| VirginiaN8v |
Hi all, I'm new here but not new at all to my Murano, which I've had since May of '03. I absolutely love it and plan to keep it until the wheels fall off or until Nissan releases a hybrid version of the Murano.
I'm seeking a source, perhaps a sponsor here?, for CVT fluid which, hopefully, would be less than what the local dealer is charging for it ($19.89/qt). Thanks to a stupid, incompetent service writer, I have 85,000 miles on my Murano and haven't had the CVT fluid changed, so I'm figuring that it's now due for a flush rather than the drain/fill I could have done at 75k.
Before you all think I'm an idiot (because I would, honestly), I had it in the dealer service department to have *all* of the fluids changed at 75k. The service writer informed me that the CVT wasn't due for this yet, as it only had 31,000 hours on it, where it didn't need the change until 200,000. I questioned this and my boyfriend was definitely not happy with this, but I decided I'd give it some thought and come back. Time and mileage flies; I had no idea I had let that much time pass since that visit and now until I started doing some digging, but I digress.
Now, with the Murano in the shop for a broken belt, I find out from my favorite independent mechanics that the CVT fluid swap should, indeed, have been done at that service visit a year ago, and I am FURIOUS. I take exceptional care of my cars, and the only reason I haven't done all of the maintenance on the Murano myself, in my own garage, was because I bought the extended warranty and want receipts for EVERYTHING, should I be questioned in the event of needing to use it (the warranty seemed like a good investment, seeing as I bought a first model year car). Thankfully, I have a receipt from the dealer with a note in the invoice stating that they advised me not to do the CVT, so I think I'm covered in the event of catastrophe.
OK, so there's the long, sordid story of how/why I neglected my Murano :( , how I'm really not to blame, and what I plan to do to rectify it follows.
I'm going to try to get the dealer to pay for the flush/fill now, since it probably wouldn't have been required if it had been done at the right time, but I am hoping to find a sponsor of this site or some other such better priced outlet to purchase the CVT fluid if I end up having to pay for it myself. Anyone know of a place that might answer to this description?
Thanks in advance! |
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| ekaxel |
| Probably wasn't a problem, unless you do a lot of hi-temp driving and or towing... |
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| VirginiaN8v |
quote:
Originally posted by ekaxel
Probably wasn't a problem, unless you do a lot of hi-temp driving and or towing...
I live in Central Texas and we've had two unusually long, unusually hot summers (45+ days of 100+ temps), so unfortunately, a lot of it was hi temp driving, hence why I'm so angry about it. |
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| njjoe |
VirginiaN8v-
I hate to say it, but your dealer is right, your MO does not need an CVT fluid change at this time. However he was wrong when he "attached" units to the number he quoted you. The "31,000" figure is not hours, it is a unit-less number used by Nissan to quantify the life expectancy of the fluid. When the CVT's computer indicates that the fluid has accumulated 210,000 units it is time for a change. Since your MO is at 31,000 the fluid is fine.
Your mechanic may be an excellent mechanic but I can guarantee that he has never seen the inside of the MO's CVT and does not know the logic behind the 200,000 number. He is basing his recommendation on the maintenance schedule of a conventional automatic transmission. The MO's CVT is very unlike a conventional tranny.
Some people find it hard to believe that the MO's tranny fluid can last for 50,000 miles, let alone 150,000 miles. Their fears are based on their past experiences with conventional ATF fluids used in conventional auto trannies. JATCO (the manufacturer of the CVT) and Nissan both believe the CVT fluid does not need to be changed until the magic number reaches 210,000.
You have nothing to worry about. According to both Nissan and JATCO your fluid is just fine and does not need to be changed.
-njjoe |
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| VirginiaN8v |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
VirginiaN8v-
I hate to say it, but your dealer is right, your MO does not need an CVT fluid change at this time. However he was wrong when he "attached" units to the number he quoted you. The "31,000" figure is not hours, it is a unit-less number used by Nissan to quantify the life expectancy of the fluid. When the CVT's computer indicates that the fluid has accumulated 210,000 units it is time for a change. Since your MO is at 31,000 the fluid is fine.
Your mechanic may be an excellent mechanic but I can guarantee that he has never seen the inside of the MO's CVT and does not know the logic behind the 200,000 number. He is basing his recommendation on the maintenance schedule of a conventional automatic transmission. The MO's CVT is very unlike a conventional tranny.
Some people find it hard to believe that the MO's tranny fluid can last for 50,000 miles, let alone 150,000 miles. Their fears are based on their past experiences with conventional ATF fluids used in conventional auto trannies. JATCO (the manufacturer of the CVT) and Nissan both believe the CVT fluid does not need to be changed until the magic number reaches 210,000.
You have nothing to worry about. According to both Nissan and JATCO your fluid is just fine and does not need to be changed.
-njjoe
Ordinarily I would agree that perhaps my mechanic made a mistake, but he took his information from the Mitchell service thing they subscribe to, which downloads information directly from the manufacturer.
I was specific with the service writer that I wanted my Murano serviced to the severe conditions spec, since I spend fair amounts of time in both extremes of severe weather (live in central TX, parents live in Colorado), and both the service manual (as in the RTFM manual) and the Mitchell service specs state that that should be replaced at 60k. Which is more authoritative, I don't know, but I still want it done to be safe. I can't afford a failure. |
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| njjoe |
quote:
Originally posted by VirginiaN8v
both the service manual (as in the RTFM manual) and the Mitchell service specs state that that should be replaced at 60k.
V-
I don't know what manual you are referring to, but the Nissan Service Manual does not state that the CVT fluid should be changed at 60,000 miles. Under "Schedule 1", which is the most rigorous as far as maintenance goes, it states the following: "...inspect the CVT fluid deterioration with CONSULT-II every 60,000 miles, then change the CVT fluid if necessary." Your dealer obviously used the CONSULT-II tool because he came up with the 31,000 number. The Nissan Service Manual goes on to say that the fluid should be replaced when the "CVTF DETERIORATION DATE" is more than 210,000.
Wanting the CVT fluid changed (way) ahead of schedule is fine, you just can't blame the dealer for not doing it when it wasn't called for in the maintenance schedule. It is rare that I find myself defending a Nissan dealer, but in this case he is not at fault. You asked him to service your MO to the "severe conditions spec" (Schedule 1) and he did just that.
-njjoe |
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| VirginiaN8v |
| Back to the original point, does anyone know where I can get the CVT fluid for a bit less? I would love to support a business that has supported this community. |
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| njjoe |
V-
At this point in time Nissan is the sole source. No one has reported seeing it anywhere else.
Hopefully as more JATCO CVTs hit the road some manufacturer will find it economically feasible to market their own Nissan-approved brand which should definitely be more affordable than $20 a quart.
-njjoe |
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| VirginiaN8v |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
V-
At this point in time Nissan is the sole source. No one has reported seeing it anywhere else.
Hopefully as more JATCO CVTs hit the road some manufacturer will find it economically feasible to market their own Nissan-approved brand which should definitely be more affordable than $20 a quart.
-njjoe
Right, but is there a dealer that sponsors this site that sells it at a discount? Or a dealer that just sells it at a more reasonable cost? That's what I'm looking to find out. |
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| ekaxel |
| Remember that the CVT fluid is most assuredly synthetic, so you can't go by the old conventional rules.... |
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