2013 Altima 3.5 owner here. Wife is the primary driver in the central FL stop-and-go traffic and the oppressive heat/humidity (the humidity also reduces the effectiveness of a heat exchanger....and this makes Florida worse than even Texas or Arizona for heat related failures). Wife does most of the driving. She had her first violent "CVT shudder" at 27,000 miles and, now at 28-and-change, the transmission is beginning to behave poorly. It's slow to change ratios, allows more vibration through the driveline, and is sluggish off the line. Nissan dealers at first refused to change the fluid as it was a "60,000 mile change interval. It's FINE." Then they agreed to change it with the newer (and thinner) NS-3 rated CVT fluid....for $330 for a drain and refill. This was the same price at two different dealers in a major Florida city. Unacceptable.
So I conducted my due diligence research and found this Valvoline CVT fluid, which their latest data sheet (available on their website) indicates is compatible with the NS-3 standard.
So I drove my Altima up onto a set of ramps, finagled the drain plug tube stopper (with NO DIPSTICK attached, mind you) off of the drain tube, and obtained a drain tub that has markings for fill level...so I could quickly and easily measure EXACTLY how much fluid came out. Good thing I did, because according to most folks, 6 quarts were going to exit my transmission....but only 3 quarts took the dive due to the incline of the vehicle. No biggie. It'll just take two drain and fills to use up my 6qt case. Please remember that this transmission will throw a code AND go into a full-on limp mode (crippling the car and preventing you from shifting into drive in some cases) if there is too little fluid, OR too much. So getting within about a tenth of a quart is important. Also, double up your gloves because the fluid needs to be at operating temp to be drained and this is HOT.
Onto driving impressions with only 3 quarts swapped: The transmission is observably quieter, smoother, and more responsive within the first mile. Within ten miles, the difference is stark....it's back to the ultra-smoothness that sold me on the car. I'm very pleased! I'm excited to do another 3qt drain and fill this weekend and am expecting more of an improvement. In fact, at this level of economy via Amazon's great prices, I'm debating an additional drain and refill with another 6qt case just to have more of this fluid in the transmission, period.
Note: this Valvoline fluid has a very light green tint to it. Not nearly as green as the factory NS-3 Nissan fluid...but at least it's not red. I do not think a dealer would even notice that another fluid has been used. It looks very close to the NS-3 fluid when new, with less green dye.
Lastly, the factory fluid that came out was dark green, looked burnt, and had a burnt smell to it. It was very clearly at the end of its useful life. Having smelled a freshly opened quart of NS-3 Nissan fluid at the dealer, the factory fluid is DONE at 28k miles. It seems Nissan should be observing 20k fluid change intervals for their CVTs as my wife drives the car very easy and always lets all fluids get to operating temperature before giving it the beans in traffic. This Valvoline has a full synthetic base stock and is designed for high-temp applications. I'm very pleased so far and buy with confidence for your NS-3 compatible Altima, Maxima, or Pathfinder CVT! Go Amazon!!!
A note for the 5th gen Altima: The CVT in this Altima has a circuit from the engine coolant outlet on the radiator that passes heated engine coolant directly to the transmission to speed-up the transmission warm-up and to thin the fluid so it is functioning in its most optimal range. So, while this fluid is certainly thicker than the factory fluid in cold climates, using the Nissan engine freeze plug block heater when it's cold would ALSO serve to warm this tranny up much quicker. Not a concern for me in Florida as I only see temps below 20 degrees F once or twice a year. Any Nissan dealer can install this freeze plug and there are several to choose from here on Amazon for about $40.
MPG Note: My wife has seen her long term MPG creep up by .1 MPG this week. Could be weather. Could be statistical noise. But she also reports easier cruising with smaller throttle openings. Regardless, there seems to be no negative effect on fuel mileage.
| Brand | Valvoline |
|---|---|
| Package Information | Jug |
| Liquid Volume | 32 Fluid Ounces |
| Item Weight | 1.99 Pounds |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Transmission Fluid |
| Viscosity | 6 |
| Flash Point | 219 Degrees Fahrenheit |
| Item Form | Oil |
| Manufacturer | Valvoline |
| Model | 804751-6PK |
| Item Weight | 1.99 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 13.13 x 5.75 x 9.25 inches |
| Item model number | 804751-6PK |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 804751-6PK |
