This is going to be Part 1 - how to use a fluid suction machine to pull transmission fluid via the dipstick tube.
Once I get the transmission filter (Tuesday) I will do the second half of this DIY for how to drop the pan and replace the filter.
What you need:
1) You will want to remove the airbox arm to the engine for ease of access. Plan on fighting with the dipstick locking mechanism. You basically use a screwdriver to push in on the metal tab visible within the gap on the black plastic (facing the driver's side fender). I found this easiest to do on a footstool at the front of the engine, reaching back for it.
I ended up cracking the plastic, and so I figured it would help to show the mechanism once removed:
As you can see above, there is a plastic tab built into the dipstick - compressing the metal tab with the screwdriver allows this tab to open and it is a finicky process, indeed.
2) The next fight will be to remove the dipstick, which gave me a **** of a time as well for some reason. I was able to cajole it into coming out only by twisting the end of it and gently tugging until it came out... all ~18 miles of it:
In my case (20,000 miles), the fluid was perhaps a touch darker than it should be, even in as thin a sample as the dipstick:
3) Over a year ago, I purchased one of these Crew Chief fluid evacuators for my small side business, and then it got buried by stuff and I never tried it out. Which I now regret, because it is fantastic. You will need an air compressor (they want you to get it up to 100-120 PSI, but it worked as low as 50 PSI. Just not as quickly). In my case, I only had the 8 quarts of transmission fluid on hand as seen below; and no Nissan dealer or parts depot within 150 miles has the transmission filter. So I wanted to at least swap part of the fluid out and got set up to pull 8 quarts of transmission fluid out via the dipstick tube:
4) To anyone else who does this, the included drain line (7' long) reaches the dipstick tube with the evacuator RIGHT next to the front bumper. You will need to go to a hardware store for rigid ice machine-style tubing (good for 120+ PSI) as the longest included suction wand isn't long enough to drain the transmission fluid via the absurdly lengthy dipstick tube on our trucks:
5a) As the fluid is suctioned out, you will be surprised at JUST how clean it looks after 20,000 miles. Or rather: you will be completely unsurprised, and instead shake your head at why/how Nissan thinks a 20,000 service interval for transmission fluid is reasonable (for anyone not towing daily in the desert). The outgoing fluid is nearly brand new:
5b) ... but in case Nissan is onto something (besides a racket with transmission fluid companies), I am sending a sample of this fluid off for full lab analysis. Their findings will be posted here.
6) After a "slight" underestimating of the 10 PSI used to drain the evacuator tank (turns out it drains FAST and can spill easily), we settled on placing our waste oil jerry can INSIDE a garbage can, to avoid the Exxon Valdez II:
7) Now, armed with a funnel that fits into the dipstick hole, a red velvet malted milkshake, and transmission fluid, add back the recently-removed transmission fluid. Go on a test drive and find it shifts noticeably better (thanks to the magic of Amsoil), and be excited that you have a way to change fluid without dropping the pan in case you can't get a filter, either, but are worried about the life of the fluid:
____
Tuesday night, I will be doing Part 2 of this guide, with dropping the pan, etc, assuming I can get the filter and gasket from somewhere in time.
Once I get the transmission filter (Tuesday) I will do the second half of this DIY for how to drop the pan and replace the filter.
What you need:
- up to 15 quarts of compatible transmission fluid. I have read that 8.0 - 8.5 quarts will come out when you drop the pan. With a machine like I will show below, you can exchange 8 quarts from above, drive it to mix it, and then drop the pan. As you will drain ~16 quarts from a 15-quart pan, the majority of the fluid will be removed.
- a thinner flathead screwdriver
- a ladder or step stool, as the transmission dipstick is at the firewall
- a thicker flathead screwdriver to remove the air filter arm
- (eventually) a replacement transmission filter, Nissan # 31728-EZ00A (they call it an "oil strainer")
- to be determined if truly needed every time, but there is also a transmission pan gasket, Nissan # 31397-EZ00A (they call it "gasket - oil pan")
1) You will want to remove the airbox arm to the engine for ease of access. Plan on fighting with the dipstick locking mechanism. You basically use a screwdriver to push in on the metal tab visible within the gap on the black plastic (facing the driver's side fender). I found this easiest to do on a footstool at the front of the engine, reaching back for it.
I ended up cracking the plastic, and so I figured it would help to show the mechanism once removed:
As you can see above, there is a plastic tab built into the dipstick - compressing the metal tab with the screwdriver allows this tab to open and it is a finicky process, indeed.
2) The next fight will be to remove the dipstick, which gave me a **** of a time as well for some reason. I was able to cajole it into coming out only by twisting the end of it and gently tugging until it came out... all ~18 miles of it:
In my case (20,000 miles), the fluid was perhaps a touch darker than it should be, even in as thin a sample as the dipstick:
3) Over a year ago, I purchased one of these Crew Chief fluid evacuators for my small side business, and then it got buried by stuff and I never tried it out. Which I now regret, because it is fantastic. You will need an air compressor (they want you to get it up to 100-120 PSI, but it worked as low as 50 PSI. Just not as quickly). In my case, I only had the 8 quarts of transmission fluid on hand as seen below; and no Nissan dealer or parts depot within 150 miles has the transmission filter. So I wanted to at least swap part of the fluid out and got set up to pull 8 quarts of transmission fluid out via the dipstick tube:
4) To anyone else who does this, the included drain line (7' long) reaches the dipstick tube with the evacuator RIGHT next to the front bumper. You will need to go to a hardware store for rigid ice machine-style tubing (good for 120+ PSI) as the longest included suction wand isn't long enough to drain the transmission fluid via the absurdly lengthy dipstick tube on our trucks:
5a) As the fluid is suctioned out, you will be surprised at JUST how clean it looks after 20,000 miles. Or rather: you will be completely unsurprised, and instead shake your head at why/how Nissan thinks a 20,000 service interval for transmission fluid is reasonable (for anyone not towing daily in the desert). The outgoing fluid is nearly brand new:
5b) ... but in case Nissan is onto something (besides a racket with transmission fluid companies), I am sending a sample of this fluid off for full lab analysis. Their findings will be posted here.
6) After a "slight" underestimating of the 10 PSI used to drain the evacuator tank (turns out it drains FAST and can spill easily), we settled on placing our waste oil jerry can INSIDE a garbage can, to avoid the Exxon Valdez II:
7) Now, armed with a funnel that fits into the dipstick hole, a red velvet malted milkshake, and transmission fluid, add back the recently-removed transmission fluid. Go on a test drive and find it shifts noticeably better (thanks to the magic of Amsoil), and be excited that you have a way to change fluid without dropping the pan in case you can't get a filter, either, but are worried about the life of the fluid:
____
Tuesday night, I will be doing Part 2 of this guide, with dropping the pan, etc, assuming I can get the filter and gasket from somewhere in time.
