# should I have extra maintenance items done which were identified when doing recall?



## stelly (2 mo ago)

Brought my 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 S in to dealership to have secondary hatch replaced as part of a recall. I have had bad experience with upsells from dealership service centers in the past, so only brought it there because obviously work done free as part of recall. They did a multi-point inspection and made several recommendations for items that are not in the service manual. I have followed the manual exactly, but it does place some doubt since it seems like some of the items they identified were part of work on my last Altima, a 2004, if memory serves around the 60 K mark.

Here are the extra items they mentioned. Wondering people's opinions on whether these items (which I've never done before since not in manual) might be legitimate.

1) coolant system fluid exchange
2) BG transmission service
3) BG 3 part fuel induction service
4) air conditioning evaporative service

I'm bringing it in to my regular mechanic next week for routine maintenance, so wondering if I need to add any of these items to the list.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

One of the most important service items to be performed is to *replace the CVT fluid every 30,000 mi.* When the fluid stays in too long, the chemical properties of the fluid get compromised and it can no longer provide the unique frictional properties required that's so needed between the steel belt and the cones. You can generally deduce that by looking at the fluid; if it's very dark brown and has a burnt odor, it's shot! Anybody who believes the advertising about "lifetime fluid" is doomed to a dead tranny around 100K, maybe less.


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## stelly (2 mo ago)

thanks so much for that info.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

1).what is current mileage??
2) what is "BG"?
3) fuel induction service is "usually" just dumping a bottle of cleaner in the gas tank...unless they can tell you otherwise.
4) AFAIK A/C should not need any regular servicing...unless it is not performing well.

Rogoman,
Is that a Nissan specific CVT thing?? I have 3 cvt subarus with 55k miles, 80k, and 110k...never serviced any of their CVT's and none of them have any tranny symptoms.. I am highly mechanically savvy and preventative maint oriented....doesn't mean I know everything. Not saying it is a bad thing to change the fluid out...but every 30k miles??? Does Nissan actually specify/recommend that??


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

piste said:


> 1).what is current mileage??
> 2) what is "BG"?
> 3) fuel induction service is "usually" just dumping a bottle of cleaner in the gas tank...unless they can tell you otherwise.
> 4) AFAIK A/C should not need any regular servicing...unless it is not performing well.
> ...


The Nissan FSM (MA section) specifies the following for the CVT:
"(1) Use only Genuine NISSAN CVT fluid. If towing a trailer, using a camper or a car-top carrier or driving on rough or muddy roads,
inspect CVT fluid deterioration at NISSAN dealer every 60,000 miles (96,000 km), then change CVT fluid if necessary. And if the
inspection is not performed, change (not just inspect) CVT fluid every 60,000 miles (96,000 km). Using transmission fluid other than
Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid will damage the CVT, which is not covered by the NISSAN new vehicle limited warranty."

However the consensus of most knowledgeable members here on the forum and many Nissan dealers say to replace the CVT fluid every 30,000 MI; even more often under severe driving conditions. Reason being when the fluid stays in too long, the chemical properties of the fluid get compromised and it can no longer provide the unique frictional properties required that's so needed between the steel belt and the cones. You can generally deduce that by looking at the fluid; if it's very dark brown and has a burnt odor, it's shot! Anybody who believes the advertising about "lifetime fluid" is doomed to a dead tranny around 100K, maybe less.


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## Thommo455 (8 mo ago)

stelly said:


> Brought my 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 S in to dealership to have secondary hatch replaced as part of a recall. I have had bad experience with upsells from dealership service centers in the past, so only brought it there because obviously work done free as part of recall. They did a multi-point inspection and made several recommendations for items that are not in the service manual. I have followed the manual exactly, but it does place some doubt since it seems like some of the items they identified were part of work on my last Altima, a 2004, if memory serves around the 60 K mark.
> 
> Here are the extra items they mentioned. Wondering people's opinions on whether these items (which I've never done before since not in manual) might be legitimate.
> 
> ...



