1992 Pathfinder Transmission - UNBELIEVABLE

Zilverado · Feb 25th, 2003, 06:14 PM

Any encouragement from you folks right now would be appreciated, because right now the name "Pathfinder" is leaving a pretty bitter taste in my mouth.

So here's the deal:

I just got back from the tranny shop where I had brought our '92 Pathfinder to check transmission problem - delay into reverse. It has an RE4F101A type automatic tranny.

The problem is internal and will require a rebuild

The bigger problem - besides the potential $2500 bill - is the fact that this happened almost exactly 4 years ago, and we rebuilt it then. Of course the shop does not warranty SUV's for longer than 1 year. They are giving me 25% off as a "Preferred Customer" - - duh, I guess, after this I'll have given them a pretty good piece of coin...It may sound strange, but despite the repeat performance, I still have quite a bit of trust in this shop. They have an excellent reputation and I have a lemon.

So that's it. If we decide that we are keeping the vehicle (which we likely will), we'll be fixing it - - again. I guess I just have to start putting $500 away every year to afford another rebuild in 4 years.

Thanks for listening.

Zilverado

2000SE · Feb 25th, 2003, 06:25 PM

Start a maintenance program and your transmission will last longer.

You don't have a lemon. Your trusty shop doesn't sound too trusty to me.

Spddracer · Feb 25th, 2003, 07:30 PM

And make sure they clean the Trans Cooler out this time ! A Delay into reverse doesnt seem like a big trans problem to me thou , Has anyone actually checked the fluid level ??Adn frank;y I would not rebuild the same trans again if that is the problem < Rather relplace it with a Reman Unit , At that price it wouldnt be hard to beat

2000SE · Feb 26th, 2003, 07:20 AM

Wait until it doesn't work

$2500 is robbery.
For that kind of money, I too would've considered a dealer OEM reman factory replacement.

If you get it fixed, make sure that the TC is replaced, that all solenoids are replaced, that the entire unit is powerwashed, and have them install a shift kit or valve body upgrade and an aftermarket transcooler.

Zilverado · Feb 26th, 2003, 09:55 AM

Thanks for all the feedback, Guys.

One thing I forgot to mention. The price is Canadian. So $2500 works out to about $1700 US.

I will be looking into a use tranny, since from what I hear, these are usually reliable units, and shouldn't need this type of repeated service - even with 240,000 km (150K miles) on it.

Zilverado

Tolleyy · Feb 26th, 2003, 10:37 AM

Don't look at getting a used one, look into the remanufactured trannies. Since you keep on having problems you probably need to also replace the radiator and install an aftermarket tranny cooler that will completely bypass the stock tranny cooler lines. After that you're tranny should last you atleast another 200,000 miles out of it.

If you think that shop is doing crappy work, go get a second opinion from another shop... could save you some money and hassle in the future. If that shop rebuilt it ( most would just replace with a reman unit) and you're back there again, I'd be looking for another tranny shop.

Just my 2 cents.

Zilverado · Feb 26th, 2003, 07:13 PM

So I did a little more calling around (remember quoted prices are Canadian - US equivalent is approx 2/3).

A used tranny with approx. 150K miles = $1150 + installation
A used tranny with approx. 80K miles = $1425 + installation

So I called the Nissan Dealer to get the price of a Factory rebuilt unit - $2500 - I was shocked. I expected it to be much more.

I asked the parts guy if these trannys have problems. He says "Nope, just the reverse seal..." Well duh, that's been my problem twice now.

So he quotes me approx. $1400 to install a new seal kit. 1 yr/20,000km warranty.

So my question is: Why has Nissan not addressed this problem and developed a better seal????

I think I'm leaning towards getting the dealer to replace the seals for $1400. What do you all think???

Thanks for your input.

himilefrontier · Feb 26th, 2003, 08:29 PM

Another thing,DO NOT bypass the radiator trans cooler!Instead, do what I did on the TF 727 in a car I take to the strip often(and I brake stall it at the line - I used to boil the fluid out of it regularly until I did this!).Run your original trans cooler and an aftermarket cooler in series.Have the fluid run through the radiator cooler first,then the aftermarket one second.This way,you still get cooling while sitting stationary in traffic-which the external cooler is incapable of doing without an auxilliary electric fan blowing through it.Run it this way since the water can add extra heat to the cooled fluid if it goes through the aux.cooler first.

Tolleyy · Feb 27th, 2003, 11:15 AM

Zilverado, I'd take it to the dealership. sounds like their cheaper too! if everything else is fine with the tranny, just get the seal replaced.

himilefrontier, if you don't bypass the stock tranny cooler, you will still have the clogged coolerand fry the tranny, even with a secondary tranny cooler. It has happened to a few guys on the AC BB.

This guy had 2 tranny coolers, but didn't bypass the stock unit and here's what happened:

Shad
Update on my transmission I just talked with the guy repairing my automatic transmission they tore down the transmission and found that heat killed it. Not water like I had thought. A few of the solenoids were cooked and the clutches were toast. They said it's going to be $1749 out the door now instead of $1500. I guess I expected that. The reason it failed was the POS factory radiator cooled tranny cooler had clogged up. If I had completely bypassed that and ran them through just the tranny coolers I got from U-haul I wouldn't have had this happen. I was going to get around to doing that I guess hind sight is always 20/20..Arrrggg.

