k RPM, but if I drop it into 2 there's no slippage. This would seem to point to a problem with the TCM or ECM or harness.

Any thoughts? The transmission folks I've talked to seem to dismiss the weird behavior in #4 , but nobody has offered an explanation. Everybody just tells me it needs an overhaul/rebuild, and maybe it does, but is it possible it just needs a TCM, or maybe there's an issue with the harness?

Thanks!
Sam
The high clutch pack is probable burned out . Does it have a trailer hitch ?
The fluid should be red not brown not black .
What ever you do don't rebuild its a big can of worms and will never be right get a low mileage used.
 
#10 ·
The high clutch pack is probable burned out . Does it have a trailer hitch ?
The fluid should be red not brown not black .
What ever you do don't rebuild its a big can of worms and will never be right get a low mileage used.
No, no trailer hitch. But it is the supercharged version, so it's been pushed harder than normal. And who knows how the previous college student owner drove it, but I'm guessing he didn't baby it.

Is a rebuild really that unlikely to be successful? Never had one rebuilt, so I don't have any experience, but I know a few people that have, and they didn't have any problems. Are Nissans (or Xterras, specifically) notoriously hard to rebuild, or does that apply to any automatic tranny?

Thanks,
Sam
 
#11 ·
It just cost to much they only going to fix the clutches all the bearings are worn and the case is worn out and they just dont have the right tools to put it back to the tight specs that it needs to be.A low mileage used tran takes all the guess work out.
 
#12 ·
It just cost to much they only going to fix the clutches all the bearings are worn and the case is worn out and they just dont have the right tools to put it back to the tight specs that it needs to be.A low mileage used tran takes all the guess work out.
I searched for a used tranny a few weeks ago, but apparently the supercharged version uses a different trans and they're hard to find, especially with low miles.

Does the fact that it slips in D but NOT in 2 make sense? And what about the TCC code? Oh, and we've had TPS issues in the past that affected shifting and drivability. These are the things that make me wonder if there's something relatively minor and inexpensive that might buy me another 10k miles or so. That would buy me more time to find a used one with low miles.
 
#16 ·
I searched for a used tranny a few weeks ago, but apparently the supercharged version uses a different trans and they're hard to find, especially with low miles.

Does the fact that it slips in D but NOT in 2 make sense? And what about the TCC code? Oh, and we've had TPS issues in the past that affected shifting and drivability. These are the things that make me wonder if there's something relatively minor and inexpensive that might buy me another 10k miles or so. That would buy me more time to find a used one with low miles.
Did you figure out the issue?
 
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