Nope. Stick with the 50/50.

At your milage, you'd be best served to do a full drain and refill. Antifreeze past its life can lead to internal corrosion, usually where the head gaskets meet the block and heads and at radiator core openings. Blown head gasket and overheating. Antifreeze has lubricants, for the water pump, that also breakdown.

I would not do a flush at that milage. If you have corrosion showing in the radiator or inside the metal hose fittings, it's best to only remove the radiator for cleaning or replacement. Internal engine corrosion will not affect overall engine temps, except if the corrosion is partially blocking a water passage. This usually happens in the heads, creating a hot spot, which can lead to issues down the road.

Flushing could possibly loosen and remove corrosion that's preventing an opening in the system, like at the headgasket water jacket pass thru. New antifreeze will stop the corrosion from further development and hold it in place.

Have a good day.

 

Yes, water can retain/dissipate more heat than antifreeze. However, antifreeze also raises the boiling point, VERY important... Plus, if you live in a cold area and forget to change the ratio back to 50/50 your cooling system may freeze...

Lowering the percentage of antifreeze reduces the margin at which the water will boil for little benefit IMO...

However, the radiator cap pressurizes the cooling system and raises the boiling point:

 

Why does adding more distilled water lower the boiling point? And why does adding more antifreeze raise the boiling point? I'm interested to know

 

Distilled water is water, and has the same boiling/freezing points. Water boils at 212 degrees. You should always use distilled water due to it being clean of impurities. Tap water has stuff that can lead to deposits, especially in some parts of the country...

The boiling point of glycol is much higher than water:

 

Radiator hoses thermostat and coolant was changed 2 years ago no rust showing

 

Yeah I mean, you didn't mention if you have ever done a coolant flush on your car. So I see why Paulday mentioned the age and reluctance to do so at this point. I would ask if your heater core is still providing good hot air when you select heat from your AC? An engines coolant can be flushed in segments as well. I.E. you can flush just the radiator and isolate it from the rest of the system. Similarly you can flush just the engine, or just the heater core. Its a little bit more work this way, but it can be done in a way thats still safe even if its never been done and at that age.

 

This is one of those times when the classic American assumption "if some is good, more is better" does not apply.

 

Is there a reason for this unhelpful comment.

 

Just stick with 50/50 coolant/water. Forget any additives. Don't understand why anyone would waste money on additives if proper maintenance is kept. Too much overthinking.

 

Perhaps you should check your radiator cap for correct function too (I don't know how that is done except for a damaged rubber and fill neck condition, the effectiveness of the spring ???), and/or buy a new radiator cap and see if the temps show improvement.

Cheers

 

how often do

I'm curious how much does evaluation effect the radiator and pressure

 

Actually in the old war days Merlin aircraft engines were running a 70/30 water, glycol mix, for better cooling than the original 100% Glycol they first used. It gets very cold at 30,000 plus feet.
The pressure was 15 psi, that is how boiling is also controlled. In the end though use what the manual says to use.

 

The mixing ratio of water and antifreeze should lie between 60:40 and 50:50. This usually corresponds to antifreeze protection from -25°C to -40°C. The minimal mixing ratio should be 70:30 and the maximal 40:60. Further increasing the proportion of antifreeze (e.g. 30:70) does not lower the freezing point any further.

50:50

Mixtures with a ratio of 50:50 work almost in every climate. In climates where temperatures drop below 0℃ for a longer period, mixtures closer to 60% antifreeze and 40% water are better suited to keep coolant from freezing.


How is coolant ratio calculated?





To find out how much you need to add, multiply the amount of coolant your vehicle can hold by the percentage of concentrated coolant you want to achieve. For example, if you want the coolant system to contain 50 percent of concentrated coolant, then you would multiply 0.50 x 12 to get an amount of 6 liters.

krnt.run

myindigocard app

 

The mixing ratio of water and antifreeze should lie between 60:40 and 50:50. This usually corresponds to antifreeze protection from -25°C to -40°C. The minimal mixing ratio should be 70:30 and the maximal 40:60. Further increasing the proportion of antifreeze (e.g. 30:70) does not lower the freezing point any further.

