Well done, you've shown that with the right amount of elbow grease, you can salvage what might otherwise have sent you looking for another car.

Very relevant info for me, I have the same model year. (though thankfully, no real CVT issues to date)

 

Agree! Voting this as the Altima Hack of the Month!

 

thank you boys.

 

Benzolorenzo, I am having some problems with my CVT. It works great if I drive it easy, light acceleration (1/4 throttle or less), under 60 mph.

If I drive it more aggressively, 1/2 throttle acceleration, 80 mph, then it starts to act up. When it acts up it does the following:

Will go into a neutral state at a stop sign, then bangs into drive when trying to leave the stop sign.

Throttle will sometimes not respond when leaving a stop sign, i have to keep pushing the throttle down but no RPM increase, then all of a sudden, it responds and opens the throttle and shoots away like I'm trying to race someone.

I'm wondering if your symptoms were anything like mine? Because I do have a P1778 code. But I also have a P0868 which is "trans fluid pressure low". I have the V6 model, not sure if that matters?

BTW, I live in the counry about 30 miles from the Twin Cities, and I sometimes have to go there. The drivers on the road near and in the cities are much more aggressive drivers than us country folks. That is the reasoning for the two different driving styles. My Altima hates the cities just as much as I do.

Appreciate any help you could give.

 

Benzolorenzo, I am having some problems with my CVT. It works great if I drive it easy, light acceleration (1/4 throttle or less), under 60 mph.

If I drive it more aggressively, 1/2 throttle acceleration, 80 mph, then it starts to act up. When it acts up it does the following:

Will go into a neutral state at a stop sign, then bangs into drive when trying to leave the stop sign.

Throttle will sometimes not respond when leaving a stop sign, i have to keep pushing the throttle down but no RPM increase, then all of a sudden, it responds and opens the throttle and shoots away like I'm trying to race someone.

I'm wondering if your symptoms were anything like mine? Because I do have a P1778 code. But I also have a P0868 which is "trans fluid pressure low". I have the V6 model, not sure if that matters?

BTW, I live in the counry about 30 miles from the Twin Cities, and I sometimes have to go there. The drivers on the road near and in the cities are much more aggressive drivers than us country folks. That is the reasoning for the two different driving styles. My Altima hates the cities just as much as I do.

Appreciate any help you could give.

Benzolorenzo1, that's exactly how my Car started an now it just won't "go into gear" or move at all... I'm replacing the step motor this weekend... hopefully I won't need to buy a valve body because those "reman" run about $100 to $200 bucks on Ebay... I will try this first and give an update later...

 

1fatcat, I would start with a flush. Your old fluid may just be worn out. Though having been there before your stepper motor may be on the way out. Start with flush, then trans cooler. If your still throwing p1778 then change stepper motor.

 

The fluid may just be low and worn... Thus the low pressure

 

That was actually the first thing I tried. Changed the fluid, cleaned the in-pan filter and changed the external filter. Also flushed the cooler lines at the same time. Filled with Nissan CVT fluid from the dealer. That was about 4,000 miles ago. It has gotten no better, but no worse either. I was able to get about 7.5 qts of the old stuff out, so I did get alot of old fluid out as the dealer said I would only get 4-5 qts out.

Were your symptoms anything like mine?

 

My symptoms were much worse. My trans would stay in safe mode... I would go ahead and spend the $35 on the new stepper motor. If your stepper motor isn't working its blocking fluid from going through the pump at higher rpms... Thus burning your trans alive.

 

Nice job. What I have found on many occasions is the dealer can get the parts and are full of shit. I have had this happen several times. So what I did was my homework.....I got on line and eventually found the part numbers and went back to the dealership. I tell them, you know that part you do not sell...? Here is the part number. They put the part # in and bang.....there it is.... The baffled GED counter boy has no words.....Other than, I'll order it. I have had this happen on many occasions with TSBs. They can not find it......So I have to go find the number for them......

 

Hi there
I would like to know the part number for the stepper motor. I am having the same issue with my 2010 Nissan Altima. When I come to a stop and push the gas petal it acts as if it don't want to move. I push gas pedal down further and it eventually goes. Drives like it is suppose to at normal speeds until coming to a stop where it shakes until I come to stop again. Please please help. All the auto parts stores dont know what part Ivam speaking of nor the dealership. Code I got was P1778 with no check engine light on. Part number I found on internet was JF011E REOFIOE FICIA for 53.95. Any help would be great.

