
How To Check Brake Fluid Level | Add Brake Fluid Nissan Vehicles
In this guide, you will find instructions on how to check the brake fluid level and add brake fluid on a Nissan vehicle.
This article goes over common problems that affect Nissan vehicles with automatic transmsion such as Rogue, Altima, Maxima, Sentra, Murano, Frontier, Pathfinder, Cube, etc.
Nissan's vehicle has a lot of issues with the CVT transmissions. The most common issue we see on Nissan vehicles only affects those vehicles equipped with the CVT transmission. On the other hand, Nissan engines are very reliable.
On many Nissan we have worked on or diagnosed, the transmsion won't shift, shows power loss, won't engage vehicle no longer moves in Drive. These symptoms are accompanied by the check engine light and CVT error message being displayed on the instrument cluster in some cases.
Common symptoms of Nissan transmission problems:
This list covers symptoms that affect both the Nissan CVT and automatic transmissions.
In addition to transmission not shifting, another common symptom that Nissan owners experience is the vehicle going into fail safe mode, also known as the limp mode.
In limp mode, vehicle power is reduced, and maximum speed is limited to approximately 40 mph.
Here is a list of the most common problems with Nissan transmissions.
While we have seen a few Nissan vehicles where transmissions fail as early as 60,000 miles, it is not unusual to see a Nissan with over 200,000 miles on the original transmission.
Shift solenoids are mounted on the valve body, which is located inside the transmission. Faulty shift solenoids can affect the 4-speed and 5-speed Nissan automatic transmission.
Symptoms of a faulty shift solenoid include:
The common problem with Nissan shifter solenoid is that the plunger either gets stuck due to debris in the fluid or the solenoid coil wires get damaged.
Symptoms of a bad shift solenoid include the transmission banging into gear or the engine RPMs going too high. The vehicle can't accelerate past 40 mph.
If your Nissan or Infiniti is jolting when the transmission changes gears, there is a good chance the transmission fluid level is low.
Delayed shifting is also another common symptom caused by low transmission fluid level.
Move the shifter from Park to Drive. If it takes over four seconds for the transmission to engage, check the transmission fluid level first.
Another sign that your transmission is low on the fluid is that your Nissan goes into limp mode or gets stuck in gear under hard acceleration.
Instructions on how to check Nissan transmission fluid level can be found in your owner's manual.
The transmission speed sensor on Nissan CVT transmission may fail.
It can cause no shifting, check engine light on, or a bang when you move the shifter from Park to Drive or Reverse gears.
This transmission is installed on multiple cars, including Nissan Altima, Cube, Juke, Maxima, Murano, NV Cargo, Pathfinder, and Quest.
A failed transmission fluid cooler integrated into the radiator can allow the engine coolant to mix with the automatic transmission fluid.
Engine coolant, therefore, enters the transmission and eventually damages the bands.
You can remove a small sample of the transmission fluid and send it for testing to any lab that tests vehicle fluids.
Older Nissans that use a conventional 4-speed automatic transmission designated as RE4F04B can have issues that will send them into limp-home mode. In a scenario like this, the transmission will remain in a single gear, and gear changes will not be possible.
Depending on the problem, this will happen just after starting the car or driving it for a while. In both cases, this will trigger a check engine light.
Possible causes and solutions:
Nissan Altima and Maxima that use Aisin AW55 5-speed automatic transmission have a common gear shift problem. It manifests itself as intermittent shift flares when going from 2nd to 3rd gear or harsh downshifts from 3th to 2nd.
In initial phases, this problem will only be present when cold but usually gets worse with time. This will trigger a check engine light, so there will be a corresponding trouble code stored.
Possible causes and solutions:
Bigger Nissan SUVs and pick-up trucks that use a RE5R05A 5-speed automatic transmission in rear-wheel-drive configuration can suffer from a strong shudder and harsh gear shifts during engagement of 4th or 5th gear.
In most cases, this issue will be more noticeable when the vehicle reaches running temperatures. The problem will not affect gear shift from 1st through 3rd gear and will not trigger a check engine light.
Possible causes and solutions:
Many newer Nissans use one of Jatco Continuously Variable Transmissions, which have several typical issues in common. One of the most frequent is the whining or rattling noise that comes from the transmission only while accelerating.
In some cases, this will be accompanied by a mild judder. There will be no other symptoms or warning lights.
Possible causes and solutions:
Models such as Xterra and Pathfinder may experience a problem where the transmission won't go in reverse.
You may ultimately lose the reverse gear or take several seconds for the reverse gear to engage.
If a complete transmission rebuild is needed, it can range between $2,700 to $5,500.
Nissans that have a Jatco Continuously Variable Transmissions can suffer from a particular issue in which the car seems like it struggles to speed up. When this happens, the engine will be reaching higher-than-usual speeds, and the acceleration will be slower.
In some cases, engagement will be harsh and might even cause the engine to stall.
Usually, this will not trigger a check engine light or cause other symptoms.
