Darek Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) My Pathfinder has about 107k miles and fluids other than engine oil and engine coolant have never been changed. I am preparing for maintenance action and have some questions. It is not explicitly stated in service manual to replace those fluids. In fact there is written just to inspect them. So I wonder if it is necessary or recommended to replace following fluids: - automatic transmission fluid, - all mode 4wd transfer fluid, - front/rear differential gear oil, - power steering fluid. Also I want to ask if it is necessary or recommended to replace any gaskets/filters when flushing above fluids? Important question - are there any equivalents to Nissan Matic D fluid because I would have to pay about 415$ for 12 litres of this fluid and this is big amount... Thanks in advance for any input. Edited October 22, 2012 by Darek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Yes, all those should be changed as well as brake fluid if it has not been flushed within the last two years. There are fluids that specify compatibility with Matic D fluids and Nissan says a Dexron III fluid is suitable for replacement. I have Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle (recently renamed to Castrol Import Transmax I believe) and it shifts well in my Pathfinder. Use any synthetic ATF claiming to meet Dexron III or Dexron VI for the power steering fluid, as well as the transfer case fluid. You can use a turkey baster or suction gun to siphon & refill the power steering fluid every oil change, and change the transfer case fluid every 30k miles (more often if there is potential water entry). 75W-90 would be preferable for the differentials. Change the fluid every 30k miles (more often if there is potential water entry). Don't forget to grease your front driveshaft every oil change (more often if there is potential water entry). Use any NLGI No. 2 lithium soap base grease. You should not need to replace any filters or gaskets. The auto trans has a drain plug, but a more efficient method would be to do a full fluid exchange via the transmission cooler return line. You can find steps to this procedure in this thread on NICOclub, under the "Transmission and driveline" Q&A section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 No gaskets or filters need to be replaced when changing those fluids. Be sure the remove the FILL plugs on the transfer case and differentials before removing the drain plugs. You don't need to use Nissan Matic D fluid, you can use any Dexron III/Mercon equivalent. Don't forget to also perform a brake fluid flush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darek Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 You should not need to replace any filters or gaskets. The auto trans has a drain plug, but a more efficient method would be to do a full fluid exchange via the transmission cooler return line. You can find steps to this procedure in this thread on NICOclub, under the "Transmission and driveline" Q&A section. I read in that thread that automatic transmission fluid can be changed with pan drop method and in that case the transmission filter and gasket should be changed. So do you advise dropping the pan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Since the in-pan filter does not filter very finely (it's more like a rock catcher than a filter), I would leave it be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDN_S4 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I'm looking to change my transmission fluid but before I do that I wanted to ask if I still should change it even if it is still pink on the dip stick? Does it even turn black with time? From YouTube videos it looked black. The thing is I don't know when it was last changed. Any advice? And where does it get filled back up? That's the other question I couldn't find a definite answer to so far. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDN_S4 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Can it be refilled through the dip stick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 If the transmission fluid is still bright cherry red and doesn't smell burned, you don't need to change it. If it's dark red, you should change it. You can drain and fill using about 4-5 quarts of ATF. Drain from the transmission pan, and refill through the dipstick tube. You will need to use a special funnel designed to refill auto transmissions to avoid making a big mess. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 You definitely need some kind of funnel. I thought I could get away with just pouring it in and splashed it everywhere. I didn't have the special funnel, so I took a plastic root beer bottle, cut the bottom off, drilled a hole in the cap, and jammed a piece of tubing in there. So long as I held it up it worked alright. Having used the proper funnels since, get one of them, they're much nicer to work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDN_S4 Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Yeah I picked up a very narrow funnel for that reason. That covers my transmission fluid, and by the looks I will wait until it's no longer red. Is there a way to test the differential fluid, other than draining some to see? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulust Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 After just changing all my fluids as well here is something that will help with the diff fluids. As for whether or not to drop the pan, well I would say yes. You never know what you might find in there. There is a magnet that collects all the real fine metals to prevent damage to the bands, drums, etc... If the magnet is covered it may not be doing its job and therefor damaging the transmission. The gasket is about $8 and the filter is about $14 and it takes only 20-30 min to change. As for the fluid change I would recommend doing a complete flush using the cooler lines and put in a good full synthetic. Valvoline has one called Valvoline Dextron IV ATF Multi-Import FULL SYNTHETIC that runs about $23 a galon and is compatible with the following: - Toyota/Lexus - Type T, T-II, T-IV (except hybrids) - Honda/Acura - ATF-Z1 (except CVT) - Nissan/Infiniti - Matic-D, Matic-J, Matic-K (except CVT) - Hyundai/Kia - SP-II, SP-III, SP-IV, Genuine ATF - Mitsubishi - SP-II, SP-III, SP-IV - Subaru - ATF-HP (except CVT) - Mazda - M-III, M-V, JWS-3309 - BMW - LT 71141, LA 2634, 7045E - Mercedes Benz - NAG-1, 236.10 and older - Volkswagen/Audi - VW 052 162, 052 990, 055 025 - Volvo - 97340, 97341, 1161521 - Jaguar - JLM 20238 - Ford - Mercon V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulust Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathmaker Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Been running that trans fluid since it hit the market, with good results. As for the trans filter, yes change it, a good filter kit can be had for under $25 and it'll include everything you need, clean the pan, magnet and gasket surface real well. All other fluids should be changed as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 To check the diff fluid, remove the fill plug and stick your finger through the hole. The oil should be golden or golden-brown. Never remove the drain plug without first removing the fill plug. To refill the diff, you will need a Gear Oil pump like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Plews-55001-Lubrimatic-Standard-Bottles/dp/B000BQW5LK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1421709341&sr=1-1&keywords=oil+pump+gear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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