2018 Nissan Rogue CVT Fluid Replacement Procedure

Nissan Rogue forum - Includes Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Dualis as well.
D1dad
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Typing my reply earlier made me go out and put my 09 on the ramps and drain it. I only run it long enough to drive it on as to not have to mess with fluid that may have expanded. Like clock work, exactly 4 qts comes out and 4 qts of valvoline went in. If I drain the fluid on flat ground I get another 1/2 qt out but being that I have a few cases of fluid I do it every 10k. What came out today almost looked new and seemed like a waste of good fluid. Piece of mind. A nice 10 mile highway drive showed a dipstick 3/4 up the hash which is perfect.


D1dad
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Vstar, I assume you work at a dealership? Can you verify the service procedure on my 21 Altima? I assume it’s like my 18 rogue, remove the leveling plug around 112 degrees but wanna make sure. I’ll be dumping the factory fill around 10k to remove any wear metals.

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VStar650CL
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Yep, the new ones have a high plug just like your '18. They didn't change much about the tranny, just the engine.

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VStar650CL
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Shoot, I'm getting my threads mixed-up. The new Alties definitely have a high plug, I dunno about the new Rogues. I don't think we've done a D&F on one yet, but I'll take a look at one later today. The high plug was never the "official right way" to D&F on any of the CVT's, so it won't be in the ESM. The ESM will say to use a bottom-up pump.

DragonSlayr
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To be clear, you remove the plug to the overflow while the car is running?

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VStar650CL
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DragonSlayr wrote:
Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:35 pm
To be clear, you remove the plug to the overflow while the car is running?
Yes, fully warmed, car level, trans in P or N. When the stream "hiccups" it's at the right level, replace the plug.

DragonSlayr
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Thank You.

Some feedback, It seemed to take about 4 1/2 qts

Aurneriel

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I have a small company, and we have several corporate machines at our disposal. So, I hired 2 personal drivers. So, a few weeks ago, one of them encountered the same problem, and we tried to figure it out on our own. We used a measuring cup. Thus, the required volume of liquid was measured without errors. But unfortunately, besides the leak, there were still some problems with the car, and we had to contact the service. Therefore, I recommend asking a qualified help from a master specializing in such issues to avoid further troubles with your car.
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KoiMaxx
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Hey everyone, a bit late on my planned fluid change (35000 instead of 30000 miles). Drained out and filled around 3 3/4qt. After the second fill and letting it idle for at least 15 mins, I proceeded with the fill check. I had removed the overflow plug and started adding fluid until it started coming out.

I got confused though at what point i could close the plug; the initial instructions indicated until it comes to a drip. Mine had continued at a fine trickle... and i decided to close when i realized it had been trickling (and idling) for more than 20 mins. Was i still overfilled or did i let out too much fluid?

D1dad
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A trickle is fine, however without a gauge of some sorts you don’t really know if the fluid was to warm, essentially draining out to much, or worse, not warm enough leaving it over filled. After you once have it set correctly then an ambient drain and fill with the exact amount is the easier way going forward. I had the dealer do mine at 40k to document a dealer service and I know he left it under filled. My dealer is an hour away and after I arrived they took it straight into the bay and had it in and out in a half hour. I know for a fact that trans was around 170 degrees when I arrived because I scanned it all the way there. I went home and did it properly. I’ve since done several drain and fills replacing the Nissan fluid with eneos n3 and the end results have been better mpg, no shutter and much quieter. My highway temps also dropped by about 5-10 degrees. I’m sure your fine but a scanguage 2 can be had for around $125 and will pay for itself the first use.

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KoiMaxx
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Thanks D1dad. Based on that I would say if anything I mightve let out a bit more than too little. Before i began i just came back from driving the car on errands, and the oil was warm enough throughout the entire process, so i guess it's a bit underfilled now -- maybe less 1/8qt difference based on the amounts between the first and second drains+overflow now that theyre cold. But yeah, for next time i'll make sure i have a scan gauge by then.

D1dad
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Under is better than over. Just keep an ear out for anything off when cold. Here in Ohio the wife’s 18 doesn’t have its fake overdrive shift during the winter time for the first few miles but that’s just normal on all 3 of my nissans.

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KoiMaxx
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Just drove it around 30 miles and there seems to be a perceptible difference. The shifts come sooner and smoother; it seems to adjust quicker to road conditions (inclines, headwinds); there seems to be less lurching when i lift the throttle; and the response just feels snappier. Even the instant mpg reported a really good return despite driving against a crosswind on the highway.

D1dad
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New fluid is an amazing thing with the cvts.

D1dad
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I’d also recommend doing another D&F after a thousand or two miles and then every 15k after. Maybe it’s overkill but these cvts need fluid with plenary of additives. The 2.5 cvt is extremely hard on the lube. Eneos eco or N3 is what my cvts have and thus far it’s as good or better than genuine fluid. There’s also interweb rumors that the eneos n3 is the same fluid that Nissan sells for 66% less $

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KoiMaxx
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Thanks for the tips. On a related note, how often should I be dropping the pan to get at the magnets? Kind of wished they just continued using magnetic drain plugs. The differential had one when I did the D&F on it at the same time. Pretty gunky when I pulled it out, so I can only imagine the ones for the CVT.