Good luck with any Nissan Altima or many other Nissan vehicles BUILT BETWEEN 2012 AND 2018 - you will need all the luck you can get. My Nissan Altima CVT just needed replacement at a cost of $6,600.00 by an independent Transmission specialist when Nissan service quoted $14,000.00 - my car had done a little under 52,000 kilometers - I have found Nissan service USELESS AND UNPROFESSIONAL

A LITTLE EXTRA INFO
BEWARE OF NISSANS FAULTY CVT TRANSMISSIONS - The Nissan CVT transmissions were fitted to any number of vehicles from 2012 to 2018. Several models of Nissan vehicles received the transmission, including the Sentra, Versa, Versa Note, Altima, Rogue, and Murano models. I live in Australia and own two Nissans; a 2015 Murano and a 2015 Altima TiS. The transmission in my Altima recently literally fell apart after just 52,000 klms. I later discussed the matter with two independent transmission specialists who both described the CVT as "lemons", The transmission was repaired by one of the specialists at a cost of AU $6,500.00 - what a joke that a car so young would cost this much in repairs. I wrote to the General Manager Australia regarding the extreme costs involved but of course they have rejected any of my claim. To add insult to injury they naturally outsource all their work to NZ - the reply I received might as well have been written by a 2 year old


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

Nissans were the goods in the 80s and 90s...after that...not so much. Though I am intrigued by the new Z. I had a 1997 pathfinder that I got 20 years out of. loved that thing. Now...all Subaru.


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## bobsgreyone (4 mo ago)

Thommo455 said:


> Good luck with any Nissan Altima or many other Nissan vehicles BUILT BETWEEN 2012 AND 2018 - you will need all the luck you can get. My Nissan Altima CVT just needed replacement at a cost of $6,600.00 by an independent Transmission specialist when Nissan service quoted $14,000.00 - my car had done a little under 52,000 kilometers - I have found Nissan service USELESS AND UNPROFESSIONAL
> 
> A LITTLE EXTRA INFO
> BEWARE OF NISSANS FAULTY CVT TRANSMISSIONS - The Nissan CVT transmissions were fitted to any number of vehicles from 2012 to 2018. Several models of Nissan vehicles received the transmission, including the Sentra, Versa, Versa Note, Altima, Rogue, and Murano models. I live in Australia and own two Nissans; a 2015 Murano and a 2015 Altima TiS. The transmission in my Altima recently literally fell apart after just 52,000 klms. I later discussed the matter with two independent transmission specialists who both described the CVT as "lemons", The transmission was repaired by one of the specialists at a cost of AU $6,500.00 - what a joke that a car so young would cost this much in repairs. I wrote to the General Manager Australia regarding the extreme costs involved but of course they have rejected any of my claim. To add insult to injury they naturally outsource all their work to NZ - the reply I received might as well have been written by a 2 year old


Sounds like you’re well versed and know the ins and outs of Nissan service, with your remarks.

Too ad your vast knowledge of Nissan didn’t get you a free transmission, as well.


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## Thommo455 (8 mo ago)

bobsgreyone said:


> Sounds like you’re well versed and know the ins and outs of Nissan service, with your remarks.
> 
> Too ad your vast knowledge of Nissan didn’t get you a free transmission, as well.


Thanks for that but Nissan are not at all helpful when it comes to customer service and backing up their own product - they may do so in the future as i am having a magnetic sign made up WHICH WILL CLEARLY INDICATE THAT MY ALTIMA IS INDEED A LEMON - I will drive all over Australia if need be until they decide to have another look at my VERY JUSTIFIABLE CONCERNS


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## stelly (2 mo ago)

Thanks for all of the replies. My car has 100K on it. I appreciate the reminder that just because it's not in the manual doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done. I will definitely have my mechanic look at all of the fluids. Lucky to have an honest one. Any one feel that the coolant should be replaced?


