Using dealer transmission fluid vs aftermarket

[stunone]

I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP TODAY FOR A AIRBAG RECALL. WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE TRAANY AND HE WARNED ME NO TO USE AFTER MARKET. FLIUD. WAS THAT A SCEAR TATICI ??

[Ilya]

I personally would only use OEM...but that's just me...and because I rather have the dealer do that particular task.

[steve_c]

I would never consider anything else other then OEM transmission fluid in our cars.
On my first flush I drained out all the original Nissan-Matic J (now obsolete) and refilled with
Nissan-Matic S. I recently did a 2x trans pan fluid change-out using Nissan-Matic S.

Transmission clutches & seals are too sensitive in these cars (and many others) to use anything other than OEM spec fluid.
Why gamble? There is no compelling reason to use anything other then OEM fluid!

[EdBwoy]

It's not really a scare tactic. The transmission was set up with Nissan's oil formulation in mind. The transmission behavior is more predictable with their fluid.

That being said, I have done trans replacements and changed out the fluid in my trans, power steering and y34 hydraulic fan to Castrol Transmax with no ill effects a few 10s of thousands miles later. I did my research and was comfortable.

Unless you're handling gallons of the fluid, I'd say don't bother with anything else. Just buy what Nissan is selling currently for the peace of mind.

[EdBwoy]

... Castrol Transmax with no ill effects...

Well, not quite. Valvoline Max Life is what I had in mind. One thing I can say with certainty is that if someone figured out how to make trans fluid not smell like A55, that'd be great.

[jasejase]

As long as it meets the factory requirements, they can't force you to use anything. Talk to the service manager. I've always ran high end fluids in my performance cars that would cost 2-3x the dealer crap, inclusive of motul and Redline. Dealer never said a word. Ask what their concerns are and what it means if you sway from their advise. Ask for it in writing.

[steve_c]

As long as it meets the factory requirements, they can't force you to use anything. Talk to the service manager. I've always ran high end fluids in my performance cars that would cost 2-3x the dealer crap, inclusive of motul and Redline. Dealer never said a word. Ask what their concerns are and what it means if you sway from their advise. Ask for it in writing.

I would not consider Nissan-Matic S fluid "dealer crap".
On the contrary, it is probably by far the best formulated fluid you can use in your Infiniti M for longevity of the unit.

The dealer is not forcing you to use Nissan Fluid.
You are free to use whatever you want to use, just do not expect them to do the service for you, or to warranty any unit using an aftermarket fluid!
In addition, it is not the dealer's obligation to research after market fluid manufacturer claims of compatibility. They do not need to, they are the original source of OEM fluid, and that is all they will use to service your transmission.

Here it is in writing from a 2009 Infiniti M Service manual:

CAUTION:
• If Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF is not available, Genuine NISSAN Matic J ATF may also be used.
• Using ATF other than Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF will cause deterioration in driveability and A/T durability, and may damage the A/T, which is not
covered by the INFINITI new vehicle limited warranty.


I am not saying Motul, Redline & the like are inferior fluids, I am sure they are very high end. The question might be performance vs longevity.
Motul, Redline & the like might be better suited for performance applications, but what is the trade off?
I do not have the answer to that, and I am not into performance, so for me OEM fluid is all I would consider.
For others however, needs might be different!

[Larz]

I see it much the same way. Which ever fluid Infiniti shops use is the best way to go. I'm not going to have my gear box serviced anywhere aside from the dealer. Yes indeed, that will cost more. It's a service you do so infrequently, it doesn't matter to me if I can save some money using a different brand fluid, and because I let the dealer do everything, they remain responsible for everything.
If you are doing this service yourself .... well that's up to you. It's not rocket science, but you're working on an extremely important and extremely expensive part of the drive train. This part is thousands of dollars ! Personally, I would not risk thousands just to save a few hundred.

[jasejase]

I hear ya. But there are sometimes differences. Not always, and I'm far from an infiniti guy (just sold our q50)....

Do a Blackstone OA on the dealer oil vs a high end oil. In many instances, the results are telling.

[crweaver]

I switched to amsoil signature series transmission fluid about 6 months ago. I drive pretty hard at times and have noticed smoother shifting all around. I'm gonna do the rear diff next week.

[szh]

It's not rocket science, but you're working on an extremely important and extremely expensive part of the drive train. This part is thousands of dollars ! Personally, I would not risk thousands just to save a few hundred.

Yes! The cost of a failed transmission is not something I would want to take a risk on.

The Nissan formulation is recommended. While other high-end brands may be perfectly good (maybe even better) too, they are designed for a wide range of vehicles and were not [necessarily] tested for long-term use in our Nissan/Infiniti cars.

So, the specific formulation of the Nissan fluid is why I would still use it, even if I had the transmission fluid changed somewhere other than the dealer!

FWIW, my 2003 M car just passed 190k miles ... on a steady diet of transmission flushes every 30k miles at the dealer, using the Nissan J (and now S) fluids.

[Ilya]

I change mine every 50k (hard'ish driving) and haven't had any issues myself. Only go to the dealer for that work as I can't be bothered to do it.