Suspension Woes and ATF

[misnomer]

Sister has an '89 fastback. It is very squirly going over bumps (particularly during a turn). The rear end bounces off to one side or the other when you go over a bump (cattle guards are particularly scary).

Anyhow, the rear shocks are blown. Do you think that alone is the cause of my troubles or could there be more issues? I'm going to be replacing the shocks next week if all goes well, but am interested if anybody has other thoughts on this.


Next question. . . How difficult is it to change/flush automagic transmission fluid? I should probably look it up in the FSM, but it doesn't always clue me in as to whether or not it's worth me doing :P

[Ozone240]

Shocks would be my first thing to replace. There isn't much else back there that would cause that problem.

Changing the auto fluid is just a little harder than changing the oil. There is no drain plug, so you need to unbolt the pan and drain the fluid that way. You will also want to replace a little filter that is in there, not sure if that is a dealer only one or not. The FSM calls for 8.75 quarts if I remember right, but you only need around 4. Most of that 8 quarts will stay in the torque converter. To refill the fluid use the dipstick tube in the engine bay.

On a note, I have heard that a few people have had some tranny problems after changing the fluid on a car that hasn't had the fluid changed before. The theory is that the new fluid breaks up some sludge and then it gets stuck in the tranny somewhere. This causes it to overheat and cause some major problems. Just a warning, there have been others that don't encounter that problem. Hope that helps.


kevin

[mrmephistopheles]

Ozone: Having some experience will do you wonders when you post in the future.

Misnomer: bad shocks could definitely cause the behavior you describe, but like Aaron said in another post, check your the bushings, and don't hesitate to install subframe spacers.

There IS a drain plug on the A/T pan, and you can drain SOME of the fluid that way. The best way to flush the A/T fluid is going to a service center or dealership and paying them to. They use a $3000 machine to pump 12 qts through, and while a drain & refill only cleans some of it up, a flush completely replaces all of the old crap with new fluid. It IS kinda expensive ($80-120), but it is the best way to do it.

As far as when to flush the A/T fluid: if it's not pretty clear or it's turned opaque, do it. If it stinks, your transmission is probably already kaput. If it's black, change it and hope for the best.

Feel free to question my advice, because it's not like I turned wrenches in a Nissan dealership service dept.... except that I did.

[misnomer]

Wow, it's not like you did. . . but you did!! That's far out man!

Thanks for the advice. I should probably check the damn fluid rather than trust the advice of Jiffy Lube (poor sister. . . I should teach her how to do this herself :-) ). And, I recall most of what you said from my auto mechanics class a year ago. Jogged my memory a bit. I feel dumb for forgetting something as basic as checking the ATF :P

As far as the suspension goes, it's my sister's car and she doesn't really push it. I think I'll just swap out the struts in all four corners for some GR2s and call it a day. Any deals going on for subframe spacers nowadays?

<edit> While we're on the topic, anybody know of a good buy on GR2s or a comparable OE replacement shock?

[misnomer]

Checked the ATF, it's still it's pinkish hue. By "stinks," what do you mean? Brand spanking new ATF is one of the foulest stenches known to man. This stuff doesn't smell quite the same, but it's close-ish.

Should we flush it or forget it?



Oh, and an update on the suspension. I've gotten everything pulled apart. Just need to find a place to rent a spring compressor from (all the Carson City stores were out :( ). It's a miracle, the top bolts could be loosened :)