do I need to service the transmission regularly

For $170 just exactly what would he do? An automatic transmission never needs to be "flushed" and the tranny fluid never needs to be changed. Ever. He would probably look at the CV joints and call it good and there goes $170 for nothing.

That sounds reasonable . It is going on 6 years old beter safe than sorrry $170 is alot cheaper than a new transmission or rebuild

He should replace the filter and change the fluid and inspect the whole system If the fluid flashes witch is burning or has metal fileing in it witch is comon from normal wear and tear. Fluid flashing normalally only happen when the tranny is slipping or shifting wrong. You would be looking at alot of money to rebuild here they start at around $1200 up to $2500 depending on how bad it is

Call around to other shops for quotes. Usually they remove the pan, replace the filter and refill.

If you have a CVT its not able to be repaired anyways, so save your $

Unless your tranny is a 6 speed it's a cvt no need to flush a cvt for a very long time if ever the fluid does not degrade in a cvt. And there is not a filter in cvt's

For anybody wondering CVT is Continuously Variable Transmission it does not have fixed gear ratios, it does not really even shift, but rather goes through higher and higher output RPM's with hydraulics

I also have a 2008 altima and my dad is suggesting I go and get the transmission checked. No current problems but it is at about 103k miles and my last car, a toyota camry had the transmission go out suddenly after about 10 years with no mechanical problems prior to. I just want to be proactive so I won't have the same problems. Any suggestions before I call the dealership and they have me come in and pay $100+ anyway? Thanks!

I work for Nissan if you have a cvt transmission you do not need to replace filter or flush transmission at all .they are solid sealed transmission.

You do have to have them flushed and you better find someone that knows what they are doing because we were told they do have a filter and that's why ours went out but the people at Nissian won't tell you that . I think they want the money to replace the transmission !

I just checked the scheduled maintenance manual, and the CVT needs fluid changed at 30k miles.

The CVT transmission from 2009 and 10, are "Non Serviceable" Bull Shit. The CVS Trans will be the first thing to let go. There is NO internal trans filter on them, but a fluid cooler return line filter. Your fluid needs to be changed and so does that return line filter, at 60 and 90k miles. The 09 and 10s have dip sticks right????? Yes. Therefore they are serviceable. Don't touch the trans fluid in a Nissan with the CVT trans and I bet your cars won't make to 100k.

The person autocomnissan, does not work for.Nissan. on the 09 and 10s there's a dip stick. With dipstick means serviceable trans. There not sealed, it has a 20 bolt pan and even a drain plug if you look hard enough and have any mechanical know how. 08 and earlier has a in trans filter, and 11 and newer also have a filter. The 09nand 10s do NOT, but have what is called a return cooler line with filter. They still require to be serviced are 30 60 90 and 150k miles. Yall need to get away from the.computer and go ask a technician. Bet he tells you this exact same thing.

I have a 2009 Altima with a CVT......where is the fluid cooler return line filter? I can't find any information on it where it's located.

Ok on a nissan and honestly most CVTs in general they ARE meant to be serviced but not like transmission in the past. They do NOT have a serviceable filter. They are basicly just drain and refills but the big thing and the most important thing is that you MUST absolutly MUST use nissan OEM CVT fluid not aftermarket does not matter if they are the best brand in the world. If you do not within 10K the trans will be toast. Ive seen it before the way they are made on the inside they cant take a different oil even in the slightest bit. That why there is so much confusion on the topic because for years people would use any CVT fluid and then shortly after the trans would go. These transmission are basicly throw aways when they go back you cant rebuild them like other transmissions the way the belt is ran on the inside the fluid is very crucial. So do the service but buy it from the dealer. I am an independant mechanic but when it comes to these use the dealer fluid.

I have a 2008 Rogue and was told by the dealer that it needs to be serviced every 45,000 miles. The trans warranty had been extended to 120,000 miles. However my Nissan dealer charges $200. It's pricey.

