I have run Redline D4 ATF since 32,173. When I put my built motor in I did a 11qt full flush. I did another 11qt full flush at 55,416. I now have 72,637, so thats over 36k on the D4 and no issues. I run a B&M cooler and B&M eternal filter that uses a FRAM HP1 oil filter. My set up is a bit extreme, but I have not had any reliability or drive ability issues. When I part the car out in the distant future I will use the Castrol J equivalent with out worry.

Dave, I'm sure it is cost for most. As for Nissan I bet its a warranty issue for them to CYA. I'm sure lots of "homers" at your neighborhood shop think ATF is ATF and put generic fluid in our cars. But D4 and the Castrol import meet the spec. I also believe Nissan likes the revenue from their fluids.

 

A trans cooler seems like a decent upgrade to me...I'd put a trans cooler in before adding a filter.

I run the matic s. I still have power train warranty, and I know that if something happens to the trans they test and have voided warranty for not running matic s. Of course I would think that would violate magnusson-moss?

I'll prob still run matic sin the future. Not worth it to me to take the risk for an extra few bucks.

 

nissan and other companies put on what they believe is needed for normal driving. If you look at SUV with a tow package, they normally come with the obvious hitch and stuff but they will come with a trans cooler or a bigger one then stock. This isn't offered on a non-tow package because it wouldn't ever need it and waste money.

I think pretty much the companies goal is get it past the warranty. If you made a car that can and will last 100k why not make the warranty up to that.

Like daveb stated, the car does have an existing filter that does a decent job, that $25 filter might be overkill, do it if you want to but know that its not a must have. A trans cooler will be a lot more useful. About 80% of Auto trans failures are heat related.

 

I have had my G since new Dec, 2002 and it has 143,000 miles on it now. During the 60K warranty, I had the two 30K full fluid exchanges done at the dealer just for rock solid proof of proper service. At about 90K, I was under there anyway installing a remote oil filter for the motor, so I did the same for the trans.

I am using the Purolator PureOne PL30001 on both which has about 3.5X the filtering area of the OEM filter. This is important if you are going to run an in-line on the tranny since that loop is the only way the unit is cooled. If you restrict that flow with a small filter, guess what? I go large on the motor because I use 15K mile oil change intervals and the filter is the weak link, not the oil (assuming you are using a top synth).

Is going in-line on the trans overkill? Probably. But I will tell you that I cut open the filter after the 1st 15K interval, and it had quite a bit of particulate in it. Not metallic, but kind of a brownish film. Probably clutch pack material. But it takes 5 minutes to change and I have peace of mind knowing the fluid is crystal clear. Also, the filter mount is pretty heavy aluminum and I have it mounted to the frame next to the driver side control arm. This helps sink some heat and acts as a half-***, post radiator cooling step before it returns to the trans. I plan to keep the car 20 years/300K+ miles, so why not?

As far as Amsoil ATF, it is excellent stuff. I have used it on our 1990 LS400 since 2001 and that car has 279,000 miles on it and shifts like new. Absolutely bulletproof car. But I'm with DaveB on these JATCO's. The Amsoil will probably work fine as others have done so without problems, but I use only the NISSAN Matic-J on the G as it is not much more expensive than the Amsoil so why chance it?

 

I'm tempted to chance it - out of principle. Bottom line - there are Oil Standards and these standards have to be kept. If you are under warranty and your transmission fails due to non-OEM fluid then NISSAN is responsible to PROVE that the fluid was the cause of failure. If they do, then you have legal recourse against the oil manufacturing company for them not complying with the OIL STANDARDS set forth in the bottle that you used in the transmisssion.

The problem is when you are out of warranty. No way of determining reason for failure. Last guy I helped do the Transgo Shift Kit used the CASTROL fluid that is compatible with Matic-J. He has ~32K miles on his 2006 Sedan. I doubt he'll have any problems, but if he does there is recourse.

Often times a manufacturer says "only use <INSERT>" but in the owners manual it will state OR EQUIVALENT.

Personally, I have only used Matic-J and Matic-S because I haven't seen enough evidence to lure me away from the warning in the FSM:

*Use only Genuine Nissan Matic J ATF. Do not mix with other fluid.

*Using automatic transmission fluid other than Genuine Nissan Matic J ATF will cause deterioration in driveability and automatic transmission durability, and may damage the automatic transmission, which is not covered by the warranty.

 

If you call a screen a filter then I guess so. But I do not think it does s decent job as you have people putting an inline filter, then cutting it open to find gunk all over it.

 

Like Communism and Mazda's rotary engine, the Magnession Moss Act works great in theory, but in the real world, you're screwed if you have a warranty claim and an aftermarket component may somehow be involved. To the letter of the act, Nissan does have to prove that the aftermarket part was somehow related to the failure; however, Nissan will fight it from the start with their numerous lawyers. In the end, you'll end up spending your own money getting a lawyer, spend your personnel time fighting the case, and your car will remain unfixed until an agreement is reached (if you're lucky). The chances of you winning, recouping your costs, or coming out ahead are about nill. Nissan and all the big automakers know this. The MM Act is simply a feel good act for consumers buying aftermarket parts for their cars, but the reality is it won't really protect you in most cases.

 

^^ Yup.

Cliff's:

Nissan: You used the wrong stuff, no warranty for you!
You: But it's equivalent so you have to prove my stuff was the cause.
Nissan: Make me.

 

I'll chime in here. I actually bought my Amsoil ATF through a program that Swivel hips directed me to :wavey:

I flushed my tranny around 20k miles ago with about 6 qts, and refilled. Before I flushed the car (around 80k miles) it felt like it was "dropping" into 4th gear instead of slipping. After the flush, and about 100 miles, the tranny feels INCREDIBLE.

If you do some research on Amsoil's ATF, it states that it EXCEEDS the standards of Nissan's Matic J fluids.

I vote +1 for Amsoil products. It's in my engine, my transmission, and my rear end.


Speaking of which...I need to order some oil...

 

Hey, Brandon, thanks for the mention and got your PM. Yeah, I can still hook members up, LMK what you need.

 

They all say they "exceed" company X's fluid standard. The thing is, the additives in the OEM fluid are proprietary.

It sounds like the Amsoil ATF does fine in these transmissions. For me, it's not worth the risk. J/S-matic is synthetic and is required by Nissan to maintain warranty coverage. My car is well out of warranty, but I'll heed to their warnings regarding the ATF.

 

The only reason most people are skeptic is because we haven't seen enough data out there to prove that other fluids are safe.

I'm sure the additives aren't "proprietary" but the info on what they add is.

Like i said, I have stuck with matic-j and matic-S only out of lack of knowledge pertaining to our specific trans.

 

What they add is something called LXE (Liquid Wax Ester). If you don't want to buy an OEM fluid, you can use plain old Dexron III and add this

http://www.lubegard.com/~/C-113/LUBE...ATF+Protectant


I used to use this in the Lexus instead of paying the dealer for Type "T" and it worked great. Then I switched to the Amsoil ATF 10 years ago and it works as well if not better.

The reason I still use the Matic-J is because I am not exactly sure what ratio Nissan is using and have not been able to find out. I guess some smart guy could have it analyzed, but that guy is not me. 12 qts. of Matic-J please.

 

Guys, I've put Amsoil ATF into the transmissions of over 100 Gs of all kinds.... it meets matic J spec and it is OK to use!! Great for power steering also