50:50

Mixtures with a ratio of 50:50 work almost in every climate. In climates where temperatures drop below 0℃ for a longer period, mixtures closer to 60% antifreeze and 40% water are better suited to keep coolant from freezing.


How is coolant ratio calculated?





To find out how much you need to add, multiply the amount of coolant your vehicle can hold by the percentage of concentrated coolant you want to achieve. For example, if you want the coolant system to contain 50 percent of concentrated coolant, then you would multiply 0.50 x 12 to get an amount of 6 liters.

Wow thank you sir this information is very helpful especially the math and numbers part I will always remember this

 

Mixtures with a ratio of 50:50 work almost in every climate. In climates where temperatures drop below 0℃ for a longer period, mixtures closer to 60% antifreeze and 40% water are better suited to keep coolant from freezing.

I live in one of the coldest areas of Canada. Often gets -30C / -22F for days on end. Have used 50/50 water/antifreeze for over 50 years. The "coolant" never freezes. Good grief it's not rocket surgery.

 

Have you tried flushing your coolant system first. Also you may want to do a visual check on your trans cooler and external filter replacement. Just thinking of the most simplest things to start with, then observing any changes as I'm moving forward. Type of approach I would make. Good luck!

 

As a ex-mechanic for a dealership for years, before getting burnt out, I'd say most, if not all are great points of advice, but I stand in the corner that, at that mileage, do not flush anything other than brake fluid. Flushing in general is overrated and sometimes can open a hell fire of issues, as some involve levels of pressurization that even at low levels can cause havoc. Drain and fills at this point as it gets close to the finish line.

My next few points are to check the radiator itself for damage, missing plastic panels that affect air flow, fan operations, obstructions in cooling fins etc. A potential head gasket weeping can cause a fluctuation in temperature [again another reason to reconsidering flushing] that may not even affect the coolant level significantly, and be missed completely as a causation of temperature changes. They make premixed extended life coolant as well, and I myself stand firmly with those to avoid guesswork with ratios. I also stand behind using coolant spill free/fill funnel kits that allow better bleedoff when refilling after drains and maintenence. They can help reveal issues at times.

Example: https://www.autozone.com/shop-and-g...d-garage-tools/funnel/p/oemtools-no-spill-coolant-filling-funnel-kit/802197_0_0

I bought one off a Cornwell tool truck years ago, and just get the updated adaptors as needed. It also can help reveal combustion chamber/head gasket issues also if there is prevalent air being reintroduced as the coolant is filling from funnel beyond the air that originally bleeds off. I've worked on a car that while disgnosing and refilling, was "burping" an excessive amount, and revealed a micro cracked head after compression test.

Tread lightly with high mileage engines with the onset of cooling issues. There is always the possibility of something less obvious lurking.

Good luck

 

Not sure what brand of car dealership you worked at, but you consider a 174000 mile car basically at its end of life?

 

Been maintaining and repairing my vehicles since the late 80s and I never ever done a radiator flush. Never have to do it. Never had any cooling issues except leaking radiators due to age. My regimen on all my vehicles over the years is drain and fill after the 4th year from new. And every 2 years thereafter no matter the mileage. I have been using prestone long life coolant and distilled water. No problems ever. Oem coolant or equivalent should work.

My issue with flushing the system is the amount of distilled water you need to flush out the system. ( Using a garden hose water is a no no due to the minerals coming from it.) Add the deliver tool to push those distilled water thru the system strong enough. And the guessing game of how much water is left inside. Trying to get that 50/50 ratio. People that need to flush their system are those who neglect them.

 

Tap water varies in its mineral content around the country/world. Some water is okay, in other areas it can be very bad...

Using distilled water in the cooling system is the best choice to avoid minerals...

 

Thats good info to know for sure. What I'm gathering is not only the cvt but the engine temp goes up as well. Engine temp comes down but cvt doesn't. I wonder if the rise in temperature is normal for both, however the radiator may be in better condition than the trans cooler. At least the logic points me this way. By no means am I saying thats whats wrong though.i personally haven't been tracking my trans temp with the app, so I dont know what temp is normal. Im sure someone may chime in here and either know more than me or has experienced this before possibly. Either way, thats good info to share. Thanks!

