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I have an Automatic transmission 2002 Nissan Maxima and want to know if a faulty vehicle speed sensor can cause a car to lurch forward when braking. If I am travelling at 40 mph in 3rd gear and then brake to a stop, the car will try to very slightly accelerate (RPM's jump up 100-200) when it downshifts to first gear and I can feel it in the brake pedal. It feels kind of hard to brake and stop the car, as if the vehicle is fighting against the brakes like it wants to keep going. I call it the bump shift.

Is a faulty speed sensor the cause of this? it seems like the torque converter unlocks late or something

EDIT: I switched out the speed sensors on the transmission (not the ABS sensors) with no help, so I'm going to try replacing the TCM next as others have noted on forums. My fluid is red and does not smell burnt.

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  • I'd guess a throttle to transmission cable might need adjustment, maybe kickdown, but I don't know if an 02 Maxima has one of those or where. If so, a plain Chilton/Haynes repair book should say how. – Xen2050 Jun 20 '15 at 23:00
  • Have you checked the motor mounts and torque bar to the engine? – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2♦ Jun 20 '15 at 23:34
  • I'll check the motor mounts, i suspect that too because of clunking noises on the road. – achabacha322 Jun 21 '15 at 17:00
  • Did you resolve this? If so, please add it as an answer. If not, please add further information. Do the brakes always feel like you need to exert a lot of effort to get the car to stop? When you press the brake while starting the engine, do you feel the brake pedal becomes easier to press? – Zaid Dec 11 '15 at 10:41
  • I found out the reason, but have not confirmed it yet as I did not order the new part. People on the forums for Nissan Maxima 2002-2003 mentioned a faulty Transmission Control Module (TCM). I replaced one of the Speed Sensors with no change, so I'm pretty sure it's the TCM, since my fluid is pretty clean and red. – achabacha322 Dec 11 '15 at 21:18

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