I was on my way to Albuquerque, Nm to see my grandfather who was in the hospital and later passed away that night. I was towing my trailer close to empty, I maybe had 800 lbs of stuff in it. So it would've been around 6000#. Well just as I get to Flagstaff, AZ. I pull off of the highway to fuel up, and I smell this awful burnt smell. So I take it to the Nissan dealership there. They tell me that the rear differential was BURNT UP, GONE, TOAST! At this point I only have 1400 miles on my truck. They tell they can't get a hold of Nissan for any direction on what to do. They are going to need the truck for a few days!!! Nope. So they call there District Manager (nice guy), who was real affectionate to my situation, and said that if I wanted to they could refill it with new oil and try and make it. Obviously that is what I did, so after 5 hours at this dealership, I was on my way. It's about 340 miles to abq from flag. So I make it to Abq late that night, only to find out that my grandfather passed away just an hour before that. So the next day I take it Nissan which was last wednesday 4/28/04, as of this morning they still do not have a PART NUMBER, not the part. But nothing!!!! What the heck is going on in Canton, Mississippi. So my dad who has a real truck (03 F350 PSD) drove his truck out to NM so I could tow my trailer home to Ca. He had not planned on coming to the service because my parents are divorced. I got back yesterday (5/5). Now I have to fly out there whenever it is done. Right they are saying maybe 2 weeks???
Sorry for being so long winded, but I wanted you guys to get the whole story. Thanks
P.S. I will be buying another truck whenever I get this one back.
P.S.S. This is my second Titan, the first the dealer bought back do to bad wiring and tranny.
From the sounds of it, there probably was either a leak and or no fluid in the rear diff
Do make sure
they give you a brand new part and not a re-manufactured part. Many times the warranty process these days puts in a re-manuf part with the justification that it will be warrantied as original!
Duh they do not see that we bought the vehicle to outlast the warranty
Sorry about the loss of your grandfather and this truck issue.
A quiet day in a place your grandfather would have liked while you commune with his spirits/memory will do wonders to the soul.
I noticed you were towing with only 1400 miles, was there a break-in period?
I know on my 04' Chevy 2500HD D/A there was a break-in period before towing. At the end of the break-in period you are supposed to change the rear axle fluid before towing.
Not trying to be offensive. Just want to know what the break-in procedures were done for your Titan. A family member is considering a Titan to haul a light TT about the same weight as yours. I will definitely pass your story along to them.
Do you know who makes the rear axle on the Titan? I used to think that Dana made good axles, but after having the rear axle rebuilt and talking to the owner of the shop I have changed my mind. Axles are not manufactured on the truck, but are sub-assemblies that are built off-site just like engines and transmissions. I changed the fluid in the rear diff a few times but have yet to touch the front diff due to the skid plate being in the way. After 130,000 miles I haven't had any problems with the front diff. I should note that the front axle is manufactered by Dodge, not subbed out to Dana.
I checked the Nissan website trying to locate if Nissan makes the rear axle or if they shop it out. I notice the ratio is 3.36:1, which I believe is too tall for towing of any sort. Sure the first gear ratio is low, but how long do you stay in first gear? I should note that my ratio is 3.55 but I haven't had any problems with the axle since I started towing. As far as break-in periods go... I have only heard break-in periods mentioned for engines, not transmissions or axles. The reason why you need a break-in period is to let the piston rings seat in cylinders and hone the cylinder walls. As long as the rear diff has fluid in it, all should be well. JMHO
2007 Toyota V8 4Runner SR5 4WD - "CHRTRM"
2003 Sunline T-2753 - "RD HOME"
1995 Toyota Tercel 180,000 miles
1999 Dodge Dakota Sport Regular Cab 4X4 W/DETROIT LOCKER - "RSOX58" 164,000 miles
very sorry for your loss, this is what i was afraid of with the titan as i said on other threads. it's especially horrible for you with the situation you were in. hope all is better soon.
roger
2002 Ram 1500 4.7L, 4.10 Gears, air bag spring helpers
KRCPerformance 206 HO cams (+50 ft lbs)
Michelin LTX/AS 245/70/17 E
2004 Wilderness 260bhs (5935 Dry, 6800 travel weight
Sold a 1999 Cub F16 towed by a 1997 Nissan 2.4L P/U
Axles generally need to be broken in, GM recommends 500 miles before towing. This is because the axle gears undergo "work hardening" during their initial use. If not broken in properly, the gear surfaces can start blowing off chunks of material. 1/2 ton Suburbans with the 3.54 axle ratio were bad for blowing rear axles (even after a proper break-in). I don't know what your Titan manual says, but one recommended procedure for the first tow is:
1. Wait up to 500 miles if you can before the first significant tow.
2. Change axle oil - use synthetic.
3. Drive in 3 or 4 50 mile stretches at speeds less than 55 MPH and stop and check the differential housing for excess heat at each interval.
4. Carry-on if all is well.
If the axle ratio on the Titan is really around 3.36, which it appears to be, then it will be generating a lot of heat when towing. The transmission ratios seem to have been adjusted to give reasonable power with this axle ratio, but that doesn't help the load the axle is taking. Nissan seems to be taking a very atypical approach to axle ratios and it may be getting ready to bite them back with axle failures like this.
From my understanding of Nissan's specifications because the Titan is a 5 speed automatic 3.357:1 (Lower final gear ratio) is the equivalent/similiar a four-speed automatic 4.10:1. BUT don't quote me.
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