Nissan Pathfinder transmissions with a harsh forward engagement problem..
Question: After starting car,and shifting into drive, car will lurch forward very hard (foot on brake,of course). This lurch does not happen if car is shifted into “reverse”.
Possibilities: Your wording almost provides me with a viable answer. However, I can’t actually see the vehicle, so this is an educated guess. For your information, I have over 30 years in diagnosing and repairing transmissions and helping customers out. I have read a few of the answers provided by folks on the forum. Those are answers provided by folks who don’t know a darn thing about transmissions.
By isolating the problem to the forward gears, in essence you have eliminated a fast idle problem because a fast idle has no idea what direction the transmission is going to drive the car. The most probable cause of your problem is a worn or flattened out cushion spring in the forward clutch pack. Specifically, this issue suggests the waved cushion spring is worn out and not providing the cushioning effect for a smooth engagement in drive and or the friction plates are worn so much that the clutch clearance in the forward clutch pack expands beyond specs and causes a harsh forward engagement. Or, both components are worn badly.
Reverse is not as much of a concern because we use reverse less. Thus making the possibilities of wear much less. There is no easy solution for this problem. If this is the problem, most transmission shops will try to sell you one of their transmissions. I have a better solution. One that will be a lot less expensive and may be more reliable.
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