My 2008 Sentra has 119,000 miles on it and received a replacement CVT around 96,000 miles. The original CVT started exhibiting a whining sound -- first only after highway driving, and eventually all the time. It was replaced under warranty. Now my second CVT has about 23,000 miles on it, and I'm once again getting the whining sound after highway driving or even sometimes on cold mornings.

I checked the CVT fluid level according to TSB NTB12-057 and found it to be slightly over-full, with lots of small bubbles on the dipstick. I siphoned out some of the fluid to get it down to the full line.



I know it's normal for the fluid to darken over time, but you can't even shine a flashlight through this. It also has a bit of a burned smell. It's pretty clear to me that the dealer who performed the CVT swap over-filled the fluid, causing it to aerate and burn during extended trips. The aforementioned TSB, NTB12-057, basically states that fluid up to the full line is actually an overfill.



The CVT sounds a little better now that I've lowered the fluid level, but according to the TSB, mine is still slightly overfilled. I no longer live near the dealership who did the work, but I spoke over the phone to the service manager, and he stated that they would be responsible for the cost of getting my local dealer to correct any mistake. As reassuring as that is, I somehow suspect he will be singing a different tune when the bill comes due.

I'm going to schedule an appointment with the local dealer soon and ask them to flush the fluid (and leave it at the right level this time) and inspect the CVT for any permanent damage, but only if they agree to bill the original dealer. I'm not really sure how to convince them to do that.

Correction: my CVT was actually replaced at around 93,000 miles, meaning this one has about 26,000 miles on it.

I have an appointment with the dealer on Thursday morning. My plan is to bring along the sample I obtained, explain that the fluid was overfull from the previous dealer and that I am once again experiencing whine and reduced performance during extended highway driving, and ask them to run a full diagnostic on the CVT (including line pressure test) with one of two resolutions:

1. If the CVT checks out good, flush the fluid and bill the previous dealer since their overfill was likely the cause of aeration and premature failure of the fluid.
2. If the CVT is damaged, replace it under warranty and contact Nissan Consumer Affairs to cover adding the external oil cooler kit from NTB13-095a under customer goodwill, as extended highway driving in hot temperatures is something that a normal vehicle is supposed to be able to do without customer-billed accessories.

I've already spoken to a service tech at the local dealer regarding the problem, and he agreed that molasses-colored fluid at such a low mileage is definitely not normal wear. He seemed to understand my reasoning that the overfill was the primary cause but would not point the finger directly at the other dealer over-the-phone.

What do you guys think of the plan? Is there anything you would add?

Brought the car to the local dealer today for diagnostic, along with my fluid sample. The tech was in agreement that the fluid looked and smelled overly burned, but after a full diagnostic, it was determined to be "normal" and I was only told that I needed the external cooler installed. I was given a quote for $1240 (after paying the dealer $175 to diagnose what I already knew) and the phone number for Nissan Consumer Affairs. Waiting for escalation team to call me back. Ugh.

Why would you NEED and external cooler if everything is normal?
Also, there is no way transmission fluid should be that dark so soon.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Consumer Affairs called me back twice on Friday. First they wanted to know exactly why I had brought in my vehicle and exactly what I was asking of them.

I explained how I was once again hearing a whining noise and seeing poor performance after extended highway driving, just like the first CVT did before replacement. I told him how I didn't understand why my vehicle would *need* a customer-purchased accessory to function under conditions that are *normal* for where I live, and that if that were really the case, that the previous dealer should have installed it at the time of the CVT replacement.

I also noted that I really need this vehicle to last me a decent amount of time, and that I'm still paying on it! I explained that the Sentra was my second choice (it fit my price point better at the time) and that I really wanted to buy an Altima when the time comes for another vehicle, but that I obviously won't be doing that if this vehicle doesn't last me long enough. I even noted that it didn't make sense that Nissan had skipped out on installing the external cooler in my vehicle, since the frame is pre-fabricated to support it, and since every other vehicle using the same Jatco CVT (Jeep Patriot, Dodge Caliber, Mitsubishi Lancer) actually comes with the external cooler installed from the factory!

