I have a 2003 Maxima SE with AT. 120k miles.

So far, i have been doing AT fluid flush every 30k miles at the Nissan dealer. Last time i did it, car had 90k miles.

At 120k miles, i think that it is time for AT fluid refresh. Current fluid looks clean and has no burned smell.
Some people advised me that at this mileage it may not be a good idea for the AT to do a "flush" because it may cause more harm than good. Too much pressure from the flush may knock some particles/seals loose and cause tranny leak(s) & other $$$ issues.

Not sure if the above is a real possibility or not, but now i am thinking about doing a simple drain and refill - just to be safe. I'll drain as much as i can, measure the amount that got out and i will put the same amount of fresh fluid in. I may repeat this 2-3 times over a few weeks period...if i have time. Worse case, i'll refresh a portion of the AT fluid.

MY question is.... can i mix AT fluids? I am pretty sure that Nissan dealership used Nissan approuved/recommended AT fluid last few times they did the flush. I am planning to use Mobil 1 Synth. AT fluid (Mecron V). Is it a good idea to use this fluid and mix it with the existing Nissan AT stuff? On the Mobil bottle, i saw a lot of text talking about how great this fluid is for Ford and GM vehicles but there was nothing about Nissan. Is this a bad sign?

I also saw Valvoline "High Mileage AT fluid". It is cheaper than Mobil and on the label it states that it is recommened for Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM, etc.

Which AT fluid should i pick for this simple drain/refill?

OEM Nissan ATF from dealer?
Mobil Synthec ATF?
Valvoline - High Mileage ATF?


Thanks!

 

Given the fact that you have been doing flushes at regular intervals you shouldn't have any issues with continuing the practice. As for mixing ATF that won't be a problem. In essence it's all the same hydraulic fluid. Different brands just tend to blend and add detergent in different ways just like fuel companies do.

 

I agree...If it's not the first time, you should be alright. On the other hand, with my other car, a '93 Nissan Altima, it has 256k and the tranny has never been touched. Fluid still red but is low due to a leaking CV axle seal (didn't change after swapping in newer engine).

BTW, just picked up 3qts today at Nissan, not wanting to risk any harm (can't hurt), but to my aggravation, it was $25, or $7.98/qt for Nissanmatic fluid.

Just so you know....

 

You can save yourself money and do the flush yourself using the return line off of your radiator. Very simple...And you can get all fresh fluid in there using this method. Either search for "transmission flush procedure" on the org or google "Jime's Maxima" site. He has a nice description of how to do it. I'd use all Mobil 1 Synthetic in this case.

 

I'm scary when it comes to aftermarket transmission fluids...I'll stay with that Nissan A/T fluid if I were you.......No problems yet! Why change up brands?

 

If you want to do it yourself... follow my write up in my sig. Good luck

 

For my 2000 auto, I've used both Valvoline Dex III and Valvoline Dex V. This was starting at 72k miles when I got it, until now at 100K with no problems.

Will be staying w/ dino AFT, reason being is that I will be drain/filling it on a frequent basis and think that the M1 synthetic will be too extravagant.

 

Just finished my spring tuneup. New plugs, o2 sensors, oil change and trans flush.

I buy 5 gal containers of regular dino trans fluid for $39 and it gives me 2 changes and I change it twice each racing season. Bought this trans used for $300 and its on its 3rd year of hard racing. I flush using the writeup in my homepage takes approx 20 minutes to do a complete flush using approx 10-11 qts.

 

Jime, I just read your ATF Flush procedures at http://jime.f-sw.com/AutoTransFluidChange.html

My question is would you recommend your procedure on a car with 124k miles where the fluid has most-likely never been changed and is brown?

 

Hmm. I have read stories about people changing fluid in high mileage and it ended up slipping etc.

However i haven't had that happen to me and I changed my original transmission fluid when it had 250k on it.

124k isn't that high a mileage and if it was me I would change it. But its a judgment call and there is the possibility it could make it worse.