# CVT fluid service



## jamesd3rd (Jun 10, 2004)

I have a 2007 3.5L Altima that I bought used with 6500 miles in late '08. It has not had the CVT fluid replaced. It just passed 88K miles and since the manual says replacement should occur at 60K, it's overdue. The question I have has to do with the replacement process itself. There is all kinds of mixed advice on the subject. Some say just drain and refill. Others say do a complete flush to get all the fluid out. Some say Nissan advises against a complete flush and that they just do a drain and replace job. There was a Nissan Bulletin put out; NPSB/07-027 that advises against services using aftermarket flush systems as they can leave residue and solvents behind. I interpret that to mean some shops use some sort of machine to clean and flush the transmission system. But no mention is made about the flushing method when the inlet port hose is removed and fluid is run through the system until it runs clean. I'm looking for something that's pretty definitive since at this point CVT systems has been around a while and service shops should be very experienced with them.

Is just a drain and refill enough? If so, I can tackle this myself.

Is a total flush required? I realize this involves almost twice the CVT fluid since it is expelled in increments with equal amounts replaced and checked until it's clean.

Is original Nissan CVT fluid (the non-Hybrid variety for my car) still the way to go or are fluid makers producing comparable quality? If so, who are the recommended brands?


Thanks for your input.


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## altima2015 (Jun 30, 2015)

use Nissan fluid be sure to tell them what year it is, the newer yrs have a diff cvt fluid.
I had to drain and add and repeat as I did not have a drain plug on my 2010.not sure if my 15 has a drain bolt yet?


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

your vehicle may have a extended warranty (for the trans), so with that in mind, use the oem fluid and keep the documentation, just to be safe


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## jamesd3rd (Jun 10, 2004)

SPEEDO said:


> your vehicle may have a extended warranty (for the trans), so with that in mind, use the oem fluid and keep the documentation, just to be safe


Since I bought it used, I doubt the warranty transfers. So I don't think that applies to me. But I guess with all the chatter about what fluid to use even after all this time, I'll stick with Nissan CVT fluid.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

The CVT has an extended warranty of 10-years/120,000 miles, which ever comes first, for all 2003-2010 Nissan vehicles equipped with a CVT:

NissanAssist.com


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## clownshoes2 (Aug 7, 2015)

Just for information sake, I phoned my local Nissan Dealer (which is fairly reputable and not a bunch of crooks) and I was directed to the service manager who informed me that there is no need to service the transmission fluid. WTF? She literally talked me out of a service worth hundreds of dollars. I asked about Nissan warranty and checking the fluid in the case of repairs if there are problems with the transmission and I was told "Nissan checks to see if the CORRECT fluid is in the vehicle not if the fluid has been serviced". The service manager also told me there is about $500 worth of fluid in the tranny and that a full flush would be very costly. 

I told her I had 135K kilometers on my car and the manager said that even if I wanted a fluid service I wouldn't even be close to needing one and that Nissan has tested vehicles with 250K Kilometers and found that the CVT fluid is barely 20% worn.

I have no idea about the validity of these statements and thought I would run them up the flagpole here to get opinions...


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

According to the FSM, here's what it says: If towing a trailer, or using a car-top carrier, or driving on rough or muddy roads, inspect CVT fluid deterioration with Consult-III every
60,000 miles (96,000 km), then change the CVT fluid NS-2 if necessary.

If the fluid looks dirty, then it should be replaced. Do not do a transmission flush which Nissan recommends against.


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

above says "NS2" but there is also "NS3", be sure to use the correct fluid for your vehicle... just a heads up


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

So, basically, you need a Consult III or similarly capable generic scan tool to check your CVT fluid and see if it needs replacing. So much for the good ol' days of parking on a level surface and using your shirt to wipe off your dipstick!


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## clownshoes2 (Aug 7, 2015)

smj999smj said:


> So, basically, you need a Consult III or similarly capable generic scan tool to check your CVT fluid and see if it needs replacing. So much for the good ol' days of parking on a level surface and using your shirt to wipe off your dipstick!


But at the same time, It's nice knowing you don't have to do a flush every year for a few hundred dollars at a time.


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

usually just a drain & fill (about 5qts)


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## seldomseen (Sep 11, 2015)

The CVT change will just be a drain and fill. Keep in mind that a CVT drain and fill may cause your CVT to initiate its "adaptive learning" mode, which will cause your CVT to surge for several hundreds/thousands of miles until it's able to completely relearn your driving style. If this occurs after your CVT fluid change, you can ask the dealership to reprogram your CVT to reduce the surging affect, and minimize the amount of miles you'll need to drive before the CVT will adapt to your driving style and road conditions. (highway, city, hills, turns). If you experience this problem without the Check Engine light going on, you should be in good shape and shouldn't have anything to be concerned about. However, the adaptive learning process is extremely annoying, particularly in traffic, and can take a few thousand miles to finalize.


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