FWIW, I've seen an autometer gauge that has a configurable trigger-wire, so you can automatically turn on a fan/light/etc. when you reach a certain temperature.

Auto Meter

I've been considering adding a trans temp. gauge - not because I really need it, but because the blank in the 4x2 is just begging to have a gauge in its place.

 

thank god that my radiator developed a minor leak and was replaced prior to anything like this happening. GL, hope the trans is ok... seems like most have made out ok with a couple flushes.

 

It's crappy to think that > 50K is "higher miles." I remember a time when I had nothing with less than 100K, miles and if I bought < 150K miles, I felt like I was getting a "low" mileage vehicle.

It almost seems like the "better" vehicles get, the "worse" they are.

 

I just checked my rad cap and all looks OK. I had the timing chain repaced a few years back, figure they had to remove and reinstall the entire radiator to access the timing chain. Tomorrow or Thursday the truck goes in to have a Cat Converter replaced, since I am in no way mechanically inclined can someone suggest how I should word it for the dealer to to the bypass mod? I have a 2005 LE CC with 67,000 miles.

 

I would just straight up ask them to do the bypass. I told my dealership that I had seen that it was a common problem and that I would pay them to do it and they ended up doing mine for free. Oh, and by the way they DO NOT take out the whole radiator for the timing chain issue. If you notice my pictures the radiator is still installed. They do drain some of the fluid but that's about it. So I would make that bypass a top priority if you haven't already done so.

 

so this issue is very common on Xterra's as well as it is the same engine...tranny..and cooling system.

I did a howto on a bypass and a poor man's flush if anyone is interested. May not be the BEST way to flush it...but it sure did work....I did it 10k ago...NO problems...tranny is running smooth as butter...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok...so i have a couple of pics to share with everyone today. The mod is super easy...it's just a switch of two hoses.

u just switch this one:

with this one (down connected to the passenger side bottom of the radiator.....in this pic it is bottom right.):

if this is confusing refer to the OP (post#1) of this thread. Logisense spells it out clear as day.

to flush the trans...this is the stuff u want....i don't mess around with my trans...or my warranty...so you can be DAMN sure I used Matic-S...everything ELSE in my rig is Amsoil.

Now i went one step further and flushed the fluid...

First i loostened up the bolt on the bottom of the transmission pan:

and then i let it drain out:

and got it all over myself....cause I'm special like that:

I then put the bolt back....torqued down to spec (25ft-lbs) filled it up through the dipstick fill tube in the engine compartment with 4 or 5 quarts of matic-S. You will need a 10mm socket to get the cap off the tranny tube.

so Then i took the hose off the supply tranny line and hooked a longer hose up to it.

and stuck it into a bucket...so it didn't go all over the place.

I had a buddy of mine let the truck run for a bit until the fluid came out red like the sh*t I was putting into it. I then put the remaining 6-7 quarts back in...checked the fluid level...and ran it. I then checked the levels again to make sure everything was good. I then drove it down and got more beer cause I ran out doing all this and needed to restock. Running smooth as heck!

-Rook
NJ Station Wagon Pilot

and of course....the main transmission eating thread on thenewx.org if anyone cares or wants to read in depth about this problem...WARNING LOTS OF INFO!

No More Transmission Eating! - Second Generation Nissan Xterra Forums (2005+)

sorry to all those who have experienced this issue out of warranty. My sympathies go out to you....cause this sucks....do the bypass if you are not under warranty.....plain and simple..

 

I've got a 2005 Nismo automatic which I bought with 83k back in Dec 2009. It's preowned and no warranty. Well, I started getting the vibration as described here and in other threads on my way to Steelville, MO. Turned around and took it to the dealership. They said I need a new radiator and transmission....$5000. I'm hoping that a new radiator, bypass/cooler and multiple flushes will get me further down the road where I can afford the new xmission. Wish I had researched more online and found this earlier before the truck started having this issue. What an easy preventative mod to save a transmission. One would think that NISSAN would have released something like a TSB or recall. WTF? Anyways, albeit a bit late, I'm glad I found this forum as I really like my truck and will be keeping it even though this has happened.

Can anybody recommend a good aftermarket radiator? Thanks!

Update Bypassed the cooler. That was pretty easy. Will be taking it to my mechanic to do the two bucket flush this week. Hopefully these measures will extend the life a bit longer.

 

Transmission Failure !

Hi all !
Sorry for my poor english btw!

I do need to post here after seing this tread i have registered to the board just for that, whats a bad reason...

FIRST TO ALL OWNER, IF YOU GOT BY CHANCE READ THIS TREAD BEFORE YOU GOT A FAILURE, USE AN EXTERNAL OIL COOLER NOW !!!!!!
Not my luck... See this to late...:comphead:


I have a Nismo 2006 60,000k , got it Brand new,
almost never run off road, very gentle on it it still look
brand new inside/outside & under as up to now at less...

