tranny doesn't shift outta 1st

New to the Nissan part of this forum. Hope you can help. Driving my father-inlaws:banghead: 1993 Sentra with 100,000 miles on it this AM in 30 degree weather, and about a mile into my trek home I stopped for a traffic light and when I resumed, the transmission wouldn't shift out of 1st gear. Didn't matter whether I manually shifted it or not, it stayed in 1st all the home (8 miles or so). Doubt if the fluid has ever been changed. Hopefully that won't be a PRIME reason for this failure. I kind of need to fix this myself. Any good places to start?

drain the fluid. look for metal in the fluid. if metal content is on the copious side of bad, look around junkyards for a new tranny. next, check the clutch master and clutch slave cylinders. replace if necessary. if your pedal is adjustable, adjust it tighter to see if it helps. if it doesnt, adjust it back and move on to the next thing. after that, if it still doesnt wanna shift, drop the transmission and examine the clutch/fork/fork pivot/ect. in the bellhousing. if thats all free moving and in good shape, get a new transmission. you could try and disassemble the transmission and rebuild it, but its not a walk in the park. myself, id rather rebuild a motor than a transmission.

Opps, I should have said it was an automatic transmission. Appreciate your quick reply though. I checked previous threads and saw one that said to disconnect the battery to let the computer reset and give it a shot. I would like that kind of fix if it works.

has this problem reoccured or just when it was cold? did you run it to redline to see if it shifted all the way at the top? give me a little more info and maybe i can help you

could possibly be either low on fluid, about to die, or maybe a transmission speed sensor? dont know for sure how nissan does it but some cars wont shift if the speed sensor is bad.

any of those could be it, autos shift on a pressure differential between sensors that detect throttle position and output shaft speed, when the output shaft spins fast enough to overcome the throttle vale pressure, an upshift occurs....... he could have clogged lines, low fluid, if its got electric controls it could be a faulty vehicle sped sensor, bad govenor (creates pressure based on output shaft speed), vaccum to the throttle valve could be too low making the tranny believe the vehicle is under WOT or just making throttle valve pressure so high no amount of govenor pressure could overcome it, or the cold weather couldve frozen either moisture, or his tranny fluid in the case or between gears, making shifting impossible...... some trannies use a limp mode type of thing but it usually defaults to second gear so idk about that, let us know some more info and maybe we can help you dude

I had'nt gotten any replies to my query in a few days so boldly went where I have not ever gone before. I just drained the oil and it didn't look or smell bad, checked it cold :nono: and it was up to level (would the difference between hot and cold, when the cold level shows full, be enough to have this no shift out of first problem happen?). Tried taking off the filter but out of the 10 or 12 bolts holding it on, there is one that just doesn't want to come off. It spins, spins tightly even but won't unthread. I have a post in another automotive/tranny forum to see if I can get any help on that (almost like there is a nut on it). I gave it a once over as far as looking for cracked vacumn lines, this is the first time this problem happened. I had to drive it home in first for about 8 miles, so I know the RPM's maxed out on a few occasions during that drive. I also have to think the tranny was warmed up by the time I got home. I'd say the outside temp when I drove it home could've been mid twentys, cold, but not sub zero. I should say my father inlaw has one leg and is wheelchair bound and rarely uses the car, maybe a couple short trips a month. He just went into the hospital for a few days and with recuperation, we decided to take the car and start using it, so we probably put 7 or 8 months worth of "his" miles on in the past two weeks. I guess I should get a manual for it, and start in on some the suggestions you guys have offered. In the mean time I'll keep yoiu informed of my progress, and I'll appreciate your feedback.

fluid level should be in between add and full, i would say check it warm and adjust it until it is at or under full when warm, that may be creating too much pressure not allowing an upshift, it would be easy to try so let us know what you find afterwards

Will do, once I get that dang filter off! Its snowing right now, have to wait until tomorrow.

goodluck!

No luck with this nut. Here is a picture, it is the only one with out the ridge around the head of the nut, and it is the one right in the center of the photo. It is different for a reason. It just spins and spins. Doesn't jump a thread after a complete revolution,but spins tough enough that you can't spin it with your fingers. I hate to go this far and not take off the filter before putting it back together.:banghead:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2290/2096458382_3f8ed778f6_m.jpg

use needle-nose and pull when you twist?

