Transmission service help questions
04-22-2003, 11:24 AM
#1
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 296
Transmission service help questions
96 max (auto)tranny here... want to change tranny filter and pan gasket... thinking about changing fluid and thinking about flushing the tranny... what do you guys think should b signs for me to go about this procedure? the fluid smells fine and it is not burnt shifting problems eh.. not really noticeable.. i just wanted to service the filter... but i hear around the org... about this other tranny fluid/???? was it redline?? something like that.. is that a good suitable fluid for me to change to? could someone give me the exact name of that fluid??? if so.. do u think its a good idea to change to that fluid??? sorry about all the questions...
04-22-2003, 12:09 PM
#3
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How many miles are on the car?
Your tranny fluid should be changed every 30K or so. If it's not been done yet, I'd say have it done or do it yourself. You can either do a few drain and refills over time or do a complete clean & flush. It's a good idea to drop the pan and clean the two magnets in the bottom of the pan. They get full of very fine metalic sludge. They soft of act like filters. The screen (filter) is there to stop large debri from getting into the pump or torque converter. It usually does not need changing or cleaning. You can see it once the pan is down, mine was spotless at 50K. My magnets however, were filthy.
If you want to do a flush yourself, drian the tranny, drop the pan, clean up the magnets, get a new gasket, some recommend putting new bolts in the pan as well. There cheap, get them from Nissan. Then fill the tranny up with 4 qts. From under the car, remove the lower splash shield from under the radistor. There are two hoses that come from the tranny and go into the radiator. Thats the OEM tranny cooler. Disconnect the line to the left - looking up from under the car. Run a piece of tubing from the radiator side or tranny cooler return line into a bucket. Start the car and the tranny will pump all the old fluid out from the torque converter and suck down the new fluid you put in. As soon as you hear the pump girgle, turn the car off. Refill the tranny with 4 qts and pump it back out again. Then reattach the tranny hose and put 4 qts back into the tranny. Run the car for a few minutes and check the tranny fluid level while the car is running. Add a little more if needed and your all set.
Thats the cliff notes on the DIY tranny flush. I recommend using Amsoil tranny fluid. The Amsoil synthetic tranny fluid seems to make the Maxima autotragic tranny shift a lile smoother, especially when it's cold.
Good luck!
Your tranny fluid should be changed every 30K or so. If it's not been done yet, I'd say have it done or do it yourself. You can either do a few drain and refills over time or do a complete clean & flush. It's a good idea to drop the pan and clean the two magnets in the bottom of the pan. They get full of very fine metalic sludge. They soft of act like filters. The screen (filter) is there to stop large debri from getting into the pump or torque converter. It usually does not need changing or cleaning. You can see it once the pan is down, mine was spotless at 50K. My magnets however, were filthy.
If you want to do a flush yourself, drian the tranny, drop the pan, clean up the magnets, get a new gasket, some recommend putting new bolts in the pan as well. There cheap, get them from Nissan. Then fill the tranny up with 4 qts. From under the car, remove the lower splash shield from under the radistor. There are two hoses that come from the tranny and go into the radiator. Thats the OEM tranny cooler. Disconnect the line to the left - looking up from under the car. Run a piece of tubing from the radiator side or tranny cooler return line into a bucket. Start the car and the tranny will pump all the old fluid out from the torque converter and suck down the new fluid you put in. As soon as you hear the pump girgle, turn the car off. Refill the tranny with 4 qts and pump it back out again. Then reattach the tranny hose and put 4 qts back into the tranny. Run the car for a few minutes and check the tranny fluid level while the car is running. Add a little more if needed and your all set.
Thats the cliff notes on the DIY tranny flush. I recommend using Amsoil tranny fluid. The Amsoil synthetic tranny fluid seems to make the Maxima autotragic tranny shift a lile smoother, especially when it's cold.
Good luck!
04-22-2003, 01:32 PM
#4
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 296
thanx alot njmax! 
my car has 136,000 miles on it.. 
i got the car at 106,000 so i figure its time to do something with that tranny so ur looking at 8 or more quarts of tranny fluid huh... so exactly how much should i order from amsoil???? thanx again...
my car has 136,000 miles on it.. i got the car at 106,000 so i figure its time to do something with that tranny so ur looking at 8 or more quarts of tranny fluid huh... so exactly how much should i order from amsoil???? thanx again...
05-10-2003, 06:32 PM
#10
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4
I went to Jiffy lube because I had called then a week earlier to see if they had synthetic fluid. When I got there the guy told me "that i do not need it in that car. He said I was just wasting my money so I left. Went to Pepboys and they told me that the Max takes 3 1/2 quarts. I remember reading that some on this forum said over 4 quarts. I bought 5 quarts of pennzoil mult-vehicle synthetic blend and did a drain and refill. I drained 5 quarts out. Could have drained more if I waited longer but my oil drain pan only holds five quarts!
06-08-2003, 10:01 PM
#11
Question about transmission drain plug
I was looking at doing a drain and fill this weekend, but the instructions in my Chiltons service manual didn't help at all. Is the size of the drain plug 3/4 and face straight down from the underside of the pan?
06-09-2003, 09:30 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 518
The drain plug (19 mm socket) is in the middle of the oil pan. It takes the same washer as the one for the engine oil drain plug. I have been using Mobil-1 ATF for the last 40K miles. Depending on how long you let the old oil drain out, it takes anywhere from 4 quarts to 5 1/2 quarts to refill. Shifting is much smoother and transmission runs quieter than Nissan fluid.
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