2017.5 Rogue Transmission(?) Issue

[Q451990]

My mother in law's Rogue with 27,000 miles on the odometer left her stranded 2 hours from home in Greensboro, GA this morning. She said it felt like it was hesitating, so she stopped to get more gas before going through Atlanta on their way to Alabama. When she got back in after adding gas, the car wouldn't move in R or D. After finding that rental cars, Uber, and Lyft were non-starters, I drove 2+ hours to pick them up. When I got there the car wouldn't respond at all in D or R. No matter what gear it was in (including P) the engine would bounce at 1750 RPM, but wouldn't go higher. After turning the car on and off I was able to get it to move. It seemed like it would only move in whatever gear it was placed in first after starting it. I ended up driving it home, with her following me. On the interstate it hesitated some, accelerated poorly, and would sometimes rev up to 5K - 6K RPMs, even if I wasn't touching the gas pedal. Then sometimes it felt somewhat normal-ish. I don't drive the car much, so it always feels disconnected from the gas pedal to me, as I don't have anything vehicles with a CVT.

We dropped it off at the dealership after hours when we got back to Columbia. When I was trying to straighten it up in a parking space, the last thing it would do was drive forward with the shifter in R.

So does this sound like the typical Rogue CVT failure mode, or something else?

Thanks!

[VStar650CL]

When I was trying to straighten it up in a parking space, the last thing it would do was drive forward with the shifter in R.

So does this sound like the typical Rogue CVT failure mode, or something else?

No, that's definitely atypical. Going forward in R sounds like a total hydraulic failure, where there isn't enough primary pressure for the solenoids to make up the transmission's mind.

[Q451990]

One thing I forgot to mention, is that the MIL was not on. The VDC OFF, and SLIP, and MIL would all come on every time anything was even slightly funky.

[Q451990]

No, that's definitely atypical. Going forward in R sounds like a total hydraulic failure, where there isn't enough primary pressure for the solenoids to make up the transmission's mind.

Thanks. I really appreciate your quick answer! I'll keep this thread updated as I hear from the dealership tomorrow.

[Q451990]

So we finally got an update today. The service advisor said that it's a problem with the transmission, and that their flow chart says that it'll be rebuilt in house at the dealership. They're working on getting approval from Nissan, but expect it to be there for 1-2 weeks. Apparently whatever codes are stored guides the decision on if it gets rebuilt in house vs. getting a remanufactured unit from Nissan.

I'm not crazy about it being worked on at a dealer that I don't even trust with oil changes, but they're the only game in town.

[VStar650CL]

Apparently whatever codes are stored guides the decision on if it gets rebuilt in house vs. getting a remanufactured unit from Nissan.

There are "judder detection" codes in almost everything '13 up that give a quick estimation of the CVT's condition and usually determine what fix is applied. P1F71 generally means a new Valve Body as long as a belt inspection doesn't reveal damage, P1F70 is a "death code" that almost always means belt damage and a rebuild or replacement. With the low mileage, my suspicion is you either had a factory-defective VB or a factory overfill. If your local dealer is that untrustworthy, you might want to double-check the latter when they finish the work.

[Q451990]

I'll definitely check the fill when it's done. This dealership had a stack of aftermarket filters and stuff behind the parts counter the last time I was there. They charge more than MSRP for factory parts, and then act like they're doing you a favor for selling at retail if you ask about it. They also refuse to use 0W-20 synthetic for oil changes, instead opting for bulk 5W-30 semi synthetic, with a response of "it'll be aight" when I asked about it.

I've dealt with them for a couple of decades on both the Nissan and Infiniti side, and it's pretty much always been this way. They really need some competition.

[VStar650CL]

I've dealt with them for a couple of decades on both the Nissan and Infiniti side, and it's pretty much always been this way. They really need some competition.

No doubt. That sounds plain punk-ugly.

[casperfun]

I'm not saying this is an expert opinion, but the dealership is placing a high markup not only for convenience, but they also have to cover the building, expenses, employees wages, insurance, etc.

Hence the costly repairs and cheap bulk free oil changes.

They do actually have competition, the internet, because I saved a boatload of money doing my own repairs because of youtube and forums like this.

The internet was the pandoras box to free ourselves from the stealership!

[VStar650CL]

the dealership is placing a high markup not only for convenience, but they also have to cover the building, expenses, employees wages, insurance, etc.

Most of them charge list-plus and then reduce it to list if you complain. That's pretty much greed, not expenses. However, to use the game against them, go in there with a print from NissanPartsDeal. Most of them will match it or at least get close, which is fine since you're saving the shipping. The best part about the internet isn't the price, it's the price leverage.