Tried vice grips and pulling down as I turn - still no luck. Nothing ever goes smooth with these projects, you'd think pretty simple, take out the bolts drop the filter and check for crap. Down to one friggin bolt and three days later and still no where!

that sucks dude. that screw is stripped. i dont know why but my old sentra had that happen before i bought it. when i tried to change the filter, someone had already replaced that screw and it seems like the threads in the transmission were pretty fucked up.


oh and nismo pilot, this may be more your area. i have some experience diagnosing wierd transmission stuff like this at work, but as far as how transmissions work(internally and stuff), i know next to nothing, especially automatics.

only other thing i can think of is trying to get a flathead screwdriver under the head of the bolt and pry down as you try to unscrew the bolt with a socket.....

Funny, that was the last thing I tried before I finally asked a Tranny guy that does towing for the PD I dispatch for about that nut. I was advised by him that there may indeed be a nut holding the bolt on inside the transmission and it would be better left untouched. Although he works mostly with domestic transmissions, he had seen that situation before. He said with the oil looking decent, there probably was another reason why the transmission won't shift out of first. He said check if there was a vehicle speed sensor. I looked today but didn't see one, and it looks like a normal speedometer cable going into the tranny. So I'm back to square one. I'll start trying some of the things in this thread taht have been suggested as well as taking off alot of the air cleaner/passageways crap tomorrow and look for other obvious broken electrical wires or vacumn lines, but if any of you out there have any suggestions as to something else to check, I'm all ears!

there was a problem like this over on b15 sentra, it ended up being a bad govenor, its a little plastic gear that sits on the output shaft of the tranny, it either creates pressure or gives a signal to the transmission control module, depending on what type of tranny it is, to change gears, almost positive youll need to replace it

Excellent tip. I'm in between snowstorms tomorrow, so that is where I'll check first. Any way of checking it to see if it is bad?

I'll tell ya, I took off everything blocking my view of the top of the tranny, and that tranny has nothing fancy coming off it. I only see wires going to the gear selector mechanism, maybe thats the park/neutral switch and reverse backup light wires?? The speedo has a regular old fashion cable going into it, I don't see any vehicle speed sensor or anything else that might be considered relevant to my problem. Where is the governor you talked about on the b15 sentra. There isn't really an output shaft, with the half shafts coming out the side of the tranny. The Speedo cable is in that vicinity but not much else unless it is on the bottom of the transmission case.

FSM has the revolution sensor on the back side furthest from the bellhousing right along the centerline, are you throwing a code at all?

Found something that you may be describing. Underneath the transmission mount that comes off the fender wall and right next to the neutral switch/reverse lamp switch that connects to the gear selector is some type of electrical sensor(?) that goes into the transmission housing. It is retained in place by a spring clip. Unfortunately I can't figure out how it comes out. The spring clip must keep it from falling inside the tranny because it does seem to easily push down into the tranny, but doesn't seem to want to pull out. I'm going to the foriegn parts store with a picture to see if they know what it is and does. Hopefully this is the problem. Here is a pic, it shows you where it is on the tranny.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2412/2121311944_3b591cd084.jpg?v=0

not too sure but i dont think it should be moving around like that, how many wires does it have?

It only moves when I attempt to take it out. There is a spring clip(barely visible) that holds it securely in place - meaning that it holds it up not allowing it to drop into the tranny. It seems in order for me to remove it, I will have to take off the pan. I take it it may not be the revolution senor you had trouble with? I went to the foreign parts store, they really didn't know but suggested going to the Nissan dealership. Went there with the photo of it and they want the VIN # first so they know what transmission it is before going any further. I hope at they can at least tell me what it is and what it does. The check engine light never lit. There are three wires going into it and it terminates on a clip on the top of the tranny visible right above the white box I drew on the previous photo (see above the upper left hand corner of the while box). There is a red wire, a blue wire and a black wire I believe.(for some reason I can't get this photo below to come out any larger, I tried 800x600 pixels, 1000x750 pixels and full size/untouched and they all come out that small)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2203/2120824983_a60b9d1d0a_s.jpg

hmmmm, looked again and tried matching it up to your picture, it appears to be just above the cruise control cable (im assuming thats what it is) that runs across the picture just above the box, youre looking for a hole that is covered by a cap with a snap ring holding it in place

here:

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/nismo_pilot/trannyboom.jpg

The area you indicated with the red box is the area I should check for that part you had to change? I'll look for the cap and clip. I appreciate you bearing with me on this, suppose I could spend $20 and by a chiltons manual, but I'm kind of cheap! (and obviuosly once this thing is running again, its going back never to be driven by me again!)

if you need instant help and i dont respond fast enough, phatg20.net has free factory service manuals you can download for your car, i downloaded it to give you advice, and yes the red box SHOULD be where the cap with the clip over it is.....

