Blue04SEinIL

I had my trans fluid changed today and it cost me $150 to change 4 quarts of trans fluid! OUCH!!! The kicker too is the whole tranny holds about 14 quarts total so they only changed about a little more than a quarter of the fluid. The 04's and 05's cannot be flushed so they only can be drained and refilled. Also, the manual states you must use Nissan's K-matic fluid which I paid about $14 a quart for

The dealer charged me $80 in labor which is a complete ripoff. I'm definitely going to do it myself next time, but I guess I still have no choice but to buy Nissans fluid.

2002 Maxima SE

iTrader: (3)

Not true. They can be flushed like any other car, by removing the cooling lines.

MaximumMike

I was thinking the same thing.

Monotaur

Hmmm... how many miles are on your Max? Didn't we have a discussion here before about the tranny not needing to be flushed for a long, long time? And I think lightonthehill pointed out that even on the "Schedule 2" maintenance plan, that a flushing is never scheduled?

lightonthehill

Monotaur - My, you have a good memory.

You are correct about Nissan's maintenance schedules II and III not even scheduling a tranny fluid change. The idea there is to avoid this expensive chore unless needed. There are actually some studies that tend to show that, unlike oil changes, changing tranny fluid too often may not be the best thing for the tranny.

Nissan's plan is for the tech to check the fluid at 15K intervals, and, at the first sign the fluid is less than perfect, he will recommend a fluid change. The tech will go by smell, looks, color, etc.

I would not suggest going indefinitely without changing tranny fluid. My opinion (worthless to most) is that borderline ***** with lots of cash (or those driving in very tough conditions) should think in terms of 20K to 25K between changes.

Those who drive in normal conditions and simply wish to 'baby' their Maxima should think in terms of 30K between changes (Nissan's 'premium' maintenance schedule).

For those who drive in normal conditions and are careful with their money, 40K between changes is not at all unreasonable. I drove an '85 Maxima over 206,000 miles while changing the tranny fluid every 75K, and never had the first tranny problem. Of course, I would not do that now. I plan to change every 40K, unless the tech finds reason to do it sooner.

At that very reasonable interval, I can afford to have the dealer do it.

SilverMax_04

As usual, "light" is correct on change interval based on type of driving you do.

Given that you can't easily flush the tranny and thus are only changing about 28.5% of the total tranny fluid, you certainly don't want to mix a different fluid in with the old -- so stick with the Nissan fluid.

2002 Maxima SE

iTrader: (3)

Oil, Tranny Fluid, Brake Fluid all have a compatability chart on the back. You can mix whatever is acceptable.

SilverMax_04

Yes, you can mix them, and your trannie will not fall apart. I'm suggesting that you would be smarter not to mix them and stay with the Nissan fluid. This fluid is needed to maintain your Nissan warranty. Also, using exactly the same fluid simply makes sense, rather than putting in 28.5% of a somewhat different fluid.

2002 Maxima SE

iTrader: (3)

For warranty period I would agree. But can you further explain your statement above?

SilverMax_04

All fluid lubricants (that are not synthetic) are made up of petroleum components of somewhat different compositions plus different additives to produce a composition fluid that performs according to predetermined minimum specifications. The differences (as discussed above) in manufacturing these fluids between different companies produces slightly different compositions that are all supposed to meet the minimum specifications for that fluid. (And some will only meet the minimum specs, while others will exceed the minimum specs.) If you can remove most of the earlier fluid (like in an oil change) so that most of the total fluid is the new fluid (again, like an oil change), there will not be much effect seen because of the slight differences between the old and new fluid. But, if you can only replace 28.5% of the fluid, it would be much better to replace it with the same fluid that represents the other 71.5% of the total fluid that will remain in the transmission.

I worked for an oil company for 35 years before I retired. The above is based on what I understand about lubricants based on talking with the lubricant experts at that company. There may be others on this site who can do a better job of explaining this situation.

2002 Maxima SE

iTrader: (3)

Excellent post. Thank you.

Blue04SEinIL

My tranny did apparently need it according to the tech. I have 42000 miles on my car. He said the fluid was dark and I should have it changed again at 60k. As for as removing cooling lines to flush it...I'm sure its possible, but so is removing the whole tranny and changing it that way too. Its just a matter of how much would that cost. I called 2 Nissan dealers and neither offered the option of a flush by removing cooling lines or otherwise. Now apparently this only applies to the 5 speed auto. The 4 speed auto that was sold on the 04 SL's are different. They can use a different fluid as well.

licnyc

Just want to know if tranny filter was part of oil change or even if the max has one?