I asked him to cover having the external cooler installed and having the fluid flushed, and I expressed how ridiculous it was that I had to pay the dealer $175 to come up with a diagnosis that I had already figured out on my own. He apologized and basically said that's the way it is, but that he would see what he could do about getting goodwill assistance for the cooler installation.

A few minutes later he called me back the second time, and said that while he was still researching the issue, and while he had already been in contact with the dealer regarding their diagnosis, that he may ask me to bring the vehicle back a *second* time to get diagnosed again! He said obviously since I had already paid once, that they would cover the second diagnosis, but he wanted to see if that would be acceptable. I told him yes, and he said he would be back in contact with me if I need to do that, but I'm still finding it pretty ridiculous at this point.

I opened the case with them before I ever set foot in the dealership, and they told me I absolutely had to go get a dealer diagnosis first. So I paid out of my pocket to do that, and now they want me to go back again?! What, they don't trust the dealer's diagnosis? Why would they not trust it this week but trust it next week? I'm starting to get really frustrated by the way this is being handled, especially since the folks at the dealer basically told me that my transaction was between me and them, and that they wouldn't be dealing with Consumer Affairs on my behalf at all, whereas Consumer Affairs previously kept telling me that everything was up to the dealer as to whether or not they could cover something.

They're just passing the ball back and forth. As a consumer, it's really disappointing how far I've had to go to research the issue, diagnose the problem, and come up with *all* the details to cover all my bases before getting into contact with them. I'm actually very lucky that my vehicle has never gone extremely into failsafe/limp mode on the highway (where speed is significantly limited) and caused a safety problem, but if they're going to refuse "goodwill" to install a part which should have been there from the factory, I'm certainly going to make sure I never give them another dime.

Aside from the CVT problems, I've made it to almost 120,000 miles without a single major mechanical issue with the vehicle (my alternator clutch pulley has needed replacement for the last two years, which is another problem I diagnosed on my own after the dealer completely failed to catch it, but it hasn't caused any serious issues aside from intermittent rough idle under heavy electrical load). Nissan has certainly been making solid engines for a long time (aside from the timing chain guide issues in the KA series), so I'm really hoping I can finish paying off the vehicle before I need to replace the CVT again.

Received a call back from Nissan Consumer Affairs today. They have decided to cover the cost of installing the external CVT cooler. Unfortunately I'm still out the $175 I paid to the dealer for an official diagnosis, but I'm hoping to negotiate with the dealer to turn that into parts or service credit since I'm bringing them $1200+ in work.

I'm fairly confident that they wouldn't have covered it had I not gone to such lengths to fully research and document the problem (especially the part about all of the competitor's vehicles shipping with the cooler). They of course have all of the background info, but the table turns when you have it too.

Seems as if everything is working out for you.

The dealerships are not there for you, so you have to fight for EVERYTHING.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the specifics regarding the CVT cooler installation, there is a service bulletin with a very specific procedure a dealership must follow to procure the service kit. Here is a public excerpt from nissan-techinfo.com

Subject: SB 2007-2012 Sentra; Reduced Performance due to CVT Fluid Temp Logic

Summary of NTB13095:
IF YOU CONFIRM: The vehicle speed is, or was, reduced by the CVT fail-safe (reduced vehicle speed) after continuous operation under the following conditions: * High RPM and/or high speed driving (4000 RPM or more, and/or 65 MPH or more for 1.0 -1.5 hrs or more) * Driving in ambient temperature of 96 degrees or higher * Climbing steep or extended hills for 6 miles or more * Whine or rattle type noise occurring during reduced engine performance (vehicle speed decrease) NOTE: Before applying this bulletin if the vehicle has any DTCs, they should be checked and repaired first. ACTION: Install SERVICE KIT-COOLER ASSY. See this bulletin for further details.

The dealership must first verify the correct coolant and CVT fluid levels/concentrations and then pull two specific values from the TCM using the CONSULT-III plus. If the values warrant a cooler installation, the dealer is to take a screenshot of the diagnostic data, including customer VIN, and send it to the Dealer Parts Information Center (DPIC) for validation. The service kit is a restricted part that is generally on back-order from Japan due to demand, so this exact procedure must be followed before the dealership is allowed to order the part.