[Q451990]

I got a call back from the service advisor yesterday asking very specific questions about if the car ever stalled during any of the "episodes" with the transmission. Since I wasn't there until about 3 hours after it started, I couldn't answer for sure. Getting specifics out of my mother in law about a car issue isn't an exact science either

Any idea why they were asking?

[VStar650CL]

Might be codes indicating a problem with the lockup clutch in the torque converter, so they may be deciding whether to replace the TC along with the transmission.

[D1dad]

Sounds like a crappy dealer. Any shop that refused the oil specified in the owners manual needs to be reported to corporate. Although it’ll fall on deaf ears. I’ve been in Chicago for business the last few weeks and found an awesome dealer for oem parts. Apparently Nissan changed the filters for the 21 to actual mahle made in Japan filters for $4.81. I picked up floor mats for $82 and air filters for $10. Wife wasn’t happy that I had the trunk loaded down but I’m set for 100k. I’ve had my share of iffy dealerships with everything from Chevy to Ford to Nissan. It’s not brand specific.

[VStar650CL]

Sounds like a crappy dealer. Any shop that refused the oil specified in the owners manual needs to be reported to corporate.

Yep, second that. Dealers are independent franchises, and unfortunately, it's a lot harder controlling the quality of automotive service than it is for, say, Burger King. Every OE has the same sorts of issues in that regard. When a dealer clearly ignores good practices (as with ignoring oil recommendations), dropping a dime to Nissan Consumer Affairs is doing everyone a favor.

[D1dad]

You seem like a good tech vstar, so forgive me in advance if I ever offend you. I just get so annoyed when a dealer can’t duplicate an issue under warranty but will recommend rebuilding half the car if it’s out of warranty. I’m still chasing this clunk in my wife’s 18 rogues drivetrain. The best answer I can get is it’s normal. Normal would have been doing it from day 1 and not have developed after 20k. If you were close to me I’d make the drive.

[D1dad]

As for the 5w30 the dealer is using, it’s fine. My 2018 list that as an alternative and I’ve been using it for a few weeks with no loss in mpg and it’s actually quieted the engine a bit. Although I’m using Mobil 1 annual protection that I picked up for $10 a jug. I figure with the summer heat it’ll offer up a little more protection.

[VStar650CL]

You seem like a good tech vstar, so forgive me in advance if I ever offend you. I just get so annoyed when a dealer can’t duplicate an issue under warranty but will recommend rebuilding half the car if it’s out of warranty. I’m still chasing this clunk in my wife’s 18 rogues drivetrain. The best answer I can get is it’s normal. Normal would have been doing it from day 1 and not have developed after 20k. If you were close to me I’d make the drive.

No worries, I'm from the school that says there are two types of communication, good and none. Offense isn't part of the equation. Car repair is a "fundamentally unhappy" business anyway, so anyone lacking a thick skin should probably be doing something else. No one ever shows up in my service bay because it's the best day ever and the car runs great, and no one ever will.

Regards the clunk, I'd simply ask you to bear in mind that Nissan pretty much forbids us to make repairs on things we can't reproduce. That's entirely sensible, because once you attempt a repair on something, you "own it" even if the problem turns out to be a defective customer and not a defective automobile. I can fix any dang thing that's wrong with a car, but I can't fix "hypo-car-dria". You'd be surprised how much of that we see, much of it because of simple "RTFM". The real test of an earnest dealership is whether they make an earnest attempt to reproduce and identify the issue, or whether they just take it around the block and toss it out. Personally, the first thing I do is insist that the customer take me for a ride. You should also be aware that video/audio evidence is a perfectly good reproduction for warranty purposes. If you can record the problem and give us the evidence, Nissan won't have the slightest complaints.

[Q451990]

So we were told the car would be ready today. The Tech was just wrapping up the paperwork and taking care of a recall - something about updating the programming on the lane departure system. Then another call saying that the Tech tried to take it for a test drive, but it wouldn't go into reverse. So now we're back to square one getting approval for a full transmission replacement. At least they agreed to start providing a rental car, so she won't be paying for another week of that. I asked if they'd be replacing the steering wheel, since I'm sure the Tech probably left a dent in it with his head after doing all of that work, only to have it still not working.

[VStar650CL]

I asked if they'd be replacing the steering wheel, since I'm sure the Tech probably left a dent in it with his head after doing all of that work, only to have it still not working.

Classic! Somebody should make a Guinness list of the best unanswerable questions, that belongs on it. Once after a freak April blizzard my dad called NWS to ask them if they'd be reimbursing us for the 14 inches of "partly cloudy" he just shoveled off the front walk.