[slipnslide]

I'm hoping someone can tell me if this is 'normal'. There are one or two mountain passes on my daily commute home on the interstate (65MPH speed limit). Unless I hit them going 70-75, the engine bogs too much for my liking (and I don't usually drive that fast anyway). SO, I like to turn off OD before I hit these sections.

In one particular section, there's a slight downhill prior that I try to coast down to around 60-62MPH and turn off OD. However, more often than not, I get a very loud CLUNK from the transmission when I do so. The only time it *doesn't*, is if I'm 100% coasting, foot off the pedal, doing 55MPH (cars backing up behind me, because most are racing to make the hill).

Today for instance, on a flat section, I was doing 60MPH, ONLY enough pedal to maintain speed, and I still get this clunk. I never get this noise/jolt when turning OD on.

I expect to get a bit of a blip in RPM coming out of OD, but this is more than that. It's not like I'm mashing the pedal/racing when I do this.

So do any of you folks shift in and out of OD on the interstate? What's your experience? Truck has 71,000, A/T has 20,000 (replaced under warranty for prior owner - radiator broke down, destroyed the AT).

Thanks for reading!

 

[KRAKR]

My 05 Nismo A/T is totally silent when shifting in/out of OD. I would take it in, specially if it still has warrenty.

 

[krichards]

Mine at 40mph with low load (flats) with any throttle input or removal clunks pretty embarrassingly. 44,000mi NISMO CC. I mentioned it to the dealer, they didn't seem concerned.

 

[Irishman]

Fixed under warranty forum....
Do you have a clunk and a vibration in the driveshaft when in park and shifting to R?????
Pressure your dealer...had mine replaced

 

[antv20]

I have 38K on my '06 and shifting to and from OD is silent.

 

[Clint]

Maybe it's just me, it's an AUTO trans. so why do you change any setting especially at speed? I'm not saying your doesn't have an issue. What happenes if you leave it alone?

Clint

 

[antv20]

Maybe it's just me, it's an AUTO trans. so why do you change any setting especially at speed? I'm not saying your doesn't have an issue. What happenes if you leave it alone?

Clint

Doesn't matter if its an auto trans. If everyone else is not having the same issue then something is wrong.

I sometimes click off the OD if I feel like the engine is bogging down. Feels like it keeps the engine from lugging down.

 

[Zach]

Mine shifts in and out of O/D like crap... 40mph is the death of these trucks (when O/D engages/Disengages) Dealership and other members on here said it is normal... I don't care though, if it breaks, not my problem... warranty to 65K but truck will be gone before that when the lease is up..

 

[Clint]

Doesn't matter if its an auto trans. If everyone else is not having the same issue then something is wrong.

I sometimes click off the OD if I feel like the engine is bogging down. Feels like it keeps the engine from lugging down.

I understand there actually could be a problem, but at the speeds he's referring to why turn off the O/D button. If it's at a speed it keeps hunting for a gear is a different story.
Our trucks shift down on a hill like an engine brake. Some think thees an issue but it's made to do it. The Nissan 5 speed auto is unlike any other auto most have driven.

Clint

Mine shifts in and out of O/D like crap... 40mph is the death of these trucks (when O/D engages/Disengages) Dealership and other members on here said it is normal... I don't care though, if it breaks, not my problem... warranty to 65K but truck will be gone before that when the lease is up..

powertrain warranty is up to 60K

Clint

 

[00 FRONTIER]

The OD and/or tranny in these trucks is definately lacking in the satisfactory department. Mine has bothered me since day 3 when I figured out what it was doing.

Mine has always had an issue with downshifting when going up hills, it wants to hold the gear its in way too long, until the engine is bogging and pinging and the RPM's are around 1200 which is way too low. Every other vehicle I have had does not do this and it can be very annoying.

With that being said, around town I leave the OD off. When I get on the highway I leave it on. I've switched it on and off a few times on the freeway and while not having any problems, I didnt seem to really like it.

I would just leave it in OD and use the accelerater pedal to kick the tranny down when necessary.

 

[Zach]

powertrain warranty is up to 60K

Clint

Extended warranty to 65k, but my truck is a lease and I will be turning it in at the end of it... I can't have over 48k... I got the extended warranty for free and I was planning on keeping my truck after the lease was up, but not anymore now...

 

[slipnslide]

Mine at 40mph with low load (flats) with any throttle input or removal clunks pretty embarrassingly.

From my understanding this is a seperate issue with the AT - 40MPH seems to be it's 'sweet spot' for locking the torque converter... locking/unlocking seems to give folks problems at this speed.

I don't seem to have trouble here, though I honestly keep OD off around town.

 

[slipnslide]

I understand there actually could be a problem, but at the speeds he's referring to why turn off the O/D button. If it's at a speed it keeps hunting for a gear is a different story.

As I think another poster mentioned, on a sustained incline, the torque converter just doesn't unlock as soon as it should (in my opinion). If I'm over 60+% throttle and engine load is seen as high, then it should not be spinning at a measly 1100RPM.

I occasionally kick it down on the way up a hill, but the A/T is too eager to re-lock the torque converter if I let off the pedal.

Our trucks shift down on a hill like an engine brake. Some think thees an issue but it's made to do it. The Nissan 5 speed auto is unlike any other auto most have driven.

Agreed - I actually really like this feature... saves me from feathering the brakes. A little unnerving at first, because sometimes it doesn't disengage on the first attempt.

Anyway, the truck has powertrain out to 100k (Certified Pre-owned), so it's in my best interest to bring it in... maybe once I see if I'll be having my fuel sending unit replaced...

Since we're on the subject - this is a bit of a basic question, but my last 5-6 vehicles have been M/Ts (so I realize much has changed!).

Is kicking an A/T down the exact same as manually turning off O/D? Logic would tell me so, but sometimes when I turn OD back on, I count *two more up-shifts* (and maybe I'm just crazy)...

 

[Clint]

Bring it in so at least there is a record of your concerns. Maybe they have a used Frontier that you can borrow to compare on the same incline. Better yet is there another Club Frontier member who can try it with you?

Clint

 

[slipnslide]

Unlikely in my neck of the woods. I mostly just wanted to hear that others have shifting in/out of OD on a flat road at those speeds without issue.

 

[Clint]

Unlikely in my neck of the woods. I mostly just wanted to hear that others have shifting in/out of OD on a flat road at those speeds without issue.

I can try it on my Pathfinder for you but traded my auto Frontier recently for a 6-speed so can't do it in the truck.
How does the fluid look, and how about the level?

Clint

 

[dubie2003]

Since it kinda seems like nobody has mentioned this directly but I would venture to say that it is your TC locking up when you drop it into 4th (OD off) and this is what gives you that quick clunk. Yea, it sucks but it is how this motor works.

Mine does the same thing when I was in the mountains of GA and NC. I took it out of OD so that it wouldn't bog down and it wouldn't have the TC free rotating and building heat.

 

[slipnslide]

I thought you all may find these interesting... not sure why those speeds are so high though (??).