06' M35 Transmission

[AG-M35]

I tried to search this out before posting but....So, I want to do a transmission oil and filter change.... I have the oil, but where do you get a filter. None of the online outfits have any listed. Something going on here?thx

[SilverShadow]

Do not think there is one. Check the maintenance manual and all I come up with is:

Warm up ATF.2. Stop engine.3. Loosen the level gauge bolt.4. Drain ATF from drain plug and refill with new ATF. Always refill same volume with drained ATF. To replace the ATF, pour in new ATF at the A/T fluid charging pipe with the engine idling and at the same time drain the old ATF from the radiator cooler hose return side. When the color of the ATF coming out is about the same as the color of the new ATF, the replacement is complete. The amount of new ATF to use should be 30 to 50% increase of the stipulated amount.CAUTION: Use only Genuine NISSAN Matic J ATF. Do not mix with other ATF. Using ATF other than Genuine NISSAN Matic J ATF will cause deterioration in driveability and A/T durability, and may damage the A/T, which is not covered by the warranty. When filling ATF, take care not to scatter heat generating parts such as exhaust. Do not reuse drain plug gasket.5. Run engine at idle speed for 5 minutes.6. Check A/T fluid level and condition. Refer to AT-13, "Checking A/T Fluid" . If ATF is still dirty, repeat step 2. through 5.7. Install the removed A/T fluid level gauge into A/T fluid charging pipe.8. Tighten the level gauge bolt.ATF: Genuine NISSAN Matic J ATFFluid capacity: 10.3 (10-7/8 US qt, 9-1/8 lmp qt)Drain plug : 34 N·m (3.5 kg-m, 25 ft-lb)Level gauge bolt : 5.1 N·m (0.52 kg-m, 45 in-lb)

[AG-M35]

Yes, thanks, I have that also, from the download site. Common sense would dictate a filter.

[Andrew224]

Unlike an engine which takes outside air into the internal engine workings in order for combustion, the transmission is, for the most part, a sealed unit. In an engine, the air brought into the engine has dirt and debris which isn’t all filtered out by the air filter. Oil running through the engine picks up the particles and hopefully they are caught in the filter preventing them from damaging the engine. The transmission doesn’t have air going through it. Therefore, the only things in the transmission are metal and rubber parts and ATF. There is no way for dirt to get into the transmission. Therefore a filter is unnecessary. There is, however, a strong magnate on the bottom of the pan that will collect any metal shavings that have wore off metal parts, preventing them from being cycled through the gears.

A couple things about changing your transmission fluid…

A transmission fluid change that you might do yourself will only have marginal benefits. Again, unlike an engine, transmission fluid does not all drain back into the pan when you shut the car off. Quite a bit stays in the inner workings of the transmission. So you will be changing only about 30% of it. In any event, most varnish or sludge buildup will not drain out of the plug. It will collect at the bottom of the pan because much like maple syrup after it’s been left out, becomes viscous and gooey. (Another reason there isn’t a filter… Varnish or sludge could gum it up and the transmission would cease to work as the flow of fluid would be severely impacted.)

If you took the trans. pan down, (you will need to replace the gasket) you could clean off the metal shavings from the magnate and check for varnish or sludge or broken parts (yes, pieces of broken bands and such). Buildup of these are indicators that the transmission may have problems. They occur when the ATF is getting burned up and the fluid starts to break down. But again, you’re still only changing about half the fluid.

If you are concerned with keeping your transmission fluid fresh, I would suggest that you take it into the dealer or a business like AAMCO were they can flush it. They have special equipment that removes almost all the old transmission fluid and replaces it with fresh fluid. Incidentally, the same goes for coolant, it’s better to have it flushed. My thinking is that if I have a glass of dirty water, I’m not going to pour 30 to 50% of it out, add some clean water to it and drink it… Same goes for my car.

Personally, I have my transmission flushed every 30,000 miles or so. Anything more frequent really has marginal if any benefit.

