MichMaxFan

I am trying to find the thread sealer, too. Supposedly the Permatex #3 is ok to use, but the closest I can find is, I think, what they call their 3D grade and designated for aerospace app's, so really not sure what the grade #3 really is....is the 3D grade what people are talking about? I don't wanna screw up any sensors w/ trace amts of stuff that might be bad.

ShowGun

Ok So I did an drop and drain a month ago. Cleaned out the magnets and then filled with Nissan Matrix D ATF. Wow the car shift so much smoother. Then a few weeks back I did another drain, but no drop this time. I then added one full bottle of Lucas Tranny Fix (very thick stuff) and topped off with Nissan ATF. Wow what a difference. I thought the car shifted smoother before, but now its even more smoother and quieter too. I guess that Lucas Stuff actually works. I would recommended it for sure!!!

kramarz99

anybody tried to use Pennzoil® Dexron®-III Mercon® ATF for flush?
if yes, how does it fill while shifting?

Prophecy99

iTrader: (1)

I know how a flush...technically dosent flush 100% old fluid out, and for good reasons too, but will numerous flushes really do anything for me?
I just got one done, and havent noticed remarkable effects.
Will doing 3 more flushes within the next 9 mnths actually help and or will I see great improvements? I got a used 02 auto with 77k . I dont think the car was mainatained that well mechanically.

MichMaxFan

I think you'll notice a diff w/ more "flushes" done. I did. After one time I didn't seem to notice a lot, but the next time I did. Not sure if it was just a matter of time thing or not, but sure did seem to improve after 2 changes. Doing another 2 b4 years out to make sure ALL (or darn close to it) the old is out.

MichMaxFan

Anybody???

Prophecy99

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Michmax,
any one else have opinions?
TIA

macneil17

hey guys i have a question i just got an 04 SL with bout 44,xxx on it and idk if the fluid has ever been changed it looks alittle redish doesnt smell burnt i dont have a manual with the car nor any maintance records i know it shouldnt be changed now cause it looks fine but what greater mileage should it usually be changed and is it better to be flushed or just drain and refilled cause i got this maintance price book from nissan with the prices and it had a flush and then just a fill one.. thanks

MichMaxFan

1. It's NOT too early to flush...in fact, you'll find according to many, that you're late.
2. Read this entire sticky on the ATF...lots of help in there. I have read many posts over and over to gain a solid understanding of working on my car and frequency of fluid changes.
3. Doing a drain/fill gets only 50% changed, so if you do it now and wait another 40K, then half of the fluid likely will be 80K miles old, which is a HUGE NONO according to tranny experts. You'll likely need atleast 3 more drain/fills or one entire flush, but read up on flushing because power flushes are NOT recommended, but there is a flush method w/ the tranny lines that IS recommended in place of the power flush, if you choose not to do the multiple drain/fills to purge the old fluid out.

Hope this helps.

macneil17

thanks.. so then if i went to nissan to do this do u know what kind of flush do they do..

wyche89

changing tranny fluid when it looks fine is completely ok, and is way better than waiting until it gets black... then it's too late.. this way you can keep your fluid clean througout the life of the car.. just do a flush yourself using the 2 quarts out, and 2 quarts in method through the tranny return line... it's very easy to do, and that way you know it's done right instead of worrying about if the mechanic used a power flush or if they did it right. I just did mine a little bit ago and it helped my shift quality and improved the color of the fluid... the process is outlined in this thread and you can always just ask any question you may have.. but yeah.. do it soon

andrei3333

No, nissan will tell you that the "tranny oil pan does not need to be removed" which means they only do drain and refill service. If u want to drop the pan u have to go to a private mech, or DIY.

but once a year a drain and fill at the dealer is not that bad actually

wyche89

thats why my fluid was still brown after a "transmission flush" that they charged me around $100 for... bastards...

andrei3333

i feel really lazy right now and dont wanna pull out the fsm, but what does it recommend dropping the pan or drain and fill?