 

Radiator fan goes off and on more often during winter when engine is warm but ambient is in the 50s and below. Or during initial start up from cold engine. Whats important is both your radiator fan (driver side), and condenser fan (passenger side) can blow low and high speed. And your temp gauge does not move above the 45% line of the gauge. With or without AC turned on. If you have that then your car will not overheat including your CVT during local driving. Even more at freeway speed. But anytime you see your temp gauge move above the 45%, during stop and go traffic, either your fan is not blowing on hi speed, or you have air in your cooling system or both. Parking on a steep incline-nose up for a week will usually do the trick to work all those trapped air bubbles out of the system. Watch your coolant reservoir level.

 

from the drive over the hill once I reach the city and go home it starts to slowly coold down and once I come to a stop it completely cools down it put the temperature in the ok area after 15 minutes of idling in park

 

P0868 sounds like the possible culprit. Low fluid pressure could be the internal pump not circulating the fluid efficiently, which would explain the higher temperatures. If the fluid is not circulating properly through the system, then it its also not cooling the fluid efficiently either. P0420 is your cats potentially going bad or an 02 sensor, wiring issue. P01722 could be a speed sensor issue between the abs actuator and the ecu most likely related to the limp mode but I'm just guessing its a symptom of it.I dont know for sure on any of this. I need coffee, nitely, Paul day and among others, definitely have a lot of wisdom and knowledge. Im glad their here!

 

The 1st generation Murano had the most problems of all the generations, particularly the 1st few years. You can continue to troubleshoot these problems (the transmission codes are not a good sign), but given the age and mileage of the car you should start making plans for your next vehicle.

 

Thank you all for the help. This post may help others in the future

 

Just to throw in my 2 Satoshis...
I had same issue with Engine temp and CVT
I added anti freezing/boiling to radiator. and the engine never gets hotter than 95 degrees C (203 F ) anymore. however by my experience you can only tell if its coolant if the engine is idle, if when idle your temp goes high so u know u need to add coolant or see where its leaking or not enough pressure. i had to add 3 littres myself, 2 littres of coolant and 1 liter water. now when car is in idle Temp is very good. when car is moving i remember even without enough coolant, i saw temp dropped, wind helps. also again by my experience some Engine oils do NOT pass and absorb the heat as good as others. with valvoline i get always cooler temp anyway...
my CVT fluid temp has got better too. But it still goes few degrees higher than 90 C ( 194 F ) where it shows HOT in CVTz50 app.
Ive heard some people say they add a fan to the Transmission to keep it cooler in summer. Depends on your car i guess. My car is Made in Japan so it has no fan for Transmission.
but If we get deeper into why CVT fluid gets Hot. The issue will go back to CVT fluid low pressure. you push the pedal but not all the power generated by engine can be transferred to transmission ( slippage ) therefor the cvt fluids gets less circulation when in need and gets hotter.
Service Manual says check CVT fluid level, or change it. I did both. i even changed the CVT filter. and cleaned the metal filter with gas ( my mechanic did ) But still got this issue ( engine revs up but speed does not match up) . You might not get the error code of P0868 when normal driving. But try to take your car into ***** and alittle shallow sand and try in reverse. you will see your transmission is sooo weak that can't even move out of tiny hole that a bike can get out easily. then you will see that error code shows up. i know CVT Is not supposed to do that, specially in sand. But i remember how my car was before. U could feel the power.
Ive talked to a CVT specialist ( same person who messed up my CVT by adding dirty used cvt oil back in after repairing the Axle shaft) anyway
He says there is a little small part in transmission which is no big deal and that part needs to be fixed/cleaned, i dont remember exactly. the name had a pump in it. He said its a very easy thing to do, but to reach that part we need to take down the whole CVT transmission which makes it complicated. So its mostly labor work.
What i gathered is he intentionally added back dirty oil so i come back for CVT fixing so he makes more money. i yelled at him why would you not ask me to buy new CVT NS2 oil. or bought it yourself and add it to bill? Instead you take the car to carwash and add it to the bill! he keeps saying adding the same used oil back in has nothing to do with the code P0868. im like then how come i never had this issue and suddenly when i get the car back from u this code shows up! He says heart attacks happen in a second too LUL
Then his friend who claims he knows to much, says; even if Cvt Fluid was dirty it goes through the filter first. ( keep in mind he added the fluid through dip stick hose) im like so does it mean the dip stick goes through the filter too?! he insisted that "no matter where you add the CVT fluid, from bottom or the dipstick hole, it goes through filter first, so if it was dirty the filter would stop the debris or whatever to get inside transmission" i would like to know this too if anyone knows this. Why does the manual say clean the dip steak with clean napkins only?! when you add the CVT fluid from dipstick hole, Does it go through CVT filter first? ( either the small filter or the metal one. it has 2)
Could anyone answer this please? @I need coffee @nitely @MuranoSL2003

