2001 Supercharged Frontier slow engagement into drive

[Anthony]

This is my dads truck. 317,000 miles and once in drive the auto trans functions very well even with the high miles. No slip and shift quality is still good.

The bad is Sometimes it takes 15 to 20 min of Idling before it will go into drive if it has been sitting. I was told the seals in the valve body are worn out. Just for kicks I did a drain and fill with dexron 3 fluid yesterday and although I'm not a fan of additives I decided to try Lucas transmission fix. I know there is no magic snake oil that can repair broken parts but there is nothing to lose here. Can't tell a difference yet.

Anyone have good luck with Lucas Transmission fix?
Also this truck gets trans drain and fills around every 20k. It has since new.

 

[SZR48207]

I'd try Lubegard before I used anything Lucas in a transmission..

 

[Chris142]

I had a 727 trans in a ramcharger decades ago. It was doing weird things and a quart of trans-x fixed it.

 

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Reddy45
I'd try Lubegard before I used anything Lucas in a transmission..



I used Lubeguard the last 2 drain and fills. Oh well. This truck doesn't owe anyone a thing lol

 

[jeepman3071]

Not sure what transmission this truck has, but if the valve body seals are worn out, maybe you could find a used valve body with low miles on ebay and swap it in. Beats swapping the entire transmission.

 

[quint]

A lot of these 90's and early 2000's Nissans used the RE4R01A or one of its heavier or lighter duty derivatives... I can tell you from experience that a clogged filter, or also commonly, a gunked up line pressure solenoid will cause the morning sickness being described here on these. Dropping the pan and replacing the filter is super easy. To get to the solenoid(s) you will have to drop the valve body, which really isn't that difficult, just a lot of screws then a shower of ATF once you lower it. The accumulator springs will fall out too so be ready to catch them in a pan or whatever. The solenoids simply unbolt from the valve body, you can either replace them or some just spray solvent through them. I've had luck doing both.

Putting the valve body back on is tricky, because the accumulator springs need to be on top of the valve body as you raise it up, while simultaneously aligning a small shaft in the VB with the internal shift lever linkage. I've used rubber bands, string, even fishing line to hold them in place. I found having a steady hand (or two) is a huge help. Once the valve body is close enough to be bolted to the transmission, I start a couple of bolts on either side of the VB, then before tightening them too much I snip the rubber band/string/whatever, fish it out and then add the rest of the bolts, filter, then pan.

The first time I did this it took me a few hours, after I did it a few times on other ones I had it down to about an hour, maybe a little more. A lot of the Nissan forums over the years have had links to snippets from the factory manual that show you how to remove and install the valve body on these. Not saying a plugged filter or solenoid is the issue with your particular unit, but it might be worth a shot if you are willing to commit a few hours trying this.