1993 Altima GLE, few common problems need help

Hi,

I have been reading about some of the problems that occur with these cars and it seems that I have a few.

First: I have a problem with the speedo needle bouncing from 0 to 40, which I tried to fix with a speed sensor 25010-50Y00, (this is the one that drops into the tranny with the gear and close to the firewall) which didn't do anything. This car also has HUD.

Second: I am having a problem with the tranny not wanting to engage in a gear when put in D,2, or 1. It feels like it is floating between gears. The problem seems to be worse when the trans is warm.

Third: I need to figure out what the "Revolution sensor" (I think this is what they call it) does. It is located on a tranny cover closets to the driverside wheelwell. It has 3 wires red, black, white. The red was worn completely threw by the driverside drive shaft, because it wasn't secured properly.

If anyone has delt with any of these, I would appreciate the help. Thanks

hate to be the one to tell you, Sounds like your trans is done and you need a Speedometer head assy witch has to be calibrated to your actual milage , or get one from a junk yard with what ever milage.. Gl

That kinda sucks because a new motor and supposed low miles tranny was just put in the car a year ago.

First: I have a problem with the speedo needle bouncing from 0 to 40, which I tried to fix with a speed sensor 25010-50Y00, (this is the one that drops into the tranny with the gear and close to the firewall) which didn't do anything. This car also has HUD.

1993 GLE, auto, HUD. Having the *exact* same experience as you have outlined. When the vehicle is in forward motion I get accurate speedo readings, but when at a stop or idle the needle (and HUD) bounce from 0 to 35 and anywhere in between.

A secondary symptom was in the transmission: it really loves third gear. Taking off from a dead stop is painful, as if I were pulling a trailer. It doesnt shift up or down regardless of the gear selected, and overdrive doesnt toggle on/off. Over 50 mph and I'm pushing 3000 rpm. I don't know if this is similar to your #2 problem, but it sounds like we're in the same ballpark.

Based on web searches I too replaced the Speed Sensor to no success. My dealer's final recommendation: replace the transmission's Electronic Control Unit (ECU) at around $600 plus labor.

I haven't replaced the ECU yet, as the dealer isn't willing to stand behind the part as being a solution.

What I *can* pass along is my little workaround for the tranny glitch. Start the vehicle, foot on the brake, put her into DRIVE, and stomp on the gas as hard as you can. You'll squeal a bit and you'll frighten the dog but she -- for me -- DOES "catch" and finally hit first gear. From that point on, she drives normally thru the entire range, including overdrive.

If you're in a spot where you have to back up, start up, back up, stop COMPLETELY before going into DRIVE (very important), and once again give her hell. Backing up seems to work better anyway, no clue why.

If either technique doesn't give me First immediately, I have to pull over, put her in Park, turn off the ignition, and start again. Sometimes she never catches and I just suffer in 3rd gear til I get where I need to be. But these techniques have worked for me probably 98% of the time.

I've been doing it for 3 years. It's not pretty, but it works. This is *not* power-braking, by the way. You are simply giving her a kick in the ass to get those gears to catch (or whatever mojo is happening).

Note: the tranny trick doesn't solve the dancing speedo needle, it only restores your first/second/etc gears. Also, the trick is LOST when you turn off the ignition. You must repeat the peel-out maneuver everytime you start up again.

In my opinion, I believe the speedo and tranny issues are interrelated. For the following reason, the VSS signal feeds the Head-up Display Control module. That in turn feeds the speedometer, Head-Up Display unit, ECU, ATCU, and cruise control computer.

Since the VSS signal is not entirely dead the ECU doesn't set a DTC. But since the VSS is behaving erractically it is affecting all the control units in its path.

1993 GLE, auto, HUD. Having the *exact* same experience as you have outlined. When the vehicle is in forward motion I get accurate speedo readings, but when at a stop or idle the needle (and HUD) bounce from 0 to 35 and anywhere in between.

A secondary symptom was in the transmission: it really loves third gear. Taking off from a dead stop is painful, as if I were pulling a trailer. It doesnt shift up or down regardless of the gear selected, and overdrive doesnt toggle on/off. Over 50 mph and I'm pushing 3000 rpm. I don't know if this is similar to your #2 problem, but it sounds like we're in the same ballpark.


Yes, this is my problem, I am only getting third gear, when tranny decides not to engage.

The trick I learned is once the tranny is in gear and working "properly", you can manually down shift before you come to a complete stop, and it will stay in gear 95% of the time. Then you don't have the jolt of it slamming into first gear on take off.

In my opinion, I believe the speedo and tranny issues are interrelated. For the following reason, the VSS signal feeds the Head-up Display Control module. That in turn feeds the speedometer, Head-Up Display unit, ECU, ATCU, and cruise control computer.

Since the VSS signal is not entirely dead the ECU doesn't set a DTC. But since the VSS is behaving erractically it is affecting all the control units in its path.

I agree there are defintiely related

Does anyone know how to fix the problem with the needle bouncing on the HUD speedo cluster ?????????? Thanks

Have you read about the reed switch in the instrument panel that translates the VSS signal into signal language that the transmission computer can use?

I think the bouncing speedo needle can be repaired be your local speedo-tach service. They demagnetize something in the IP