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casperfun
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I think dropping the pan once in it's lifetime is adequate. Cleaning magnets etc.

Doing a half a dozen drain & fills routinely is more important. :werd:

Just be careful if you see debris in the pan and using your fingernail to clean it because I ended up removing a chip of black paint off. I was like :wtf2:.

You mean this thing is powder coated black inside? This is some dumb$hit; and I'm thinking that it will keep flaking off with my bad luck and clogged something. So my ocd kicked in and I ordered a new pan online right then and there and kept my rogue on ramps for another week.

After installing a new strainer and torquing 1 loose overhanging tranmission bolt, I installed the pan perfectly and tediously criss-crossed and torqued the bolts.

So I'm good and never going back into that rabbit hole. No leaks, and now I'm doing drain and fills on my cvt, diff, transfer every 20,000 miles with everything balanced in my universe. My rogue has been driving like new since my first drain and fill some 25,000 miles ago.

Before that it had a disconnected rubberband feel to the road which resulted in a herky, jerky, hesitating, mini- whiplashing, and shuddering piece of crap ride. :nono:

My rogue is over 12 years old with an original cvt transmission. :fruit: :BnB:

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VStar650CL
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casperfun wrote:
Tue Oct 26, 2021 8:49 am
I think dropping the pan once in it's lifetime is adequate. Cleaning magnets etc.
Yah, +1 on that. Once it's been through a few changes and enough miles for all the rough edges to smooth, there's no longer much point in dropping the pan as long as you keep the fluid clean.

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KoiMaxx
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Ok. I'll probably drop the pan when I hit 60000miles then. That won't be anytime soon I guess. Thanks everyone!

D1dad
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I dropped the pan last change in my 09 Altima with roughly 50k on the replacement tranny and it was for nothing. Just a waste of time. I do so many D&F that there was nothing left of any gunk or debris. I’ll probably do the 18 and the 21 at 100k and will probably just be for nothing. The biggest thing is fresh fluid every 3rd oil change or so. I buy it by the case and it works out to about $5.50 a quart, so around $20 for piece of mind. Nissan revamped their lingo for the cvt fluid to read “genuine or equivelant” and eneos N3 is blue just like nissans so no worries.

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KoiMaxx
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I've mentioned I already changed my CVT fluid last year, but I thought I should really get a scanner to monitor temps for next time. I was looking at the CVTz50 app as it seems to be able to access a lot of data off the CVT. It is very specific about the hardware though so I started looking for adapters with the correct (and genuine) ELM327 revision. I found the VeePeak OBDCheck VP11 was compatible and very affordable -- As in $10-$15 affordable, plus around $5 for the full app. But even just the demo will allow you to see the CVT temp. Just thought to share it here for everyone's reference.

nabril
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I just did this for my wife's 2016 SL, and it was super easy like my 2015 last year.
Sure, removing that filler cap is a pain, and we all thank the ingenious folks at Nissan that placed that radiator hose right in front of it so as to limit the use of our right hand.

i inform everyone that the drain plug screw requires a 19mm socket, and the overflow port requires 14mm.
The color difference between new and drained oil is absolutely mind-blowing.
thanks to all for this write up and comments.

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VStar650CL
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D1dad wrote:
Fri Oct 29, 2021 6:19 am
Nissan revamped their lingo for the cvt fluid to read “genuine or equivelant” and eneos N3 is blue just like nissans so no worries.
Eneos is great, and my customers have also had fine results with AMSoil if you're past warranty and don't mind red+blue=purple. Specs on both of them equal or exceed NS3 and I haven't seen the slightest miscibility issues in changing over.
nabril wrote:
Sun Apr 03, 2022 10:00 am
I just did this for my wife's 2016 SL, and it was super easy like my 2015 last year.
Sure, removing that filler cap is a pain, and we all thank the ingenious folks at Nissan that placed that radiator hose right in front of it so as to limit the use of our right hand.

i inform everyone that the drain plug screw requires a 19mm socket, and the overflow port requires 14mm.
The color difference between new and drained oil is absolutely mind-blowing.
Your CVT thanks you (I'll say that since it can't talk)! :yesnod

You can tell a lot from the color alone. Turquoise-brown is normal use, brown with a little green is wearing out, when it turns all brown you pushed it too far. That's the one thing I dislike about AMSoil, the color complicates telling as much about the fluid condition.

MrX.
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I don't see any mention of the required filters here. Anyone have part numbers for the filter or a good website I can look them up on?

