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 will help you DIY owners either flush your transmission fluid yourself, and/or help you communicate with your mechanic who may need some coaching if he never has performed a transmission flush on an FX45 or FX35 in the same way I will explain below:
For a complete summary on how I flushed my 2004 FX45 transmission fluid you should download the attached .pdf file.
Also, I found no issues using Valvoline Max Life ATF (Full Synthetic, which says on the label this fluid is compatible with Nissan's Matic "J" ATF) 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; without mixing the new ATF with the old ATF; and you will do that by removing the transmission COOLEER return line; add a 4' clear vinyl tube to a 1-gallon empty jug to catch the old fluid; and then you just start-and-stop your engine every 3 qts of fluid ATF you remove from the tranny pan; and replenish that fluid with new Max Life ATF; then repeat 3x-4x.
You will need to buy at least 3 gallons (12 qts) of Valvoline Max Life ATF for this job. (Your FX35 & 45 Gen-1 trannys hold 10.78 qts.) So I recommend you use 4 gallons (16 qts) to be sure you get a clean flush, and if you find you don't need the 4th gallon then you can always return it later.
Also, IMO, I would not bother changing the metal filter screen since your tranny does not use a paper element filter, and there are good arguements for not changing filers on cars with over 100,000 miles. Plus the whole process is easier and faster when you just leave your old tranny screen-filter "as-is."
Next, you need to learn how to read your dipstick at normal operating temperature; instead of at 149F, because you probably don't own a scan tool that will read transmission fluid temperature? ...But maybe you do? ...If so, the best way to properly fill your FX tranny is to bring the fluid temperature up to 149F and then fill the pan, with the engine running, to the 3/4 point of the hash marks on the dipstick.
Note: Normal operating tranny fluid temp in in the 165F-169F range (with OAT = 80F). (See .pdf file for more information on how to interpret the Infiniti instructions to read the dipstick and/or pay close attention to the pictures I created below.)
It's really important to change your tranny fluid every 80,000 - 100,000 miles. Some shops settle for "diluting" or mixing your old fluid with new fluid, because they have never changed ATF by pulling the transmission cooler return line. And you will find convincing your mechanic to do it this way maybe difficult. ...So do it yourself! ...Or just present them with the .pdf to read and maybe they will thank you for teaching them something new!
4 gallons so Valvoline Max Life ATF is only $80. And once you do this service, I bet you will notice improved throttle response and torque; maybe even better MPG around town! And the process is easy after you remove your engine's bottom (plastic) cover, just like you do when change your oil, and there you will see the 2 transmission cooler (low pressure) hoses. One is "in" and the other is "out."
To know which one to pull, that will depend on if you have an FX45, which means you pull the transmission cooler line on the passenger side; and if you have an FX35, then you should pull the cooler line on the driver side. (Note: It's just a quick release clamp. Easy-peasy!)
See attachments.
For a complete summary on how I flushed my 2004 FX45 transmission fluid you should download the attached .pdf file.
Also, I found no issues using Valvoline Max Life ATF (Full Synthetic, which says on the label this fluid is compatible with Nissan's Matic "J" ATF) 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; without mixing the new ATF with the old ATF; and you will do that by removing the transmission COOLEER return line; add a 4' clear vinyl tube to a 1-gallon empty jug to catch the old fluid; and then you just start-and-stop your engine every 3 qts of fluid ATF you remove from the tranny pan; and replenish that fluid with new Max Life ATF; then repeat 3x-4x.
You will need to buy at least 3 gallons (12 qts) of Valvoline Max Life ATF for this job. (Your FX35 & 45 Gen-1 trannys hold 10.78 qts.) So I recommend you use 4 gallons (16 qts) to be sure you get a clean flush, and if you find you don't need the 4th gallon then you can always return it later.
Also, IMO, I would not bother changing the metal filter screen since your tranny does not use a paper element filter, and there are good arguements for not changing filers on cars with over 100,000 miles. Plus the whole process is easier and faster when you just leave your old tranny screen-filter "as-is."
Next, you need to learn how to read your dipstick at normal operating temperature; instead of at 149F, because you probably don't own a scan tool that will read transmission fluid temperature? ...But maybe you do? ...If so, the best way to properly fill your FX tranny is to bring the fluid temperature up to 149F and then fill the pan, with the engine running, to the 3/4 point of the hash marks on the dipstick.
Note: Normal operating tranny fluid temp in in the 165F-169F range (with OAT = 80F). (See .pdf file for more information on how to interpret the Infiniti instructions to read the dipstick and/or pay close attention to the pictures I created below.)
It's really important to change your tranny fluid every 80,000 - 100,000 miles. Some shops settle for "diluting" or mixing your old fluid with new fluid, because they have never changed ATF by pulling the transmission cooler return line. And you will find convincing your mechanic to do it this way maybe difficult. ...So do it yourself! ...Or just present them with the .pdf to read and maybe they will thank you for teaching them something new!
4 gallons so Valvoline Max Life ATF is only $80. And once you do this service, I bet you will notice improved throttle response and torque; maybe even better MPG around town! And the process is easy after you remove your engine's bottom (plastic) cover, just like you do when change your oil, and there you will see the 2 transmission cooler (low pressure) hoses. One is "in" and the other is "out."
To know which one to pull, that will depend on if you have an FX45, which means you pull the transmission cooler line on the passenger side; and if you have an FX35, then you should pull the cooler line on the driver side. (Note: It's just a quick release clamp. Easy-peasy!)
See attachments.
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