How do I check the transmission fluid in a 1994?

[selenamorning]

Hello

I am hoping that I just need to change the fluid in my villager as it seems that this morning when I tried to pop it into reverse to go to work it didn't engage at all. The transmission had been acting up a bit but we thought it was the brakes (a friend changed them and a caliper got stuck, nightmare).

Anyhow, thanks for any info you can give me. I know nothing about cars and my boyfriend knows slightly more than that


Selena

[tempfixit]

Welcome to the forum.

Once you have the hood open and you are facing the towards the windshield, look on the right side of the radiator, now look at the engine area towards the windhield you should see a smaller balck knob that has a tension clip by it to hold in place. This hould be your transmission dipstick. Pull it out of the tube and see if you have any fluid in it, Should be a pinkish red or maybe of a burnt coolar and smell (not good, means fluid needs to be changed) Once you are sure there is fluid in it you will see 2 marks on the dipstick the mark closest to bootm of dipstick is the lwere end of the safety operating range and the top mark is the maxium range. To check the fluid properly the engine needs to be at normal operating temperature and the fluid in the middle of the marks.


Here is a link with a picture of a transmission for the vehicle, the long tube with the black ball type plug on top is dipstick to check the fluid.

http://www.usedpartsmiami.com/nissan...-transmission/
Lets ua know what you find and we will go from there.

[selenamorning]

thank you! I found it! Looks like the fluid is where it is supposed to be, cold. There are two notches at the bottom of the dipstick, with the word "cold" written on it and it is full to the top of the two notches while cold. The fluid smells burnt-ish, and seems somewhat reddish but definitely dark and burnt. (I wiped it on paper as I didn't have a rag handy).

My Van has 162000 on it, and I have only had it for about a year and a half. The motor mounts were replaced when I bought it along with a few other things. And I was told I had a VERY slow transmission leak that could wait to be fixed. Mechanic is a trusted family friend of a friend of mine who is like family. I usually bring my cars in once a year but missed this year due to a divorce (mine) and lack of funds.

I tried, again, to get it to go into gear and the column gear shift was hard to move and when it did move, it made a kind of loud clunking noise as it moved over to reverse.. but it still went forward, happily, instead of in reverse.

Thank you for your help.
Selena

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by selenamorning

thank you! I found it! Looks like the fluid is where it is supposed to be, cold. There are two notches at the bottom of the dipstick, with the word "cold" written on it and it is full to the top of the two notches while cold. The fluid smells burnt-ish, and seems somewhat reddish but definitely dark and burnt. (I wiped it on paper as I didn't have a rag handy).

My Van has 162000 on it, and I have only had it for about a year and a half. The motor mounts were replaced when I bought it along with a few other things. And I was told I had a VERY slow transmission leak that could wait to be fixed. Mechanic is a trusted family friend of a friend of mine who is like family. I usually bring my cars in once a year but missed this year due to a divorce (mine) and lack of funds.

I tried, again, to get it to go into gear and the column gear shift was hard to move and when it did move, it made a kind of loud clunking noise as it moved over to reverse.. but it still went forward, happily, instead of in reverse.

Thank you for your help.
Selena

IS the shift lever itself hard to move even with the engine off, key on and foot on brake pedal.

On top of the main page is a thread that shows you how to get a Service manual online for the vehicle which is the same as a nissan quest. Go to the af section and it will give you directions on how to read the transmission codes.

The burnt smell is a sign of wear, I would drop the transmission pan and check for particles in the pan. Also change the transmission filter and fluid if nothing else to see if that helps.

You mentioned that is was not working properly before , can you descibe how tranny was acting.

I am sending you a PM also

WIll the engine start when you have the shift lever in any gear or just park and neutral????

[selenamorning]

ok, I hopped in and the gear shift is moving smoothly when the engine isn't on, but sticking when the engine is on. it isn't moving all the way over to 1st gear on the right-as if it's not engaging in any of the gears at all, I checked just in case this was your next question.

