CVT Transmission Fluid Change DIY Write-Up

Nissan Rogue forum - Includes Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Dualis as well.
KTM144sx
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Car: 2008 Nissan Rogue S

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Thanks Dave! I appreciate you and others who have taken the time to post, attach pictures and answer questions.


Scooter71
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Car: 09 Rogue SL AWD Fully Loaded
Location: Eastern Long Island

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Dave quick question, I went to Nissan and baught all the stuff acccoding to your list there...(I acutally asked about the CVT fluid change, and amazing enough the parts matched your list perfectly). Sorry...here's the question: The copper crush washer, is smaller than I expected it to be and appears to be notched a bit and has a lip on one side...is there a specific directon this needs to be re installed?

dave08902
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:48 am
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360'

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Hi, there is no reference in service manual on direction of crush washer. I placed to notch on the drain plug side as I wanted a smooth surface on the sealing area between the washer and the drain pan. Hope this helps and good luck.

Scooter71
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Car: 09 Rogue SL AWD Fully Loaded
Location: Eastern Long Island

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That actually helps out a lot and makes perfect sense, thanks so much. I'll keep you all posted, should be able to get to this tonight.

Scooter71
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Location: Eastern Long Island

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Damn Dave you were spot on with the measurements. I guess all dealerships are different but under the assumption that this has never been done to my Rogue it was just about 4 quarts and 23 onces. So I put back 4 1/2 quarts and I'll check after I run it. My one thing that raises my eyebrow is that when I removed the drain plug the washer was crushed flat. Installed the new one and there was a bit of a gap between the plug and the pan. I can see the copper from the washer. Is this normal. I torqued it down to spec and there's no leak, should I be worried?

dave08902
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Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360'

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The washer is a new style and the gap is normal. It used to be a special washer and they changed it to the same one as the oil drain plug. If you have a gap then you torqued it on correctly. If it is flat then you overnighted it. If you are worried then inspect the pan for leaks for a few days but you should have nothing to worry about.

Scooter71
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Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2012 7:28 am
Car: 09 Rogue SL AWD Fully Loaded
Location: Eastern Long Island

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There's deff a gap, many thanks for the quick response. Glad to hear that it's on correctly. I ran it for a few minutes and I was under the car with a flashlight for a few minutes after warm up checking for leaks. And so far she's perfect. Thanks again for ALL your help. I'll post up in a few days and check levels. Always nice to know and depend on the good people, such as yourself, from this forum. :cool:

dave08902
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:48 am
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360'

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Your welcome Scooter71. I updated the DIY with the information on the drain plug.

Scooter71
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Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2012 7:28 am
Car: 09 Rogue SL AWD Fully Loaded
Location: Eastern Long Island

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So after a few days of runing and testing I've noticed that the fluid level was just above the bottom hash mark line on the dip stick. Warmed the Rogue up to full operating temp, drove it aleast 8-10 miles, parked and went through all the gears, with the Rogue on,in park and at idle, I removed the dip stick, cleaned it with a fresh cloth, placed dip stick back in and removed it to read. That was the procedure I followed to check levels, may be a bit over board, but I tend to air on the side of caution. So after all said and done, I'm starting to think the Nissan wasn't that far off with their amounts. First fill was 4.5 qts, noticed it was just a bit low, added 4 more ounces and it's right in the middle to upper portion of the hash marks on the dip stick. So what I took out, appears to me, is what was exactly needed to be put back in. I will monitor it over the next couple of days and post up if anyhting changes. So in summary after fluid drain (which I let drain up on ramps for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours) she took 4 quarts 20 ounces of CVT fluid.

AltimaJA10
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2009 4:15 am
Car: 2010 Alima 2.5 S (SL)

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Late reply from Altima forum (same CVT), but thanks for great thread Dave!
Your comparo pic of old vs new CVT fluid at "only" 37k mi was impressive.
Was those "severe service" miles, or typical mixed driving?

dave08902
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:48 am
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360'

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I normally drive 85% highway and 15% local. The altima does not have a drain plug and the FSM tells you to disconnect cooler lines to drain transmission. I spoke to my Nissan Tech friend and he says they just drop the pan on the CVT, it is much easier. On the 2013+ Altima's and 2014+ Rogue's the procedure is different because of the new version RE0F10D CVT. I actually like the new procedure for the RE0F10D as it prevents overfilling the transmission and you dont need to take it out for a drive.

GT944
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Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:06 am
Car: '10 Rogue 360

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To add on to the thread here, I'd like to ask the team:
- If I understand correctly, there is no way to reset CVT fluid "life" monitor without a scan tool, correct?
- If this is the case, I worry about things like warranty and such. I'd prefer to have the car computer's data correct. Any suggestions? I'm digging around for recommended scan tools, but other options are welcome...
I want to go for the 30k change out on my lady's '10 Rogue 360, because I'm happy to spend extra $$$ to make sure the car stays reliable, but I'm irritated because the local dealer in SLC, UT sandbags on information - they, like other reports I've read, have just said: "time to change it" and don't play nicely when questions are asked. They simply state: "well the technician looked at it, not me, but I'm sure they had a good reason". I never knew about the CVT fluid "life" monitoring - very cool!

