Changing oil on the 7AT Gearbox

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peterLeo1

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2014
Messages
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Location
Broome WA
Hi all,
My recently purchased STX D40 (V9X) is up to 160,000Kms (yes, very high k's but the car is still running so well and still very tight - had an independent check done on vehicle before purchased) and am doing my own major service, because Nissan dealer and local mechanics in remote broome WA want to charge an absolute fortune (I am also pretty handy).
I have carried out every part of the 160,000KM service schedule and more except the Gearbox oil change, it does not specifically say to change the gearbox oil on the 7 speed auto (7AT) and no where in the scheduled service manual (that I can find) does it say to change Gear oil in the 6AT or the 7AT, one of the local reputable mechanics said they are most likely a sealed for life box.
When I speak with the local Nissan dealership they say that the gearbox oil needs to be replaced using a special probe and when it is heated it will tell you when the level of oil is reached (doesn't make a lot of sense to me) so when I probed further to understand what they meant they said that they just ""connect to computer and it does it all" and they have not actually done it before cos most V9X vehicles (only a few) have not reached even 80,000kms yet.
I can see the drain plug and what looks like a probe plug on the bottom of the box (black sump plate) but cannot see the filler hole. or filler level hole. I can see what looks like a purpose built dip stick hole that is plugged on the side of the box but just wanted to see if anybody else has done their own gearbox oil change before I take the car to Nissan.
 
There's a drain plug at the rear and up front is a fill overflow pipe. You remove the cap, with the engine idling gearbox in park for 10 minutes (gets the oil up to 40C) and check, it should drip slowly out of the overflow pipe. If it comes out in a rush it's overfull, if it doesn't drip at all you need to fill it.

To fill it you need a special Nissan adapter and it needs to be pumped up from underneath. Maybe Nissan want you to have to pull a handbrake turn at about 30km/h and release the handbrake halfway through the turn - that should put your car on its roof so that you can DIY. Otherwise, ingenuity is needed - the gearbox takes 10L of oil.

I've heard there's generally no need to change the oil in them. They aren't the old style autos!
 
My Nissan dealer informed me that the auto fluid has no scheduled service, D40 YD25. The 370z sports car in auto is the same.
"The fluid is in for life, unless showing a fault" was the term used.
Sounds like yours is the same. Its hard to comprehend.
 
Update

Hi all,
Just an update on changing oil in Gearbox/Transmission of a 7AT.
I have managed to get a hold of the Owner/Manager from the Nissan Dealer I bought my D40 from (Paul Rumbold from Moora Nissan about 200 Kms north east of Perth in the wheat belt) this dealer is also the company that has been servicing my vehicle for the last 150,000Km,s.

Paul was absolutely fantastic he was very eager to help me and answered all my questions about changing oil in Gearbox, far more helpful then other mechanics and Nissan dealers, just wish he was local to me for I would definitely take my vehicle to this Nissan Dealer. He was clearly the most knowledgeable sales person I know on servicing Nissan D40s with 550 engine.
So even though the Nissan manual does not have any scheduled replacement in any of the scheduled service intervals (all the way up to 160,000Km,s - which is the last interval in the service manual) for changing oil, however, the Owners Manual does state quantity and type of fluid (10 litres of Nissan Matic S - or full synthetic ATF).

Pauls dealership replaces the oil in the D40 7AT and 6AT every 40,000Kms in all his customers cars, including mine, his quote was "Ï simply cannot believe Gearbox oil (even full synthetic) does not need changing in its life time".

He had an adapter from Nissan to refill the oil using a special probe that allows the oil to flow through it, they run the car up to temp and the probe tells them when it is full, they use the same devise to service the Ford Transmissions, but would not sell me one cos it is Dealer only equipment tracked by Manufacturers.

I think changing oil every 40,000 is probably over the top, but he says he does it because most of his clients are driving in extreme conditions (hot and dusty).

So I have since drained my transmission oil and it still looked good even though it has done 40,000kms.
I measured how much came out cold (6.5 litres) and put the same amount back in through what looks like a redundant Dip stick hole on the right side of gearbox (remove 1 x 10mm bolt and the little cover plate with o-ring) which is challenging to remove, for it faces upwards towards floor of car. so accessing it from underneath takes patience.
This filler hole faces upward so I simply ran a tube down threw the engine bay to the dip stick hole and filled back up with new fluid (full synthetic max life ATF from Valvoline).

Regarding the overflow pipe mentioned by Old Tony above, I did a little testing of this while the oil was drained and while filling, I measured the pipe to be 3.5 cm long up into the sump of the transmission, and as I was refilling the transmission checked at what point the oil started flowing out of this overflow pipe - at around 2.5-3 litres of new oil, the oil started to flow out from this overflow pipe (mind you the gearbox was cold and engine not running but find it hard to believe that 7.5 litres is somewhere else and not in Transmission sump if this truly is an overflow pipe). Once I refilled the 6.5 litres of new oil I ran the engine up to temp and undid the allen key screw to the overflow pipe and fluid flowed out at a steady flow, once half a litre of oil came out, I screwed it back up for did not trust the flow was going to stop, so put another half litre back in.