 

The stepper motor has nothing to do with pump output which cannot be blocked other than by a pressure regulator. The stepper actually controls the spread of the primary pulley halves to change the effective gear ratio as needed. It is basically the shift control there.

Worn fluid still makes pressure, it is still a liquid and non-compressible, and if low in level the trans will immediately slip, generally when turning sharp corners first.

All OEMs will have good part numbers that may not be found in the normal parts books, they have to have a way to identify anything they make. Like so-called race parts used in competition but not listed for the general public. Many of the specialty tech tools are the same way. I used to do the same thing at Ford with researching unobtanium parts to have them show up to befuddle the parts guys.

I've fixed normal type ATX transmissions with the use of as little as a 30 cent washer before when the shops all claimed I needed a new transmission. So much for skills there. I fixed my Focus of heavy 3-4 slip by making up a bolt into an oldschool band adjustment to make up for one not being on the trans, car runs fine now years after that. Again, told to get a new trans.

Nissan CAN get parts but they have decided it makes far more money to simply change them out. The fact that they have to pay somebody more to be able to diagnose and fix right the FIRST time figures into that too, the skills are quickly becoming lost even on these super simple CVT. Never mind they don't want to pay somebody to know that to begin with, it takes money away from the CEO and we can't have that at all.

 

It's funny that the Nissan dealers are like this (with the "can't get that part"). I ran into the same issue when I replaced my fluid and filter. They told me they can't get the in-pan filter or the external filter. The parts guy looked at me like I was nuts when I told him I took the pan off. Then I told him I wanted the in-pan filter and he asked me with a scared voice, "YOU DIDN'T TAKE THAT FILTER OFF, DID YOU?!?!?".

I said, "No, not yet. Why? Are gremlins gonna jump out at me if I do?!?!?". His response was, "We never remove the pan, let alone the filter".

I asked him, "When you guys service a trans, how do you clean the metal shavings off the magnets inside the pan?". He said, "We don't".

Anyways, I ended up finding the external filter part # online and gave him that number. Then he had no problem getting the filter. It's almost like they are programed to sell transmissions only and none of the parts for them.

Also, on a side note, Nissan's diagnostic table for some of the trans codes are rediculous! The flow chart will have you check resistance of a particular sensor, and then tell you if the sensor measures out of range, REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION.

WTF!?! Then why even bother with diagnostics? The service manual should just read like this...."Is there a trouble code for the transmission?>>>>Yes>>>>Replace transmission".

It's almost like Nissan doesn't want anyone working on their cvt's.....not even their own dealers. Do not attempt to repair, replace only. Like it's a disposable trans and cannot be repaired.

 

'...they are programed to sell transmissions only and none of the parts for them.'

It took you long enough to figure that out...........lol.

Any diagnosis is simply to get to the trans change part faster. CEO Carlos Ghosn (recently arrested) wants to change trans only, they make far more money doing that and then you don't need to pay highly trained techs in the dealerships.

The same reason used on why CVT was picked across the lines as the go-to trans type, they have maybe 1/3 the number of parts a conventional trans has (cheaper to make) and the very type sends shivers of what's that? into the DIY community to scare them off working on them.........more dealership money again. You're now looking at a legal business scam that no lawyer on earth can touch.

 

I'm curious what other people have had for symptoms when they have had the P1778 code.
Benzolorenzo1 mentioned it was stuck in safe mode. I'm not sure if that means slow moving or pretty much stopped.

I have a 2008 Nissan Rogue AWD. It was stuttering one day, so I put some heet in and filled the gas, thinking there was water in the gas. It seemed a little better, but the acceleration wasn't very good, especially from a stop. Daughter drove it the next day and said the acceleration was poor after it warmed up. I checked the transmission fluid and it was full and clean looking. Replaced the air filter. Checked for codes and there were none. She drove it that day and I got a call in the middle of the night, after her work shift, that she was stranded. Check engine light was on and car would barely move.

I went down and pulled the P1778 code from the computer. I didn't try to move it much, but it would inch forward or back from a stop, like you were starting in a very high gear with no torque.

I'm trying to decide if I should buy the stepper motor and replace that or just do the whole valve body with a rebuilt one.