So long story short. you need to experience everything yourself. no one cares enough about your car. they only mess it up. There are very respected mechanics tho. but unfortunately there are a lot of bad ones too. They act like they made the car and transmission and they know better than everyone else, even better than Nissan!
BTW this is how a car becomes a money pit. i started with fixing my VVT solenoid which ive taken out myself as i love doing mechanic works, and then i didn't know i need a new gasket once its pulled out, so i took the car to him to fix it, then he said axle shaft needs fixed too. he fixed it but made a whole new issue for my car which could be a very expensive fix. if i somehow can prove that the Error P0868 came up because of him. I can make him do it for free to fix my CVT.
I know man on this forum say Gen 1 Mo's CVTs tend to get this error. but my question is why? it should be something that trigger this error so it's sensitive. there should be a reason. if its messing with CVT fluid the one who needs to works on it needs to be very careful. Other wise this is not an simple issue which a Japanese company Like Nissan would ignore it. Its more reasonable that they fixed some sensitivities with the CVT in next gens.
What i know is Japanese cars are not like other brands like BMW, Mercedes or even American cars where after 100k miles you need to sell it. because the maintenance will be come more expensive than the whole car. to my knowledge when you buy a Nissan or Toyota you will buy it for life.
My dad had a BMW 535i 2018. after 2 years ( 80k km) on it, it got a lot of issues, where parts needed for it were too expensive.
i would never buy a car with turbo charger being inline 4 or v4. V6 with natural breathing is always the best. i dont care about gar price. i want to enjoy the ride. i don't use the car to get from A to B. I used it to enjoy. I want when i push the Pedal if it 3500CC capacity of engine, i want to feel it on transmission, not being waste and make the Fluid hotter instead.
Ive taken very good care of my car. changd my engine oil every 2k km. never drove it in bad conditions, but one wants to power be there when its needed.
My 0 to 100 ( 0 to 60 ) was 8 seconds before, now its hardy 11 second. its all on CVT. And its not a CVT flaw by itself. Its how someone takes care of it.
sorry if it got to long. But i tried to include some information. Unfortunately on here even tho people give great advises for free, but heaps of time my questions get ignored. so i highlighted my question this time in bold. I would really appreciate if anyone would answer.
Thank you very much Admin, Mods and other users

 

Then his friend who claims he knows to much, says; even if Cvt Fluid was dirty it goes through the filter first. ( keep in mind he added the fluid through dip stick hose) im like so does it mean the dip stick goes through the filter too?! he insisted that "no matter where you add the CVT fluid, from bottom or the dipstick hole, it goes through filter first, so if it was dirty the filter would stop the debris or whatever to get inside transmission" i would like to know this too if anyone knows this. Why does the manual say clean the dip steak with clean napkins only?! when you add the CVT fluid from dipstick hole, Does it go through CVT filter first? ( either the small filter or the metal one. it has 2)
Could anyone answer this please?

Sorry no one here is answering your questions as quickly as you would like. Keep in mind, we don't get paid to give advice. But, then again you get what you pay for.

