Thread: a simple transmition fluid change

Ive always done a lot of basic work on my cars as I enjoy working with my hands. I decieded i needed to do a service on my nissan trans. Got to reading all about the CVT and found a transmition shop in town would do the work for me and the markup was not extreme. So i let them do it. The fluid is over 22 bucks a quart.
When i picked it up and seen the bill i asked why the filter wasnt listed on it. They said its a special filter that is inline and that cost extra. So they didnt do it. I wouldnt have known it wasnt changed if I hadnt asked. I wasnt happy with this and told them to order the damn filter and let me know when its in.
I got home and looked under the car and found they didnt drop the pan. Hadnt replaced the gasket. They just did a drain and fill. I was pissed. By then they called and said they had the filter and i told them id be in in the morning and will wait while the filter is replaced being its just inline. They agreed.

When i got there the manager/owner was there and he apologized about the filter not being changed. Said it cost him 40 bucks but he wasnt going to charge me for it or the extra labor. I then asked if they dropped the pan and he said yes. We went to the car in the air and i showed him they did not. Then he found he would have to order the gasket. I said forget it as i was pissed. After i got home i checked and the fluid level was low. Dammit!

The wife said we should do her car next. So i checked and found i could buy the matic s fluid at the dealer and just drain and fill myself. Bought the fluid, crawled under the car (infiniti suv) drained the fluid, then went to put new fluid in through the dipstick. What, no dipstick? I did some more reading on the web and found its a big deal as it takes a scanner to read if the fluid level is right and it has to be pumped in through a hole in the trans i couldnt find.

I dug out my marine pump i had used years ago to change the fluid in a manual trans on my ford ranger. Measured the fluid i took out and pumped thatmuch back in thru the drain hole. What a PITA and a mess. Then i set up an apointment at a friends shop for him to check the level next week as he had an opening in his schedule.

The moral to the story is... Even if you can do it yourself, besure to read first. And besure to see where the fluid goes in before taking the fluid out.

Yep majority of newer vehicles don’t have a dipstick. Take it from an ole Harley guy , we’re used to this so we have pumps and coat hangers of different lengths.,

I found out by talking to my friend who is a pro mechanic that a lot of the new transmisions are very touchy. Precise tolerances to the point the manufacture dont want the owners to even add fluid as it can easly be the wrong stuff added. The CVT fluid is special stuff for nissan CVT trans. And the matic S is specail too but ONLY cost 11 bucks a quart. Go adding ATF to it and things dont work right. Crazy.

BTW, I dug out the operators manual on the wifes SUV and looked up checking trans fluid. It say see dealership or something like that. No explanations. Go go have it checked.

Not the same I understand.

The oil filler hole on my lawnmower is on top of the deck and the first time i tried to change it I removed the filler plug and turned it upside down.

What a mess, oil went all over the engine, the fuel started running out through the air filter and of course i did it in the garage which still bears the stain and taunts me everytime I go to get the car out.

I went and bought a sort of pump thing that involves a see though container and a tube that goes in to the filler hole. It seems to work well enough but I have a feeling it doesn't empty the old oil out as well as taking out the sump plug would. I should look underneath to see if it has a drain plug

My mower (a Toro) doesn't have a drain plug, the manual says tipping it is the way to do it. I found this video on making a pump that uses a shop vac for changing oil. I built a similar one using plastic bottles (they tend to collapse from the vacuum) for sucking old gas out of my snow blower.
https://youtu.be/eJK92UFEIu4

Heck, some cars don't even have a motor oil dipstick anymore. I know Volvo did away with them.

I think they design cars these days so you have to take em back to the dealer for basic service. There is very little you can do yourself anymore.

No dipstick for oil? Damn. I know zome people can screw up a wet dream but that is get carried away. Time to buy a car from the 60 or 70 and park all this new stuff!
Hey Mike.

You may wish to google “right to repair “. Some interesting thoughts on the shenanigans manufacturers have been up to…

Originally Posted by JoeSomebody

You may wish to google “right to repair “. Some interesting thoughts on the shenanigans manufacturers have been up to…

Yup. One of the reasons I take particular delight in fixing things that would normally be chucked out and replaced.

Originally Posted by tintin

My mower (a Toro) doesn't have a drain plug, the manual says tipping it is the way to do it. I found this video on making a pump that uses a shop vac for changing oil. I built a similar one using plastic bottles (they tend to collapse from the vacuum) for sucking old gas out of my snow blower.
https://youtu.be/eJK92UFEIu4

Excellent video.

The thing I bought from Canadian Tire works like just like that but it's a bit more factory made, it does a decent job of sucking the oil out of my lawn mower, snowblower and pressure washer.

I did look and like you my lawn mower does'nt have a drain plug either

The pressure washer does have a drain plug but now I don't bother to use it and the snow blower is a single stage one so the drain plug is under a big plastic cowl and I can't be bothered to spend an hour taking it apart just to get to the drain plug.

Fortunately the weed wacker and leaf blower are two stroke so they look after themselves.

I also have a siphon with a squeeze bulb so I don't have to suck on it and it is great for draining the fuel out of the lawn mower and into the snow blower for the winter and visa versa in the spring.