NIKV69

Am I reading this post right? Nissan can or can not flush the entire tranny? I mean I check my tranny fluid and by 25K will probably have it changed but if you don't remove all the old fluid isn't it a waste? Mixing in a small amount of new tranny fluid to old tranny fluid will do nothing. Lightonthehill? What do you think? Any Nissan Techs here?

turboast4

This is the common proceedure for "powerflushing" the transmission. A machine is hooked up in-line with the cooler lines. The machine puts new fluid in as it takes the old stuff out with the engine running. This can cost between $60-$80 depending on the shop, and takes about 20min to half an hour to complete the process. Some cars, however, respond better to just a drain and fill, so follow recommendations.

lightonthehill

NIKV69 - I have the same question you do. I have seen nothing in any documentation that would indicate anything less than all the tranny fluid being replaced.

Nissan seems to feel the 4 speed auto tranny (early SLs) is like other auto trannys and can use any brand fluid and maintain warranty. But not the 5 speed.

My interpretation of Nissan's manuals indicates that, with the 5 speed auto, during normal service visits, the service tech will simply check for fluid level, color, smell, turbidity, purity, etc, and make a decision if the fluid needs changing. Nowhere does it mention changing only a portion of the fluid. that would indeed be very strange.

Nissan says the owner has the responsibility of visually checking for tranny leaks at specified intervals (15K), and, if towing a trailer, using a camper or cartop carrier or driving on rough or muddy roads, replace the fluid every 30K or 24 months.

I am going to take Nissan's advice and follow the service tech's recommendation, at least up to 40K. If no fluid change has been suggested by then, I will probably go ahead and have it changed anyway.

SilverMax_04

My earlier posts on this thread were based on a report here that the fluid was drained and changed by the dealer with only 4 Qts being replaced in a trannie that takes 14 quarts when empty. Based on math, that works out to changing only 28.5% of the fluid. Elsewhere on this thread it was said that this trannie could not be flushed. Seems funny to me, but what do I know about this particular auto-trannie -- I drive a 6-speed manual.

I have an auto-tech savvy friend who says that when he changes his auto-trannie fluid (in a Ford Explorer), he runs the engine to flush all of the old trannie fluid out. This probably works well, but you would need to be certain not to run the engine for very long or you could burn up the trannie due to lack of lubrication in the trannie.

NIKV69

Lightonthehill and Silvermax04,

Thanks for the info! I check mine every oil change and will look to have the fluid changed around 25-30K. You have to also remember that there are very few people that drive under "normal driving conditions" My Max sees it all. Stop and go, idling, highway, cross country and tempatures from both ends of the spectrum. This is why I believe in changing both oil and tranny fluid more frequently. I will research this a bit and continue it here. I only have 6000 miles on my car so I have a ways to go before tranny service.

SilverMax_04

Short of not starting you car (no miles), the easiest miles for any car are the long highway and cross country miles. That kind of driving is easy on both the engine oil and the trannie fluid. Also, once you engine and auto trannie has warmed to operating temps, they don't care if the outside temp is 85 or below zero. Once you get above about 85 degrees, the auto trannie fluid starts to see higher temps, which the fluid does not like. My Olds auto trannie crapped out in the middle of Missouri when the outside temp was 100. Engine oil is built to stand higher operating temps, and synthetic oil will resist these higher temps better than dino.

In fact I've long believed that engine oil should be changed based on hours of engine operation rather than the miles a car has driven. That way stop and go driving versus highway driving would be better accounted for. The Max's computer keeps track of the hours of engine operation, but as long as you are under warranty, you had better change oil based on mileage. Since I keep these records, I will check to see how many hours of engine operation are needed to go say 7,500 miles cruising at about 75 mph. Then I can use that operating time to see when I need to change (based on operating time) when I'm not highway cruising.

Blue04SEinIL

While giving my car an oil change today (Mobil 1 of course) I finally got a chance to take a look at how the trans fluid is drained and its pretty easy to get at the drain plug, but to get it off it looks like it takes a 10mm hex wrench. The hex wrench's I have are your typical 90 degree angle and are way too short to make enough torque to get the plug off so I'll have to buy one that attaches to a socket wrench. At $80 a pop just in labor to have the dealer change the fluid, I think it will be a good investment.