Nissan Maxima 2010 Will not go into gear

Hey there,

So, a bunch of things could make a CVT slip into fail-safe mode. The Transmission Control Module TCM has this fail-safe thing where it keeps the car running even if some of the main electronic parts o r their signals get messed up. First step? Grab a portable scan tool— you can get one at most auto parts stores—and check the ECU/TCM for any codes. Once you’ve got the codes, post them here so we can help you figure it out. If there are codes, they’ll clue us in on what’s going wrong. If you’ve got the Factory Service Manual FSM for your car, it’ll tell you how to pull the codes and list what they mean. You can download the FSM from the Owner’s Manuals website—just check out the TM section for the transmission stuff.

If the CVT only acts up and goes into fail-safe mode after it’s warmed up, it might be the CVT temperature sensor o r its wiring acting funky. That’s just a hunch, though—those codes are key to know for sure. Heads up: codes like P17F0 and P17F1 won’t light up the check engine light on any Nissan. P17F0 is basically the CVT’s death code—it means the chain’s slipping bad. For 2013 models and up, there are judder detection codes that give a quick read on the CVT’s health and hint at what fix you might need. P17F1 usually points to needing a new valve body, assuming the chain’s not trashed when they inspect it. If it’s just minor slippage causing a P17F1, changing the fluid quick might save it—do a drain and fill, not a flush. A flush could stir up tiny bits in there and make things worse.

To check CVT codes yourself, download the CVTz50 app on an Android phone and grab a VeePeak VP11 adaptor for your OBD-II port. It’s the cheapest ELM327 adaptor that works right with CVTz50—not all of them do. With that setup, you can pull CVT codes, see the transmission temp live, and check the CVT-A/CVT-B counts to spot any past overheating. If something rough went down before, those counts being above zero will give you a hint about what happened.

Hope that helps! Let us know what you find.