but i asked the dealer exactly the same question before i serviced my car. There are 3 ways of servicing the auto tranny: drain and fill, pan removal, and power flush (using the famous T-Tech machine) which is not recommended.

wyche89

how about flushing it through the tranny return like like many of us have done.. thats not recommended?

knapp9

iTrader: (1)

I've used Pennzoil brand DIII in my Maxima and Altima for probably around 60-70K total miles now between the 2 cars. B4 that I used Mobil 1 ATF. Can't tell a bit of difference to be really honest... except at the cash register. I think most non-synthetic ATF fluids these days are more alike than different, so that just about any DIII compatable brand is okay in a Nissan that allows for that type of fluid.

andrei3333

well yeah you could do that but i dont think nissan actually recommends it.

MichMaxFan

I think it's a "risky" method in some people's eyes because of the chance of the tranny running out of fluid if someone doesn't do it carefully and monitor the output. I have personally never done it that way, and find the drain/fills working ok for me, atleast for now. I know I have spent more on fluid doing it this way, but for me I can get away w/ the drain plug now and know for sure the age of the fluid in the tranny. But when the stealership provides a drain/fill as a "flush" service, then that is just another reason why they are called the stealership.

andrei3333

Well, i think thats the job of the customer to do their own research, cars are all the same and at the same time they are all different.

I was curious about this service from the dealer because of my past car transmission experiences, so i went ahead and did something unthinkable: I actualyl ASKED a question at the counter!

To be honest the dealer was not hiding the fact that they just drain the pan, so i dont think they were evil and conspired to take my money.

Btw just to clarify, dropping the pan and cleaning the magnets will empty out the same amount of fluid as just draining the pan, correct ? i want to do this beforethe year is done but do i NEED this permatex sealant or not, shouldn't the gasket hold, it does have like 21 bolts hahaha ?

starkviller

follow the instrution, and did the flush last week. it is better

wyche89

does anybody know if there's any difference in quality between Auto-RX and Transmisson Seafoam? I wanna use one of these to clean out my tranny before a flush, and adding a tranny cooler

edjose17

I have an 05 Altima, with the 3.5 engine and Auto 5 speed. It's the same trans as an 05 and 06 Maxima

If I'm going to do a complete transmission fluid replacement, would it be safe to drain the fluid out from the return hose and then pouring fluid thru the dipstick tube?? Would a component inside the trans be damage from not getting lubrication from the return hose of the cooler?

MichMaxFan

I can't speak for your year, but I assume it is like my 2000MY. I have just drained the pan and refilled and repeated that a few times. On my van, I just did a drain/fill and then used the return line as well to purge the converter of fluid. This way I got all (I think) out at the same time. Wow, I was amazed at how easy it was w/ the return line on my van. Only thing is to make sure that you put back into the trans what you drain from the pan and it must be to proper level before doing anything w/ the return line. Don't let more than 1-2 qts come out of the return line at a time. If you run it dry, you damage the tranny. My van came out REAL fast, like 1qt in about 6-8 secs. I have not done it on my max yet w/ the return line, but probably will in the future. Let out a quart, put one new one in. Let out another quart, put new in, etc, etc.

edjose17

^^
Thanks for replying.
The method you describe sounds good. The first time that I drain and refill the tranny I was able to get 3 quarts out.
So maybe it would be safe to get out about 2 quarts, then refill (using the line method). Then repeat the process again.

MichMaxFan

Don't know if you realize it, but if you do the drain/fills you need/should drive the car a day or so between the drains so that the new fluid mixes w/ the old and then when you drain it again you're getting some old out.

