Infiniti G20 Transmission slip, Overdrive light flashing.

Kellybob1

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Aug 20, 2003, 3:15:24 PM8/20/03

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Have 2000 Infiniti G20, ~ 30 K miles on it.
Car was running fine, got 25+ MPG all the time.
After the 30K mile service visit, the tranny started slipping.
MPG is now ~ 21 MPG. The tranny slipping is intermittent, and after a severe
episode the overdrive light will flash for about 5 to 10 seconds.
Took it back to dealer. They found no problem, didn't seem to know what the
flashing OD lite means, and charged $160 for a flush and fill on the tranny!

It is still happening. Called Infiniti, and they will not say what the
flashing light means- must rely on dealer to diagnose problem.
The only good news is that with each visit appointment, I get to drive a G35
for a day while they ponder the G20 problems.
The car is under warranty....

Any ideas what the story is? What does the flashing OD lite mean??

Thanks...

Lon Stowell

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Aug 20, 2003, 5:01:30 PM8/20/03

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Approximately 8/20/03 12:15, Kellybob1 uttered for posterity:

> Have 2000 Infiniti G20, ~ 30 K miles on it.
> Car was running fine, got 25+ MPG all the time.
> After the 30K mile service visit, the tranny started slipping.

Wonder if some genius added the wrong transmission fluid.
Does the repair bill from this service detail anything
suspicious? Or a tranny adjust that busted it?

> MPG is now ~ 21 MPG. The tranny slipping is intermittent, and after a severe
> episode the overdrive light will flash for about 5 to 10 seconds.
> Took it back to dealer. They found no problem, didn't seem to know what the
> flashing OD lite means, and charged $160 for a flush and fill on the tranny!

Any idea what fluid?

>
> It is still happening. Called Infiniti, and they will not say what the
> flashing light means- must rely on dealer to diagnose problem.
> The only good news is that with each visit appointment, I get to drive a G35
> for a day while they ponder the G20 problems.
> The car is under warranty....

If it stayed overnight, next time you go in, ask the dealer about
getting your lemon replaced if your state has a 3 strikes type
lemon law.

>
> Any ideas what the story is? What does the flashing OD lite mean??

Usually means someone is kicking the overdrive disable on and
off.

Wonder if the tech boogered up the wiring to the transmission
from the transmission control unit?

Anthony

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Aug 20, 2003, 5:42:17 PM8/20/03

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Lon Stowell <lon.s...@comcast.net> wrote in
news:7I-cne4qH-V...@comcast.com:

Or, if they dinged an internal sensor while changing the filter/fluid.

--
Anthony

You can't 'idiot proof' anything....every time you try, they just make
better idiots.

Remove sp to reply via email

BOB URZ

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Aug 21, 2003, 10:17:17 AM8/21/03

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Kellybob1 wrote:

What did i miss here? The car is under WARRANTY, and they charged you
$160 dollars and did NOT fix it? Whats wrong with this picture?
I would be on the telephone to national CUstomer service bitching up
a storm. Granted, fluid changes are not a usual warranty item. But if it was
changed before it normally would be to fix a problem that was under
warranty, i think you might have a case for reimbursement.

Problem #2, If the dealer had no idea what the flashing light meant,
they were either ignorant or trying to lie to you and make you
go away. Either way, i would be finding out what the lemon laws
are in your state. Do a google search and see what you find with
other people having problems.

BOB

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E. Meyer

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Aug 21, 2003, 10:53:22 AM8/21/03

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The dealer tried to pull something like this on my I30t when it was still in
warranty ("Well we can't find anything wrong, but maybe if you buy this
expensive service it will fix the problem..."). You didn't by any chance
take it to Crest in Plano, Tx?

The fix was to take it to a different dealer who diagnosed the problem
immediately and fixed it under warranty, without trying to sell me
anything.

The flashing overdrive light means the transmission failed its self-test. As
I look through the service manual for an '02, it looks like most of the
conditions that set a flashing OD light are electrical problems (wrong
voltage reading from some sensor). The manual also says the code is stored
in the OBD-II as well and they should have been able to read it out.

These guys (your dealer) are a bunch of Bozos. Find a different dealer.

On 8/20/03 2:15 PM, in article 20030820151524...@mb-m15.aol.com,

Kellybob1

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Aug 21, 2003, 1:19:34 PM8/21/03

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Thanks for the info. I was hoping someone had access to the service manual. I
see you are an ieee memeber- I also am! The car started doing worse things this
morning- got stuck in one gear for about 20 miles! ( 2nd or 3rd... not sure
which.) Overdrive did not work at all. After a short stop ( 5 minutes) the
car started, flashed the OD light 13 times, then ran just fine for the last
mile to my office.
I think the dealer ( Discover Inf in Escondido, CA) is baffled by the
intermittent nature of the problem. They ask a million "diagnostic" questions,
then seem ignore the answers. Then when they can't reproduce the problem with
15 minutes of effort, they give up and go to the next vehicle.

