Dont buy 550 navara

[LLadnar]

yeah manual shift works fine in 4Hi, and I understand how the selector works, mechanic remember lol..
it's just the electrical side. how do you get the new switch to go back to 4Hi and stop without going past the selection. think that might be why his wired it to go from 2Hi straight to 4Low.
Is there a single servo that moves the selector

 

[Old.Tony]

Tony,

Actually the best way is to run 4 wires up along side the handbrake cable. (an orange and grey going up from the TCU computer and an orange and grey going down to the motor)

On your switch on the left, if you add another orange and grey wire when the switch is in the down position everything would be connected as std.

ie the orange and grey wires from the transfer control unit computer come up into the cab through the switch and then back down to the motor terminals.

(essentially you have just added 1 or 2 metres to the length)

I can't be bothered drawing it but it's simply just adding 2 wires on the unconnected terminals on the switch on the left.

I ordered some switches today, as my setup is a bit jerry rigged as I am getting power from a cigarette lighter in the console and only plugging it in when I want to switch in and out of low range.


But if having full control in low range is important to you, then this workaround works perfectly.

That's not a bad idea. Allows you to isolate the ECU completely while your "manual" setup is in operation.

 

[Old.Tony]

yeah manual shift works fine in 4Hi, and I understand how the selector works, mechanic remember lol..
it's just the electrical side. how do you get the new switch to go back to 4Hi and stop without going past the selection. think that might be why his wired it to go from 2Hi straight to 4Low.
Is there a single servo that moves the selector

I remember but others reading might want it explained so they understand what we're on about.

I see your problem. In order to engage 4HI, manually select 4LO then manually return it to 4HI (and not go all the way back to 2HI) you'd have to either time it perfectly, or monitor the sensors in the transfer case.

I wonder if there are any other lines we can monitor to determine the position of the selector? For instance, if the selector moves to the 4HI position, it might activate one of the other lines. We could intercept that line and know ... so we'd have to make a small logic circuit to take care of it, but if those signals exist I don't see why we can't manufacture an entire manual override of the transfer controls which allows you to select any setting you want.

 

[raptorthumper]

wire it like this and then you use the rotary dial for 4H as per std Nissan use (after you have gone back to 2wd mode and then changed the switch on the left to std position).


**EDIT**

Switch on left is used to isolate the Transfer control unit ECU.

********

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[Old.Tony]

Yeah that's how I pictured it too.

Watch rocker switches though. If you rock the switch down (depressing the side on the bottom of the switch) the upper pairs of contacts are joined.

Next thing to think about - is there a signal we can intercept to see if it's in 2HI, 4HI or 4LO?

That would allow us to completely replace the in-dash switch and select any mode we wanted without worrying about time.

 

[V9x]

I'm watching this thread with great interest .this issue has been a point of disappointment for me with my new nav. Nissan have told me they have fixed it on mine but I think there pulling my leg

 

[550V6]

I'm watching this thread with great interest .this issue has been a point of disappointment for me with my new nav. Nissan have told me they have fixed it on mine but I think there pulling my leg

I've just joined the forum and this is one of the first threads I've read. My 550 has the same issue and scared the crap out of me when it jumped out of gear on a steep, wet and slippery descent.

Nissan have also given me the same excuse as others, that it is a characteristic of this transmission. I have spoken with the dealer and Nissan Melb on 1800 035 035 and expressed my thoughts on the safety issues involved with a transmission that does this. I know a guy who does work with Pat Callinan who now has a 550 as well so I've told him about it partly as a warning so hopefully no one driving that vehicle gets caught out but also because I'm sure he provides feedback to Nissan.

My thoughts are that the programming for the transmission assumed that downhill descent control would be fitted as it is in Pathies. I have asked Nissan to either fit that, re-programme the transmission to eliminate upshifting or take my 550 back and purchase me a new BT50 as that vehicle was my second choice when test driving and researching dual cab utes.

