# 88 automatic transmission fluid (yes i searched)



## PhaTeLeSS (Oct 22, 2004)

you'd be amazed how little useful information i found with the search. i spent a good 30 mins on it too. so flame if you will, but...
88 maxima auto, girlfriend's car, when super cold likes to hesitate on the 1-2 shift. i'm gonna change the tranny fluid to see if that helps, and was wondering if there was a good synthetic i should use or should i just go to the dealer and pick up some of their basic at fluid? the car is all stock and doesn't see any racing, it just gets driven. it has 150k miles on it, and i just want whatever will give the best performance and longevity. i've heard mutterings about redline, royal purple, and motul. thanks!


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## internetautomart (Mar 8, 2004)

PhaTeLeSS said:


> you'd be amazed how little useful information i found with the search. i spent a good 30 mins on it too. so flame if you will, but...
> 88 maxima auto, girlfriend's car, when super cold likes to hesitate on the 1-2 shift. i'm gonna change the tranny fluid to see if that helps, and was wondering if there was a good synthetic i should use or should i just go to the dealer and pick up some of their basic at fluid? the car is all stock and doesn't see any racing, it just gets driven. it has 150k miles on it, and i just want whatever will give the best performance and longevity. i've heard mutterings about redline, royal purple, and motul. thanks!


Why not just use regular trans fluid? the dealer stuff is the same junk, just relabeled.


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## PhaTeLeSS (Oct 22, 2004)

internetautomart said:


> Why not just use regular trans fluid? the dealer stuff is the same junk, just relabeled.


that's actually what i'm planning to do, but was just wondering if there was any product out there that the max prefers for exceptional results. i'll probably just use standard stuff and change it an extra time soon after to clean it out. was just looking for reccomendations.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

I just use the regular Castrol stuff.

that 1-2 shift delay is common on ALL nissans, unfortunately.

my old 93 MAxima did it, my wife's 97 altima does it, and I even took out a customer's 2000 Maxima the other day and it does it. grrrrr.


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## PhaTeLeSS (Oct 22, 2004)

Matt93SE said:


> I just use the regular Castrol stuff.
> 
> that 1-2 shift delay is common on ALL nissans, unfortunately.
> 
> my old 93 MAxima did it, my wife's 97 altima does it, and I even took out a customer's 2000 Maxima the other day and it does it. grrrrr.


really? cuz this is only once in a while and way beyond the typical auto tranny delay. like it'll stay in first for a full 3-5 seconds after it should have shifted, and no amount of playing with the gas will make it change it's mind. you can floor it and it will just rev up and stay there. weird.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

that's somewhat normal, especially when the tranny is really cold and has old fluid.

If the fluid was changed on a regular basis, I would recommend taking it in for a complete tranny flush.. But if this is the first time in 60k miles it's been changed, I would say to just do two or three drain/fills, each a week or so apart.. If you do a power flush on a system that's had old nasty fluid in it for a long time, it can break loose deposits on the case and other non-moving parts.. Those chunks will get in the shift solenoids and the valve body and clog it up, preventing proper shifting.. then the tranny explodes..

so umm, it's a judgement call at this point.. at minimum you need to change the fluid and see what happens.


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## PhaTeLeSS (Oct 22, 2004)

Matt93SE said:


> that's somewhat normal, especially when the tranny is really cold and has old fluid.
> 
> If the fluid was changed on a regular basis, I would recommend taking it in for a complete tranny flush.. But if this is the first time in 60k miles it's been changed, I would say to just do two or three drain/fills, each a week or so apart.. If you do a power flush on a system that's had old nasty fluid in it for a long time, it can break loose deposits on the case and other non-moving parts.. Those chunks will get in the shift solenoids and the valve body and clog it up, preventing proper shifting.. then the tranny explodes..
> 
> so umm, it's a judgement call at this point.. at minimum you need to change the fluid and see what happens.


fluid change is definitely high priority. i'm probly just gonna use castrol cuz i trust them and see how it does. maybe change it again in like 500 miles or so. thanks a lot for the input i appreciate it. i'll let you know what it does once it's been changed.


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