Transmission Fix - DIY FTW!

[canyonwalker]

After transmission problems developed in our Nissan Xterra on a trip several days ago I dreaded how much it would cost to fix. Even a simple fix would start at a few hundred dollars, and significant transmission trouble could easily run a few thousand. I doubted it was significant trouble, but still.... With the recent mud-in-the-sensors problem and now this, I worried it was the start of a series of expensive repairs. The car's almost 10 years old and at 103,000 miles so it's not necessarily worth keeping through multiple costly repairs.

Before even making a service appointment with the mechanic, though, I decided to do a bit of research online to educate myself on what the problem could be. I found a few chat boards where people discussed having the exact same symptoms, and one of them had a link to an extremely useful YouTube video on how to DIY the repair. ...DIY being Do It Yourself, as opposed to the equally valid Damage It Yourself.

I decided to DIY and see which "D" I ended up with. Here's my helpful YouTube video!

Watch on YouTube

TL;DW: It seems to be working now, and all I needed were common household tools and a few minutes of effort.

Comments

[trent_goulding]

A successful DIY repair can be super satisfying, beyond just the money saved.
And youtube fixit videos is an amazing genre. I've done several clothes dryer and refrigerator fixes, and a couple simple car fixes, just from following youtube vids. So good for you!

[canyonwalker]

I agree, it's very satisfying to fix things oneself. My "If it are broke fix it" tag over on LiveJournal has dozens of blog entries about things I've fixed— some by myself and some by taking it to a pro. That's the thing... while it's satisfying to fix things myself it's not always feasible. Even when YouTube videos, manuals, and my own mechanical inclination are enough to show how to do something, challenges remain in having the space and tools to do it. For example, lift my car up on jack stands to fix something underneath? Not feasible where I live.

[canyonwalker]

A comment on my LJ crosspost warned that cars aren't really built with unnecessary parts and thus I should figure out what part is supposed to do.

I agree; I studied the shift level assembly carefully when I had the cover off. That little clip wasn't connected to any electrical or mechanical system. It seems its only purpose is as a motion limiter. And in that respect it's redundant, as other parts constrain the lever's motion well. I'll do some research online as well to see what other people know about it. Though honestly it's low priority as everything is working fine now.