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HELP! (Transmission Issues, self inflicted)

3K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  pjso 
#1 ·
Hello Good People,

Just joined you guys and already I need help, seriously!

Rescently took possession of an '04, sweet sounding Armada and with some recklessness drove it around for about 1 hour with it's transmission fluid gushing out from a ruptured hose at the heat exchanger.

Ignorantly after being alerted to the problem by a passerby, some way from home I was at that time, I mistook the fluid for A/C compressor oil.

The car A/C was not cooling so I was led into thinking that direction, carried away by the vehicles great performance, I certainly was.

The car got me home that day, but I was greeted buy this overheating smell of something that I didn't know; was it the clutch or was it my compressor, fried!!

I had know idea but I suspected the compressor.

The following day I tried to get it going and it didn't move. After re-starting the engine several times it moved in reverse as I had wanted it to but when I wanted to go forward it went into reverse instead and it stayed there.

I later inspected the car and found that a pipe lead from the gearbox to a heat exchanger up front and a little hose pipe at the bend to the exchanger had burst.

Good God,......IT WAS MY TRANSMISSION FLUID!!!!!!!

I've poured in new fluid (to the point of slightly over filling) and still fined that the transmission shifts only into "Reverse" and "Park", NO MATTER WHERE YOU PLACE THE SELECTOR except in neutral, where, if the selector was placed in "Neutral" the vehicle moves backwards.

Mean while, if all this goes on long enough, the transmission temperature rises, up to the point of near over heating, and could well overheat, if I don't stop the engine.

Please guys inform me, is there a kind of "reset" procedure that I can perform?

Or is it that I've no option than to tear the vehicle apart get to the transmission and strip that down also to pry some component loose?

Have I completely blown the transmission to the point that it might need some components replaced or for that matter the whole unit?!

Really I need advice you guys, I feel I've totally wrecked this beautiful vehicle. :crikey:

My aim is to restore it and by thunder that is what I'll do, but man, here I am, in Central Africa, not knowing what I've done or what to do next.

Regards,

Victor
 
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#2 ·
I would guess it has to be rebuilt or replaced. Are there any check engine lights on when you start the car? Try unplugging the negative battery terminal, pump the brakes several times and leave the battery disconnected for 24 hours. This should clear any memory in the ecu and other "brains."
 
#3 ·
Sorry to hear about that.

Can you provide some pics of say the Armada, the parts you looked at and of the hoses you are talking about and of the transmission maybe showing the different lights?

Well, just any pics you can provide to help illustrate your problem. I believe with tha, you may get better responses.
 
#4 ·
Much Thanks

Hello Good People,

Thanks for the instant responses to my pleas; 5051ds and PetitFrereArmada, much thanks.

PetitFrereArmada, I have called on a mechanic. some one who had been working on the car when it was being used by the previous owner, who gave me his contact number. I might be able to snap some photos when he comes today.

I'm grateful to you chaps, knowing that help isn't far away when its needed.

Regards,

Victor: |
 
#5 ·
The clutches in the transmission are fried. The transmission must be rebuilt or replaced. No other options.
 
#6 ·
Unfortunately if things went down the way you said and the trans ran very low or lost all fluid it is probably toast. Either way you took some serious life out of it. The transmission in our trucks are very robust and reliable and many people have well over 200k on them and some even 300k + but no trans can take that type of punishment. Not much you can do but drop the pan, clean and refill. If it works I would install an inline filter on the return line and replace each day for a week to pick up any debris from the bands and torque convertor. Does not sound good at all and most likely you will be replacing or rebuilding. I would try and find a totaled truck and replace or find a really good specialized shop. A good shop that provides a solid guarantee is going to want a lot of money so be ready. Good Luck.
 
#7 ·
Oh. MAN.......!

Hello good people,

Just read through the prognosis of some of you good folks.......

This has just made my whole year...........!

This baby was parked without being moved at all, or even started for that matter, for at least 3 months before I got hold of her; and as a result, she suffered a ruptured transmission hose that led to this catastrophe. Now she'll probably be parked again for another 3 months at least before I can get her a "transmission transplant". I fear to think of what else will go wrong in that additional period!

Rebuilding a transmission here is not an option I think, mechanics here I feel are not that competent.

There are no Nissan specialists her in E.G. as you have them in the US.

The only viable option would be to buy a new replacement abroad, Only God knows how much that would cost to buy, import and then install in the car.......OH MAN..... I don't think I feel very well right now!

What could have possibly happened to rupture that hose?!!!......

Corroborating the good fellow SE Off Road1, thanks for your remarks, the mechanic I called and told of the problem said that in all the time it was with the former owner, the car had no problems what so ever with the transmission, going so far as to say it's transmission performed spectacularly well, and the former owner drove the crap out of it!

The only problem was the air conditioner.

When I first drove it I noticed how smooth it shifted, I sometimes gunned the motor (just to savor the exhaust note) and noticed that it would spin the rear tires a little. The sound really turned heads!...... I felt I was Emerson Fittipaldi - reincarnated!

Alas,....... THAT IS ALL OVER NOW.......:crying:

Oh!...this is not good.......I REALLY FEEL SORRY FOR WHAT I'VE JUST DONE TO THIS CAR,.....

Well, I'm going to fix her, no matter how long it might take me, and restore her to beyond her former glory, as I've always intended.

Regards

Victor
 
#8 ·
The Final Diagnosis!

Hello Good People,

The mechanic has just confirmed the worst, ......THE TRANSMISSION IS TOAST.

1 hour of ecstasy, and that was it!

Ah, Well.......:(

Will I be able to get a brand new replacement transmission for a 2004 LE these days?

My car has a transmission temperature gage, and I know that not all Armadas are so equipped, is it that one gearbox fits all or does mine have to be of a selected type?

Thanks guys for your help so far.

Regards

Victor.
 
#9 ·
I would locate a remanufactured one and have it shipped. You could also get a new one from Nissan. How many miles on the truck?
 
#10 ·
It Starts Now...

Hello Good Folks,

I'm now on the hunt for a replacement for the transmission I FOOLISHLY fried the other day, grounding Thunder Maker as a result!

Thanks for the advice, SE Off Road1, a refurbished one might be o.k. but if I had my wish I'd buy a brand new one. I'll explore both options. The prices at the end of the day will dictate which I buy in the final analysis. I will probe around at Nissan.

My vehicle has about 185,000 miles on it, in answer to your question, SE Off Road1.

What I would like to be advised about is that do all Armada transmissions fit all models, weather they are equipped with temperature gages (as mine is) or not. Do I have to look for a particular variant?

Do the brand new ones fit or would they be compatible with my 2004 LE?

This might be a blessing in disguise. I'll now be compelled to procure all the other stuff I wanted to for the car at once to import it all, at the same time.

I'll list all that I want to purchase and put in my Armada in a later post.

I'd like to get some opinions and suggestions as well, then.

Just come from the work site and need to do more work here at home now.

I'd really like to share my wish list with you guys as soon as I am less busy! It'd be interesting.

See you guys soon.

Regards,

Victor ;)
 
#11 ·
Only way to know with certainty what transmission will work is to base it off the VIN or contact Nissan. There could be some differences is certain years, especially in the wiring/computer controls. My guess is other years will be plug and play. Going to take some research. A good trans shop will most likely have documentation or access to documentation that will indicate this.
 
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