Possible causes and solutions:
The following steps can help you troubleshoot and diagnose your Nissan transmission problem.
Read every section carefully and determine if it applies to your particular problem.
Low transmission fluid level is often the cause of some transmission problems.
If your Nissan doesn't move when put it in Drive or slips, your transmission may have no fluid at all or very little. If that is the case, do not drive the car to warm up the fluid, or you will burn the transmission.
Follow the instructions on how to check the transmission fluid level found in your owner's manual.
Nissan transmission fault codes get stored in the Transmission Control Module (TCM | TCU). That is the reason why transmission problems are unlikely to trigger the check engine light.
Use a Nissan All System Scanner to read and clear codes from the Transmission Control Unit (TCU).
If you are experiencing transmission problems only when the vehicle is warmed up, the problem could be transmission fluid overheating.
Typically this is a problem on long trips, or when towing, you may notice shaking, vibration, shuddering, and lack of acceleration.
Nissan transmissions tend to run hot due to a lack of adequate transmission fluid cooling. Overheating can cause premature transmission failure.
If the transmission overheats, the transmission module detects this condition and puts the vehicle in fail-safe mode. Fail-safe mode limits engine RPMs and speed to prevent further transmission damage. Allowing the car to cool down typically enables the car to operate normally until the transmission fluid overheats again.
A possible solution is to install a larger transmission cooler.
Do not continue to drive your Nissan if you experience these symptoms as it can permanently damage the transmission.
Typical Nissan's warranty is five years or 60k miles. Nissan has previously extended the warranty on their vehicle due to problems with the automatic transmission.
According to Nissan USA," 2003-2010 Vehicles equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) also have a 10-year /120,000 mile CVT limited warranty extension."
Affected models included:
If you are experience problems with your Nissan or Infiniti transmission, call your dealer to verify if the extended warranty covers the vehicle.
In 2019 Nissan extended warranties to 7 years on CVTs used in specific U.S. models. The campaign covers over 3 million vehicles sold between 2012 to 2017, including the Sentra, Versa, and Altima sedans, Karube said.
If you have additional questions, contact Nissan Customer Assistance Center at 888-388-0318.
Write down your VIN located on the lower-left corner of the windshield.
Next, visit the National Highway Safety Administration website and enter your VIN. This will allow you to look up if a transmission recall is present.
If a transmission recall is open for your car, take the vehicle to your closest Nissan dealer. Otherwise, continue to the next step.
Software glitches in the Nissan transmission module can affect the shifting. Your local Nissan dealer may have a software update for your vehicle that can improve the shifting points.
A software update can fix specific issues. It does so by programming the transmission control module to alter the shift points.
Over the years, several class-action lawsuits have been brought against Nissan.
Waldo Leyva, et al. vs. Nissan North America, Inc. - Lawsuit: Sentra Xtronic CVT transmission overheating Vehicles: 2012 to 2017 Nissan Sentra
Batista vs. Nissan North America, Inc. - Lawsuit: Nissan installed CVT transmissions with known defects without warning consumers. Vehicles: 2013 and 2014 Nissan Pathfinder, Infiniti QX60/JX35 Outcome: Nissan extended the warranty on the vehicle 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever came first, and gave affected owners a transmission software update.
Nissan makes very reliable engines, but transmissions are a different story. We see a lot of Nissan vehicles that have automatic transmission problems.
Especially the early Nissan cars and SUVs equipped with Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) had many problems.
Nissan transmission problems range from delayed shifting, jerking between gears, no Drive or Reverse, or getting stuck in fail-safe mode.
The early Nissan vehicles with CVT transmissions had a high failure rate. Nissan has dramatically improved the reliability of the CVT transmission.
To replace a Nissan transmission at the dealer costs anywhere from $4500 to $6000. A cheaper alternative is finding a transmission repair shop that will overhaul your existing transmission or install a rebuilt transmission.
You can use a VIN decoder that will tell you the exact transmission installed in your car. You can also call the dealer to provide them the VIN, and they will tell you if you have CVT transmission. Or, if you know what a Nissan CVT transmission looks like, you can open the engine and identify the transfer that way.
If your Nissan can still drive, you might say, “It’s fine, I’ll drive it until I can get it fixed.†This is not a good idea. Get your Nissan transmission diagnosed as soon as possible.
It is not uncommon for Nissan with CVT to go into limp mode after about one hour of driving. For example, a 2015 Nissan Rouge we test drove went into limp mode after one and a half hours of freeway driving.
This is because Nissan's transmission cooling is inadequate. Once the trans fluid overheats, the transmission overheats. This is detected by the transmission control unit (TCU), which puts the vehicle into safe mode by reducing engine power and RPMs. If you are experiencing this problem with your Nissan, allow the car to cool down before resuming your trip. Also, consider installing an aftermarket transmission cooling system, especially if you take long trips or tow.
By YOUCANIC Automotive Experts Published on: Friday, October 4, 2019. |