I realise I have not done this exactly the right way for I may overfill or underfill cos their was no overflow plug but figured the safest measure was to put in the same amount that came out, however this is not the same as the qty that was indicated in the owners manual (10 litres), so can only assume the rest was still in the cooling lines to the transmission cooler (I noted the transmission cooling lines also ran through the bottom of the engine Radiator).

If you did have a problem with your transmission cooling system and lost transmission fluid due to a fault and not a general service then not sure how you would know how much to put in Transmission (without overfilling/underfilling) without going to a dealer.

Hope this helps

Note I have also pasted here the instructions from the workshop Transmission manual on changing the oil, it does not make sense to me cos it asks you to replace and drain the oil 3 times and each time being 3 litres, can anybody make sense of this?:

A/T FLUID changing on 7AT: RE7R01B
Changing INFOID:0000000006226791
CAUTION:
• Use only Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF. Never mix with other ATF.
• Using ATF other than Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF will cause deterioration in driveability and A/T
durability, and may damage the A/T, which is not covered by the INFINITI new vehicle limited warranty.
• When filling ATF, be careful not to scatter heat generating parts such as exhaust.
1. Step 1
a. Install the O-ring (315268E000) (A) to the charging pipe
(310811EA5A) (B).
2. Step 2
a. Use CONSULT-III to check that the ATF temperature is 40°C (104°F) or less.
b. Lift up the vehicle.
c. Remove the drain plug from the oil pan, and then drain the ATF.
d. When the ATF starts to drip, temporarily tighten the drain plug to the oil pan.
NOTE:
Never replace drain plug and drain plug gasket with new ones yet.
e. Remove overflow plug from oil pan.
f. Install the charging pipe (A) to the overflow plug hole.
CAUTION:
Tighten the charging pipe by hand.
g. Install the bucket pump hose (B) to the charging pipe.
CAUTION:
Insert the bucket pump hose all the way to the end of the
charging pipe.
h. Fill approximately 3 liters (3-1/8 US qt, 2-5/8 lmp qt) of the ATF.
i. Remove the bucket pump hose to remove the charging pipe,
and then temporarily tighten the overflow plug to the oil pan.
CAUTION:
Quickly perform the procedure to avoid ATF leakage from
the oil pan.
j. Lift down the vehicle.
k. Start the engine and wait for approximately 3 minutes.
l. Stop the engine.
3. Step 3
a. Repeat “Step 2”.
4. Final Step
a. Use CONSULT-III to check that the ATF temperature is 40°C (104°F) or less.
b. Lift up the vehicle.
c. Remove the drain plug from the oil pan, and then drain the ATF.
Recommended fluid and fluid capacity : Refer to TM-296, "General Specification".
d. When the ATF starts to drip, tighten the drain plug to the oil pan to the specified torque. Refer to TM-182,
CAUTION:
Never reuse drain plug and drain plug gasket.
e. Remove overflow plug from oil pan.
f. Install the charging pipe (A) to the overflow plug hole.
CAUTION:
Tighten the charging pipe by hand.
g. Install the bucket pump hose (B) to the charging pipe.
CAUTION:
Insert the bucket pump hose all the way to the end of the
charging pipe.
h. Fill approximately 3 liters (3-1/8 US qt, 2-5/8 lmp qt) of the ATF.
i. Remove the bucket pump hose to remove the charging pipe,
and then temporarily tighten the overflow plug to the oil pan.
CAUTION:
Quickly perform the procedure to avoid ATF leakage from
the oil pan.
j. Lift down the vehicle.
k. Start the engine.
l. Make the ATF temperature approximately 40°C (104°F).
NOTE:
The ATF level is greatly affected by the temperature. Always check the ATF temperature on “ATF TEMP
1” of “Data Monitor” using CONSULT-III.
m. Park vehicle on level surface and set parking brake.
n. Shift the selector lever through each gear position. Leave selector lever in “P” position.
o. Lift up the vehicle when the ATF temperature reaches 40°C (104°F), and remove the overflow plug from
the oil pan.
CAUTION:
Perform “Step 4-o” with the engine at idle.
p. When the ATF starts to drip, tighten the overflow plug to the oil pan to the specified torque. Refer to TM-
182, "Exploded View".
CAUTION:
Never reuse overflow plug.
 
Last edited:
The tranny will hold a bit of oil inside the torque converter thats the extra few L your missing
 
Hey mate how did you go using another brand of oil apart from s matic.....

I have had mine serviced with petite are of full syn and have a problem with 6th gear slillimg only.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
Still playing up had it at nissan s matic been put back in still slipping but not every time and other gears playing up sometimes. Gears also slip when trans is cold

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
Hey bud bin along time what did you end up doin about the gear slipping?

Still playing up had it at nissan s matic been put back in still slipping but not every time and other gears playing up sometimes. Gears also slip when trans is cold

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

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