I have done several drain and refills in a 2010 Nissan Rogue AWD over the last year. We bought the car in Sept. 2019, and it only had 29,000 miles on it. Since then we are at 35,000 miles so obviously annual mileage is low. I learned it was a wise thing to do to perform a drain and refill, and even at our low miles, I have been having some odd noises, whining when coming to a stop, etc. I also have that CVT wobble feeling in the accelerator and floor boards when starting out at low RPM's and I really feel them on hills starting out. I had no idea CVT's were like this, hard to get used to. Anyway, I first used idemitsu CVT fluid, twice. That was ok, worked well, then recently in early March, as temperatures began to rise in our area, I noticed the return of the wobble sensation, so I decided to try this Castrol CVT Fluid.
I am very impressed that it has helped improve the operation of our CVT. It still has some wobble, a little whining when it is warm outside, but less than it did before and the car really does drive a bit smoother and more quieter. So I ordered another 6 pack and plan to do another drain and refill. Last 2 times about 4.5 quarts came out. First time I did it over 5 quarts came out, but I realized it had been overfilled for who knows how long. So when I learned how to get proper levels, (check levels only when car is at normal operating temps and transmission fluid is warm/hot as it expands, and car is in park. It should be as close to the 50% level -halfway mark- on the cross hatch area. No higher according to a Nissan tech I saw on YT), I adjusted accordingly, and my first drain and refill I had to syphon some out which is not fun using a hand pump.
Just pay attention to this, get levels as close as you can to the half way mark on the cross hatch area, I always go a bit too high, but best I can do. CVT's are complicated it appears as far as keeping them in good health. They have their oddities, shakes, wobbles when starting out at low RPM's, but I had the computer history checked and no trans. codes were found, so that told me it really is a common thing for older CVT to wobble a bit. So do not worry if you feel the shakes and wobbles at low RPM's, as long as you are not throwing transmission codes to the computer, just drive easy and smart, these are not made to put the peddle to the floor...you will not go far quickly, just gradual pedal and once it starts going into high gear, it should be fine.
Castrol has proven at least to me, it does what it promises and I would not go back to any other fluid.
Follow up: I did the second drain and refill a little over a week ago with the Castrol Transmax CVT fluid. A little over 4 qt's came out and now that I have a majority of this fluid in it, I am very happy with its smooth operation and minimal wobble at low RPM's. The wobble is common at low RPM's, but this fluid seems to have been a big improvement so far, very smooth and quiet operation overall.
| Manufacturer | Castrol |
|---|---|
| Brand | Castrol |
| Model | 03520 |
| Item Weight | 7.45 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 4.62 x 9.5 x 11.52 inches |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Item model number | 03520 |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 03520 |