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

stelly said:


> Thanks for all of the replies. My car has 100K on it. I appreciate the reminder that just because it's not in the manual doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done. I will definitely have my mechanic look at all of the fluids. Lucky to have an honest one. Any one feel that the coolant should be replaced?


Any decent mechanic can inspect and even test coolant. have them do that and go from there.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

IMO the coolant should be replaced at least every two years in order to keep it clean. If the coolant system starts to run extra hot, it may cause the CVT to overheat; creating possible damage.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

rogoman said:


> IMO the coolant should be replaced at least every two years in order to keep it clean. If the coolant system starts to run extra hot, it may cause the CVT to overheat; creating possible damage.


Nah. Much too aggressive maint schedule IMO. Bottom line OP...you say your mechanic is "good"...if so...follow their guidance and Nissan recommendations...not SGOTI (some guys on the internet). For one thing....does the Altima even have a tranny cooler? If not...main coolant temp is not all that directly correlated AFAIK. Secondly...should the coolant get hotter than it should your dash indicators and OBD codes will tell you well in advance of any damage. Look up Nissan recommendation for your car and follow that.



rogoman said:


> The Nissan FSM (MA section) specifies the following for the CVT:
> "(1) Use only Genuine NISSAN CVT fluid. If towing a trailer, using a camper or a car-top carrier or driving on rough or muddy roads,
> inspect CVT fluid deterioration at NISSAN dealer every 60,000 miles (96,000 km), then change CVT fluid if necessary. And if the
> inspection is not performed, change (not just inspect) CVT fluid every 60,000 miles (96,000 km). Using transmission fluid other than
> ...


So it would appear the FSM/Nissan specifies no CVT fluid change requirement under normal driving conditions. Under normal driving conditions I would not hesitate to even think about CVT fluid until at least 10 years or 100K miles....maybe not even then. And as I have said...in general I am VERY aggressive about main of all my vehicles.


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

piste said:


> So it would appear the FSM/Nissan specifies no CVT fluid change requirement under normal driving conditions. Under normal driving conditions I would not hesitate to even think about CVT fluid until at least 10 years or 100K miles....maybe not even then. And as I have said...in general I am VERY aggressive about main of all my vehicles.


The reason CVT's have such a crap reputation is _exactly_ because of those BS recommendations. They're based on keeping "official cost of ownership" low and not what's best for the vehicle. If you give a crap about your CVT, change at 30K like a religion.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

VStar650CL said:


> The reason CVT's have such a crap reputation is _exactly_ because of those BS recommendations. They're based on keeping "official cost of ownership" low and not what's best for the vehicle. If you give a crap about your CVT, change at 30K like a religion.


Ha. The reason the internet has such a bad reputation is because of posts like that. So you are saying that manufacturers are deliberately sacrificing overall quality reputations of their vehicles in favor of a perceived potential very slight reduction in cost of ownership? Ludicrous. Further..CVT replacement has a much more negative impact on cost of ownership than a (unnecessary) cvt fluid change in the first place. Secondly, neither myself nor any or the various auto enthusiasts I know have ever heard of bad CVT reputations in general..or is this a Nissan thing? I have 3 cvt vehicles..subarus..who like Nissan have zero default cvt fluid change recommendation.


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

piste said:


> So you are saying that manufacturers are deliberately sacrificing overall quality reputations of their vehicles in favor of a perceived potential very slight reduction in cost of ownership?


Yes. I'm a Nissan tech, I can't speak about other manufacturers. I see dead Jatco CVT's every single day, and 95% of them die from old fluid.



piste said:


> CVT replacement has a much more negative impact on cost of ownership than a (unnecessary) cvt fluid change in the first place.


No OE includes frequency or cost of post-warranty repairs in the cost of ownership. What's "ludicrous" is your assertion.



piste said:


> Secondly, neither myself nor any or the various auto enthusiasts I know have ever heard of bad CVT reputations in general..or is this a Nissan thing? I have 3 cvt vehicles..subarus..who like Nissan have zero default cvt fluid change recommendation.