The web site info is the best, I'll get right on it. The Nissan people did eventually find out what I found on the tranny, it is a solenoid control assembly. Might be something to do with it, but at $150 I'll want to make positively sure that is the problem I will be looking inthe area you have outlined for the part you described. Any wires coming off it or is it just the plastic gear. If it doesn't cost much I'll throw one in just to check it out. Do you remember a ball park figure on what it cost you? ($150 to steep just to throw something at this. I'm probably going to try and take it out to see if putting any juice to it will make it work. I did see something with wires when I dropped the pan and I think it shows it in my first photo I posted(inside the pan). This is the diagram Nissan gave for that solenoid.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2122895801_9d32919839_s.jpg

As you can see I still haven't figured how to post larger pictures

on your car its a mechanical valve, it has a small gear on it about the size of the metal part of a lighter that is made out of plastic, thats what youll be inspecting....... the gear spins the govenor valve, and as it spins two weights attached to the top begin to expand outward via centrifugal force, itll be kind of obvious when you see it, you should need basic tools like a screwdriver and some pliers for the cap

That website is the bomb!! I now have the transmission part of the manual converted to pdf's and I'll now know where everytrhing is!! Sweet. Was it the Governor valve you replace or the Revolution Senor. From what you seem to be describing, it is the Governor Valve. Also, will the plastic gear look bad, something noticible telling me -yup this is whats wrong.

if the gear looks like someone beat it with a hammer when you pull it out, thats what i mean by obvious, something like that doesnt just barely go, it GOES....

the revolution sensor just gives vehicle speed im assuming, the govenor actually creates the pressure for an upshift

Keep this post going... I have a 92 Sentra with the same exact problem. I just cant get that cover off to get at the gov Gear. I took the C clip off but I can't get the cover to pop off.

tap the edges around the cap, not the cap itself, a few good times to break the seal, then the fsm has it coming out with pliers...... wd-40 or pb blaster is probably your friend here

nismo pilot is the MAN!:smokin: After getting to cap off, I popped the governor out and you are correct, the plastic gear doesn't just wear out a little bit, it goes and it was obvious, I'll post a picture for future references to this post. Thanks for bearing with me on this one, if my first born wasn't named already for the past 18 years, he'd be named nismo pilot! Went to the Nissan dealer to try to get the plastic gear and was told it wasn't a serviceable part and I would have to buy the whole governor assembly for $215!!!. I went to a transmission guy I know and he set me up with his buddy who does foreign transmission work and that guy set me up with just the gear for $8 (because he does a lot of these fixes!). You can't even believe how elated I am that this is over.
For the guy with the 92 Sentra, I used a flat bladed screw driver turning it so it contacted the raised portion of the cap and housing it wedged it up working my way around the cap. Once it raised up somewhat I could get the screw driver flat between the cap's edge and the housing and continued to pry it up and out, just be careful, I pinched the O-ring and cut it. The manual shows channel locks being used grasping the raised portion of the cap, and turning and twisting to get it off, which looks easier but I didn't have a set big enough. I had a piece of gear break off, and the transmission guy siad don't worry if it drops down into the transmission, it wont get tangled up where it drops into. Mine was a pretty big piece and it stayed in the shaft. With all the transmisson fluid I couldn't see it, but my governor wouldn't slip all the way down so I knew something was down there. I dont have one of the extractors ( the kind you push down a knob on the top of the tool and three or four little jaws come out the botton) so I had to drain the oil so I could see it and used a coat hanger, (straightened it out then bent it in half to make tweezers) and stuck that down the shaft and was able to extract the piece. Good luck, and remember - nismo pilot is the man!

if youre re-using the valve part and just replacing the gear, make sure you clean it out really good with some brake clean or degreaser, and then re-lube in tranny fluid before it goes back in, itll extend the life of the valve, glad to hear you got it figured out, let us know when its running again

Ok this has me excited. I was just going to junk the car but I can't do it until I give this a try...

Back on the road - first shot!
hopefully the photo shows the bad gear
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/kpring/governor-1.jpg?t=1198364163

Ok I got mine out. Doesn't look quite as bad as yours but didn't look good. How do I get the gear off. Is there a secret on how to get that little pin out.

Take something equal in size (try a finishing nail, just grind the point flat) and hammer it through. Pin should come out fairly easy. The gears on mine were pretty ground down and I think that made it weakened to the point where a cold morning put enough stress on it that it fractured like it did.

:lol: FUCKING HILARIOUS!!! TWO MONKEYS FUCKING A FOOTBALL!!!
but glad you got it fixed anyway.

OK bought a new gear and it seems a little longer than the original. Is this right? I put the gear on and it doesn't seem to go all the way down. I plan on cutting the gear to the same size as the original.

Cut it down and got it to fit. Doesn't seem to be the problem. I am noticing it will shift to second but that is as far as it will go. Any other ideas?

Thanks