CVT Dipstick?
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Cold Level reading @ 60 degree F was 3/4" above the hot reading. It's a shame car markers have eliminated dipsticks and made this a somewhat difficult process. Very curious what I'll find on the magnets and condition of the fluid when I do this service @ around 30K miles/5 yrs.
We just took our Qashqai for first engine oil change. While at dealer, I looked at the dealer's schedule of maintenance item and costs. Their chart shows a CVT flush is recommended at 100,000 km for CAD$249. I talked to one of the service managers. He says the CVT is closed system and manufacturer claims fluid is lifetime, but dealer recommends flush at 100,000 km. He says the CVT is low maintenance and is better than the regular automatic transmission which has a dealer recommended flush at about 50,000 km for about CAD$299.
So Sparky I need to get a 24 1/4 dipstick length and then measure fluid stone cold with replacement fluid in the same area as the fluid in the vehicle so as to minimize temperature differences between old and new fluids. I'm a bit concerned about trying to work with warm to hot fluid as I won't be able to guarantee getting the replacement fluid to the same temp. My thoughts are as follows:
Leave vehicle standing for 24 hours.
Measure fluid on dipstick
Suck out fluid using fluid extractor
Transfer old fluid to measuring jug, read fluid level.
Return that amount with new fluid into transmission.
Thoughts, comments?
Thanks
IMO, getting a cold/hot reading on a dipstick is important just in case you spill what you take out. A cold fluid exchange w/the replacement fluid at the same temp would be fine but unpractical in my personal situation as I do all my car maintenance at other location other than my residence. (About 15 min. drive time.) From what I understand, there is a little difference in fluid amount when one does a warm transmission exchange. (Just put in slightly less.) I'm not at all afraid at all w/doing this service. I think it's very important to change out the cartridge filter w/a new gasket. This is absolutely great that Jatco/Nissan included this design. Looks to be simple procedure. Also, there may be overflow drain plug on this transmission for checking the fluid level. I'll have to take a closer look next time I do an engine/filter change. As of right now (6.5k mi.), the transmission fluid on my dipstick looks absolutely clear. If you want to see this filter and gasket: Nissanpartsdeal.com (31526-3vx0a and 31726-3xx0a) You'll see the diagram and the parts. Safe and pleasant miles to one and all. Iceflow, do you have the Dorman dipstick? I'd be interested what readings you get. Bill
Thank you Sparky. I do have the Dorman, but not the time at the moment to fiddle around with it. Once my daughter is home from college and I can find the time, I'll try it out and let you know what I find. Thanks for your efforts on this, it is a great help.
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I just found this site and it has a ton of very useful advice regarding CVT issues and common misunderstandings, along with a description of the meanings of the stuff on the magnets. It looks to be a professional site for transmission rebuilders, but it does have stuff for DIY types that you might find useful. Hope this helps. 
CVT Info
CVT Info
That's a serious technical article. Way above my level of expertise. The foremost question in my mind is, how explicitly do you trust your dealer? Say you bring in your car @ 40K-60k mi. and ask for a transmission service w/ a pan drop/new internal & external filter and are told it's something they will not do because it's neither not necessary or there isn't a serviceable filter, my faith in the dealer becomes very low as I know these filters exist and it's a good practice for the CVT's longevity. Where does that leave a person? Either an independent shop or DIY. For me personally, it's not too hard to do this service and every time I've done this on one of ours cars, the results have been for the positive. First thing I did was make a custom dipstick which gave me a cold/hot reading of the transmission fluid. (This will tell me how much to add assuming the factory put the correct amount in.) Also, one can add what amount comes out. On our other cars w/a traditional 4-6 sp. transmission, there's always some fuss on the magnets when the pan was dropped the first time. As we drive such low miles w/this Rogue Sport, I'll wait till the warranty is up before doing this just in case. I'll be curious of the fluid/filter/s & magnets condition.
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I have to agree with you on the loss of faith in the dealer if I got that response on the filter question. I've seen the technical drawings and know there are two filters (one external and one internal) and, If I got that from the dealer, it would be a comment on their web site cautioning anyone from bringing their car in for service. What would frost me more is asking for the service, having them take my car in, and being charged only to find it wasn't done. I have to find a way to mark the tranny so I'll know they pulled the pan. It's a shame we have to do this - but there are so many scams out there.
That's why I like to do the work myself because I know it was done right. (What I'm not able to do, I take to an independent one person garage whom I trust w/the job being done right @ a fair price.) This is an easy service on our CVT's. Just be careful not to over torque the pan bolts AND there is a Nissan recommended bolt sequence. I'd venture to guess the Nissan dealer will not drop the pan and replace the strainer. When my 3rd year state inspection is due in October and I'll bring the vehicle in to the dealer and ask about this. Right now our Rogue Sport goes like a dream. (Knock on wood.) We're very pleased w/the car. (Also, our Nissan dealer's service dept. has been excellent honoring my requests and not trying to up-sell.)
