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Nissan Altima Hybrid Transmission Questions

18 messages,  Last post on May 19, 2012 at 12:13 AM

You are in the Nissan Altima Hybrid Forum.

What is this discussion about? Nissan Altima Hybrid, Transmission, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 2

#9 of 18 Re: Power kicks out at 45 [fgrossm1] by fgrossm1

May 13, 2009 (6:47 pm)

Replying to: fgrossm1 (Feb 05, 2008 1:14 pm)
Update to original problem!!!
 
Problem still exists and is repeatable. From a standstill press the accelerator down till power level is an inch over the 50kw line. When car gets to 50mph slowly let off on the accelerator as the power drops off it will hang at the 50kw power level and stay there even as you let power off then suddenly power will drop from 50kw to zero which will force you to press down on pedal again to get enough power to maintain constant speed. I would like to know if anyone else has this issue. The car does not stop running or sputter or misfire but feels like it is kicking the gas engine out and substituting the electric engine in its place. The effect is like driving a standard transmission car under heavy acceleration in third gear and taking your foot quickly off the gas the [power drops and nose slighly drops.
 
The local service manager rode with me as i showed him the problem and he agreed that the power drops off abruptly and he was able to replicate the problem with him at the wheel. He called his hybrid tech who looked at it and stated it was normal function of the car. I called corporate twice on this. Once a year ago when i originally noticed it and also last week. They even let me take a used 2007 altima hybrid to see if it also does it and it does it too but power does not drop as suddenly as mine. Corporate states car is doing what it is programmed to do. I told them it was a safety issue as I do not expect ANY car i buy to loose power while i am driving it.
 
I beleive the programming on the car is the issue. When it is put in that small power/speed regime it is programmed to drop power to battery or shift cvt to full overdrive or such. I also never seem to get the milage stated30-31 is my usual mpg with winter readings in the 27-28 range.
 
Nissan has a safety issue regarding this and i am going to contact the NY state attorny general and transportation safety admin. If they do not do something I will seek legal representation for a possible class action suit.
 
I really love the look and style of the car and would love to keep it but the constant power drop is so annoying i cant stand it anymore.
 
Anyone have any ideas? Anyone know if it is possible to buy a car data logger that will tell me exactly what the car is doing as I drive it. I am considering buying some type of data logger and hook it to a laptop so I can figuire out exactly what the car is doing when the power drops but im not a car guy so dont know what the sensors report and what equipment i would need to hook up.
 
Frank

#10 of 18 Re: Power kicks out at 45 [fgrossm1] by langjie

May 14, 2009 (8:50 am)

Replying to: fgrossm1 (May 13, 2009 6:47 pm)
I wonder if they can give you an ECM update

#11 of 18 Nissan Altima Hybrid - Parking Gear Failure by bostoncigar

May 16, 2009 (8:16 pm)

The parking gear failed on our 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid today after the car was turned off and the car rolled backwards into another car damaging both vehicles.
 
Has anyone else have a parking gear failure? (without the parking brake engaged)

#12 of 18 Re: Nissan Altima Hybrid - Parking Gear Failure [bostoncigar] by langjie

May 20, 2009 (8:31 am)

Replying to: bostoncigar (May 16, 2009 8:16 pm)
how steep was the hill? I haven't had that problem

#13 of 18 Re: Renaming [themouse] (Is NAH Transmission Nissan's Standard CVT?) by nemo7

Aug 24, 2009 (7:20 am)

Replying to: themouse (Dec 07, 2008 12:10 pm)
I see this question is pretty old and I'm sure you have your answer by now, but I just bought a NAH Wednesday (with no intention of buying a hybrid, but it just worked out that way during this crazy CFC program). I had no idea what this car was and how it worked. I spent a lot of time online this weekend trying to find out about the transmission, with limited success. It is pretty clear however that the system is equivalent to the Camry, of which a key component is the power split device planetary gear set. I have not been able to find out if the power split device is purchased from Toyota, or if Nissan built their equivalent, but it is clearly a very different animal than Nissan's "standard" CVT. The power split planetary device appears to approximate a CVT. Three shafts enter the power split planetary: Engine, Motor, and Generator. The electric motor is locked to the differential with it's speed tied to vehicle speed. The Generator and Engine are the other planetary inputs and have to equal the output shaft (Electric motor shaft) speed. The car's power controller adjusts the generator speed to get the engine speed where it needs to be. Very clever and "simple" concept! I'd not be worried about it's reliability or it would have bitten Toyota long before now (famous last words)
 
So when I bought the car I had no idea why the KW meter read what it did while driving. Now I think it makes sense, I guess at highway speed in order to get the engine RPM down, the car controls the generator to speed up, generating more power, which it dumps into the electric motor.
 
In my searching I found some good links on the Toyota planetary systems if anyone is ineterested. I suspect Nissan has nothing out there.

#14 of 18 Links by cephraim

Aug 24, 2009 (8:12 am)

I'd be interested!
 
Thanks!
Eph

#15 of 18 Re: Links [cephraim] Hybrid technology and planetary info by nemo7

Sep 01, 2009 (7:26 pm)

Replying to: cephraim (Aug 24, 2009 8:12 am)
Eph, sorry I was off for a while, hope you find these informative.
 
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car7.htm
 
http://www.toyotapartsandservice.com/pub/pdf/TechCenterLibrary/ToyotaStarService- News/2007/2007_TSSN_Fall.pdf
 
http://www.osti.gov/bridge/purl.cover.jsp;jsessionid=F5CBE51F1B2FBDF8F160E7C999C- 2C97A?purl=/921781-VVowU8/

#16 of 18 Yikes! by cephraim

Sep 02, 2009 (6:34 am)

Wow! Lots of info to read! thanks!

#17 of 18 NAH - How to check CVT transmission fluid? by cheung_wilson

May 17, 2010 (7:54 am)

Has anyone checked CVT fluid before? I checked the manual, it says take the car to the dealer to check or to replace CVT fluid, duh!!!

#18 of 18 2008 NAH eCVT smoke, power loss by krouda1

May 19, 2012 (12:13 am)

I have a recurring problem that at highway speed for 30-50 miles when it is hot out (takes longer if it is cold) my 2008 NAH loses power and the CVT gets so hot that it will start to smoke.
 
I have no problem around town and when I brought it into the dealer, they said it had not thrown any codes. They drove it and couldn't replicate the problem, but weren't willing to drive it the 30-50 miles it usually takes for the problem to happen.
 
But I've had this happen so often that I am QUITE sure it is a real problem.
 
If the temperature outside is cool, I can sometimes get it to go a couple hundred miles by babying it going up hills and not exceeding about 65 mph. But if I go 70-75 mph, it will happen no matter what.
 
Any ideas?

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