- oil cooler failure in the radiator...! :crikey:
Same story as a lot of Owner....

After having a so weird & rare problem (how mutch time in is life a mecanic should see this, These kind of problem almost never append...)i deceided to search on the net to see there is so mutch of these failure outhere !

Right now my truck is at the dealer, they wanted over 5000$ to change the trans. and in no way i'm going to pay for that... I'm still on the 5y warranty (and still have payment on it) and if they don't do it i'm going to sue Nissan Canada & the Dealer you could be sure, no matter how mutch it cost...

Will see how thing goes in the next day....

Hope that Nissan & the Dealer would do what they have to do whitout piss myself more than i am actualy...:sickly:

 

After my 2005 NISMO got cross-contaminated, I put a call into Nissan Consumer Relations. The Regional Specialist called me back yesterday and said that I was 4 months/25k miles outside my powertrain warranty. Duh! I advised her that many people were having this problem and I felt that it should be something Nissan should cover since it is due to a failing part. She actually said they were unaware of any issue like this. What? Are the Nissan Service people not reporting this and just taking people for $5k?? So, the more people who call and let them know about this problem, the more aware they will become and hopefully help us out. Even though you might have already replaced your transmission, it wouldn't hurt to call Nissan Consumer Relations.

BTW, I just got my truck back from my local mechanic. 22 qt of Matic-S flushing and an external cooler later, it runs like a new truck. WAHOO!! He said he had never seen that much water in a transmission before in his 30 years of work. Not sure how long the tranny will last due to the contamination, but if it can make it until next year (2011) I'd be really happy

 

I have got my truck back !
Finaly they changed the Transmission for new one from nissan but have asked 1200$ to install...!!! Shame on you ! 1200$ for 3-4 hours of work is freaking well pay....
After several contact contact whit nissan Canada & the dealer...

What the dealer say about the problem ;
For sure they say "i have never seen that before"... :thatswck:
They may think that everyone is stupid outhere and know nothing...

I was liking my truck up to now but Nissan just loose a customer whit me.

Thats suck that Nissan does'nt back there product
Thats suck that Nissan does'nt back there Defective Radiatior
Thats suck that Nissan does'nt even admit there is problem whit the oil cooler in the radiator.
Thats suck that Nissan does'nt do tsb or Recall to fix the radiator on all defective 2005 2006 may be 2007 & UP may be ??
and That suck that nissan try to rip 5000+$ from there customer!

Whit some search i have seen thats the exact same problem is on the Pathfinder, sentra, Xterra.... Freaking Oil cooler that broke and make the transmission failure for a 6000$ repair each time !

I Wanted to buy a Titan, I have got a Brand new Ford last week in place...
Nissan you suck.... You just loose another customer (including all my familly and friend), after i have recommended nissan for several year back, thats just ended and i whit let know my story to anyone that want to buy a nissan...

May be one day no one will buy your crap !
Buy American !!


PS: twodogs257
Sorry tell that to you, but your trans will not last very long....

 

In one of the threads there is a law firm collecting all the truck owner info for a class action suit on this issue. The dealer told me that the Titans had this issue also.
It has to be the aluminum in the radiators. Every time they buy cheap parts this trouble starts to show up.

Clint

 

The longer Nissan sits on this the more it festers, bad reputation only follows. My Frontier is 10 years old and I'd like to replace it but it won't another Nissan if this is how they handle it. In fact I just bought a car for the wife and avoided Nissan for this very reason (pretending this isn't a problem).

In any case when I hear someone mention wanting to buy a Frontier I send them to this site first.

Warranty or not I've seen other manufacturers cover this type of stuff way out of warranty because it was the right thing to do.

 

I experienced the same transmission-wrecked-by-rad problem.

My 05 Frontier came back from the transmission shop two days ago and seemed fine.

The following morning the truck went into "limp home mode" on the way in to work. I immediately sent her back to the shop, with the following mil codes:

P1754 input clutch solenoid valve/circuit fault
U1000 Can comm circuit fault
P1764 Direct clutch solenoid valve/circuit fault
P1731 1st gear engine braking logic error

Has anyone experienced ongoing problems after having the transmission repaired? Is my truck going to be a lemon for life now?

I just don't understand why Nissan would put a cheap failure prone rad in the Frontier. Aside from the rad-transmission problem, this is the best mid-sized truck on the market, by far.

I'll be installing an external transmission oil cooler on our 05 X-Terra as a preventative measure ASAP.

 

FOLLOW UP :

For those that have read my previous post about my story i have some news !


Beleive it or not, Nissan refunded the 1200$ they have charged for the transmission installation !!

