I have a Nissan Micra/March 1.3 CVT-N and i would like to renew the ATF myself as per the manufacturers specified service interval of every 27,000 miles.The service manual describes the procedure which includes letting the Engine idle for 5 mins after re filling with the correct fluid,and then with the car on axle stands,and front wheels off the ground,select D and slowly accelerate to 30mph,release throttle and repeat two more times.Is this procedure of accelerating the car to 30mph off the ground really necessary? could i just drive the car up to the indicated 30mph,then slow down and repeat two more times? What would people advise i should do.The car is my mother's and she wants to keep it,so i don't want to do anything that would hurt the transmission.
Help with ATF renewal Procedure
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My advice is follow the manual as the trans is extremely prone to damage when the fluid is not uniformly distributed. They don't want any torque loading at all
I don't think they are worried about torque loading, honestly. What they are trying to do is activate the various clutches & servos inside the transmission so that some of the old fluid can get flushed out of the internal workings as well.
EVERY 27,000 MILES? That is a LOT of fluid drain and fills!
Considering most people NEVER perform this service in the life of their car, if you stick to the 27,000-30,000 mile drain and fill interval, you'll never have to worry about an improperly serviced transmission - ever.
...and that includes not bother with running the car in gear with it jacked off the ground, that's just silly. If you do such a thing, at least take the front wheels off, for pete's sake! You don't want it to accidentally fall off the stands and drive off through something. I'd never recommend a D-I-Y'er to do that unless you really knew how to properly support a car on jackstands. And always set the parking brake!
EVERY 27,000 MILES? That is a LOT of fluid drain and fills!
Considering most people NEVER perform this service in the life of their car, if you stick to the 27,000-30,000 mile drain and fill interval, you'll never have to worry about an improperly serviced transmission - ever.
...and that includes not bother with running the car in gear with it jacked off the ground, that's just silly. If you do such a thing, at least take the front wheels off, for pete's sake! You don't want it to accidentally fall off the stands and drive off through something. I'd never recommend a D-I-Y'er to do that unless you really knew how to properly support a car on jackstands. And always set the parking brake!
First as disclaimer, I'm not familiar with the topic make/model. That said, Honda has a very similar procedure listed when doing 3x ATF d&fs. However, most I know doing diy 3x d&f without jack stands simply drive the vehicle after each drain going through each gear to mix the ATF and return do the next drain. Of course, a gentle accelation approach is best after each drain.
I 'suspect' the listed method in Hondas case at least, is best for when the vehicle is on a service lift, wheels free and no driving and the extra time involved is desired. Again, that is my understanding in the case of Hondas.
I 'suspect' the listed method in Hondas case at least, is best for when the vehicle is on a service lift, wheels free and no driving and the extra time involved is desired. Again, that is my understanding in the case of Hondas.
If i am honest,i wouldn't be comfortable running the car in gear on jack stands, as i am not experienced.The last fluid change was done at my local dealer,who have since re located,i don't know if they actually performed the running in gear off the ground procedure or not.So do you think that i could just drain and refill as normal,without doing this procedure and not hurt anything?
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It's your vehicle and you should do what you feel comfortable with. However based on my experience with Hondas, I would be very comfortable doing a single d&f and then driving the vehicle as described. Do it every 25-30k miles as on the Hondas I maintain. Just did one recently on an Accord. Again though, your call.
Use the feed and return lines, and let the pump do all the work.
Originally Posted By: Olas
Use the feed and return lines, and let the pump do all the work.
This is the best, uses the least ATF and does not take a long time.
Use the feed and return lines, and let the pump do all the work.
This is the best, uses the least ATF and does not take a long time.
Originally Posted By: Linctex
I don't think they are worried about torque loading, honestly. What they are trying to do is activate the various clutches & servos inside the transmission so that some of the old fluid can get flushed out of the internal workings as well.
EVERY 27,000 MILES? That is a LOT of fluid drain and fills!
Considering most people NEVER perform this service in the life of their car, if you stick to the 27,000-30,000 mile drain and fill interval, you'll never have to worry about an improperly serviced transmission - ever.
...and that includes not bother with running the car in gear with it jacked off the ground, that's just silly. If you do such a thing, at least take the front wheels off, for pete's sake! You don't want it to accidentally fall off the stands and drive off through something. I'd never recommend a D-I-Y'er to do that unless you really knew how to properly support a car on jackstands. And always set the parking brake!
Well said.
Another option for OP is single drain and fill every 10,000 miles. Maybe at every oil change.
I don't think they are worried about torque loading, honestly. What they are trying to do is activate the various clutches & servos inside the transmission so that some of the old fluid can get flushed out of the internal workings as well.
EVERY 27,000 MILES? That is a LOT of fluid drain and fills!
Considering most people NEVER perform this service in the life of their car, if you stick to the 27,000-30,000 mile drain and fill interval, you'll never have to worry about an improperly serviced transmission - ever.
...and that includes not bother with running the car in gear with it jacked off the ground, that's just silly. If you do such a thing, at least take the front wheels off, for pete's sake! You don't want it to accidentally fall off the stands and drive off through something. I'd never recommend a D-I-Y'er to do that unless you really knew how to properly support a car on jackstands. And always set the parking brake!
Well said.
Another option for OP is single drain and fill every 10,000 miles. Maybe at every oil change.
Originally Posted By: CharlieBauer
Well said. Another option for OP is single drain and fill every 10,000 miles. Maybe at every oil change.
I know a guy in Houston who drains 2 quarts of ATF from their Nissan Xterra and adds 2 new quarts of Nissan ATF, every time he changes the engine oil. I kind of raised an eyebrow at that practice, but hey....
Well said. Another option for OP is single drain and fill every 10,000 miles. Maybe at every oil change.
I know a guy in Houston who drains 2 quarts of ATF from their Nissan Xterra and adds 2 new quarts of Nissan ATF, every time he changes the engine oil. I kind of raised an eyebrow at that practice, but hey....
Originally Posted By: Linctex
I don't think they are worried about torque loading, honestly. What they are trying to do is activate the various clutches & servos inside the transmission so that some of the old fluid can get flushed out of the internal workings as well.
This is a CVT, actually simpler than a conventional auto...
I don't think they are worried about torque loading, honestly. What they are trying to do is activate the various clutches & servos inside the transmission so that some of the old fluid can get flushed out of the internal workings as well.
This is a CVT, actually simpler than a conventional auto...
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