Everything u said is true and most new Nissans the warrantee is120k. Two hundred is a little high but not insane the fluid is about 20 bucks a quart but like I said it must be from Nissan. NO EXCEPTIONS. You can have the service done at any local shop which should be cheaper. Just make sure they buy the oil from Nissan so if the oil is 20 a quart you should have about 80 bucks in parts and the labor will be between 25-45 bucks so the cost to service the trans is about 110-130 bucks. And it's worth it cuz if you don't and the trans does go it's around 5 grand to replace so it's worth it. Just use OEM fluid

I have a 2013 altma,Ibrought this car in January 2017 so I recently had my first oil change at a Nissan dealership.Once there I was informed that there was a recall on the CVT:so once the car was serviced I was informed that I needed differential fluid.The dealer wants me to pay $200 for a recall issue. I need advice on my next step.Thanks

I have automatic 2010 Altima SL do I need to change transmission oil and how often?

recalls are supposed to be free

wow ... reading through these posts has me laughing, irritated, and amused. please seek PROFESSIONAL advice! most comments are misinformed, some are flat out wrong (davidh25), some are based on opinion, Before I get started check my background here http://orangecountymobileautorepair.com/about-orange-county- mobile-mechanics/ and now to clear up confusion: 1. A CVT transmission works differently than a conventional automatic transmission, and it should be serviced. 2. Nissan recommends it be "serviced" every 30,000 miles. 3. It does not have an internal filter, and requires a fluid "exchange" which is basically the same as a "flush" but without chemical. 4. use the correct fluid, in most cases stick with Nissan fluid, you can't go wrong 5. ALL transmissions require regular service, what that service includes and how often depends on the type of transmission and driving conditions, even if the the manufacturer says it is a "lifetime fill it should be check and "flushed" around 100k miles (my opinion) 6. differences between a Service, Flush, fluid exchange: .... on older automatics a service included removing the pan and replacing the filter and fluid, problem here is that only a small portion of the fluid is being changed, the filters don't really plug up unless the service was ignored and the trans had high miles and therefor lots debris form wear and tear, large particles, particularly metals means some bad is happening. If you have shifting problems and metal in the pan its rebuild time, a service or flush will not help. as technology has improved so have service methods, in most cases today a "service" is a fluid exchange witch replaces all the fluid in the system including any external coolers and hoses. This is more efficient and effective. a "Flush" is a fluid exchange with one extra step: a cleaning chemical is added and the engine run for 15-20 minutes to circulate the cleaner before the fluid is "exchanged" effectively "flushing" the transmission. 7. Opinions/price ... prices vary and value is subjective, if you don't like the price it does not mean the mechanic is over charging or ripping you off,go to school, buy the equipment, rent a shop and you find out the truth. McDonald's is a lot cheaper that a good steak - they are both food! 8 always get the full story... I once had a customer tell me a shop "ripped him off", charging him $270 for an oil change! I asked for the receipt and looking at it pointed out they did the oil change a replace and axle assembly, then told him "looks to me like you got a good deal, I would've charged you $370" Robert Grove, ASE Certified World Class Technician, Automotive Hall of Fame Dearborn Michigan 1996

I have a 2016 Altima with a CVT. I did not replace the fluid at 60K as manual suggest and waited until 75K miles and drained the fluid myself which was black. I refilled with the Valvoline CVT fluid and now at 79K my transmission has failed, It is at the dealer and they are charging me $3300 to replace the transmission. I do not see how Valvoline can sell CVT fluid if it does not meet the spec that Nissan has required? I am wondering if I have a case against Valvoline because it did fail? I read above that someone said that you are not supposed to replace the fluid and I think it was a tech that worked for Nissan. This is insane. The fluid is the most viable part of the transmission and there was pieces of the transmission in the bottom of the pan that I used to drain it out, If you do not change your fluid around every 40K miles you will end up replacing your transmission, These transmissions improve gas mileage and make the vehicle fun to drive but the trade off is that they wear out, If you have not see what is inside one of these then you should watch a video on youtube called Nissan CVT transmission Failure Analysis part 1 and part 2. After watching that video I regret ever buying a Nissan with a CVT they are not built to last and I owe 10k on mine and now spending another $3300 to replace this crappy transmission, The trade off in having fun driving a vehicle that had this CVT transmission is that you will pay dearly for it sooner or later

Nissan is parent company of Jatco transmissions and it supplies cvt trannys to many different car companies , like Chrysler so if cvt tranny’s are similar why can’t I use Chrysler cvt fluid in my Altima it’s 1/3 the price of nissans

A lot of bad info on here.. You should flush and change transmission fluid on a cvt at regular intervals. (50K or less). A friend of mine by the name of Pat Goss just covered that particular maintenance on AutoWeek TV.

I have a 2008 Altima 2.5L.. When the dealer sold it to me, he said bring the car in at 120K miles to get the CVT serviced. When I took it in, they took a look at it and said it has 30% life left. So I brought it back at 150K and they changed the fluid. Now it is at 201K and is throwing a code that the transmission temperature sensor is malfunctioning. It only happens when going 80 MPH on the freeway when the ambient temperature is over 100. I'm going to change the fluid and see if that helps. I hope I don't need a new transmission. The dealer is quoting me $3500 for a new one. This car has been the most reliable I have ever owned. In over 200K miles, the only thing we have replaced is the exhaust manifold ,a thermostat, and spark plugs.