When I originally brought the vehicle to the dealership and paid out-of-pocket for an official diagnosis (as Consumer Affairs required), I asked the service adviser for a copy of this data. He was unable to produce a copy, but he assured me that Consumer Affairs would trust his diagnosis and would not need the data.

He was correct -- Consumer Affairs did not need this specific data to approve goodwill; but I recently received another call from him to inform me that they have so far been unable to order the service kit for my vehicle. He told me DPIC was not accepting their data and that I would have to bring my vehicle in *again* for a fresh diagnosis so that he could have a screenshot with the same date. I suggested that the dealership should source the part from any of the several dealerships who are currently selling it on the Internet (which you can see for yourself by searching for part number 21606-ET89B); I even offered to source the kit myself if I could be reimbursed. He suggested I take that up with Consumer Affairs.

I put in a call to the Consumer Affairs agent handling my case, explaining the situation and asking if he could reimburse me for purchasing the part. No luck on that end -- I was told I would have to bring in the vehicle again at my earliest convenience.

I brought the vehicle back to the dealership last Monday for the new diagnosis. There was thankfully no charge this time, but when I picked up the vehicle, the service adviser informed me that the required values in the TCM were both showing ZERO (hint: they need to be something other than zero to order the service kit!). The dealership is now in contact with their regional representative to try to source the part through another channel, since according to them, it is perfectly clear from even a visual inspection of my NS-2 fluid that there is a problem, and my vehicle *did* previously fall under the correct criteria to receive the part.

I mentioned to him that I had recently cleared the MIL codes using the accelerator pedal procedure after an unrelated problem, but that according to the service manual, the TCM data should be unaffected. We are both at a loss; the previous tech must have somehow cleared the data last time it was pulled.

Now I'm still waiting to hear back from the dealership, and my CVT is still experiencing whining and loss of power after "extended" (an hour) highway driving. And if all of this isn't bad enough, I also rolled over my 120,000 mile CVT warranty last night. Here's to this being over soon.

One month later, no movement. Dealer is no longer returning my calls, and consumer affairs keeps telling me they are still gathering information. Really disappointed that two months have passed with no resolution and $175 out of my pocket for a diagnosis.

Received this today. NS-2 seems to hold its viscosity well.

I have a 2017 Sentra SV. Changed cvt fluid at 20000 miles to make comparison of used fluid to new. I have decided to change fluid every 20000 miles.

I have a 2017 Sentra SV. Changed cvt fluid at 20000 miles to make comparison of used fluid to new. I have decided to change fluid every 20000 miles.

I purchased a '17 Sentra with CV transmission. I found this forum after purchase. The negative responses about the CV were frightening. I ran into a mechanic friend of mine at a gas station who maintains a fleet of cars that a courier company I used to work for. There are about 20 Nissan models in his fleet of cars. Most, if not all have CV transmissions. They range from Versas, Cubes, the and the mini van. This mechanic told me to keep up on fluid changes every 50,000 miles. I decided on 40,000 and I know it costs more, but I took it to the Nissan Dealer for the maintenance. After 11 months it has 53,000 miles on it and so far all is well. I drive over 200 miles a day and rely heavily on this vehicle.

JWMaloney wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 10, 2015 5:06 pm

Received this today. NS-2 seems to hold its viscosity well.

Any updates? Was your replacement CVT brand new or refurbished?

I experienced the limp mode on my way to Texas from GA and back in my 2011 Rogue. After hours of driving, my Rogue wouldn't go over 70 mph or 3000 RPM. It did it half way there and on the way back. That was June 2019. The transmission was whining also. I drove it like that, back and forth to work until January 2020. I drained and filled with Valvoline CVT fluid on January 1st and then again two weeks later.

No more whine noise. I drive the car hard to and from work on twistie back roads, O/D off a lot and in L occasionally on twistie back roads.

I bought the car with 100,000 miles on it, it now has 135,000 miles on it. 2000 miles after the fluid change, which I did myself, and there's no sign of any issues.

I actually really like how the CVT performs. Excellent fuel economy with O/D on and driving normal. And a lot of fun with O/D off and in L gear.