Also, I would stay away from getting 2qts out in one time if you do the tranny line method and keep it very minimal (If that's what you meant in your post). The system needs fluid, and I don't know how low it can go in the pan before you start sucking air and damage the trans, so I would really keep it to 1 qt and just do it multiple times, after replacing the old w/ a new qt of fluid, obviously. Keep careful track of how much you drain from the pan and let out of the tranny line and how much new you put in. Always put back in what you took out before you run the car again.

wyche89

does anybody know if it's ok to switch from synthetic to regular tranny fluid? i did a flush with mobil 1 synthetic ATF and my 1-2 shifts started becoming slow at high rpms (5-6k) i'm thinking about flushing the synthetic out and going back to regular fluid.. i dont know if that would make sense or not.. anybody have experience doing that?

FishyMan

does mobil 1 syn atf have any SHELF LIFE?

my shifts were always smoothe, even b4 my 1st drain/refill.

some of u talk like this fluid MORPHS lol.

FishyMan

How many quarts does a 4th generation maxima take? Any confirmation?

ptatohed

iTrader: (12)

It's 9.4 qts total per the FSM.

ptatohed

iTrader: (12)

Sorry guys but I didn't have the patience to read the whole thread. I recently did a full transmission flush and installed a Hayden 403 cooler. I used Jime's method for flushing the system. I assume the website for Jime's instructions is common knowledge so I won't post it here. I deviated from his write-up just a little. For one, I disagreed with him that the pan should not be lowered, cleaned, the magnets cleaned and the filter replaced. I drained my fluid, dropped the pan, cleaned it well, changed the filter with a new OEM filter, replaced the two magnets (cleaning them probably would have been fine) and re-installed with a new gasket and new pan bolts and a new drain plug washer and drain plug. To do the flush, I did not remove the feed line at the radiator like his write-up suggest, I removed the return line at the transmission. That way I got out all the fluid that would be in the return/feed lines and in the radiator. It went well. It is much easier to have a partner start/stop the car. I went with Mobil 1 synthetic. The problem is that I literally bought my original 10 quarts over a year ago (yes, I am lazy). Well, it turns out I drained a little more than I was putting in and I ended up needing one or so more quarts. Well, my bottles from 1 year ago state Dexron III on the bottle, the new Mobile 1 ATF only states Mercon V! Nowhere on the bottle does it say it's o.k. for Japanese or Dexron cars. I only need 1 or 2 more quarts so I really hope it's o.k. to mix. Why did Mobile 1 do that???? The cooler install went well too. Overall, I'm really glad I did everything.

FishyMan

When I DRAIN/ REFILL, how much do I do it?

Are u sure 9.4 qts?
Damn seems a bit too much. I can't get a good reading, damn it.

talkinghorse

iTrader: (121)

Depending on your model, the total capacity of the system may be 9.4 quarts. But if you do a drain/refill you will not need near that amount. On my 4th and 5th gen cars I typically use 5.5 quarts when doing a drain/refill. A good thing to do is to measure the amount that comes out before you go adding fluid...by doing that you will have a general idea on how much you will need to put back in.

Concerning the fluid level, you just need to be patient with it. After refilling your transmission, start the engine and move the gear shift through each gear. Put it back in park and then check the fluid relative to the "cold" markings. If you're below the minimum mark, add a small amount of fluid to bring it to the Cold range. When you're in the range, drive the car for 5-6 miles to warm the transmission to normal operating temperature, then check it again using the "hot" markings (vehicle at normal operating temp, level ground, idling in Park). If you need to add fluid, do it a little at a time so as not to overfill it.

wyche89

you know, i had that same issue.. i called mobil1 about it and they said that they only have 1 kind of synthetic ATF and it meets or exceeds the dextron III requirements... i also went on their website and it said the same thing.. so i did a full flush with that stuff.. now, granted my transmission did start to slip in high RPMs about 1,000 miles later, so.. i dont know.. it could have been coincidence, or it could have been the wrong fluid.. my tranny did have over 100k on it and i drove it hard sometimes.. but pretty convenient that it started slipping soon after i did the flush

even if it is the wrong fluid though, i doubt if 1-2 quarts would do much with 10 quarts of the right stuff

ptatohed

iTrader: (12)

QUOTE=FishyMan;6160087]When I DRAIN/ REFILL, how much do I do it?