Hope this sheds some light on the topic,

Andrew

[AG-M35]

Well, Andrew, Wow! Thanks for your perspective, but here are a few bits you might want to think about...First, most all transmissions HAVE a filter and it's there for a very good reason. It doesn't take "air" in the transmission to have a particle from normal wear and tear, drain into the pan. If one bit of grit or clutch facing gets into the valve body, it would wreak havoc on the mechanism and you'd be sidelined in quick order. Not having a filter on such an expensive item, is definitely not good design and you can take that to the bank. It's just another form of the anti-consumer animus that pervades most auto manufacturers these days. Your idea about a syrupy sludge forming in the bottom of the pan is gibberish. Transmission fluid is highly detergent and will hold normal dirt and other particles in suspension, supposedly, to be FILTERED before entering the pickup and getting cycled again. Forcing grit through your transmission will only cause faster wear and tear. Further, transmission fluid contains additives, which inhibit wear and provide superior lubrication. These additives get used up over a period of time and that period is much less than the 30K miles, used as a suggested replacement point. So, not changing it more often, will only exacerbate any problems you may have already generated by following their guidelines. Your recommendation about taking it to the dealer would be the only way to get it done, as specified, in the manual. However, their change interval, isn't in your best interest, moreso theirs. You can, of course, get it changed more often ($$$$). Trusting your $50K car to a place like AAMCO is, probably, the utmost in poor judgement. If you believe you should not check and change your fluid(s) more often than a dealer tells you, I have a bridge you might be interested in. This leads to another point of interest that you might notice on your car. The suspension is real beefy, the brakes are huge, the radiator is a decent size. The engine, which is the most expensive component, is a wonder and certainly does a lot for the demands put on it but have you ever noticed the size of the oil filter. All that technology is protected by something, the size of a can of tomato paste. I suppose you wouldn't dare think of changing your engine oil more often than every 7500 miles...

Best wishes ...(really)

[szh]

As always, I'd like to remind people that the M's require Nissan Fluid J to prevent transmission problems and maintain the warranty.

I recommend strongly doing a flush every 30k miles yes, but use a place that has a good BG or similar system that does a proper flush. Good systems properly cycle through the gears, keeping the car on, so that as full a change can be accomplished.

Z

[SilverShadow]

Andrew, I'm not sure your read what I posted that came directly from the M Service manual, you are to run the engine with the transmission line disconnected from the cooler until the fluid coming out is the same as the fluid you are pouring in. I think you are removing more that your claimed 30%

[SilverShadow]

There is no mention of a filter in the service manual, I would think if there was a filter to be changed it would be mentioned in the service manual.

[Noel J]

How do you refill the fluid? Where is the recharging pipe?

Also, I've never been able to find where you can even check the fluid level. no dip stick?

[valerit1]

Hi,

How do you check the transmission fluid? Also - if you drain and refill - how much to add?

Thanks!

[Rogue One]

Hi,

How do you check the transmission fluid? Also - if you drain and refill - how much to add?

Thanks!

Just an F.Y.I. - NICOclub has a fantastic SEARCH function. Your answers can be found in the second post above.

[LouCast]

Do not I repeat Do Not flush your transmission, a machine is used to suck out the old fluid and place new fluid under high pressure, you will damage your transmission. Nissan and Infiniti had an internal memo a couple of years ago about damaging transmission by performing flushes, which they stopped doing.
if you want to change your fluid then drop preform a drain and fill where you open the drain plug and replace what came out with new fluid every 5k miles until all the fluid is brand new. Or disconnect both transmission cooler lines from the radiator one hose into the a drain bucket and the other hose into new fluid and have the pump in the transmission swap out the old fluid for you. Nissan uses no filters I. There transmissions instead they use a metal screen.

[agee]

Do not I repeat Do Not flush your transmission, a machine is used to suck out the old fluid and place new fluid under high pressure, you will damage your transmission. Nissan and Infiniti had an internal memo a couple of years ago about damaging transmission by performing flushes, which they stopped doing.

Do you have any more information on this? I thought the general opinion was that flushes are better if it's done consistently from the start, but flushes were a bad idea if the trans has 100k on it and had previously only had trans oil changes. Also my dealer still offers both flush and drain/refill services. I'm not sure where you're getting that they stopped doing flushes.