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VStar650CL
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MrX. wrote:
Sun Jun 11, 2023 10:54 am
I don't see any mention of the required filters here. Anyone have part numbers for the filter or a good website I can look them up on?
The paper filter to the cooler is only there to catch fine break-in shavings and Nissan doesn't recommend ever changing it. I agree with that unless you've found a lot of metal in the drain fluid. The fluid in a CVT pan is very slow moving and virtually everything metal drops out in the pan and gets caught by the magnets without ever passing through the front pump. Since a CVT also has almost no clutch material, there's nothing to ever clog that filter. You can change it if you want to, but in most instances it's tits on a bull. If you're doing a pan drop, the intake screen is just that, a screen. I've never seen one that couldn't be cleaned off and blown dry.

PowerslavePA
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MrX. wrote:
Sun Jun 11, 2023 10:54 am
I don't see any mention of the required filters here. Anyone have part numbers for the filter or a good website I can look them up on?
Amazon has a three pack:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNCFSLC5

It is a cartridge filter, just like a cartridge oil filter.

There is no reason not to change it, regardless of what people say or think.
Oil is oil. There is no indication in the service manual to change that
filter except for a rebuild, overhaul, or replacement of the CVT trans.
I would do it at least once, at at least 90,000 miles.

It is NOT an easy job either.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 142&type=3

The CVT7 has three forward clutch discs, and two reverse clutch discs.
You will have wear, and you will have clutch material on the magnets in
the pan, should you ever do a pan drop and filter change. Just because
someone says; "almost no clutch material, there's nothing to ever clog that filter."
doesn't mean diddly-doo. One time is better than never.

Pan and Magnets at 93,000 miles:
Image

Cleaned so you can see the difference:
Image

Cartridge Filter:
Image

Image

Image

Image


Sump filter kit:
AutoZone TF705
Image

Currently looking into the deeper sump pan, and filter that is used with the
Murano, which holds two more quarts than the rogue pan.

When you do a drain and fill, there is still almost a quart of fluid in
the pan, because the inside area of the plug is raised about a half inch:
Image

This is why, and other reasons, the NISSAN procedure for a fluid change is:
Drain, Fill, run through Idle for 5 seconds, put in D & R for 5-seconds each, STOP.
Drain, Fill, run through Idle for 5 seconds, put in D & R for 5-seconds each, STOP.
Drain, New Plug gasket, Fill, DONE.

Yes, three times, and it's in the service manual. That's why it costs $288
at the dealer, or more. You're using 12 quarts total, wasting 8. I did mine
twice, then the pan drop and filter change on the 3rd time.

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VStar650CL
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PowerslavePA wrote:
Mon Jun 12, 2023 12:48 pm
There is no reason not to change it, regardless of what people say or think.
Oil is oil. There is no indication in the service manual to change that
filter except for a rebuild, overhaul, or replacement of the CVT trans.
I would do it at least once, at at least 90,000 miles.

It is NOT an easy job either.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 142&type=3

The CVT7 has three forward clutch discs, and two reverse clutch discs.
You will have wear, and you will have clutch material on the magnets in
the pan, should you ever do a pan drop and filter change. Just because
someone says; "almost no clutch material, there's nothing to ever clog that filter."
doesn't mean diddly-doo. One time is better than never.
The F/R clutches only ever do anything when you're shifting F/R. They can go a million miles and I've never seen one wear out (and I've seen lots of dead CVT's). The clutch that sometimes does fail is the Torque Converter Lockup, but even that's rare. For the record, I never tell anyone not to change the filters if they want to change them. Just that there's rarely any reason to want to (and you're quite right that it's a crappy job on a Rogue '10D).

PowerslavePA
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When you are at idle, stopped, the RPMs drop, and the pressure is backed off
so that the clutches still slip, just lightly. They can wear prematurely for a few
reasons, and it happens. IF they did not wear, you would never have the
"mud" on the magnets in the trans pan, and the film at the bottom of the
pan. Even at 92K, it was light compared to my Camaro and Mustang, but
it was spread over three magnets, not one. However, it's still there, so they wear.

When you let off the brake, RPMs come back up, and you can feel the
forward clutch engage. VW has been doing this for years with their
automatics, and the DSG. DSG you have to, or the car would stall.

Torque Converter lockup clutch failure is common in a lot of vehicles.
Especially the MFRs who use the paper clutch material.

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VStar650CL
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PowerslavePA wrote:
Mon Jun 12, 2023 1:39 pm
When you are at idle, stopped, the RPMs drop, and the pressure is backed off
so that the clutches still slip, just lightly. They can wear prematurely for a few
reasons, and it happens. IF they did not wear, you would never have the
"mud" on the magnets in the trans pan, and the film at the bottom of the
pan. Even at 92K, it was light compared to my Camaro and Mustang, but
it was spread over three magnets, not one. However, it's still there, so they wear.
Much of that black scum is actually from clutch wear-in. You generally only see much of it on the first change and then don't see much again if you change the fluid regularly. The pan on my wife's Altie had quite a lot when we bought it (60K) but near-zero when I dropped the pan recently at 130K on its fourth change. I'd expect you'll see a similar drop off in the rate of scum production on your Rogue with your good maintenance practices.

PowerslavePA
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Well, at 1200 miles a week, will see by next spring...


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