I have a 2004 5spd auto SE with about 60k miles on it and the fluids kinda black... woops....

anyway, called up aamco for filter/gasket/fluid change, they want $300...


is this the price or are they crazy?


also... what is that special fluid needed for these trannys, i forget the name and #s, but i remember hearing something like if this exact one isnt used it screws the whole transmission. rb 4 e something? maybe im losing it.... long night

 

EDIT**


I change mine every 13-15k.

 

yea 4AT is different fluid and i remember paying about that price... maybe $100...


thats why i ask about the $300 tag

 

Have you ever read your owners manual? Apparently you need to use Nissan Matic "K"

 

it was stolen

i think in a vain attempt for my valet key...

 

check your dealership.

 

fixxxer - Although some of us **** Maxima fiends change the tranny fluid at 30K or 45K miles, the reality is that, under normal use, 60K is not an overly high number of miles to go before changing the fluid on the 6th gen Maxima. As long as the fluid looks and smells OK, the first mandatory tranny fluid change point for normal maintenance according to the owner's manual is at 105K miles (but I wouldn't go that long).

It sounds as if your fluid is ready for a change. But $300 sounds steep to me. The special fluid requires (Nissan Matic K) is quite expensive, but still . . $300?

Maybe someone who has had the fluid changed on a 6th gen can pipe in here with pricing info.

 

5 sp auto uses matic-k and 4 speed auto uses matic-D. Very easy drain and fill on this. I drained and filled 6 quarts just a few weeks ago at 30K. It was still reddish in color but I think needed changing. I have 6 quarts of matic-k left that I purchased by mistake if anyone wants to message me, I'll sell them cheap.

 

So there is no such thing as "performance" fluid that you could put in your trans?

And how difficult is it to change the fluid yourself? Just like changing the oil but a diff plug?

 

Drain and fill I could do...

I think the filters need changing. Thats what got me the $300 price from AAMCO.


Oh, and me and the dealers, well lets just say we don't get along... and by we I mean me and the 4 closest ones w/o going over a bridge.

 

19MM ratchet for Tranny versus a 14MM for oil pan bolt. Thats about it

 

if you drop the pan and clean the magnets then it would become a time consuming deal. I think a drain and fill is sufficient. I've done this to cars for 25 years. I still have a 91 4Runner I bought brand new and have never done anything but drain and fills. Never a problem in 16 years with it. Just do it regularly at 30k intervals.

 

For 5spd Auto, you need a 10mm Hex key. It's not the same as the oilpan bolt. Matic K is less than $10/quart, regular price. I could only took out 3 quarts. Somebody mentioned he took out six ??

 

TAKE TO THE DEALER AND GET IT DONE, you NEED to use the K-MATIC fluid, it is specially designed for it, DO NOT take it to AAMCO! I paid $169.00 to have mine done at 30k(5 quarts changed)the dealer at that time actually told me there is like 20 quarts of auto tranny fluid on these cars and you dont need it all taken out(not sure if that should scare me that the dealer told me there was 20 quarts in the car..seems a bit high...lol)...you could pay less, maybe more...who knows....just bite the bullit and change it...it should be a dark red..if its black YOU ARE OVERDUE....get it done ASAP...like the other gentlemen said..60k isnt crazy, but in your situation it needs to be done. Dont risk wiping out your tranny.

 

Talk to your dealer. I was told you really can't do the job yourself. Like willysmooo wrote, the system contains about 20 quarts. As that fluid ages, it becomes acidic and slowly damages your transmission. You want to get it ALL out during a fluid change. The problem is that by simply unscrewing the drain plug, only 5 quarts drain out. The remaining 15 quarts stay in the lines and the torque converter. I believe a proper transmission fluid change involves a flush, similar to a radiator. My dealership has some kind of machine that does the trick. That's the only way to ensure that all the old fluid gets out and is replaced by fresh fluid. Shop around for price, but pay someone to do it correctly. $170 to $200 for maintenance now or $3,000+ for a rebuild later.

 

I agree take it to your dealer some of these people dont know what they are doing and end up leaving things undone try the dealer pay a little more for peace of mind later. trust me ive learnedthe hard way

 

The service manual shows a capacity of 7 3/4 qt for the 5/AT not 20qt. It is possible that removing the drain plug will only let 3-4 qt out since the plug does not seem to be on the pan's bottom. It is clearly stated to only use NISSAN K-matic for your model. Royal Synthetic Royal Purple, AMSOIL or Mobil may be 'performance' oils but you would void your warranty and possibly have problems. NISSAN K-matic only.

