# '02 Sentra shifting problems...



## snikkerrs (Sep 2, 2005)

I had purchased this car brand new from the dealership. About a year and a half ago, my acclerator pedal wasn't right. 90% of the time it wouldn't depress, I would have to push harder for it to depress and then the car would launch forward. Making me step on the brakes immediately. 

I took my car in the dealership earlier this year, I had just thought that it wasn't anything. My friends work at the nissan dealership, so they looked at my car and told me that I needed a new throttle body. The car is still under warranty, so they replaced at no charge to me. The pedal is okay now...thank goodness. BUT...now my car is having shifting issues (it's an automatic). It tries to shift gears going 60 mph on the freeway. I'm not going up any inclines, the road is flat. When it happens it will either be a small back and forth jerky motion, or one big jerk (back and forth). I'm used to the up and down, bumpiness of the road. But the back and forth motion just makes me uneasy. Then, when I'm not going 60 mph and just stuck in traffic, the car will shift hard. For the most part it's from first into seond. When it does it jerks the car, hard. I'm thinking...my car is getting old. But it's getting pretty much irritating. If I were driving next to a car like mines, I'd pretty much be thinking...gee that girl doesn't know how to shift. But I have an automatic, not a manual.

So, the techs have "relearned" the engine, and reset the TPS, and the voltage, tightened the throttle cables, flushed the trans fluid (which was 'black', the tech said it was just dirty). It fixed the problem for about a week. 

But now I'm back at square one. The shifting issues have returned. Granted it's not as bad as before...but it's getting ther. I've tried to find information on the internet about this problem, but I can't find any solutions. I did however find some service bulletins that might fix the problem. It says it might be the "control valve assemby (valve body) of the incident transmission". Whatever that means. Or could it be that the new throttle body is defective? My car is annoying me a lot, and I have looked into getting another one but I can't afford one.

Please help.


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## Ruben (Oct 15, 2002)

Guessing here... it could be as simple as a vacuum leak. Check all your hoses, and if you can, check under the car. Also check all electrical connections.


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## snikkerrs (Sep 2, 2005)

Ruben said:


> Guessing here... it could be as simple as a vacuum leak. Check all your hoses, and if you can, check under the car. Also check all electrical connections.


I think the techs checked all the hoses. But I could be wrong. But thanks!


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

It sounds like the overdrive is turning on and off. Is your car modified, has it ever been in an accident and do you drive it very hard?


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## snikkerrs (Sep 2, 2005)

Zac said:


> It sounds like the overdrive is turning on and off. Is your car modified, has it ever been in an accident and do you drive it very hard?


the car only has springs. but it has been in several accidents...none my fault. but there was no engine damage, just body damage. but the major one, they hit my driver side door, and knocked off my side view mirror and pushed out the foam under my windshield. 

don't drive it hard...

but maybe i should just take it to a regular shop, instead of the dealer....that just tells me that there's nothing wrong and that it's normal, wear and tear.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

It is a lot to diagnose here...but it does sound like the O/D is shifting from on to off. When you go to start the car, do you ever see the O/D OFF button flashing? And if you get a chance, def take it to a shop as the car is obviously not supposed to do this.


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## no1see2me (Oct 1, 2004)

snikkerrs said:


> I had purchased this car brand new from the dealership. About a year and a half ago, my acclerator pedal wasn't right. 90% of the time it wouldn't depress, I would have to push harder for it to depress and then the car would launch forward. Making me step on the brakes immediately.
> 
> I took my car in the dealership earlier this year, I had just thought that it wasn't anything. My friends work at the nissan dealership, so they looked at my car and told me that I needed a new throttle body. The car is still under warranty, so they replaced at no charge to me. The pedal is okay now...thank goodness. BUT...now my car is having shifting issues (it's an automatic). It tries to shift gears going 60 mph on the freeway. I'm not going up any inclines, the road is flat. When it happens it will either be a small back and forth jerky motion, or one big jerk (back and forth). I'm used to the up and down, bumpiness of the road. But the back and forth motion just makes me uneasy. Then, when I'm not going 60 mph and just stuck in traffic, the car will shift hard. For the most part it's from first into seond. When it does it jerks the car, hard. I'm thinking...my car is getting old. But it's getting pretty much irritating. If I were driving next to a car like mines, I'd pretty much be thinking...gee that girl doesn't know how to shift. But I have an automatic, not a manual.
> 
> ...


 I have a 2001 with the same problem "Bad Transmission @60,000 miles, right after I had the cat converter replaced which costed over a grand. Not to mention all the recalls this car had. "California Model" The peice of **** is sitting in my back yard now and I replaced it with a 2004 Sentra, which has not had one single problem.

I'm betting your transmission is toasted.


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## Biscuit (Mar 5, 2005)

lemon law that fucker


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## lumbad (May 8, 2005)

i used to work for a chrysler dealership and i saw a good deal of tranny problems. it sounds to me like your clutches have gone bad and are slipping like hell. i think that would explain the black tranny fluid cause if the fluid is ever black, thats really bad


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## snikkerrs (Sep 2, 2005)

thanks everyone...first off... i can't lemon law it cause it's past 2 years (hawaii's lemon law is 2 years). i just need to make an appointment with a dealer to check out the problem, along with my safety check and oil and filter...but i have to take my springs off first. so that they can't say anything about me modifying my car which totally voids the warranty not to mention, i can't get my safety check. so after i do that...then we'll see what they say. But at least more and more people have been telling me that it's my tranny. (like i've been saying all along). but thanks!


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