To answer your question, yes, there is a filter attached to the valve body that would filter dirt/debris in the oil pan (where the fluid ends up when poured through the dipstick) before the fluid enters the valve body and system, but that's a poor reason to reuse contaminated fluid. The more debris that a filter blocks, the more that flow is restricted through the valve body which could eventually affect transmission performance (...think of a sink strainer that has a bunch of food and junk in it--water doesn't drain very quickly through it now does it?)

 

Yeah, adding contaminated fluid adds to the issue but its not the entire cause of it. Since you mentioned in your other post that you have been experiencing hesitations for a few years prior to the recent repair. That is the typical sign of P0868. There is a long thread about it posted somewhere. You may not know it then, until you went to this forum and found the CVT app. But you probably had it for a while already.

Regarding resetting the TCM, there was one member that claimed a dealer reset eliminated the infamous P0868. This was many years back. I tried confirming this but I can't remember a hard yes. Or if it was just temporary. Plus its only from one guy? I would give it a try, why not. But I won't put my hopes up. Not sure if the CVT app can do that. I don't have it.

You are not the first and won't be the last to get a second hand 1st gen murano and get that CVT problem. Codes does not show up on regular diagnostic tool. So it kinda hides it from buyers. We saw it then, (when extended warranty has expired most owners dumped their 1st gen) and still seeing it now. Better luck.

 

Yeah, adding contaminated fluid adds to the issue but its not the entire cause of it. Since you mentioned in your other post that you have been experiencing hesitations for a few years prior to the recent repair. That is the typical sign of P0868. There is a long thread about it posted somewhere. You may not know it then, until you went to this forum and found the CVT app. But you probably had it for a while already.

Regarding resetting the TCM, there was one member that claimed a dealer reset eliminated the infamous P0868. This was many years back. I tried confirming this but I can't remember a hard yes. Or if it was just temporary. Plus its only from one guy? I would give it a try, why not. But I won't put my hopes up. Not sure if the CVT app can do that. I don't have it.

You are not the first and won't be the last to get a second hand 1st gen murano and get that CVT problem. Codes does not show up on regular diagnostic tool. So it kinda hides it from buyers. We saw it then, (when extended warranty has expired most owners dumped their 1st gen) and still seeing it now. Better luck.

thanks. Yeah it makes sense that it was an ongoing issue i have really felt it was happening. speed reduction. just to be clear, do we both agree that transmission slippage and P0868 are related? also what diagnosis tool shows all codes? id like to buy one and learn all about it.
thank you very much

 

Thank you @I need coffee .
So just t give an update i went to nissan dealer the other day. there was a very experienced guy. as soon as i told him about 868 he knew whats up. he said some pullyes and pumps and could be other things as we don't see inside the transmission. but cost for repairing it is a lot. Around 3k.
But then i told him more about issue and when the code mostly appears ( in reverse ) he took the car for test drive with his scan tool. he said i dont see an issue with the car just drive with it maybe next year or year an half come back for repair as its not necessary now.
But he suggested to install a Radiator for the Transmission for now. he said it will be placed right in front of engine radiator ( im not sure how it fits or whats teh work ground ) but he said this radiator keeps the whole 8 liters fluid cool as it makes the CVT fluid flow from a pipe or something and see open air and wind, therefor it always gets cooled down.
I asked if just installing a fan is enough he said Radiator is a lot better, fan does not do anything.
Im not sure if anyone here has any experience with installing a separate radiator for the Transmission. But seems like a cheap work to do to keep CVT temp low.
I also told him car is not as fast as it was. he said if you want it to be fast go to manual mode. it's CVT its not made for such accelerations even after its fully repaired or even if you replace the Transmission.
A new transmission costs around 6k.
Just to give an update and check the accuracy of the deatils with you.
Thanks everyone

 

he suggested to install a Radiator for the Transmission

He would be referring to a transmission cooler. It would technically be an auxiliary cooler since the CVT already has a cooler in the radiator. I believe some others on these forums may have done the same although usually because they tow trailers (...this stresses any transmission). The best setup is something that has a temperature-controlled valve so that the fluid is allowed to warm to the proper operating range before the external cooler kicks in.