The customer service hot line was a joke. They refused to provide any answers
to questions about what the flashing OD light indicates, and said that there
was no supervisor or higher authority to discuss this with! I am thinking that
buying this Infiniti was a mistake. They have such a high reputation for good
service... I guess that might be in other parts of the country?
Thank you again for your help!
Bob Kelly Sr. Electrical Design Engineer RF/Video/Analog San Diego, CA
" You don't always get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get!"
" When someone with experience meets someone with money, the two usually trade
places!"

Xi

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Aug 21, 2003, 3:30:26 PM8/21/03

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> Thanks for the info. I was hoping someone had access to the service
manual. I
> see you are an ieee memeber- I also am! The car started doing worse things
this
> morning- got stuck in one gear for about 20 miles! ( 2nd or 3rd... not
sure
> which.) Overdrive did not work at all. After a short stop ( 5 minutes)
the
> car started, flashed the OD light 13 times, then ran just fine for the
last
> mile to my office.

The transmission entered self-protection mode or safe mode. This could be
triggered by overheat or slippage, etc. There are definitely problems with
the transmission. OD flashing should mean the transmission control unit has
detected something wrong - just like check engine light.

Kellybob1

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Sep 2, 2003, 3:01:50 PM9/2/03

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Update on G20 tranny ..
Dealer replaced the tranny control module... Still has problems.
They now "think" it is the tranny, so will install a replacement.
I am nervous with their lack of diagnostic skills!
Might have more info in a couple days.

jadd...@gmail.com

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Mar 23, 2014, 9:14:55 AM3/23/14

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Does anyone know where to add tranny fluid?

AMuzi

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Mar 23, 2014, 10:55:27 AM3/23/14

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Maybe. OP has had eleven years to ponder that problem.

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

dsi1

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Mar 23, 2014, 1:36:09 PM3/23/14

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On 3/23/2014 3:14 AM, jadd...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, August 20, 2003 3:16:06 PM UTC-4, Kellybob1 wrote:
>> Have 2000 Infiniti G20, ~ 30 K miles on it.
>> Car was running fine, got 25+ MPG all the time.

>> After the 30K mile service visit, the tranny started slipping.s

>> MPG is now ~ 21 MPG. The tranny slipping is intermittent, and after a severe
>> episode the overdrive light will flash for about 5 to 10 seconds.
>> Took it back to dealer. They found no problem, didn't seem to know what the
>> flashing OD lite means, and charged $160 for a flush and fill on the tranny!
>>
>> It is still happening. Called Infiniti, and they will not say what the
>> flashing light means- must rely on dealer to diagnose problem.
>> The only good news is that with each visit appointment, I get to drive a G35
>> for a day while they ponder the G20 problems.
>> The car is under warranty....
>>
>> Any ideas what the story is? What does the flashing OD lite mean??
>>
>> Thanks...
>
> Does anyone know where to add tranny fluid?
>

My guess is that the owner is not supposed to add tranny fluid and that
it's a dealer service. Heck, the trend now days is to not have a
dipstick to check the level. The trend now days is a sealed system.

I am so ready for electric cars.

Geoff Welsh

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Mar 23, 2014, 4:17:10 PM3/23/14

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on a 2000 G20?

the tube where the dipstick goes.

GW

m6onz5a

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Mar 25, 2014, 11:23:59 AM3/25/14

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I wouldn't be surprised if the tranny isn't the problem.

Just went to a training class last month. Had a scenario where the persons transmission was slipping while driving down the road. Wound up being a bad coil on the engine causing the transmission computer to reboot causing the slipping.

dsi1

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Mar 25, 2014, 9:40:02 PM3/25/14

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On 3/25/2014 5:23 AM, m6onz5a wrote:

>
>
> I wouldn't be surprised if the tranny isn't the problem.
>
> Just went to a training class last month. Had a scenario where the persons transmission was slipping while driving down the road. Wound up being a bad coil on the engine causing the transmission computer to reboot causing the slipping.
>

Now that engines and transmissions are controlled by a computer you can
get a wide range of puzzling symptoms. I can tell when my mass air flow
sensor was disconnected because the transmission would give a bump when
shifting from rev to D. There would also be a jolt when the car
downshifted to 3rd when slowing down. These days, you have to think
outside the box - way outside! :-)