# Problems with new (to me) L31 3.5SE 5spd



## spiroxlii (May 9, 2012)

Hello, fellow Altima fans! I need your help.

I'm new to the Altima, but not new to Nissan or the VQ35DE. I had a B15 Sentra (QG18DE) and an A33 Maxima (VQ35DE) prior to buying this Altima.

This list will surely grow, but here are the problems I'm having so far with the Altima 3.5SE 5spd that I bought yesterday. I've done a lot of the work and most of the maintenance on my Nissans in the past, but *this is my first one with a manual transmission*. I've separated the problems into issues I think I know how to fix (but I'd still appreciate your input) and issues with which I'm unfamiliar. As problems get solved, I'll edit this first post by changing the issue to green and inserting links to the post(s) that were most helpful.

1. The transmission often makes a grinding noise when going into first gear. It does not take excessive force, but it does grind almost every time. If I try to shift into gear very quickly, the grinding noise is reduced significantly. None of the other forward gears seem to have this problem. I am at a complete stop when I try to shift into first gear, and I have the clutch pedal pressed all the way to the floor. After doing a search, I read that some people can avoid the grind by pressing the clutch twice or by shifting into another forward gear before shifting into first gear. I haven't tried that yet. Do first and reverse on the L31 have syncros?

2. It is sometimes hard to shift into reverse. I do not hear any grinding, but it often takes more force to get the transmission into reverse than it does to get it into any of the forward gears. Once again, I've read that some people "solve" this problem by pressing the clutch twice or by shifting into any forward gear before shifting into reverse. Once again, do first and reverse on the L31 have syncros?

3. The speedometer reports a speed far slower than my actual speed. After searching, I now know that this is a common problem for the Altima, but the several threads I read last night offered no solution other than checking and changing my tire size.

4. If I set my automatic climate control to any temperature other than 60 degrees, it thinks I need the heater on. The only way to get it to blow cold air is to turn it down all the way to 60, and then I have to switch it from auto to manual control to get the fan speed where I want it. I know that some L31s didn't come with automatic climate control. I have auto climate control on my Maxima, and I love it, but if it's a chronic problem or a pain to fix on the Altima, can I just swap out my auto climate control panel with a set of manual climate controls?

5. When I roll up the front passenger side window with the driver's side window switch, it goes all the way to the top and immediately lowers itself back down by a few inches. Sometimes (not always), I can hold the switch up for several seconds to force the window to stay fully closed. If I use the passenger side window switch, the window stays up with no problem.

6. The car bounces and bobs for several seconds after going over bumps. I think the shocks are just going soft and need to be replaced, unless someone here disagrees.

7. The steering wheel is far off center. I think the car just needs an alignment.

8. The car shudders a bit under braking. I plan to replace my pads and rotors soon.


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

*It would help if you posted the year of your Altima.

1 & 2: Forward gears have synchos; rears do not. Reverse is always hard to get into and usually requires a little effort. If it won't cooperate, shift into first gears and then into reverse. You might want to check for a small fluid leak at the clutch slave cylinder and make sure the clutch master cylinder is full of fluid. If there is a slight leak, this can get air into the system, causing the slave cylinder pin to not extend fully and move the clutch release fork as much as it should. Otherwise, depending on how bad the "grind" is, it can either be "normal characteristic" or an internal problem with the trans. It's difficult to say without being to try it for oneself.

3: We would first need to now if the tires are the stock size or not.

4: This is another problem that is hard to diagnose without being able to work on the vehicle. Some of it sounds like normal operation. At full cold, manual mode, is the air coming out of the vent as cold as it should be (usually around 35-40 degrees)? If not, it could be slightly low on freon. I think switching over to manual A/C will be more trouble and expense than it's worth. There is an A/C performance test in the factory service manual that can be performed to help determine if the system is working properly.

5: You have anti-pinch windows. Assuming the window is not binding on the glass run, the limit can be reset, but requires removal of the door panel for the incident door. 

6: Sounds like weak struts/shocks. For a stock replacement, KYB G2's work well and have a limited lifetime warranty. KYB is an original equipment supplier to Nissan.

7: Front end should be inspected for worn or damaged parts, then a 4-wheel alignment performed.

8: This is referred to as "brake judder" by Nissan caused by rotor thickness variation. Nissan recommends using an on-car brake lathe when cutting rotors. Since you're getting new rotors, you shouldn't need to do this, but make sure to clean the rust off of the mating surface of the wheel hub before installing the rotor. Use quality, name brand parts. Wagner and Raybestos are among several manufacturers of aftermarket brake parts; use the "premium" or "professional grade" when it comes to brake rotors. For pads, I like Akebono ceramics; Akebono is an OEM supplier to Nissan. I usually get good prices for them at Rockauto.com. Raybestos Professional Grade Advanced Technology are also very good, as are the genuine Nissan premium brake pads.


----------



## spiroxlii (May 9, 2012)

Sorry I forgot to mention the year.  I'm used to my Maxima, where the only A33 3.5L models were 2002 & 2003, and they were almost identical.

My L31 Altima is a 2002. I checked my tire size, and it is 215/60/16. According to an online tire size calculator, this is slightly different from stock, but it shouldn't be enough to account for the speed difference I'm seeing (5-8 MPH).

As for the automatic climate control issue, I think I may need to check the ambient temperature sensor. 60 is the ONLY temp that causes the system to blow cold air. Settings 61-80 all result in the heater coming on.


----------



## spiroxlii (May 9, 2012)

I'm taking my Altima down to a shop to get the suspension and transmission inspected. Once I get those two issues sorted out, everything else is pretty much an electrical or cosmetic problem, and I can solve those one at a time.

P.S. There has been a new development with the transmission. I thought I "fixed" the problem by topping off the hydraulic fluid for the clutch, because when I drove the car after that, it shifted extremely smoothly, but after I drove it for about thirty minutes, it became hard to shift again, and first gear started grinding again. Does the fact that it seems to happen after driving for a while give you any clues? I checked it at the end of my trip, and none of the fluid I added had leaked out.


----------