I can't speak for 'Ru's, but if you know thing-one about CVT's, then you know the belts run metal-on-metal. The _only_ thing preventing metal from meeting metal is the quality of the fluid. So the equation is exceedingly simple, when the fluid dies, so does the tranny. There are horror stories about early failure all over the net, and if you haven't seen any then you aren't looking very hard.


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## SparkPlug (5 mo ago)

stelly said:


> Brought my 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 S in to dealership to have secondary hatch replaced as part of a recall. I have had bad experience with upsells from dealership service centers in the past, so only brought it there because obviously work done free as part of recall. They did a multi-point inspection and made several recommendations for items that are not in the service manual. I have followed the manual exactly, but it does place some doubt since it seems like some of the items they identified were part of work on my last Altima, a 2004, if memory serves around the 60 K mark.
> 
> Here are the extra items they mentioned. Wondering people's opinions on whether these items (which I've never done before since not in manual) might be legitimate.
> 
> ...


hi ,
I see the coolant as a major "needs changing" not sure what the "BG" means but trans every 30K keeps you very safe .fuel injection service , I just put chevron Techron every 30K miles. Not sure what evaporator service means but change the cabin air filter your self for sure . 
good luck , let us kmow


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## Chuckh (2 mo ago)

I agree one hundred percent that they try to make them look like they need little or no maintenance. It is common for any auto maker to say things like "the fluid lasts the life of the vehicle" or "it is a sealed unit and the fluid can't be changed". I have a feeling that deceptive marketing is to make everything look more attractive to people less mechanically inclined and also those on a tight budget. They one day get a rude awakening from their dealer service department in the form of a repair bill that is more than the car is worth. In my opinion it doesn't help when a certain part such as a CVT transmission is known to be troublesome. In all fairness however, a lot of automatic transmissions can be just as bad. I also find it to be appalling they recommend 60,000 miles when some owners of them are lucky to make it to 30,000 miles. With the inflation everywhere the last thing anyone needs or wants is to have to shop for a replacement vehicle.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

Moral of this story...do not buy a Nissan CVT if that is how their CVT's roll and require maint. My Subes don't have a service interval for CVT fluid other than periodic check and they run fine. No gear confusion, solid smooth shifting. Do I believe CVT fluid lasts life of the vehicle? Absolutely not. Change it every 30k religiously? not me on my subes anyway. And for those arguing that manufacturers are being overly self serving by not specifying more frequent CVT fluid changes...that makes no sense to me. Why? Well...if they were being unduly self serving they would recommend CVT fluid changes MUCH more often like every 15k miles. Why? They make more money AND address their apparent manufacturing deficiencies vs competitors. As for the cost of ownership issue..also a non-starter. People as a matter of practice do NOT in my experience compare cost of ongoing ownership when shopping for cars. And they certainly do not ask the sales guy how often CVT fluid needs changed and what does that cost? To sum up..if what some are posting is the reality of Nissan CVTs...I suggest avoiding them as this is not the case with other manufacturers... at least not Subes. Gotta stop in soon to see my good friend who is head tech at a highly regarded local Nissan dealer. Will report back. Peace.


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Yah, trouble free. Peace, Bud.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

Ballpark..what is cost of a cvt fluid change? And how long does it take and what percentage of fluid actually gets replaced?


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

piste said:


> Ballpark..what is cost of a cvt fluid change? And how long does it take and what percentage of fluid actually gets replaced?


On a Nissan about half the fluid gets voided, most of them hold between 8~9 quarts dry. Takes about 25 minutes using the leveling plug and getting it up to temperature with a low-grade converter stall. Dealer charges for it are admittedly outrageous, Nissan gets almost $25/qt for NS. I think our dealership gets $275 for fluid+labor. It's basically a car payment for a damn fluid change, which is why Nissan (and other OE's) try to minimize it. You can get out for less than half the cost of the fluid by using a quality aftermarket fluid like Eneos or AMSoil, so DIY will cost you under $50.