We went up to the snow (we live in Northern CA so the snow is about 45 minutes East of here) to get a tree 2 weeks ago and on the way home the car stopped shifting. You had to rev the engine up to VERY high rpms to get the car to go into the next gears. We had also just had a friend replace the brake pads and rotors in the front brakes for us a week before this and they had been acting odd-took the car to Les Schwab, they said that the caliper was stuck, so we had them replace the drivers side caliper and the problem with having to rev up the engine to get the gears to shift was fixed. But then the car started being a little temperamental. A little hard shifting... high rpms before it would shift... the car stopped moving forward when the gas was not pushed... and this morning, it won't go into reverse, but seems to be moving forward very easily. However my driveway isn't so long and I need to reverse out to get into the street so I can't check to see if it will move through the other gears.

I will try to get help dropping the tranny pan later. Can't do it on my own as I don't have the tools.
Thank you!
Selena

[selenamorning]

also, it is only starting in Park and Neutral, as it's supposed to, but its also moving forward in Park...

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by selenamorning

ok, I hopped in and the gear shift is moving smoothly when the engine isn't on, but sticking when the engine is on. it isn't moving all the way over to 1st gear on the right-as if it's not engaging in any of the gears at all, I checked just in case this was your next question.

We went up to the snow (we live in Northern CA so the snow is about 45 minutes East of here) to get a tree 2 weeks ago and on the way home the car stopped shifting. You had to rev the engine up to VERY high rpms to get the car to go into the next gears. We had also just had a friend replace the brake pads and rotors in the front brakes for us a week before this and they had been acting odd-took the car to Les Schwab, they said that the caliper was stuck, so we had them replace the drivers side caliper and the problem with having to rev up the engine to get the gears to shift was fixed. But then the car started being a little temperamental. A little hard shifting... high rpms before it would shift... the car stopped moving forward when the gas was not pushed... and this morning, it won't go into reverse, but seems to be moving forward very easily. However my driveway isn't so long and I need to reverse out to get into the street so I can't check to see if it will move through the other gears.

I will try to get help dropping the tranny pan later. Can't do it on my own as I don't have the tools.
Thank you!
Selena

I am thinking it could be the driopping resister for the tranny, or neutral safety switch but not sure. Please post this on the site I sent you in the private message as there are more knowledgeable people than I that will help,

Does the shifter seem sloppy or loose on the steering wheel.

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by selenamorning

also, it is only starting in Park and Neutral, as it's supposed to, but its also moving forward in Park...

what do you mean by, "but its also moving forward in Park."

Are you saying that the vehcile is moving when the shifter is in park, if so you need to check the linkage and neutral safety switch out.

[selenamorning]

Originally Posted by tempfixit

what do you mean by, "but its also moving forward in Park."

Are you saying that the vehcile is moving when the shifter is in park, if so you need to check the linkage and neutral safety switch out.

yes. if I take my foot off the brake, the car moves forward in park....

so, perhaps not the tranny??? I wish my brother lived close by, lol... thanks everyone for your help!

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by selenamorning

yes. if I take my foot off the brake, the car moves forward in park....

so, perhaps not the tranny??? I wish my brother lived close by, lol... thanks everyone for your help!

Need to check out the neutral safety switch and if the linkage is out of adjustment. It seems that the shifter is not shifting into park even though your indicator is saying it is in park.

[selenamorning]

Originally Posted by tempfixit

Does the shifter seem sloppy or loose on the steering wheel.

Shifter doesn't seem loose. Signed up for the other forum. Will try to put this post together in some coherent sentences and repost over there, thank you

[selenamorning]

car isn't moving forward in park anymore. talked to my brother (who is now a yacht mechanic, former auto mechanic) and he said to check all the sensors you suggested plus that tps thing? ( I think that is the abbreviation). We will probably have it towed to our shop this weekend... with any luck its just a sensor or two. I hope.

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by selenamorning

car isn't moving forward in park anymore. talked to my brother (who is now a yacht mechanic, former auto mechanic) and he said to check all the sensors you suggested plus that tps thing? ( I think that is the abbreviation). We will probably have it towed to our shop this weekend... with any luck its just a sensor or two. I hope.

TPS ( Throttle Position Sensor) is a wear item and so go bad, can affect shifting along with the dropping resistor.

I strongly advise you to start a thread on the site I proposed before you take it to mechanic so you have a idea of what the problem may be.