 

I'd like to know how the coolant ratio thread turned into a CVT thread? Doing this sort of thing will not get the proper attention. I was ignoring this thread because I thought the ratio thing was figured out.
You want to know where the trans cooler is. What year car is it? If it is a 2004 ish Murano there are 2 transmission coolers from the factory on it. The main one is integral with the radiator and located at the bottom of it. You just follow the hoses or lines that come out of the transmission to the oil coolers. The smaller warm up oil cooler is near the driverside frame (LH drive) it also has below it the external transmission filter (mounts on that end of the transmission) need to remove tire to see it well. To be effective an added cooler would need to be in the return line to the transmission. But CVT's hate cold fluid, and is the reason for that little warm up cooler. And if you pipe the new added cooler to go into that little warm up cooler you then just defeated the whole reason for the add on. Since that small cooler will make sure that fluid is up to temperature.
Before adding an extra cooler and the extra leaks that can come with it. I would find out what the manufacture says the operating temperature of the fluid should be, as that is likely part of the engineering involved creating said fluid. Proper temp and viscosity will be very important to prevent belt and pulley slippage. So running too cool may do more damage than everyone thinks. Cooler thicker fluid may allow a hydrodynamic film to form on the pulleys that will allow the slippage that I mention. Also I feel this maybe one of the problems with CVT's is too many folks punching the gas pedal and climbing hills or what ever, before the fluid is up to temperature.
P0868 most always points to a bad flow control valve, it wears out, maybe a bunch of reasons why, first off made from wrong material. CVT's make micro metal particles and that helps wear valves and seals as well. Filters? I had to clean such tiny metal particles off of a seal ring I had to reuse, because it was designed better than the new replacement seal ring. To get to the flow control valve the transmission has to be split open to remove the oil pump.

did edit to clarify small cooler location.

 

I'd like to know how the coolant ratio thread turned into a CVT thread? Doing this sort of thing will not get the proper attention. I was ignoring this thread because I thought the ratio thing was figured out.
You want to know where the trans cooler is. What year car is it? If it is a 2004 ish Murano there are 2 transmission coolers from the factory on it. The main one is integral with the radiator and located at the bottom of it. You just follow the hoses or lines that come out of the transmission to the oil coolers. The smaller warm up oil cooler is on the driverside frame (LH drive) it also has below it the external transmission filter. To be effective an added cooler would need to be in the return line to the transmission. But CVT's hate cold fluid, and is the reason for that little warm up cooler. And if you pipe the new added cooler to go into that little warm up cooler you then just defeated the whole reason for the add on. Since that small cooler will make sure that fluid is up to temperature.
Before adding an extra cooler and the extra leaks that can come with it. I would find out what the manufacture says the operating temperature of the fluid should be, as that is likely part of the engineering involved creating said fluid. Proper temp and viscosity will be very important to prevent belt and pulley slippage. So running too cool may do more damage than everyone thinks. Cooler thicker fluid may allow a hydrodynamic film to form on the pulleys that will allow the slippage that I mention. Also I feel this maybe one of the problems with CVT's is too many folks punching the gas pedal and climbing hills or what ever, before the fluid is up to temperature.
P0868 most always points to a bad flow control valve, it wears out, maybe a bunch of reasons why, first off made from wrong material. CVT's make micro metal particles and that helps wear valves and seals as well. Filters? I had to clean such tiny metal particles off of a seal ring I had to reuse, because it was designed better than the new replacement seal ring. To get to the flow control valve the transmission has to be split open to remove the oil pump.

Well thanks for the info. But why all the harshness and attitude and anger?
Coolant is coolant. if one is reading about coolant ratio, im sure they would interested to read some about CVT cooling too.

 

It helps avoid confusion if threads stay on topic. The topic of this one is antifreeze to water ratio. A bit of joking around is fine, but thread derails are not.

If we need a discussion of CVT issues including cooler, please end this discussion and start a new one.