93 Max SE Tranny Problems!! Help Please!!

[DPMoney]

Just purchased a 93 SE in good condition for $1000.00 from lady in Oklahoma. She told me the tranny was acting up and she took it in and had it rebuilt about a year ago (looks clean and like it was painted or cleaned real well as they do once rebuilt). When she got the car back it was doing the same thing it was when she brought it in (drive good for a while then start bucking, pull and stop and then sometimes shift real hard). Nevertheless, when she got it back the shop told her it was the tcu or the solenoids that were the problem. From what I can see someone has already replaced (tcu) with 1 from a salvage yard (markings) and I got another to see if it would make a difference along with some solenoids and it is still doing the same thing with that set. Also, it is in fail safe mode (P flashes). Any help would be great and I will be very thankful!!

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by DPMoney

...and it is still doing the same thing with that set...

Possibly (?) two separate problems...

First check TPS (cause for A/T funnyacting) for linear resistance & TPS signal & supply voltage at ECU connector. See page 6 below.

After any possible contact problem is corrected, charge voltage up, run self diag. Tranny is electrically the same as my Automatic RE4F02A... Read pages 10,14,15,21,24 etc.

[DPMoney]

Thanks for the info, I will get on checking/testing asap!! I did run an ecu test and it came back 55 (no codes), as well as did the electric spray cleaner thing on both. That was before you gave me all of this interesting info. So I am hoping it is something simple like the TPS but we shall see. Thanks again for the help and info!!

[DPMoney]

Well I went through the steps and read the pages. This is what I got so far, all conections/grounds were good and cleaned all electrical contacts again with cleaner, went out and replaced the TPS to make sure that was not the problem, did an ecu test and no codes displayed, did a tcu test once and got no codes (yesterday before work), ran it yesterday about 60 miles (to work)and checked tcu again and got 3, 6, 7 and 10. I ran the tcu test again (less than 5 minutes past) to make sure and got no codes the 2nd time. What gives with this thing?

Something else, the book said something about turning the key off and then back on to get out of fail safe mode but it will not come out of the mode. The "P" lights up when driving (solid once and then flashes 16 times from what I counted) and when it does, is when the tranny does that surging thing (like your driving in OD and just turned the OD off/rev real high). When sitting in park/idle the "P" comes on solid and flashes as well and from the outside you can hear the tranny clicking (if that is a better word to describe it).

Also noticed that when I come to a stop the tranny does not know if it wants to downshift or not or to me like it does not know when to. Evreything else is tight about the car just that DAMMED tranny. I am starting to wonder if the person or shop she took it to to get rebuilt knew what they were doing or if they did anything at all to it (since it is still doing the same thing when she brought it in)? Don't want to go to dealer as I know it will be bend over time (I don't go that route)!! Should I just look for another tranny or what? Thanks again for the help, "Nahkapohjola" !!

[FixUrNissan]

i would just look for another trans. Once they go bad , they are very tricky to rebuild and rebuild right. I had a 87 max that the trans went bad in . I rebuilt it 2 times before i said screw it , brought a junk yard one for 500 bucks and worked great for 28k miles then i sold the car