Yea i have read about this problem many times before. When I did mine I went compleatly around the stock cooler and I have not had any problems. I am sorry that you had to learn the hard way.

You have experianced the same thing I did a year and a half ago. I even said the same thing here. Perhaps people will start taking us seriously when we say the stock cooler is garbage and a good replacement is only about $80 + 1 hour of labor, much cheaper than a tranny rebuild and a new cooler anyway. With your tranny at the stage it is now you may as well go ahead and have them finish it. What kind of warranty they going to give you? The Pheonix tranny only has a 6 month/6k mile warranty when I asked them about it when mine fried. It was going to cost me $900+ $300 shipping+ $300 core to do mine and I was going to have to go through the labor of changing the thing. The shop that did mine did the work, rebuilt the tranny with shiftkit, ugraded the valvebody, and gave me a 12 month/12k mile warranty on it. Good luck with it and too bad you had to learn the way I did that the stock cooler needs to be bypassed in our trucks.

You can read the post here:
http://www2.4x4parts.com/cgi-local/u...c;f=5;t=002750

You DO need to bypass the stock tranny cooler on pathy's or you will fry the tranny.

Although Zilverado's problem doesn't seem to be from an overheating tranny, otherwise his whole tranny would be cooked. Must be that cold Canadian weather

Mr.Mike! · Mar 2nd, 2003, 12:52 AM

Hey guys, for what its worth, find a shop with a Trans-tech machine. It is a machine that flushes out 99% of all the old fluid and pumps in new fluid. The service may cost about 100 to 150 dollars (US). and is totally awesome maintenance. It flushes out the lines, cooler, torque convertor, valve body, etc, etc, etc. When that is done, then swap out the internal transmission filter.

I know it may be over kill, but I've got the auto tranny in my truck, and every other oil change I do a drain and fill of the tranny too. My fluid most always stays fresh, nice and red too. Then again, I've got 160,000 miles on all original equipment, shifts are still clean and crisp. So maybe it is not over kill.

himilefrontier · Mar 2nd, 2003, 05:04 AM

I've never heard of a stock cooler being plugged before!I guess you hear of something new every day!Is is possible to clean the radiator cooler in these trucks?I still do not like the idea of not using the factory cooler.Maybe some kind of bypass valve could be run in case the cooler gets plugged?Or you could also try an external trans filter plumbed inline with the factory cooler(I've seen one in the Summit catalog).Is this a problem indigenous to Nissan trucks with auto trannies?I've never had any of my domestic stuff have this problem,no matter how abusive I am to it.

Spddracer · Mar 2nd, 2003, 09:52 AM

I have been workinh on Nissans for 15+ years and other car lines for another 10 , I have never seen a trans cooler plug up , What I have seen is people that have trans failure and get the Trans fixed and do nothing with the cooler , This leaves Metal in the cooler and as soon as the Vehicle is started the metal is right back in the new Trans which will take out a planterary gear in a heart beat ! On some of the early to mid 90's Paths it was required to replace the cooler if there was metal in the trans do to it having a FIN type cooler , What this means is it has fins inside that help cool BUT metal can get trapped in the and eventually work its way out to the new trans SO these must be replaced , I will see if I can find the list of Nissans that have the fin type coolers that should be replaced and post them later . But htere is nothing wrong with adding and aftermarket cooler to the trucks and bypassing the factory , It is much cheaper and works just as good althou it may not get the trans warmed up as quick as the factory , I think your problems with overheating the trans are more of a failure in the trans rather than it just overheated because the cooler was plugged , The stock coolers will work fine unless you are doing heavy off roading or towing then a external cooler would be best .

2000SE · Mar 2nd, 2003, 11:45 AM

http://www.txchange.com/re4cool.htm

Also, see www.alldata.com for TSBs concerning the 1992 Nissan Pathfinder's automatic. Either have the dealer print them out for you or join alldata and read them yourself.

I don't have 25 years experience but I have seen partially clogged and restricted coolers--ATF and oil.

Spddracer · Mar 2nd, 2003, 01:11 PM

Im curious to what the were clogged with ??

2000SE · Mar 2nd, 2003, 06:25 PM

ATF, usually varnish that builds up with worn clutch material. This is caused by old fluid which has worn out the detergents/dispersants.
Varnish is caused by excessive heat---common in almost every transmission. Metal shavings and clutch material settle and stick to the varnish every time the vehicle is off for extended periods. This gradually builds up. No different then slowly clogging arteries.
This is one reason why some shops refuse to flush ATF on vehicles with high mileage and no consistent maintenance. The fresh fluid's detergents go to work and do a good cleaning sending all crud, that should have been suspend in the old ATF, into the new fluid ruining the fluid, clogging the ATF filter or screen, and eventually leading to low ATF pressure and tranny death.

Oil coolers are self explanatory. Anyone who doesn't practice common sense oil change intervals live with sludge buildup everywhere.

Zilverado complains about his lemon transmission and that Nissan should address the issue. But, he doesn't mentioned anything about normal yearly maintenance.
Also, if his tranny rebuilder doesn't address the common issues known with his tranny, then that rebuilder is incompetent. Every rebuild that I've ever performed was with every possible upgrade available for that unit being rebuilt. This is the benefit of keeping tabs on bulletins available from Nissan, ATRA, ASE, ATSG, TG..................