Nissan Pickup Transmission Problems

by Horacio Garcia
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submerged pickup truck image by paul prescott from Fotolia.com

Nissan has become a reliable pickup truck manufacturer over the past few years, but the transmissions in the older pickups utilized cheaper material on the inside of the transmissions. This material created a host of transmission problems such as bearings, seals or gears wearing quicker and making the transmission in the Nissan pickups to need repairs. Most of these older model Nissan pickups utilized the same transmission causing similar transmission problems.

Bearings

One of the biggest complaints about the older model Nissan pickup trucks is that a noise can be heard from under the truck. The most common problem is the bearings in the transmission wearing out. A Nissan pickup owner can replace the grease in the bearings with a synthetic of the same brand and it will reduce the noise, but the bearings do need to be replaced. The cost of the bearings is minimal, but it is a labor intensive repair and will cost more than $600 as of 2010. The bearings in the newer Nissan pickups have become more durable and last longer under normal operating conditions, but the truck owners need to have the bearings greased on a periodic basis as part of the maintenance schedule.

Transmission Filter

The transmission filter inside the Nissan pickup has a tendency of clogging after the truck has been driven for awhile. In the older model Nissan pickups the transmission filters were made of very cheap material such as plastics or mesh material causing the filter to become damaged because of the heat inside the transmission. The transmission filter catches the dust, dirt and metal shavings from the gears so that the material does not interfere with the bearing or gears causing more damage than standard wear. If the transmission filter does become damaged, the Nissan pickup can slip when shifting gears, start off slowly or not move at all.

Transmission Fluid

The most common transmission problem on a Nissan pickup is operating the truck with the transmission fluid low. Nissan owners needs to pull the dip-stick and see if the level is low. The fluid level must be checked when the truck engine is idling. Nissan pickup owners also need to look at the color of the fluid and see if it needs to be changed or just leveled off. The color must be transparent and not black or brownish in color. The owner must also smell the transmission fluid to see if the fluid smells burnt. If the transmission fluid smells burnt, then the transmission fluid must be changed as soon as possible. Over-filling the transmission fluid level also creates Nissan pickup transmission problems.

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