Your car comes with an Owners Manual, although some Manufacturers also have an accompanying service and maintenance guide. You can look up the service interval there, and that is the interval you should be using. Not what a Dealer tells you, (would you really trust a dealer, check your manual, you'll found out what he told you was wrong), nor what someone tells you on the internet. Check the main reference for you car, it will tell you the service interval. Filter unable to be serviced, how come I keep seeing filters sold for Nissans CVT's that look somewhat like a conventional automatic filter, that appears to be only a few bolts to replace? Some Chrysler have used the Jatco Transmission. Manufacturers recommend what they believe is best for the vehicle, they don't always get it right. A lot of people have stated Chrysler's implementation of the CVT was not as good as Nissan, and one of the biggest recommendation was to switch to a better fluid and auxiliary cooling. If you have Nissan, you should follow Nissan's Recommendations, especially if you're still in warranty, they can void the warranty if you use a fluid that does not meet the required specs. While it may be attractive to switch to Chrysler's fluid, because its cheaper, take into account Chrysler owners have been suggesting switching to the Nissan fluid if you want your Chrysler CVT to last. Personally I wouldn't switch to a cheaper fluid, that even the folks its recommended for are not using it and instead switching to the more expensive fluid. As far as using Castrol fluid at a 60k mi servicing and having the CVT fail 19k mi later. I thought the recommended service interval was 30k mi, as well the fluid came out black? Maybe you already had a problem with your CVT before you changed the fluid. I've heard CVT are very demanding on their fluid, if so you, you don't want to use any old fluid. I've haven't looked up everything for the Nissan CVT. Most Manufacturers have a specifications system, and if a system on your vehicle is demanding on its fluid, you only want to use fluids that meet the spec set by the manufacturer. Plenty of Power Steering Systems and Transmissions have had these problems. People use anything labeled Power Steering Fluid only to see their system fail. The old Chrysler 4 Speed Transaxle, was guaranteed to fail if you used anything but ATF+4. Yet people used other ATF's and said what's the difference? So I see several CVT fluids on store shelves, how to know if they are good enough for the Nissan CVT? Is there a specification that Nissan publishes to tell you what fluid meets it or NOT?

Ok, now I've learned there is NS-1, NS-2 and now NS-3 CVT fluids. Yet I do NOT see that listed on aftermarket bottles. From what I've read, the NS-3 is not backwards compatible, not recommended for retrofit for earlier models of CVT's. It was designed for a later generation CVT that has reduced friction and designed to work with lower viscosity fluid. Using NS-3 CVT fluid in an early generation CVT that NS-2 is recommended for it, could result in transmission wear/damage. So there is a problem with using aftermarket fluids, unless you really know what you're getting and if it meets all the specs from the Manufacturer. Yes, bad on Nissan for not making this more clear and not publishing a prevalent spec that assures owners a fluid meets it or not. Just as bad on the aftermarket, that knows this and does not divulge this information about their product. If you understand what the aftermarket has been doing with Antifreeze (Zerex (Valvoline subsidiary) is the exception, they are honest) its criminal IMO. Do you homework, and don't believe jugs labeled "All makes, all models, mixes with any color antifreeze". Seems like you need to do the same for CVT fluid and don't pick up any old bottle that states its CVT Fluid. Chrysler started a licensing program for their ATF+4, that assures if the bottle says ATF+4 you can be assured its the ATF+4 for your transmission. It did wonders to fix their transmissions woes with their electronic 4 spd transaxle. If Nissan wants to serve their customers better, a licensing program for NS-2 and NS-3 CVT Fluid could do the same, as well as putting prominently in their Owner's manuals "Only use NS-2 Fluid for your CVT Transmission", instead of just saying Only use the Dealer Fluid. Instead it seems Nissan is keeping secrets hoping to force you into the Dealership to overpay for their Fluid, hoping you'll believe its magical in some way.

Some companies state their transmission fluid is lifetime which is completely false. You should change your CVT transmission fluid (if you want it to last and not break like every other cvt) every 40-50k miles. Changing transmission fluid on these newer CVTs is costly and expensive so to save you all some money I’ve made a video on how to drain and replace your transmission fluid on your CVT. Click the link below and I’ll guide you step by step on how to change your fluid and if you should change your fluid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYRmbXye9GE

I have a 2015 Nissan Sentra have 100,000+ miles on it. Transmission went out at 92,000 miles.. I only serviced the transmission once at 30k but then skipped the 60k and 90k... I don't know if that is the reason for it going out before 100k but certainly sounds like it based on some of these answers.