A lot of sources online state that the P1778 code, even though it says it is the stepper motor, usually isn't. And yet, Benzolorenzo1 fixed his by replacing it.

Hoping to get an idea of symptoms from others who have been through this to gauge whether they are close enough that I should go the same route.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

I'm curious what other people have had for symptoms when they have had the P1778 code.
Benzolorenzo1 mentioned it was stuck in safe mode. I'm not sure if that means slow moving or pretty much stopped.

I have a 2008 Nissan Rogue AWD. It was stuttering one day, so I put some heet in and filled the gas, thinking there was water in the gas. It seemed a little better, but the acceleration wasn't very good, especially from a stop. Daughter drove it the next day and said the acceleration was poor after it warmed up. I checked the transmission fluid and it was full and clean looking. Replaced the air filter. Checked for codes and there were none. She drove it that day and I got a call in the middle of the night, after her work shift, that she was stranded. Check engine light was on and car would barely move.

I went down and pulled the P1778 code from the computer. I didn't try to move it much, but it would inch forward or back from a stop, like you were starting in a very high gear with no torque.

I'm trying to decide if I should buy the stepper motor and replace that or just do the whole valve body with a rebuilt one.

A lot of sources online state that the P1778 code, even though it says it is the stepper motor, usually isn't. And yet, Benzolorenzo1 fixed his by replacing it.

Hoping to get an idea of symptoms from others who have been through this to gauge whether they are close enough that I should go the same route.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

I have issue p1777 only code that shows on my 2010 Altima 3.5 SR V6 car will not accelerate sometimes and sometimes it will .

 

About 6 months ago I received the death code P1778 (stepper motor) in my 2008 Altima. I searched far and wide, low and high, only to be told 2 things... you need a new transmission, or you need a new valve body. since I didn't have $2500 for a new trans, let alone $800 for the valve body I decided to look into this a little further. watched a youtube video the only one I could find was a Nissan armada, but thought what the hell. I drained the fluid, dropped the pan, yanked out the valve body, and found that little bastard that gave me such trouble.
......

Hey, great write up! I'm having an issue where it feels like my car doesn't "shift" I know CVTs don't have gears, but it feels like I can't get into anything past 1st or 2nd gear. I read the codes and I'm getting the P1778. is this the same issue you were getting?

 

I'm not sure if Benzolorenzo1 active anymore, but I'll take a stab at some of the comments, as I've been immersed in this for the past couple months.

The stepper motor is tied to a ratio control valve on top of the valve body. In my case, I got code P1778 and the car performed like it was stuck in a high gear. It can get stuck in any gear ratio. I replaced the valve body myself (which includes a new stepper motor) and got past that particular issue (although I had other issues). The ratio control valve was stuck on mine, so it didn't allow the stepper motor to move and do what it needed to do (change the ratio in order to "shift gears").

If your car is stuck in that one ratio and isn't just sometimes getting stuck, then my best guess at solutions are:

A) Take the valve body off and see if it is the motor or the ratio control valve next to it. The valve is spring loaded. If you are able to push the rod for that valve in and have it spring back, then my guess would be that it is the stepper motor and you could just buy that and replace it.

B) If it is the ratio control valve, then I suppose there is a chance you could disassemble it and see if you could get it to move freely. I couldn't find the parts online to replace the parts for the ratio control valve, but if anyone knows of a source, I'd like to have that.

C) You can buy a whole different valve body, which includes the stepper motor and ratio control valve. The reason I did this is because I figured a car with 120K miles probably could benefit from a remanufactured valve body, where the solenoids and other valves had been cleaned and tested and replaced with other parts that were operating at spec.

 

Will this work for a 2012 Nissan Altima???

 

Although I've found some conflicting information, I believe the 2007-2013 Altimas should all have the same transmission, hence the same valve body (which includes the stepper motor).

 

Hi All, I am newbie to the forum and also to car tech. Firstly, I am amazed and full of appreciation with all the knowledge and experience of the members here.

I have a Nissan Murano 2007 (purchased in 2010) and I am the second owner. The car has lot less mileage on it @ 85Kmiles. I am sorry that I am posting in a Altima forum. The main reason is that the DTS error code I got (P1778) is matching with what other have been receiving in this topic/thread.

