95 Altima automatic transmission shift feels sticky

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Bill - 08 Jul 2006 19:59 GMT

Hot summer morning, dogs in the car, locked it running with the air
conditioner on as I carry 2 sets of keys. Later I got back in and
shifted to reverse then forward but the shift felt sticky as if
something is fouling the cable or linkage. It could have always been
like that and never registered or maybe it changed. I looked under the
hood when I got home and saw nothing untoward about the linkage and the
transmission fluid level is good. I took apart the lower dash and
pried off the cover to the shifter area. I didn't get under the car to
unbolt the automatic shift lever nor did I fully remove the center
console but with a little poking around it seemed clear that nothing
had been forced in by the dogs.

Can idling the engine for any length of time on a hot morning with the
air on cause the transaxel to make the automatic shift lever sticky?
The shift lever moves freely between reverse, neutral and drive but 2
or 3 or back into park all show an unfamilar resistance. Thanks for
any input on this.

Bill

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Bill - 10 Jul 2006 11:04 GMT

Okay, here's more: a few days later on a hot afternoon of shopping I
get in the car, turn the key, get typical dashboard starting lights but
no starter. I had noticed earlier in the day that when I put the car
in gear the red/orange indicator one can see through the trany position
indicator was slightly visible in the neutral as well as the drive
position. So, when I get some free time I'll adjust the shift cable
(maybe it's stretching over time as the emergency brake cable seems to
do and needs to be adjusted). This sound right or would I be smarter
to adjust the position switch on the trany? The car eventually started
when I pressed the brake hard while turning the key.

> Hot summer morning, dogs in the car, locked it running with the air
> conditioner on as I carry 2 sets of keys. Later I got back in and
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Bill

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idiot_free_in-MD - 30 Nov 2006 20:56 GMT

>Okay, here's more: a few days later on a hot afternoon of shopping I
>get in the car, turn the key, get typical dashboard starting lights but
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>>
>> Bill

Altimas were not known for their great automatics for the first few years,
but any of the inherent problems should have shown themselves within the
first 11 years. When was the last time (if ever) that the tranny fluid was
replaced? It may not be the problem, though I have a friend who has had a
similar problem in a '97, and that problem went away with a fluid change (and
that car lives in Phoenix, AZ, so it's a good bet that there may be a
correlation between the problem and the temperature, though I don't know of
any).
-S

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