Here is what 70,000 miles on a 2008 Altima CVT Transmission looks like. Removed all metals shavings from the 2 magnets in the transmission pan, Changed the pan gasket, filter and fluid. Transmission was "slipping" like crazy before. Now it is engaging and running VERY smooth. The transmission fluid was black. The filter was clogged up. The magnets had attracted a ton of fine metal shavings, but all is clean now. You can choose to believe that CVTs are not serviceable and go on your merry way or let the attached photo speak for itself.

Going to do this tomorrow change filter and refil. I also bought a trans oil cooler to help keep fluid cooler while driving long distance

Asking discussion boards for information is generally a waste of time, as most of the people who "answer" your question don't know what they are talking about. Go to reliable sources that are freely available on the Web like: https://owners.nissanusa.com/content/techpub/common/2012/2012-nissan-service-maintenance-guide.pdf

I need someone help. My sis has a 2005 Nissan marrano an her truck just started shaking jerking an stopped running. It has the cvt transmission in it. What does ehe need to do. It only has 156thousand miles on it an probably never had fluid changed or anything like that she said it's a sealed tranny an cant be changed. Please someone help thanks. She has 3 kids an works hard to keep her House an kids to school need someone a mechanic to let me know what she needs to do plz

I just change my transmisión fluid on 2012 Nissan Altima and it was bad my car lost lot of power and after I change the sh**** it’s running like new car !!!!!

I have the 2016 Altima SV 2.5L. It has 38,000 miles on it. I didn't know about he CVT issues until after I bought it. I love driving it as it is comfortable and quiet. 40 MPG doing 78 on the interstate is just fantastic. So at the 25,000 mile mark I drained 4 quarts of the CVT fluid, since that is the max that can be drained at one time, which is half the capacity. I then drove it for a week and did another drain an fill. So I theoretically changed 75% of the fluid. It was darker than the new CVT fluid but not so dark as to be opaque. I replaced it with Amsoil CVT fluid. And I am going to be doing this 75% change every 25,000 miles. This car is only driven in the spring summer and fall, stored in the winter. I am running Amsoil motor oil also. I want to keep this vehicle for the at least the next 10 years as I use it to drive 225 miles one way to work once a week. There is one thing I have noticed on all the CVT teardown that I have seen on youtube, it isn't the belt that fails but the ball bearing and the grove that they move in that controls the in and out movement of the wheels that adjust the gear ratio. This is where the torque is being applied. In looking at it I think that these trannys can't be used like other transmissions. So when parking I believe that you can't allow the transmission to bear the force of keeping the vehicle from rolling when parked. What I have been doing is putting the vehicle in neutral, and applying the parking brake, then letting off the brake so that the parking brake is taking the force then putting the vehicle in park. I hope that and changing fluid ever 25K makes it last for 200K or more.

My sugestion is remove the Amsoil cvt oil and replace with Nissan cvt oil. If you check the internet, most of the problems with the cvt's happens when they changed to an oil other than the Nissan cvt oil.

My suggestion is to change the fluid again for 2 reasons: 1: Use only genuine Nissan fluid to protect your investment and extend your transmission life 2: When you change the fluid you're not getting it all out, only a percentage. Doing another fluid change will help to get more dirty fluid out through dilution.

In many of the above posts on the CVT fluid replacement, it is stated that Nissan recommends it be "serviced" every 30,000 miles. That is not completely true. According to my 2010 Altima Maintenance Guide, the CVT fluid is recommended to be replaced every 30,000 miles or 24 months ONLY in case of hard use, such as while towing a trailer or a camper or driving on rough or muddy roads. Otherwise, all that is recommended is to inspect the fluid every 7500 miles or 6 months and replace it on "as needed" basis.

Idemitsu fluid is supposedly the factory fill and is less than half of what the dealer charges. I had an 09 fail under extended warranty and it was serviced Avery 30k. My wifes 07 murano didn’t have a fluid change until 150k and I used castrol (red) in color cvt fluid. That car is still being used by a college kid today and had over 250k when we sold it. A drain and refill is cheap insurance but in my didn’t mean squat.

i had a teana j32 v6 2.5, it seems that the GB gasket(oil seal) worn off, down part at GB always oily...what ya suggest