[Cryogenix1]

With automotive lube oils its the additive package that "wears" out, you won't see metal from that. Remember the fluid, especially for a CVT is an integral part of the transmission, it is just as important as any other part inside that aluminum box. Why play a costly game? Go to a casino and put a few hundred down that is a cheaper gamble than your transmission, and with that you have a chance to win something, gambling with your transmission is a lose, lose game with zero winnings.

I had such bad luck with the 2003 AWD CVT that I'm somewhat determined to see if it was my style of driving that was a primary cause of those failures or something else. Due to so many CVT failures so quickly, regular fluid changes were never the issue, so that shouldn't factor into their demise. It's either a poor design, aggressive driving or auto accidents (major and minor) that are the key problem for them. Remember that I put something like 185,000 miles on the last CVT without ever changing the fluid (and I used DexVI instead of NS-1), and it ran great until getting P0868 and P1778 the last two years (and those codes and problems appeared not too long after being clipped in the rear by a drunk driver). Here again, a minor auto accident that bumps/jolts to the CVT components. Even while having that cold start issue during that period, the car still performed beautifully. The cloggerd CATs were the biggest problem.

Anyway, to that end, I've been extremely careful driving this 2021 with regard to the transmission, and I want to see if it can make it to 100,000 miles without needing the CVT fluid changed. I fully understand about the lubing additives breaking down over time (particularly within the scorching environment of the CVT) but I still feel that CVT fluid isn't as punished or likely to become as degraded as motor oil, and I think it has a far longer life than Nissan is letting on. And it's not about my time or the money involved. Changing the CVT fluid is easier than changing the engine oil. I'm just curious to see what I can get away with. The moment I see any significant change in the way the CVT performs, I'll consider changing its fluid.

I do plan to send 3-4 CVT fluid samples to Blackstone to compare properties. I'm curious to see how the used fluid compares to new fluid. I'm assuming there's a detailed breakdown of how various additives are holidng up and what their levels are within the fluid mixture. I thnk it would be very telling if very used fluids came back with numbers that closely resemble those of new/fresh fluid.

 

[MuranoSL2003]

The Blackstone report should be very useful for knowing when to change the CVT fluid (if done on a regular interval).

 

[chidog]

Yes sir your right it is a bad design, and use of wrong materials that especially cause the P0868 code. Clean fluid will help slow that a bit, but the main reason for good fluid is to protect those pulleys.
You can live with old crap fluid in the old normal step transmissions, the clutches are very forgiving. The huge down fall of these transmissions is the materials used for the valves and valve body, and the pump housing and valves. If they used the correct stuff, there would be no valve related codes and problems.
The best made parts in these CVT's are the variator pulleys, and push belts, my daughters car had around 130,000 miles, there was very little metal deposit on one pulley, I cleaned it off and reused them and the belt, the belt looked very good. The 2 main issues with the transmission were the 2 transfer bearings and flow control valve that caused the P0868 code she had. I suppose the very corroded ground cable didn't help much either.
If your Blackstone comes back showing a lot of aluminum that is your flow control valve, and valve body.

 

[Cryogenix1]

Just to update in case someone reads this thread and not another one I created, I believe the "alert" noise heard in the video of my first post is related to the powerr steering reservoir (or the elecfric power steering pump) being low on electric power steering fluid (E-PSF). The initial noises I heard in 2021 and this year that actually resemble an alert (if actually related to the below thread) changed drasmtically to a constant, high-pitched, whining insect noise, especially when the car is running and the steering wheel is turned slightly left or right of center. During this more dramatic alert, other noises and sensations occurred. Refer to this thread...

2021 AWD - sudden frontend noise - what's your guess?

The car drove fine nearly all day yesterday during errand runs. The last time I returned home and started to leave, there was a subtle sensation in the steering wheel that seemed like something hanging up, and this was accompantied by a low-sounding "thud" and a low-noted creaking spring kind...

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