The other day a guy's from the dealer emailed me to say that nissan have agreed to refund the 1200$ thay have charged to me and asked for my credit card.

And they have refunded the total cost !!!
Thats a nice move for Nissan, i just can't understand why they have not
do that at first !

Anyway , to be just & honest whit Nissan i have to post this follow up !


If anyone from Nissan Read Here, hope the next customer you will see at a dealers whit this transmission problem will be fixed whitout all this kind of mess ! Just fix it, keep your reputation, keep your customer & back your defect or error that have been made !

As some other have say, No matter if its append a 40k, 60k or 120k, Nissan you should back on this kind of trouble ! You made error whit those radiator, just pay to fix it when customer came for this, thats the best move you can do !

I Still like my Frontier Nismo, and like Nissan more than a week ago

 

Good news there! I hope Nissan will issuing more refunds.

 

The transmission shop replaced my truck's valve body and that solved the problems. Cheers to Ron's Transmission!

 

Perhaps this would be the cause of my 2005 Fronty going through 3 transmissions.

Same symptoms every time, tranny would vibrate and shudder when going in to overdrive.

Radiator went bad one time, tranny went out three times... Interesting to read this thread in hindsight.

 

Without reading all 6 pages should I worry about my 2010 V6 automatic? Seems very unlikely that a five year old problem would be continued to be made year after year.....

 

I would worry about it, I believe it's still the same part #'s

 

The problem goes beyond 2005. My 2006 just had this issue. It may be because it was built in January of 2006, don't know but there is tranny fluid in all the wrong places.

 

Had a tranny flush at 30k
Had a drain and fill at 60k ( mix of J & S )
Had a Flush at 70k with S only
Sent to old mix of J&S to BlackStone Labs
They said NO antifreeze in the sample
Oh had bypass at 65k
So I'm good to go.

 

Yay me, looks like I'm in the club now. Truck shutters/vibrates when it shifts into OD. If I keep OD off it never happens...been happening for about 3 months now and getting worse. Got about 113,000 miles. Now the fuel gauge does whatever the hell it wants as of last week :thatswck: Dealership here doesn't care much for me and my "well your trucks been modified sir" truck, but I'll have fun complaining to them again either way.
Looking at all the folks with issues on this, I don't see how a lawyer can't smooth this right out...probably cheaper too

 

This bypass seems to piss them off. I had my transmission flushed by a Nissan dealership and they wouldn't stop commenting on it and wrote it all over the paperwork. I told them to cry about it but the truck is well out of warranty so they can suck it.

 

My Nissan dealer did the bypass for me. The person I sent to them for his truck back in 05 tranny went out. He got a new tranny and radiator. Told them I didn't to take a chance of mine going out. Had no problem from them about doing the bypass.

 

i guess it is based upon the dealerships exposure to this issue. if a dealer has seen radiator cross contamination, then they are cool with the fix. and if they haven't seen any transmission problems - than they are WTF? i guess that makes since too. especially if nissan is not making it well known - then it truly is a dealership by dealership basis

 

I went to my dealership last week to have the spare tire carrier replaced on my '05 LE KC. They did it under warranty so they have been really great from the time that I bought my truck.

I asked them about this problem and they said that they have never had it happen on any of their customer's trucks. I wonder how often this occurs and if it only happens on trucks that are used off road or that are pulling heavy loads? They are willing to do the swap for me if I show them what I am talking about.

Are there any street only trucks that are driven with TLC that have experienced this problem?

 

Are there any street only trucks that are driven with TLC that have experienced this problem?

This issue is not a driving style issue but a material and tolerance issue. It doesn't matter how nicely you drive, it will happen eventually (blanket term there). The ones that seem to have it happen quicker probably drive more. The hot/cold cycles stress the metal and at some point a crack developes and then....... rad/trans death.

If you drive nicely/TLC then there should be no issue doing the bypass. If you are paranoid, then install a pusher fan on the aux trans cooler with a controller and you will be golden. Heck, go the extra mile and install a switch inside the cabin so that you can turn on the fan when you know you are being hard on the truck (racing, towing, offroading).

 

something else to remember is that this is a forum of enthusiasts for the frontier, and so we are more of a sampling than from one dealership. also if you are starting to have trouble with your vehicle, then you search the web - end up here and then share your experience. thus possibly skewing the numbers even greater towards the issue.

not sure if any of that makes since, have experienced it on other boards. so if it is a 5% issue, and you have enough in your online community then it looks like alot of people have the problem

 

I have a friend with an 05 Frontier. He claims to have never had any problems with it and has over 100,000 miles. I have another friend who has an 07 Pathfinder that had the radiator failure at 85,000 miles. He was out of warranty (the radiator is warranted for 3 years) and had to pay out of pocket. I think it is impossible to predict who this will happen to.