The local Nissan service center is recommending the replacement of the CVT

Is there a place where I can get any CVT repair/servicing done (I live on the west Spokane) ?
Any advise is appreciated.

 

I have a Nissan Murano 2007 (purchased in 2010) and I am the second owner. The car has lot less mileage on it @ 85Kmiles. I am sorry that I am posting in a Altima forum. The main reason is that the DTS error code I got (P1778) is matching with what other have been receiving in this topic/thread.

The local Nissan service center is recommending the replacement of the CVT

Is there a place where I can get any CVT repair/servicing done (I live on the west Spokane) ?
Any advise is appreciated.

Yes, they love replacing transmissions. Your 2007 Murano might have a previous version of the transmission. I think they might have changed them in 2008. But it is still the same situation.

Your best bet, if you aren't inclined to do the work yourself, is to call the local transmission shops and ask if they work on Nissan CVT transmissions and whether they are able and willing to work on the valve body parts instead of just replacing the whole transmission. The Nissan service centers and almost all transmission shops will want to replace the whole transmission, because it is a nice profit for them. I doubt you'll find one who will just work on the valve body (which doesn't require removing the whole transmission, which is a large part of the cost in labor), but you can try.

 

Question what was the car doing because mine is not going forward or reverse at all
thank you in advance

 

Do the RPMs go up at all? Does it inch forward and backward, or does it not move even an inch?

 

thanks for the hack. Saved me at least $2500 on my son's 2011 Altima. Especially the dental floss! Wow!!!! I never would've figured that out. I'm curious....how did you learn that trick?

 

I can't speak for the original poster, but in my case, I put a toothpick up through a hole that I believe is in the valve body for that very reason (to hold back spring loaded ratio arm), with some fishing line tied to it. Once the valve body was up in place, with that arm locked into the rod sticking down from the transmission, I pulled the toothpick out slowly.

 

Was there any I-key errors linked to it? I have the 1778 but my speedo with drop to zero while driving and simultaneously the I-key light pops up. I replaced the transmission speed sensor but to change.

What is a good place to get a step motor? I have an 07 2.5

 

Benzolorenzo1,
This is very helpful. I think I need to replace the stepper motor on my 2008 Nissan Altima 2.5s. A few days ago while driving noticed the car getting stuck in the lower gears. It was revving the RPMs. Then at one point it struggled to take off while at a stop light. I notice the check engine light on. Once I got home I left the car parked for few days, then this morning I went to start the car and all of the electrical would turn on and the car would try an start but then it would just give up after a few tries. It was weird, I put my foot on the brake, pressed the ignition, and it would try starting for a couple of seconds then stop. I plugged in the code machine and have the P1778 code. Any thoughts?

 

Hey There, just curious where you ended up on this? I am having the exact same issue right now and am on the fence on the attempt to replace the steppor motor or to junk the car?

Cheers

 

Well I replaced the stepper motor along with the entire Valve body. It got even worse! So I was told the tcm needed reprogrammed. So I took it to the dealership, and OF COURSE they said completel transmission failure. How is it failed if I can still drive it (barely)???

I'm getting wierd I-key errors while driving too. I'm wondering if the remote start has started failing, since it has to bypass something to start it with no key?

PS the they want $4250 to replace it

 

Hey There, just curious about the part you ordered. I am currently having the exact same issue and trying to find the stepper motor aswell. It shows in your link that the 2008 Altima is not a match for this part. I Have a 2008 Altima 2.5s.

Thanks for your help, Cheers

 

Hey there thanks for taking over replies. My CVT is acting up as described here and I have the same error code P1778 in my 2008 2.5s Altima. I checked the part that was orignally recommended but it doesnt say that it is compatible to the 2008.

Considering junking the Car

 

About 6 months ago I received the death code P1778 (stepper motor) in my 2008 Altima. I searched far and wide, low and high, only to be told 2 things... you need a new transmission, or you need a new valve body. since I didn't have $2500 for a new trans, let alone $800 for the valve body I decided to look into this a little further. watched a youtube video the only one I could find was a Nissan armada, but thought what the hell. I drained the fluid, dropped the pan, yanked out the valve body, and found that little bastard that gave me such trouble.

I want to thank you for giving this info out. I had a P1778 code on my 2010 Murano, followed your directions and now it runs without the code. Thanks again.