My 04 5AT is at the 40,000 mark and i was doing some research on how i can go about changing my tranny fluid. i called a couple places and they said they can't do it for an automatic because it is a sealed transmission. Can someone please enlighten me? Thanx for your help!

 

Well i got a flush done @ AAMCO Transmission. there should be a local shop where you live, try and do an online search. I did it for the hell of it as I really didnt need it, but what the heck! Anyway, i paid $150 + J-matic at dealer for $10 a quart, which you need 8-9 of =). If you do a simple drain and fill you will only drain about 3-4 quarts of tranny fluid. You will have to repeat this step in 2-3 week intervals depending on how often or long you drive your car. The point is to get your fluid looking as close to brand new J-matic color which is cherry red. BTW ONLY USE J-MATIC FLUID PLEASE!!!!! Good luck.

 

I read somewhere that it is not a good idea to do a transmission flush on a sealed transmission. something about it releasing a bunch of particles and eventually ending up in a clauge somewhere. I was also advised not to drain my own transmission fluid because there is no way to measure the fluid amount unless you have a proper machine. Any truth to any of the info i just wrote?

Has anyone else changed there own tranny fluid?

 

Never heard of NOt doing a flush on a "sealed trans". Where are they getting this from? I have never heard of these things and its just odd.... Can someone else come up with some technical info please? He is kind of scaring me with this clauge in my trans and the release of particles thing.... Did i do something wrong by flushing my tranny?
As far as drain, you can do you own drains for sure. Yes there is a way to measure the fluid, thats why we have the dipstick for the trans. You have to turn on your car and let it get to operating temp, then you check the fluid for level. You should be 3/4 between empty and full, or closer, just never over the level as you will bust your seals.
I think this shop is talking madddddd ish dude, idk who you are getting this info from but i have never heard of that before, which is kind of scary. Hope i can get some back up on this guys!

 

There's a whole section in the service manual on "flushing" the transmission. It's not a big deal to do, as long as you follow the directions, and make sure you fill it back up to the proper amount. As with any fluid, the Matic J will become oxidized/burned over time and need to be replaced. I did it (at the dealer) at 30k, 60k, but missed the 90k miles interval. I'm not sure what those "clogs" are that you're referring to. I don't think our transmissions are capable of having strokes, but I could be mistaken.

 

Although transmissions are considered sealed because the fluid is not exposed to combustion and air like the engine, our transmission is not considered to be a sealed unit that cannot have the fluid changed. That refers to European cars mostly, such as jaguar, VW, Volvo and BMW. However all cars benefit from regular fluid flushes or at least a drain and fill. The urban myth about a flush stirring up clutch particles etc is a myth unless your tranny is so neglected it should not be flushed. There are magnets in the pan that catch most of that stuff and a window screen like filter. It does not hurt to instll a Magnefine inline filter on the cooler return line ( this is the 3/8 size hose leaving the lower radiator on the driver side that returns cooled transmission fluid back to the unit.) See www.emergingent.com

If the unit has over 50,000 miles, the fluid is black and gunky and smells bad it should not be flushed. Then the transmission is on borrowed time and will fail soon and a flush will just speed things up.

I would think even those allegedly sealed units can be serviced.

 

i need to do mine soon, is ther a DIPSTICK to check it , or is it concealed ?

 

It is behind the engine near the firewall at the center of the car. There is a tube sticking up with a cap held down by a 10mm bolt. Take off the bolt to get at the transmission dipstick.

 

THANKS!

 

Those magnetic ones are good too. But I installed this http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

on mine when I did the 30K flush. I now have 94K on it and the tranny shifts perfect and smooth as new. I just change the Purolator PureOne filter every 15K and then change the fluid every 30K. The fluid always looks great even at 30K (perfectly clear). The PureOne filters are about the best out there for the price (98% efficiency).

 

Thread hijack. I'm a newb at this. Although I'm not a new changing tranny fluid I have changed the fluid of my camaro's tranny many times. I just need to know where everything is. ( dipstick tube, drain plug, tranny filter) Tranny dipstick tube is under the engine cover right?

 

The correct term isn't sealed, but "self-contained." It means that the transmission does not have external lines that connect to a heat exchanger. This is very common with some of the newest Aisin Warner, ZF and Honda automatics. They can still be serviced with a traditional pan drop and filter change, but it is difficult to "flush" the unit with a machine.

It's a myth that changing the fluid on a failing transmission will cause it to fail sooner. New fluid can only help as long as it is the correct fluid for the application. At worst, it cannot cause it to fail sooner.

In addition, 50,000 miles is a fairly short interval for transmission fluid. OEMs routinely test the factory fill to over 100,000 miles under severe service. It is not uncommon in the newer transmissions for the fluid to outlast the unit itself.

 

Forgive my ignorance -- but I've never changed tranny fluid (ever). I have owned 3 cars that have well over 100,000 miles and they have never had a problem shifting or had their tranny fluid changed. That being said, I'm about to change mine in the G (87,000) and want to make sure I do it the correct way. I've heard alot of discussion about draining/refilling vs flushing -- and even some people saying leave it alone. The manual says to drain it with the engine idling ... is this for a full flush, or is that for the drain? Which one should I do?

Sorry for the stupid question :P

 

A complete drain and flush is a good investment about every 50k miles.
It'll keep your tranny happy and trouble free.

Be sure to specify Nissan Type 'J' if you don't go to Nissan or Infiniti for the service.

C.

 

Correct, a complete flush and fill should be performed whenever the transmission is serviced, NOT a drain and refill of the pan. Genuine Nissan Matic J should be used, not a equivalent. Do not add any cleaning or conditioning additives either.