Sorry to make a new thread just for this but maybe others can jack this thread for quick answers also.

Im taking my car to Nissan dealership here in Columbia, MO today to have transmission fluid drained and filled (not flushed) and to have the a/c ?condenser? or something with the a/c cleaned b/c of the foul smell. My question is what fluid should they use for transmission so i make sure its the right one, also im going to buy clutch fluid while im there and change that out this weekend, is it dot 3 or 4 for clutch or brake fluid whatever you want to call it. If someone could answer those 2 questions before noon central time today that would be great. Im just really nervous about anyone servicing my car but me because i know that i do it right, i just dont have the tools to do what they are doing today. Thanks in advance!!

P.S- they are changing tranny fluid for $70, which i didnt think was bad, but a/c foam will be $120 but worth having it done right and having the smell gone

Summary: What fluid should dealership use for tranny fluid change
What fluid should i buy for clutch

 

Had you done a SEARCH here on DRIVER you would have discovered the foul smell you describe is probably from the in cabin filter, especially if it's never been changed. That's about a $40 job rather than what the stealership is charging you....and you'll still have the stinky smell. Replacing the fluid in your MT they'll use OE fluids, no worries!
Gary

 

i actually have done searching like craazy which is why i changed my cabin filter the first timem and after it still not affecting the smell i changed it 2 months later with a carbon activated filter and its been in my car for 5 days now and im still getting a moldy smell. Ive done all i can do with the cabin air filter. The dealership knows i just put in a fresh filter and said its not the filter its something interenal, which they said they will pump a foam into and clean it all out to brand new. but i really have search a ton, and i have came across several people saying thay had to have their a/c foamed and cleaned and it fixed it.

 

the reason im asking what fluids should be used becaue when i mentioned the clutch fluid to parts guy he gave me a funny look and said is it dot 3 or 4 and then i proceeded to tell him he's the parts guy which is why im asking him, so he went and grabbed a bottle of nissan o.e dot 3 fluid i believe, and i told him id wait on it, which is why im asking for help now.

 

clutch fluid is brake fluid, use redline manual tranny fluid or oem fluid

 

But is it dot 3 or 4

 

My car smells musty too.. I just run the heat for a little bit to dry it all out, seems to work but I wish I didn't have to do it.. lol

 

Man i feel your grief. I bought this car in Feb 2012 and its smelt since then, ive had it completely detailed twice now and it always comes back, its embarrassing when a friend gets in and says my car smells. So im to the point i dont care what it costs but i'll try anything. So i will update you later today on how it is once they are done.

 

Just got my car back, after the tanny fluid change it might just be me but the car just feels better, and the smell is completely gone! i put up with it for 5 months and had it detailed twice and nothing took the smell out till now. on the service record it read BG a/c system clean so if your car is smelling musty i suggest getting that done.

 

How long have you been in Como? I just transfered from mizzou to Collin College in Dallas. I really wasn't too impressed with that dealership. How was your experience?

 

Ive been here for a year but only had the car since Feb. MY experience wasnt to bad actually for first time getting service from a dealer. The parts counter didnt know ish about anything but the techs were pretty helpful and price wasnt to bad. $200 for tranny fluid change and BG a/c clean and complimentary wash and inside detail. overall i was impressed. Even though they did call and ask me if i wanted them to put new back tires on, or a new drive belt lol. I just shook my head and said no they are fine. I wouldnt have a problem taking it back again. Ya im at Mizzou also. When i say the parts guys didnt know anything its bc i asked them for clutch fluid for my car and they said ok, and i then asked them if they knew if it was dot 3 or 4 and they looked at me like i was speaking jibberish lol. So if you want parts from em u better know what u want b4 u get there.

 

Hey jgitt,

I actually have an appointment to drop my car off tomorrow morning at the dealer for the exact same smell issue... I' m sketchy about doing it too. I like doing things myself. Mine is covered by an extended warranty though(3rd party, not dealer) and I've called them and they said if they don't find the source of the smell, that the diagnostic charge won't be covered. I definitely don't want to dish out $100 or so out of pocket just for them to tell me they didnt find anything and still have a smelly car. Did the dealer actually tell you where this smell came from or what caused it? I will mention to them the "BG a/c system clean" but wanted to know if they told you why it happened or where it came from. Also, would it be a good idea to change my cabin air filter after they do the system cleaning? Just in case the smell is in the filter too... Thanks for your help

 

Yea i walked into the dealership and told them i had a bad smell in my g35 and they took the words out of my mouth and said is it a wet dog or musty smell? and my jaw dropped and i was like yes that exactly what it is. They told me it was the "condenser" i believe. Ive seen a thread or 2 on here about it but the cleanin involves them drilling a hole somewhere and pumping in the foam and then an additional chemical to clean it out so i didnt attempt it on my own. They said it is caused by when you run your a/c and the cold air condenses into water droplets in the condenser and then you shut your car off and the water sits there and molds or gets stagnet. yes i would highly suggest changing your filter after or even take one in and have them change it while its in. I changed mine 2 days or so before i got mine cleaned and the old filter was horrible smelling. I would reccomend getting the carbon activated one but oem will work fine to. If you wait to change your filter until after they clean it you may be disappointed when they get done and until you change it. I like immediate results so i had a new filter in there so when it was done i would be able to tell a difference. And 3 days later my car is still fresh smelling with no more smell! Wish i wouldve done it along time ago.....

 

That was my next question.. How's it smell now? lol. I also have cleaned the car thoroughly and the smell just comes back like you said. ok so it sounds like this will do the trick then. I wanted to know what else they did besides clean out the air system with the foam stuff because tonight i went to Auto Zone to get the new cabin air filter and they sell the foam there. But if they did some kind of drilling as well I'm not gonna mess with all that. I'll put the new filter in before I drop it off in the morning. Thanks for your help man

 

Smells kinda like windex now, then i put an air freshner in there and it finally smells like the air freshner, not just like its masking the smell. Ya i had my car shampooed twice and still didnt take smell out which is why i finally went this route, i figured it was worth a shot. Not a problem i'll help if i can. Keep me updated id like to know if it works for you too.