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## Chuckh (2 mo ago)

VStar650CL said:


> Subaru CVT Transmission Problems - Are all Subaru Models Affected?
> 
> 
> Subaru is a very popular auto brand in the U.S. and around the world. When it comes to buying a vehicle, reliability and safety are top priorities for many consumers. Subaru has consistently been recognized as a reliable brand, receiving numerous awards and consistently earning top scores for...
> ...


I read a review on fluid while looking for an alternative to Nissan NS3 and one person had a Subaru and had problems after using Valvoline CVT fluid. I don't know if he just had bad luck or what. The fluid would be for my 2017 Rogue Sport SV. Did anyone have good luck with Aisin ATF-NS3? I found a place to get it cheaply enough and ordered a case yesterday night. I also ordered the cartridge filter for the cooler. I did make sure there is a seal included. The way it is with those fluids it is probably relabeled Idemitsu or Eneos fluid. I am not aware of any manufacturer who actually makes their own fluid. If they did the cost of it may be even worse. Interestingly I found the new Pathfinders are coming with 9 speed transmissions. When I found that out I asked the dealer why and he didn't say there was a problem with the CVTs, they just did it so it can haul more. I am not the sort of person who hauls much in my vehicles aside from a few items from the store. I am 98% of the time the only one in the vehicle and I like it that way, no distractions or backseat drivers to make me crash.


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

Chuckh said:


> Did anyone have good luck with Aisin ATF-NS3?


I have one customer using Aisin and it's doing okay. Same deal as the Valvoline, no noticeable "whine" reduction. I haven't checked who's making NS3 for Nissan these days, but I have a sneaking suspicion the Aisin fluid _is_ Nissan NS3.

Vis the new 9-speeds, we're all hoping they don't come with their own set of headaches. The 7-speeds in the gen2 Titans had some awful teething problems with software, and the 9-speed Titans and Frontiers already have a parking pawl recall that's hardware and software. Plus, that tranny has a magnesium housing and aluminum bolts (ugh), which means the bolts are all coated and non-reusable. Not a picnic!


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

Chuckh said:


> I read a review on fluid while looking for an alternative to Nissan NS3 and one person had a Subaru and had problems after using Valvoline CVT fluid. I don't know if he just had bad luck or what.


You can only give so much credence to reviews unless there's a lot of detail. People wait until the tranny misbehaves and then hope a fluid change will help. Often it does, but just as often they waited too long. DIYers overfilling their CVT's is another frequent killer, and that isn't the fluid's fault. So some amount of salt grains are called for when checking out fluid reviews.


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## Chuckh (2 mo ago)

VStar650CL said:


> You can only give so much credence to reviews unless there's a lot of detail. People wait until the tranny misbehaves and then hope a fluid change will help. Often it does, but just as often they waited too long. DIYers overfilling their CVT's is another frequent killer, and that isn't the fluid's fault. So some amount of salt grains is called for when checking out fluid reviews.


I just happened to see that and was glad not to have been him. As for the 9 speed automatic time will tell. I was a Volkswagen owner before I got the Nissan and the VW 09G was not the best either. It would have been the best car I ever had if they could get that right. It had a 2.5 and no turbo so a very good engine design. It would have been more fun to drive if it would shift when expected. I have now inherited my mother's Nissan and no more jerky shifts! I find is very seriously ironic that a car with a transmission made by Aisin, partly Toyota owned could be so unreliable! I am NO Toyota fan but I know they can be really reliable. I once rented a 2001 Corolla and I thought around here with the hills the dang thing would blow up! I am glad it was a rental and not my vehicle!! It was also uncomfortable as all heck! So far I like the Nissan, it is comfortable and no problems yet.


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