The Nissan Path

Hi i own a 2011 pathfinder SE 4x4 and im at 97k miles im wondering if it would be safe to change the transmission fluid or if i should just leave it don't know much about the transmission on my pathfinder but im invested it making this car something of my own considering i love offroading

As my Dad always said, Oil's cheap Son, Parts aren't. May as well get it flushed and have them do the Radiator Bypass while they are at it!!!

It's synthetic ATF, so it lasts a long time. If you drive under extreme conditions, i.e. towing, it can shorten the life. Personally, I do a drain and fill every 60,000 miles. I use Valvoline Maxlife Full-synthetic ATF which I get in a 1-gallon jug for $18 at Walmart. There is no serviceable filter, just a screen, so there's no sense in wasting time and money dropping the pan down. The drain plug is 19MM and the crush gasket is Nissan # 11026-01M02, which is the same as the engine oil pan plug crush gasket. I get them in bags of 20 or 30 from Ebay because they are much cheaper than the dealer. Drain plug torque is 25 lb/ft. Warm the fluid before you drain and park on a level surface. There's a 10MM head bolt keeping the trans dipstick to the tube that you'll have to remove and try not to drop on the ground. I usually start by installing 3-1/2 quarts and top off as needed. I usually don't need more than 1-gallon of ATF.

Can anyone guesstimate what size hose this guy used for the transmission funnel?

https://youtu.be/_QwKgBTuWUc?t=253

I did the tranny fluid change last Saturday When I first checked the dip stick the fluid looked good and clear. But when I drained it, as you can see from the pic, it's dark and dirty. I have 81k miles on it. And I also drained and filled the coolant from the radiator. Then I burped the system.

Drove it for about 150 miles yesterday (went apple picking with the fam). It's driving smooth and no problem.

I had originally planned on doing the transfer case as well, but I didn't have a big enough hex socket to remove the plugs. So I went to Harbor Freight and got me a set. I'm planning on doing it next weekend.

Looking at that dark fluid, I can't help the Simon & Garfunkel song play through my head...

"Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again..."

NissanMatic Type "J" and "S" ATF always looks almost brown when it's drained and appears pretty faint on the dipstick. It's not necessarily "dirty" nor "burnt," rather it's just a characteristic of the ATF. I've noticed after servicing with Maxlife Full-synthetic ATF a couple of times (drain and fill every 60,000 miles is what I typically do), the fluid on the dipstick and while it's draining appear to be a more conventional, "cherry red" ATF color.

Looking at the service manual for the transfer case fluid change: https://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Pathfinder ... er/DLN.pdf

It's showing the transfer oil filter (p138). Do I need to replace that when I change the oil? I can't find that part in Rock Auto.

And does any one know the part number for the drain/fill plug gasket? And the torque specs? If I'm reading page DLN-154 and 155, the torque spec is 35N-m(3.6kg-m, 26ft/lbs)?

Edit: Found the part numbers for the gaskets: https://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/pathfin ... skets.html

11026-01M02 Engine Oil drain plug washer
11026-01M02 Transmission drain plug washer (yes, same as oil pan)
11026-4N200 Transfer case plug gasket (yes, same as Diff's)
11026-4N200 Differential plug gasket

Cheapest I've found is on eBay for $19 10pack.

Page 136 https://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Pathfinder ... er/DLN.pdf

It shows the drain plug in "front" and the fill plug in the "rear". When I did my transfer case last weekend, both the fill and drain plugs were in the "rear", and I didn't see the oil filter(p.138) at all.