Are u sure 9.4 qts?
Damn seems a bit too much. I can't get a good reading, damn it.[/QUOTE]


I was just telling you how much the whole system takes. I wouldn't say 9.4 qts sounds like a lot when you consider the pan, the torque converter, all internals and paths, etc.

The Haynes, Chiltons and FSM are very vague on the drain and re-fill amount. They just tell you to measure what you take out and put back in the same amount. But, from what I've read:
If you are just draining and re-filling, refill with about 4 qts.
If you are draining, dropping the pan and refilling, go with 5 qts.

Just start with the above numbers. Then go for a short drive, let everything heat up, shift through the gears, read your dipstick and add fluid accordingly. Not really a big deal.

talkinghorse

iTrader: (121)

If you're going to use a synthetic ATF, give AMSOIL a try. It's specifically labeled as meeting Nissan-matic D, J and K requirements. I sell a lot of it to members on this site and people are very pleased with it. It also works great in power steering systems requiring ATF.

ptatohed

iTrader: (12)

Ahhh, you are killing me wyche. Crap, not what I wanted to hear. So you used the Mercon V Mobile 1, right? I know Jime has been using the stuff for years and I don't think he has had problems (although he probably bought it when the bottle read Dexron III ?). What did you end up doing? Fix your trans? Switch back?

I guess I'll just go for it, I'll stick 1-2 qts of the Mercon V Moble 1. It will only make up 10-20% of the total fluid so hopefully, if it is the wrong stuff, it won't be that bad. I'll let you know if my trans breaks in 1,000 miles! lol I also hope that by letting my 10 bottles sit in my garage for 1.5+ years, the fluid didn't age/break down. :I Thanks for the input.

ptatohed

iTrader: (12)

Oh really? It actually states matic-D? That would make me feel warm and fuzzy and sleep better at night. But, sorry t.h., I have $70 of Mobile 1 in my transmission right now. There's no way I am dumping that out. But if I could do it all over again, I would go with your Amsoil. Thanks anyway.

FishyMan

I was just telling you how much the whole system takes. I wouldn't say 9.4 qts sounds like a lot when you consider the pan, the torque converter, all internals and paths, etc.

The Haynes, Chiltons and FSM are very vague on the drain and re-fill amount. They just tell you to measure what you take out and put back in the same amount. But, from what I've read:
If you are just draining and re-filling, refill with about 4 qts.
If you are draining, dropping the pan and refilling, go with 5 qts.

Just start with the above numbers. Then go for a short drive, let everything heat up, shift through the gears, read your dipstick and add fluid accordingly. Not really a big deal.[/QUOTE]

I seriously cannot get a reading confident enough. I have driven the car hot enough and measured it that way, both hot and cold show some fluid pass the limit. Even overnight cool-down, next morning. The reading shows it going past a bit. "Maybe, I'll get a picture". This sounds stupid, but does anyone have a picture to educate? I had no problems with these with my Hondas. The dipstick was easy to read w/o hesitation.

The thing with the drain and refill is, I am not sure if the PREVIOUS owner did it properly. So if they refilled too much, then if I drained and put back the same, wouldn't I be putting too much?

ptatohed

iTrader: (12)

Yeah, you are right. If the car previously had the wrong total amount, you measure, say, 4 drained quarts, re-fill with 4 new quarts, then yes, you'll still be at the wrong level. But I'm not quite sure what your problem is. It sounds like you are clearly reading your stick and you have too much fluid. Period. What is it that makes you think you aren't reading your stick correctly? You'll need to open your drain plug for a few seconds or use a medical syringe and long tube to suck a little out.

FishyMan

Maybe because of the MOBIL 1 atf being thin in color or it being smeared.
I can read the oil w/o problems, well it is pretty easy to get the right level. I think I might've there's a bit too much ATF in it. I will drain it all out and post what I find.

I'll take some pictures, hopefully you and some others can chime in.

I appreciate it.
Thanks.