With that, I'd like to say thanks for the great info I've found so far - this is a great forum with people who know their stuff!

dave08902
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:48 am
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360'

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You are right, you need a professional scan tool to reset the CVT fluid count. The normal code readers will not work. I have several scanners that can do the reset. First I have the Autoenginuity Proline with Asian and Domestic. You can just buy the connector and just the Nissan enhanced data. I also have the Nissan Consult 3, Launch x431 and an Autel ms908 scanner, all of these will do the reset. When you see the fluid count it is just a number from zero to infinity and there is nothing in the service manual saying what is the limit. All your dealer is trying to do is sell you a service. You can just change the fluid and forget about resetting the fluid count because you can only change out half the fluid at a time, so resetting it to zero would be incorrect because half your fluid is old. All you need to know is that the fluid in the transmission is changed and keep records of your work. Your TCM will not set a code for fluid life because there is no such code and Nissan consult 3 will not tell you that the fluid needs to be replaced, it is the dealers policy to bring in service work. You don't need about the warranty because under normal use it does not state that you need to replace it and will not void your warranty.
Hope this helps..

GT944
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Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:06 am
Car: '10 Rogue 360

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Dave, thanks for the quick reply!
That settles it for me then - I'll change the fluid myself and not sweat the small stuff. My worry was that we would get a trouble code down the road and/or getting a "0% Life" message, like some makes have for their oil, fuel filters, etc... but be unable to reset that message.
Maybe one day it will be useful/necessary for me to get a scan tool, but I'm glad that today is not that day.

- Greg

RuckRider
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Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:02 pm
Car: 2012 Juke

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Question: I accidentally drained my CVT fluid when changing my oil. After reading what I need to do I discovered I need to use Nissan NS-2 fluid only. At $20 per QT from the dealership it seems expensive. Can I use any NS-2 CVT fluid available from my local auto parts store? Since this is a standard fluid used in several Nissan vehicles for many years I imagine the fluid from the parts store is used often and is acceptable but I want to be sure before doing so.
Hopefully someone answers soon as the car is sitting in the driveway out of service until then.

Thanks

dave08902
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:48 am
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360'

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As long as the fluid that you use has Nissan on it and has the same part number listed on the first page of this DIY. I would not use any fluid that says NS2 compatible or equivalent to NS2 fluid. It is not worth burning up your transmission. This is something I will not take a chance on. Nissan is very specific on which fluid to use and I would follow their recommendation on this one.

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szh
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Unfortunately, no longer a Nissan or Infiniti, but continuing here at NICO!
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Scooter71 wrote:My one thing that raises my eyebrow is that when I removed the drain plug the washer was crushed flat.
As you probably know, yeah, that is normal for the copper to get crushed quite a bit. Same is true for the one used in the engine oil pan drain plug for our cars.

Basically, pure copper is quite malleable (and these washers crush down as needed at the correct torque). This allows the copper to flow quite a bit to create as tight a seal as possible. Regular steel washers would not flow (with normal torque! :biggrin:) to fill any gaps or differences in the two metal parts (pan and plug) to be properly sealed.
Scooter71 wrote:Installed the new one and there was a bit of a gap between the plug and the pan. I can see the copper from the washer. Is this normal. I torqued it down to spec and there's no leak, should I be worried?
When the torque to spec is correctly applied, the copper is as crushed as it needs to be and should be fine. Yes, you may still see some of it from the edges. :yesnod

Z

zeromoa
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:19 pm

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dave08902 wrote:You are right, you need a professional scan tool to reset the CVT fluid count. The normal code readers will not work. I have several scanners that can do the reset. First I have the Autoenginuity Proline with Asian and Domestic. You can just buy the connector and just the Nissan enhanced data. I also have the Nissan Consult 3, Launch x431 and an Autel ms908 scanner, all of these will do the reset. When you see the fluid count it is just a number from zero to infinity and there is nothing in the service manual saying what is the limit. All your dealer is trying to do is sell you a service. You can just change the fluid and forget about resetting the fluid count because you can only change out half the fluid at a time, so resetting it to zero would be incorrect because half your fluid is old. All you need to know is that the fluid in the transmission is changed and keep records of your work. Your TCM will not set a code for fluid life because there is no such code and Nissan consult 3 will not tell you that the fluid needs to be replaced, it is the dealers policy to bring in service work. You don't need about the warranty because under normal use it does not state that you need to replace it and will not void your warranty.
Hope this helps..
So what is a reasonable count to recommend servicing if there is no mileage or count # recommended by manufacturer? It was my understanding that the life was a percentage but when I check with AE proline I get a count of 2130. So... how do I use that information to recommend service, or tell a customer if it's good or not? Does the number have any meaning? I appreciate any info you might have.

