[User Nametlend]

ive been reading past posts to see if the fluid is a lifetime fluid or if it needs to be changes out every so often. I've called 3 dealers to ask what they say. Both a Nissan and an Infiniti told me it should be change every 30k. Another Infiniti dealer told me it was lifetime fluid. What are your thoughts and what are y'all doing.

Thanks.

 

[dgc3043]

I was told lifetime fluid when I bought my JX in 2012. I have 111K on it now and haven't changed it. Runs fine (knock on wood).

 

[yeller]

Same here, my JX has "lifetime" but the dealer tech didn't have much additional detail since I don't think it's common across Infiniti's. The 2013 models arrived with a new Tranny so fluid-change routine may be different.

General practice is to change fluid. Then again the people that designed and built the car (aka, smarter than me) said not to change it.

 

[FatBikeGuy]

Lifetime means until it fails, then its life is over. This is the second car I've bought with a notoriously bad transmission, my Volvo XC70 being the first. However, I've changed the ATF on the Volvo about every 30K, and it's running fine at 140K. Lots of people, LOTS of people, in that forum who didn't do it lost transmission.

There's a little tool that looks like a pipe nipple that you thread into a port on the side of the transmission when you fill it to get the level right. I need to get one of those rascals. You do it with the transmission cold, too, so it's easy to get it right. Cheap insurance!

 

[User Nametlend]

I'm not sure I understand the need for the part, do you plan on changing it yourself? Infiniti dealer wants $250 to change it and local nissan is charging $220. Funny thing is on the Infiniti dealers website you can schedule it to be done for $169. I'm sure there is a catch to it somewhere. I'm more concerned about if it should or should not be more than the price.

 

[dgc3043]

I think you've got to do the math and run a quick risk analysis on it. ~$200 to change every 30K, so by 120K you've got $800 sunk into fluid changes; versus let's say ~$4500 for a new tranny. If you're planning to keep it longer than 120K may be worth your time. Depends on your personal risk tolerance IMO.

I think everyone uses their own personal experiences to make these decisions too. I know I do - my last rig was changed every 30K and at 128K lost the tranny. $4K later was back up an running. I'm getting near that mark now on my JX and haven't touched it, so for me, if it goes at 128K I can knock $800 off that replacement transmission.

 

[User Nametlend]

Agreed. I'm at 77000 now but I know it's been changed at least once due to a incident by the previous owner. I think I'm going to wait until 100k to decide. We plan on keeping this car for the long haul. My dad is old school and says not to change it because your introducing more contaminates to it. Who knows.

 

[pinghung777]

Did anyone try to use topside oil changer to remove transmission fluid? How many quart of CVT fluid can you suck out from dipstick?

 

[Almatti]

I would check this out directly with Infiniti. I thought CVTs had no dipstick. It is a sealed unit? There is lots of opinions about the CVT fluid changes. On a 2010 Subaru Legacy (now traded for a 2015 model with a new generation CVT), the dealer did change the CVT fluid at 35K. I believe now that was unnecessary. Again, there were various opinions, even in the Subaru manuals.

I'm sure the money aspect of paying money for this service is affecting decisions. More research in this direction is needed.

 

[User Nametlend]

I've learned that the new fluid has to be heated during the changing process so it can be pumped it from the bottom side. I don't honk the transmission has to be cycled from Parker to neutral to drive or something like that. Not sure if the car is to be running during this. I'm sure it does. If love to watch the process.