Recently took my 2003 4x4 SE AT w/DVC up to Sequoia, CA for a week of vacation, ranging in atltudes from 4500' to 8200' MSL. No problems; the truck climbed effortlessly for the whole week. The truck now has about 1600 miles on it (through the properly handled break-in period).

Noticed when I got the truck that when I initially turn the key on, the A/T OIL O/H light does not come on. After Sequoia, went to the dealership where I bought the truck and asked them to check it out. They put it on a diagnostics machine (?) and said they could find nothing wrong but they had no idea where the light was supposed to show on the instrument panel. Said they would get back to me, which they didn't after 3 weeks now.

Took a day trip up to Wrightwood, CA up the old Lone Pine Canyon Road (a max. altitude gain of about 3000'MSL from where I live. At the top of the climb cars were beginning to come up behind me. I turned off the O/D with virtually no gain in performance; kicked the tranny down into 2nd with very little gain in performance, just a lot of engine RPM and noise - very disappointing as I had not experienced this on vacation during the break-in.

Has anyone experience this in the non-S/C'd, 4x4 3.3L A/T? Could the dealer have left a connector loose in the Fuel Management Computer or caused a failer in the computer during their diagnostics operation?

G

Last week

Did you buy your X from Empire Nissan?

The AT Oil Temp light should come on when the key is first turned, if it doesn't, it is defective and this has been noted by several owners before.
Turning the O/D off forces it down to 3rd, not 2nd. If it's kicking down to 2nd, it would do so with the O/D turned on as well. Putting the pedal to the floor forces a kickdown to 2nd regardless (assuming you're not going too fast for 2nd).
On moderate grades, my X still manages to pick up speed if I turn the overdrive off early on. On really strong grades it will at least manage to hold speed. Rarely do I have to force a kickdown to 2nd, and when it does, the response isn't all that impressive but by that point it's too late, you've already lost the battle.

Brent

I can generally maintain speeds pretty well in the mountains, where I have problems are the long steady climbs. I end up getting passed by just about everything going up Vail pass or either side of the Eisenhower Tunnel. Granted they are both quite steep for interstate travel, but it can be frustrating, I fee your pain.

The light coming on at startup could be only a loose common wire for the warning indicator circuit...

As well it could be due to a fault in the transmission computer itself...

I would try to take it back to the dealer and "give them some time" to check it out. What I mean by this it to tell the service writer in no uncertain terms (politely) that you need the truck fixed, it is under warranty, and you are willing to give them some time to figure it out while the truck is there. With the truck in their shop they will have a hard time putting you off for weeks on end, and it will empower you if it is necessary to contact higher levels within the system.

I realize they said they would get back to you on the problem, but if you don't bug someone, they usually are too busy to remember to call people back...Unfortunately it's true, and I see it every day in this business.

Thanks for everyone's replies and by the way Brent, I appreciate your input and please don't be offended but I do know how to drive an automatic transmission with overdrive. I've owned both manual and automatic 4x4's in the past. As far as I can tell, the tranny has no problems and does not get hot; shifts very smoothly on-time and on-demand. It's the dissappointment in lack of acceleration from O/D to 3rd and from 3rd to 2nd gears during the moderate ascent operation that gave me cause for concern. The thing was holding its own, but with no increase in speed at all. The grade I would estimate, was about 7%. Even with the increase in horsepower over the old 3.3L's to 180hp, this truck still seems to lack on-road guts in a climb. I'm not unhappy and not really disappointed, just a bit surprised. It's a very quiet, smooth engine/tranny marriage and appears so far and from what I've been able to glean from several forums, a very strong and reliable power train unit.

No one has yet to say exactly where the A/T OIL O/H light is located on the instrument panel and wether or not this lamp stays on until the engine is started or is it a momentary-on type of indicator?

Thanks, again to all.