 

[V9x]

Yeah it sucks how it does that. Mine is still doing it, despite what Nissan told me that they had fixed it. I'm over it , trying to get them to fix anything on my car is just a waste of my time. If you have any success getting yours fixed please keep us all informed . Cheers

 

[raptorthumper]

I have my switches now. Just need to wire them in.

By adding the 2 switches and wiring them like the previous diagram, low range works as it should. I agree we shouldn't have to do this, and this is a workaround, but trust me it works.

Basically you are pressing a switch down for 3 seconds to select 4 low, instead of grabbing a stubby 4WD lever and pulling on it. 4 high mode is done as per std and you rotate the dial on the dash, (But before you can select 4H you first have to go back to 2wd mode by pressing the button for 3 seconds and set other switch on left to std mode)

ie you have gone from 2wd to 4LOW, drove around doing some tracks, and then gone back to 2wd without the computer knowing it's happened.


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[LLadnar]

I Love my Nav's, but I'm that disappointed with this tranny and how Nissan are just dismissing it, I wish I never bought it. But I'm stuck with it now, so I'll just have to mod the frak out of it and they can stick there warranty were the sun don't shine.
If I knew I would have bought a second hand (So Nissan get no more profit) Y61 and stuck a V9X in it.

 

[blacklisted 550]

So how's the RnD going people? Playing with circuitry is not one of my fortes, all I have to offer is "keep up the great work" lol. I will have to put something together before to long, anybody keen on earning a few bucks and knocking me up a device?

 

[raptorthumper]

I have installed my switches and everything works as described earlier.

I used the free switch locations near the steering wheel.




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[raptorthumper]

Is anyone going to give this a try.?


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[nakedape]

Are you guys really saying that your auto boxes up-shift in 4x4 low manual mode (i.e. held in first)? If so, any reasonable person would call that a fault -- someone with some spare coin needs to get some face-time with a judge!

 

[raptorthumper]

It's programmed for a 90 year old grandma to drive in low range and automatically upshifts at 1600 rpm to 2nd gear. It wont downshift to 1st unless the revs are less than 1000 rpm.



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[Sinista]

It could be that im using a forum app but alot of your pictures are not loading showing your circuit diagrams im assuming. I use my 550 for some heavy weekend work on rocky and sand tracks and have been caught off gaurd a few times with the low range. Very very interested in any more information you can put forward as i gave up on warranty ages ago replacing all silly silicone hoses with solid pipe after popping two of them.chipped,straight 3" exhaust at the diff(beautiful note). Love my 550 leather, power and plenty of aftermarket goodies to fit down the track but nissan have done a **** job of making a 4x4 do what it should safely do.

 

[04HUG]

G'day.
Sorry if I am a bit slow to understand how/what you are trying to do this modification.
Maybe I need to see raptorthumper in person (both of us are living in Paradise).
1wire to Transfer Case Servo turns it clockwise, another turns it counter clockwise.
so if you put a switch on them to isolate the signal you could, select 4 low, confirm 4 low is engaged, then isolate the Servo and reselect 4 high or 2X4 so ECU gets tricked? No signal to servo so it stays where it last had input.

 

[Old.Tony]

It's pretty simple, really.

If the car's computer knows you've put it in 4LO, for some stupid reason the gearbox upshifts when your speed increases instead of remaining in a manually chosen gear.

The idea here is to engage 4LO without the computer knowing, which leaves the gearbox functioning precisely as desired - if you put it in 1st gear, it STAYS there, allowing you to engine-brake down steep inclines.

It's vital if you're doing any wet work (water/mud) and just saves the brakes from wear.

 

[vic4x4&offroad]

Definitly speak to Rod at Wholesale Automatics. If something can be done he will be able to do it. No one knows more about Automatic transmissions than him. He has built a few offroad race car Autos for us and his facilities are amazing.
Factory 2, 4 Melrich Road, Bayswater VIC 3153
Phone03) 9762 8004

 

[nakedape]

Do Nissan make this tranny or do they buy them? Perhaps seek out the manfacturer & get a fix from them?