Nissan and Infiniti built great transmissions back in the GEN-1 days, but reading that dipstick is not straight forward. And my efforts to figure it all out led me to these conclusions, which I hope help you DIY, and/or help you communicate with your mechanic... whom may need some coaching if he never has performed a transmission flush on an FX45 or FX35.
For a complete summary on how I flushed my 2004 FX45 transmission fluid... by disconnecting the transmission cooler return line... you should download the attached .pdf file.
Also, I found no issues using Valvoline Max Life ATF (Full Synthetic) in place of Nissan's Matic "J" and you can order this stuff for $18/gallon on Amazon with free delivery. That's 1/4 the price of Nissan's Matic "J" fluid at $18/qt.
However, the real value of this thread is knowing how easy it is to flush your entire transmission fluid out... without mixing the new ATF with the old ATF.
Also, IMO, I would not bother changing the metal filter screen since it's not a paper element and this makes the whole procedure easier and faster.
The secret to a complete ATF service is to pull the transmission cooler return line; while you start-and-stop your engine; 3 qts at a time; and then learning how to read your dipstick at normal operating temperature; instead of at 149F, which none of us can due without an expensive scan tool.
I hope the attached .pdf helps you get not only better performance out of your FX, but hopefully better MPG around town!
For a complete summary on how I flushed my 2004 FX45 transmission fluid... by disconnecting the transmission cooler return line... you should download the attached .pdf file.
Also, I found no issues using Valvoline Max Life ATF (Full Synthetic) in place of Nissan's Matic "J" and you can order this stuff for $18/gallon on Amazon with free delivery. That's 1/4 the price of Nissan's Matic "J" fluid at $18/qt.
However, the real value of this thread is knowing how easy it is to flush your entire transmission fluid out... without mixing the new ATF with the old ATF.
Also, IMO, I would not bother changing the metal filter screen since it's not a paper element and this makes the whole procedure easier and faster.
The secret to a complete ATF service is to pull the transmission cooler return line; while you start-and-stop your engine; 3 qts at a time; and then learning how to read your dipstick at normal operating temperature; instead of at 149F, which none of us can due without an expensive scan tool.
I hope the attached .pdf helps you get not only better performance out of your FX, but hopefully better MPG around town!