I'm asking on our 2017 Rogue Sport w/CVT transmission. Car doesn't get many annual miles (5k) and @ 29K I did 4X drain and fills using Idemitsu NS-3 fluid. (Also replaced the small external filter.) The factory fluid was very black. For some reason, I'll leery about dropping the pan on our first CVT transmission car. How bad could the magnets be contaminated w/ shavings and fuss? Condition of filter? I plan on doing future drain and fills @ 20-25k miles intervals. (How many would depend on the condition of the fluid coming out.) When would you drop the pan, clean magnets and install new filter knowing my service routine? Thanks for your insights.....
At what miles would you do a pan drop and install a new strainer/filter on a Nissan CVT?
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Dropping the pan isn't necessary, Just change the fluid on a regular basis 
I did my '19 QX60 at 100k kilometers', pan off and replaced the filter and fluid. What I saw was very little accumulation on the magnets, and nothing in the filter - yes you can see inside the thing from the inlet. So for now on, the pan stays on and I dump fluid and replace same amount drained with fresh NS3. My theory is that the filter will catch debris 10 seconds before the CVT dies a horrid explosive death, other than that nothing much is getting into the filter.
I guess the hope is that keeping the fluid fresh will extend CVT life. With that in mind, I'd probably do a double drain and fill every 20K miles. Especially if the fluid is discolored each time.
I have the dubious honor of experiencing a CVT self-destruction in a nearly new Subaru Crosstrek. Using adaptive cruise control I was stuck behind a 35MPH truck on a long hillclimb. I had the speed set at 70, So as I pulled out to pass, the car automatically accelerated. Being a bit underpowered, the engine revved up to about 4,000. Then 4,500 and eventually 5,200, where it stayed. Yikes. Then, the CVT let go and the car would no longer go. I rolled downhill into a gas station and was able to milk it into a parking spot.
I have the dubious honor of experiencing a CVT self-destruction in a nearly new Subaru Crosstrek. Using adaptive cruise control I was stuck behind a 35MPH truck on a long hillclimb. I had the speed set at 70, So as I pulled out to pass, the car automatically accelerated. Being a bit underpowered, the engine revved up to about 4,000. Then 4,500 and eventually 5,200, where it stayed. Yikes. Then, the CVT let go and the car would no longer go. I rolled downhill into a gas station and was able to milk it into a parking spot.
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I changed the fluid drove around 300 miles then changed it again along with the trans cooler filter. that was around 3,000 miles ago I did this at 60K, I'm not digging into the pan for the strainer filter not that the thought hasn't run my mind a few times.
I hope Subaru covered ALL of your costs.
It was an Avis rental that I got with 2000 miles on it, so nearly new. And no they did not cover the Uber ride to my destination. I did hear back from them and they mentioned that many of their Subaru fleet experienced CVT failures and that I would not be charged...
IMHO you should drop the pan at least once to get a baseline on the internal condition. Clean the magnet(s) and replace the filter if it's a cellulose media. Button it back up and rock on with your bad self.
Fresh lube certainly can't hurt on these as the Nissan Jatco CVTs in particular seem to have a lot of problems even below 100,000 miles. Of course many of their models are marketed in the low price category and likely not going to folks who are going to do much preventative maintenance.
Years ago I got a well used Hertz Altima for a friend. The spill and fill CVT was an easy service. I did several services in succession; 1st drain was black as heck; subsequent services were better. Fluid is good now. I do 20K services now...
I would not bother dropping the pan; I didn't and this Altima has 190K on the clock now. It seems to be fine.
I would not bother dropping the pan; I didn't and this Altima has 190K on the clock now. It seems to be fine.
I know with the 1st gen Rogue 2008-2013 (then sport after that), Nissan left out the trans oil cooler (looks like a radiator up front) and that's what ended up cooking the CVT fluid. So yes, it's important to keep up with regular CVT fluid so the trans won't end up baked. Nissan eventually did come out with a trans cooler kit.
But to answer the original question.. I'd not drop the pan either, just drain and fill. 20k-30k miles is what I'd say to do and use the Nissan Fluid.
But to answer the original question.. I'd not drop the pan either, just drain and fill. 20k-30k miles is what I'd say to do and use the Nissan Fluid.
Wow no wonder they're having cvt durability problems. Not familiar with Nissans at all but this explains a lot.
I was surprised when I found the TSB for my friend's rogue, but it was a eureka moment realizing that the rest of the world got the trans cooler but the US market did not. No wonder the transmissions were dying. Thanks bean-counting Nissan!!
for anyone that's curious.. it's nissan tsb NTB16-090
I travel ALOT for work and always grab Nissans. They’re familiar and I don’t have to spend 15 minutes before I leave the lot and know where everything is. It’s funny you mention BLACK cvt fluid. My soon to be niece has an Altima, 2017 that she bought new and sat at 150k that had never been serviced. When I pulled the drain plug for the trans I had to double check my work to make sure it wasn’t the oil plug. FWIW, I’ve got an ex client who’s somewhat high up in a major rental car company and we were talking about their fleets. I asked him why they chose so many Nissans and his answer was “the windshield wiper blades last for years” lol. Apparently that’s a major issue on rentals that ends up costing the company I guess?
Drop the pan every oil change to get the 3 or 4 pounds of broken belt out.
I've previously referenced our 2015 Murano, currently with 205k miles, with the original drivetrain.
I've never dropped the pan, but drain and fill every other oil change (15k interval). It's easy enough while under the car.
At 60k I went from NS-3 to Castrol Transmax CVT, then switched to Valvoline CVT at the 90K change after Castrol changed to a universal formulation. (Note- users here have used the "new" Castrol universal with good outcomes)
I was CVT-skeptical when my wife brought the car home in early 2016, but I was happily wrong: It's been ultra-reliable and makes a couple of trips every year to San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Missoula from San Francisco & always a pleasure to drive.
Did we merely get lucky with a good Jatco build? Perhaps, yet I tend to lean toward feedback from other Nissan CVT owners with high mileage stories & the common thread of frequent fluid refreshes to credit our single data point.
I've never dropped the pan, but drain and fill every other oil change (15k interval). It's easy enough while under the car.
At 60k I went from NS-3 to Castrol Transmax CVT, then switched to Valvoline CVT at the 90K change after Castrol changed to a universal formulation. (Note- users here have used the "new" Castrol universal with good outcomes)
I was CVT-skeptical when my wife brought the car home in early 2016, but I was happily wrong: It's been ultra-reliable and makes a couple of trips every year to San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Missoula from San Francisco & always a pleasure to drive.
Did we merely get lucky with a good Jatco build? Perhaps, yet I tend to lean toward feedback from other Nissan CVT owners with high mileage stories & the common thread of frequent fluid refreshes to credit our single data point.
On her 2015 Altima, I did 3X drain and fill with Castrol Transmax cvt fluid with a 12-15 mile drive in between drain and fills around the 50K mile mark. Did a single drain and fill with transmax cvt around the 75K mile mark, and another around the 100K mile mark.
Car currently has just over 105K miles and I will do another d/f at the 125K mile mark probably with the last 3 bottles of Castrol cvt fluid and 1 quart of Valvoline cvt fluid and then just Valvoline going forward.
Never dropped pan and never plan on it
Car currently has just over 105K miles and I will do another d/f at the 125K mile mark probably with the last 3 bottles of Castrol cvt fluid and 1 quart of Valvoline cvt fluid and then just Valvoline going forward.
Never dropped pan and never plan on it
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