The manual says to inspect the oil at 60K. You just did and it looks bad. Just replace it. Because oil pans now have magnets, the filters last a long time (105K for the Max). The manual does not say to replace the filter at 60K. Replacing just the oil seems appropriate. Don't spend $300 and don't use Jiffy lube. $169 at the dealer is painfull but a good insurance policy if you are not mechanically inclined. If you ever have trouble with the tranny, IMO, having dealer receipts of them doing it or you buying K-matic oil will probably help getting work covered under warranty.

I replace my tranny oil every 25-30K or earlier if the smell/color seems doubtfull. I have read many times that replacing even half of the oil in between the recommended intervals will greatly extend the tranny's life. Cheap insurance IMO.

Heat is a transmission's ennemy. If you are doing lots of stop and go in traffic, frequent short drives, or towing trailers, this is generally considered operating under 'SEVERE' conditions. More frequent inspections/oil changes are required.

Happy motoring.

 

Had mine done at the dealer at about 60K miles. Costs about 139.00, but I talked them down to 100 which is their usual sales price. My 04 is the 4sp auto and uses the cheaper fluid, Nissan Matic D. There is no filter on this trans, just a screen, which according to the technician gets cleaned by the detergent they add during the flush. Fluid was a reddish brown before, now it's bright red. IMO probably the best preventative maintenance you can do.

Dennis

 

There is no replaceable filter on the 5 speed as well. Just a strainer. The service manual lists 7 and 3/4 quarts for a rebuild including torque converter. You will get out about 4.5 quarts with a simple drain and fill.

 

Is that healthy just draining 4.5 and having the rest be the "old" stuff? Wouldn't that be like changing the oil and pouring back 2 quarts of old oil and then pouting the rest of brand new?

dan

 

If you can change your own oil&filter, this job is only 1/3 the difficulty. Imagine the same job without jacking up the car + the filter. Don't waste your money. You do it at your own time and convenience and feel good afterward.
I drain and re-fill all my cars and they are all strong and solid way pass 100Kmiles mark (well except the Accord's trans which gave up @165Kmiles and I didnot do the 1st oil change until almost 50Kmiles. And Honda's compact trans sucks if you don't change often). If a dealer says there are 20 quarts in there, you head for the door. I read somewhere that the experts said you can never get the oil out of the torque converter, unless you take them all apart and rebuild the trans. They said in fact if you could, it probably hurts the longevity of the trans.

 

!PrjctMax! - Replacing only part of the tranny fluid is not the same as replacing only part of the engine oil. The tranny fluid and engine oil are used in entirely separate ways.

I have neven known an auto tranny in which it was feasible to get all the fluid out without disassembling the entire tranny. I think that is one of the reasons trannies usually have a larger fluid capacity than engines. That means there will be lots of oil not tied up and unreachable in the tranny; oil that can be drained and replaced.

Trannies are inherently tough, and can endure a lot of abuse. I drove one of my two '85 Maximas 206,000 hard miles, changing the tranny fluid and screen only at 75K and 150K, and the tranny was still operating perfectly when I let that beautiful car go. My wife had a matching '85 Maxima which she drove for 17 years, with no tranny problems.

But now I check my fluid every 15K, and change it when it seems to need it. That usually happens around every 45K.

 

Woah that's crazy! MAXIMAS FTMFW! thanks for the info

 

I agree on going 100k before worrying about it...im prolly gonna let the next owner worry about it...the engineers who designed the transmission also reccommend the change interval so thats what I go by.

 

For me - 6th gen max @ 30K miles

Full Transmission Service @ dealership
- inspect for leaks
- clean filter
- adjust throttle linkage
- drain and refill transmission fluid

$119.95

 

I'm not sure if they actually "clean filter". They would need to take off the pan, clean the magnetized screen, clean the contacts, put the pan back with new gasket. The labor alone wouldnot allow them any good profit. It would be crazy to clean the filter with only 30Kmiles.

 

ever bought 20qts of oil? or even 5? where would there be room for 20qts of oil in the tranny? it's like half the size of the engine.

anyway, I worked af Jiffy Lube back in the day, and they had little pumps that were used for sucking fluid out of differentials and similar objects where the drain plug wasn't at the bottom... so, if that's the case, I'm sure Nissan can get all the fluid out, or at least more than just the 4-5 qts that drains..

I just rolled 30k on mine.. if I have anything significant from the dealer, I'll post what happens.

 

I'm at 68K right now..Car is going to the dealership on Thursday for:

Transmission Flush (99.99)
Engine Flush (59.99)
2 Recalls &
New CD Player installed (under warranty)

 

I think this is how I read somewhere. The converter was filled in oil when assembled. If you suck out the oil (if you could), then when you refill there won't be enough oil in there and you will have a dry start and that will shorten the life of the trans.

 

well, torque converters (at least some of them.. not sure about all of them) are filled with fluid.. not sure if that's what you're talking about..

either way, anything you could suck out with a pump would be fillable again before starting up.