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Hold on guys!!! CVTs are expensive and not terribly abundant as we found with our previous 2009 Rogue. She took it to the stealership religiously for ALL maintenance. According to the service manual the techs were SUPPOSED to be checking the CVT fluid level during the scheduled maintenance, yet when it failed I checked the fluid and found it BONE DRY. This is how we came to need the newer 2015 Rogue. She just paid $350 for the transmission service, and as usual has been taking it to the stealership religiously for ALL service. But just now as I was topping off the windshield washer fluid with what I had leftover from filling mine, I noticed the coolant reservoir was bone dry. A quick peek into the radiator cap revealed that the coolant was quite low there as well. Also, the brake fluid was quite low, another service they are supposed to be staying on top of. So needless to say I have ZERO confidence in the techs working for the stealership. Now I find there is no CVT dipstick for me to check behind them doesn't exactly inspire confidence either. But I wanted to tell you all there could possibly be another reason why there's no dipstick, aside from stealership greed. It is possible since they use the "fill it till it pours out" method instead of an official service dipstick, that maybe the dipstick tube is no longer in line with an optimal area in the tranny to take a dipstick reading from. Maybe something interferes with where a dipstick would be situated, like a sensor or moving parts. I wouldn't put anything except maybe a lighted borescope camera down in there to see if there's something which could be damaged or could cause damage to the CVT from a fixed dipstick.
Sparky,
It looks then like this one will not do the Job? Stating
Amazon.com: labwork CVT Transmission Oil Level Indicator Dipstick Gauge 31086-JA00A Fit for 2006- and up Maxima Murano / 2007- and up Altima Quest / 2013- and up Roque : Automotive
Buy labwork CVT Transmission Oil Level Indicator Dipstick Gauge 31086-JA00A Fit for 2006- and up Maxima Murano / 2007- and up Altima Quest / 2013- and up Roque: Hard Parts - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
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Following on from Sparky's updates. Hopefully you are still on the forum. I did an extract at the weekend and can bore you all with the before and after results if you want them. Main points.
I confirm Sparky's dipstick length of 24-1/4 inches is what I required to get sufficient fluid onto the stick for a sensible reading at various temperatures, stone cold, driven to op temperature, engine running, engine off, cool down then check etc.etc.
The dipstick on Amazon was nowhere near long enough for my Rogue Sport. Either the factory fill varies considerably or that dipstick on Amazon is not long enough.
I ended up using a 36 inch zip tie with masking tape placed at 24-1/4 inches from the end.
Fluid was a mid chocolate brown and smelled like heavy industrial oil, not burning smell. Smelled like it would still do the business. Car as 56K miles on it.
I extracted through 'charging port' and once the extracted fluid was at the same temperature as the new fluid, I replaced exactly what I had pulled. I then went through the same warm up process using the same road route I had used on the initial warm up and dipstick readings to match the original readings.
Just FYI this would not get anywhere near a fluid reading.
I confirm Sparky's dipstick length of 24-1/4 inches is what I required to get sufficient fluid onto the stick for a sensible reading at various temperatures, stone cold, driven to op temperature, engine running, engine off, cool down then check etc.etc.
The dipstick on Amazon was nowhere near long enough for my Rogue Sport. Either the factory fill varies considerably or that dipstick on Amazon is not long enough.
I ended up using a 36 inch zip tie with masking tape placed at 24-1/4 inches from the end.
Fluid was a mid chocolate brown and smelled like heavy industrial oil, not burning smell. Smelled like it would still do the business. Car as 56K miles on it.
I extracted through 'charging port' and once the extracted fluid was at the same temperature as the new fluid, I replaced exactly what I had pulled. I then went through the same warm up process using the same road route I had used on the initial warm up and dipstick readings to match the original readings.
Just FYI this would not get anywhere near a fluid reading.
Amazon.com: labwork CVT Transmission Oil Level Indicator Dipstick Gauge 31086-JA00A Fit for 2006- and up Maxima Murano / 2007- and up Altima Quest / 2013- and up Roque : Automotive
Buy labwork CVT Transmission Oil Level Indicator Dipstick Gauge 31086-JA00A Fit for 2006- and up Maxima Murano / 2007- and up Altima Quest / 2013- and up Roque: Hard Parts - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
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Hi All,Following on from Sparky's updates. Hopefully you are still on the forum. I did an extract at the weekend and can bore you all with the before and after results if you want them. Main points.
I confirm Sparky's dipstick length of 24-1/4 inches is what I required to get sufficient fluid onto the stick for a sensible reading at various temperatures, stone cold, driven to op temperature, engine running, engine off, cool down then check etc.etc.
The dipstick on Amazon was nowhere near long enough for my Rogue Sport. Either the factory fill varies considerably or that dipstick on Amazon is not long enough.
I ended up using a 36 inch zip tie with masking tape placed at 24-1/4 inches from the end.
Fluid was a mid chocolate brown and smelled like heavy industrial oil, not burning smell. Smelled like it would still do the business. Car as 56K miles on it.
I extracted through 'charging port' and once the extracted fluid was at the same temperature as the new fluid, I replaced exactly what I had pulled. I then went through the same warm up process using the same road route I had used on the initial warm up and dipstick readings to match the original readings.
Just FYI this would not get anywhere near a fluid reading.
Amazon.com: labwork CVT Transmission Oil Level Indicator Dipstick Gauge 31086-JA00A Fit for 2006- and up Maxima Murano / 2007- and up Altima Quest / 2013- and up Roque : Automotive
Buy labwork CVT Transmission Oil Level Indicator Dipstick Gauge 31086-JA00A Fit for 2006- and up Maxima Murano / 2007- and up Altima Quest / 2013- and up Roque: Hard Parts - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchaseswww.amazon.com
Been following your detailed tread for some time on and off - thank you for the info!
IceFlow, you mentioned you bought the Dorman dipstick, it wasn't long enough?
Because now you mention using a 36" zip tie to get 24-1/4".
Thank you!
Vadim
Apologies for the late reply. Yes I have a 36 inch zip tie with a piece of masking tape set 24 1/4 inches from the end of the zip tie. I push the zip tie in through the charging port and match the masking tape flush with the edge of the charging port and do all my readings that way.
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