dave08902
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:48 am
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue 360'

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There is no information out there on the CVT count number. The only people who know what the number means are the Nissan Engineers. I normally service transmissions every 30,000 miles even if the manufacturer says it does not need it. Every time you service it, all your doing is a partial fluid change anyway. If you look at the maintenance schedule it says to change CVT fluid every 30,000 miles under premium service and it is not required under normal service. I personally would change the fluid because it is a cheap insurance policy and is better than having your tranny fail. The biggest problem with this transmission is the four bearing fail on the primary and secondary pulley's. They are not hard to change and the bearings are available aftermarket now. The only bad news is you need to remove transmission from vehicle to do it. So, you can sell it to your customer that it is part of premium service and given that the bearings have a high failure rate and it would be good to keep fresh oil in the transmission. The new oil also replenishes the friction modifiers and wear inhibitors.

di_gent
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i just spoke to my dealer and they are saying the CTV fluid is $30.29/L and $1.91 for the drain plug washer.I think that's quite high! what do you guys suggest, should i buy it from them? i have it on for $19/l on ebay.

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Rogue One
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Nissan Factory OEM CVT Continuously Variable Transmission Fluid - 999MP-NS200P
Your Price: $14.95 ea. or $154 case of 12
http://www.thenismoshop.com/Nissan-Fact ... p_896.html

di_gent
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thanks Rogue one but i live in canada and the shipping is $73 so it works out to the same thing if not more once they add taxes and duties :(

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phmichel
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Rogue One wrote:Nissan Factory OEM CVT Continuously Variable Transmission Fluid - 999MP-NS200P
Your Price: $14.95 ea. or $154 case of 12
http://www.thenismoshop.com/Nissan-Fact ... p_896.html
Rogue One - This is $14.12 per quart (case) shipped domestic (at least to Oregon). That's a good deal. Thanks for sharing. Their website says they don't ship international so that leaves out our Canadian friends. Bummer.

di_gent
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Car: 2008 Nissan Rogue SL FWD

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I am going to get the AmsOil Synthetic CVT fluids from a local supplier it's going to be only $12.65/Quart (tax included). i checked their website and they have tested it and it performs just as good as the Nissan NS-2 CVT Fluid. here is the link http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/t ... e=CVTQT-EA

i think some of the experts will discourage against it but i hope it will all go well :D. Any major concerns?

joesera
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Car: 2008 Rogue SL AWD

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Hi all. I'm new here, and a new owner of an '08 Rogue SL AWD with about 135K miles. CVT was whining when hot--level was way high on the dipstick. I had to drain 3 quarts of fluid to get down to the proper level. The NS-2 fluid is pretty dark, so I will replace it. I read instructions from FSM on how to drain and replace, but would prefer to flush all that old dirty crud out. Is there any reason I should not flush CVT fluid into a bucket by disconnecting a coolant line at the radiator or CVT like others have demonstrated for normal AT, like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsdPAad ... r_embedded
I flushed my Sienna's AT this way--is there something different about the CVT?

yoko911
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Car: Nissan Rogue 2009

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How did you get this data? what software/Hardware are you using? i would like to monitor my own Rogue.


dave08902 wrote: I then took car out for a drive to warm it up and it took 8 miles before I got the temp count up to 161.

Image

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darylzero
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di_gent wrote:I am going to get the AmsOil Synthetic CVT fluids from a local supplier it's going to be only $12.65/Quart (tax included). i checked their website and they have tested it and it performs just as good as the Nissan NS-2 CVT Fluid. here is the link http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/t ... e=CVTQT-EA

i think some of the experts will discourage against it but i hope it will all go well :D. Any major concerns?
Did you ever do this? Just wondering how it went with AMSoil CVT fluid?

joesera
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Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:32 pm
Car: 2008 Rogue SL AWD

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Update on my CVT flush question above. ..I searched in vain for a line carrying CVT fluid attached to the radiator to disconnect in order to flush out the CVT fluid. It looks like coolant lines run into a heat exchanger on the CVT, so there may be no external CVT fluid lines.Can anyone confirm?

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darylzero
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joesera wrote:Update on my CVT flush question above. ..I searched in vain for a line carrying CVT fluid attached to the radiator to disconnect in order to flush out the CVT fluid. It looks like coolant lines run into a heat exchanger on the CVT, so there may be no external CVT fluid lines.Can anyone confirm?
Since you have the 2008 w/ AWD you should have the trans cooler installed in front of the radiator. That carries transmission fluid.
See here, transmission-oil-cooler-for-a-rogue-s-s ... 62969.html

joesera
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No tranny cooler on my '08. Just an AC condenser in front of the radiator.


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