P1715 & P0776

[twinsig]

last weekend after getting a P0776-pressure control sol-B, stuck-off, I replaced the filter, screen and the CVT fluid (valvoline NS-3 stuff).
Today the wife, driving home from work experienced "weirdness" with the car...
I just pulled the codes from today: P0776 & P1715 (SSB Inductive Signature Malfunction) which according to what I'm finding it "could" be the ValveBody, but also the Belt! (sigh)
I know the trans temp was 210F...
The day of service it ran 174F after 16 miles of hwy driving.
This 2013, 4cyl/2.5 has 140k on it, i changed the fluid once before about 4 yrs ago.
Is there any hope?
Suggestions?

[VStar650CL]

I presume you never had the PC490 recall done to reprogram your TCM, otherwise it would be throwing a P17F0 to tell you it was dying. Those two codes together pretty much always mean serious belt slip. If a fluid change didn't help, the transmission is probably toast. Out of 68 cars in Identifix with that same code combination, fluid resolved 13, a VB resolved 1 more. The rest were dead trannies.

[twinsig]

Again. Good info there. Thank you vstar. Going to hopefully borrow a proper scope & inspect the belt and go from there. Hope there's some good news to report but I won't be buying any nissan products again.

[twinsig]

This is not very encouraging.
https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles ... ll-it-last

[VStar650CL]

There are lots of discussions in here about CVT longevity. Two changes in 140K is grossly insufficient, especially if you drive hard, climb a lot of hills, or live in a very hot climate. The rude part of that is Nissan not informing people that changes at 30K are necessary for a CVT to last. That's purely a marketing matter, of making initial cost of ownership look artificially low. I've always faulted Nissan for that, but the fact is, your transmission died of neglect over what Nissan didn't tell you.

[twinsig]

Vstar, you seem to be well informed on these. The tech bulletin indicates the TCM may require reprogramming. IF (a-big-if) my belt is ok, and i can get it going with a new VB, will reprogramming be required?
Just trying to stay ahead/informed..

[VStar650CL]

Yes, the VB will come with a QR sticker that encodes new IP Char values for the solenoid coils. Those need to be scanned and loaded into the TCM and the sticker placed over the existing one (on top of the Range Switch). Loading the IP's isn't complicated, the dealer will probably charge you an hour.

You really need to get your TCM reprogrammed anyway, that's a free recall. The early gen5 Alties came without judder detection in the TCM firmware, the recall adds that.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2016/ ... 2-9999.pdf

[twinsig]

Well vstar,,,looks like your the one to review these blurry photos. I tried to get better ones but not with my amazon scope!
It still doesn't look good though. See if you can access the drop box link. If you are inclined to do so...no obligation

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/x27fa7f9 ... s8v65&dl=0

[VStar650CL]

I'll take a look when I get home, the comp here in the shop is blocking my access (sometimes I really hate IT guys who refuse to see the wisdom of PC Matic).

[VStar650CL]

That belt is thoroughly scuffed. Compare with the pics of good and no-good belts starting on page 13 here:
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/ ... 8-9999.pdf

There are almost no striations left on your belt and gouges visible in several places. She gone.

[twinsig]

Yep sure looks like a wash here. Was sort of expecting that and thanks again for your input...I have it back together and did some driving, hill test too, and it was "fine" at the moment...Temp was 176 on my grocery run. When the wife arrived last night CVT was 210.
I wonder if its tradable? Could be but probably only for a NEW car...$$$$$ (5 digits)! nope!

Are you a trained mechanic? Or an OCD DIY-er?
I'm more of a moto guy, 4, BMW k1200's, 2 of em running, one really large K1200LT project (and a parts bike) to begin soon. Got it cheap with a blown bell housing from exploded clutch. Its a 2-up long distance ride.

[VStar650CL]

Yep sure looks like a wash here. Was sort of expecting that and thanks again for your input...I have it back together and did some driving, hill test too, and it was "fine" at the moment...Temp was 176 on my grocery run. When the wife arrived last night CVT was 210.
I wonder if its tradable? Could be but probably only for a NEW car...$$$$$ (5 digits)! nope!

Depends how honest you want to be. Since you never had the TCM updated, there won't be any fingerprints if you clear the codes and trade it. The judder diagnostics would put the kabosh on that, because P17F0/P17F1 are only erasable by reflashing the TCM. On the other hand, now that you know how a CVT should be treated, the ridiculous price of used cars these days might make it worthwhile to pay the price of a reman if the car is in good shape otherwise. You can get a Nissan reman online for about $3K, and there's a complete FSM here in Nico if you wrench it yourself. You'd need to have a dealer program it, but that's about all.
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 3%2FTM.pdf

Here's some additional food for thought. The reason that belt of yours is chewed up is because of dead fluid, plain and simple. What Nissan and Jatco (shamefully) don't explain to people is that CVT's are metal-on-metal devices, and as such are entirely dependent on the quality of the fluid to keep the metals from meeting. So the equation is simple, when the fluid dies, so does the transmission. That's the downside, but paradoxically, if the transmission is well-serviced, iat's also the upside. Every regular A/T has a lifespan limited by ablative materials, clutches and bands which will eventually wear away no matter how kindly you treat it. CVT's have virtually nothing to wear, only a TC clutch and Forward-Reverse clutch which are both intermittent and can last a million miles. So if you undertake the mission of keeping the metals apart, a CVT can be a perpetual motion machine instead of a headache.

Are you a trained mechanic? Or an OCD DIY-er?
I'm more of a moto guy, 4, BMW k1200's, 2 of em running, one really large K1200LT project (and a parts bike) to begin soon. Got it cheap with a blown bell housing from exploded clutch. Its a 2-up long distance ride.

Nissan master tech (electrical and HVAC specialist).

[twinsig]

My former neighbor is an independent mechanic, good one too. He told me this morning he's seen cvts last for 300k. And some under 100k.
Where are the remans? I looked but not for long.
My brother, vintage car guy, has a large shop, no lift though and I'll read that nico manual before the final decision. I usually over- think almost everything and this would not be an exception.
Again, big help, and much appreciated

[twinsig]

What's your opinion of experience with installing an oil cooler? I have a nice one left over from my old oilhead (bmw).

[VStar650CL]

My former neighbor is an independent mechanic, good one too. He told me this morning he's seen cvts last for 300k. And some under 100k.
Where are the remans? I looked but not for long.
My brother, vintage car guy, has a large shop, no lift though and I'll read that nico manual before the final decision. I usually over- think almost everything and this would not be an exception.
Again, big help, and much appreciated

https://www.nissanpartsdeal.com/parts-l ... m=310_A005

What's your opinion of experience with installing an oil cooler? I have a nice one left over from my old oilhead (bmw).

In most cases you won't go wrong by making your CVT run cooler. However, if you live in a cold clime with a real winter, you'll want a cooler with a bypass valve. Too cold can be an issue too, cold parts wear way faster than warm ones. If your Bimmer cooler has a bypass, make sure it's low temperature. Most conventional transmission coolers crack at 180F, and any crack temperature above about 165F is unsuitable for CVT's. The Hayden 69x's have a 160F crack (I have a 697 on the wife's car), or you can steal the Nissan cooler off an R52 Pathfinder ('13~'20), those are 140-something. IIRC Mishimoto also makes a 160F external H-valve.

[VStar650CL]

PS - Removing the transmission isn't much different from any transverse 4-banger. Doing it from the top is virtually impossible and the axles need to be popped and the subframe dropped, so you will need to get the car elevated. You'll also need an adjustable crossbar to support the engine (most parts stores can rent you one).