✚ EASY CVT Transmission Oil Change

[Dirk Diggler]

I don't have a Mirage, but I do have a Nissan Versa which uses the same CVT and have read on other forums that Idemitsu is the manufacturer of the original factory fill fluid in JATCO CVT's. Whether this is true or not I don't know. My Versa has got an extended 7/84 warranty on the CVT because of a class action law suit so I'm using Nissan fluid until the warranty expires then I'm probably going to use Valvoline CVT fluid. Until the warranty expires I don't want to have to worry about arguing with Nissan if there's ever a problem with the CVT. I've read of lots of people using Valvoline without problems so unless that changes I see no reason not to use it.

At least your as head of the curve with CVT maintenance, something that I'd venture can't be said with 90% of other Versa owners. And they wonder why their JATCO CVTs fail @ 70k miles.

[2016 Versa]

At least your as head of the curve with CVT maintenance, something that I'd venture can't be said with 90% of other Versa owners. And they wonder why their JATCO CVTs fail @ 70k miles.

Yeah, soon after buying the Versa is when I found out about the problems Nissan has had with JATCO CVT's and decided I was going to do whatever I could to try to insure it lasts longer than the average JATCO CVT. If it gives out on me at low mileage I'll know it's a transmission problem and not service related. When I asked the local Nissan dealer about doing a fluid/filter change they said they never changed the filters just a drain/fill. I replaced both filters and did a fluid drain/fill at 029993 miles. I plan on doing the same at about 60K and if I'm still around when it gets 90K I'll probably do about 3 drain/fills between 90-100K and change the filters again on the last of the series.

[jimmy409]

Here is an interesting webpage about the reliability and maintenance of the JF015E CVT

This webpage is translated from Russian to English:

Jatco JF015E - a CVT That Is Crazy About Cleanliness

https://akppro.ru/en/magazine/article/jatco-jf015e.html

(PDF file of the webpage is attached below)


Main Points from the webpage:

1 - ..increase CVT service life by lowering loads, avoid frequent switching of the gears, for example, in constrained parking, when the car moves back and forth. (I would add: just baby it everywhere)

2 - A common complaint of the car owner is irregular motion, kicks at acceleration. There may be several reasons behind this kind behavior of a car. However, virtually all of them have to do with oil contamination with the pulley debris.
– Metal chips or filings can create a variety of problems. There are magnets in the crankcase to mitigate harmful effects of these metal particles, they have to collect these particles but sometimes do not cope with the task.

This may cause various malfunctions. First of all, accelerated wear of the valve body leading to pressure fluctuations, which, in turn, make pulleys move, resulting in the fluctuations of transmission gear ratio and irregular motion of the car.

Normally, this also leads to shock at reduction gear range change (at an approximate speed of 18-30 MPH), as well as double or even triple range switching, that looks like engine revolution surges, reluctance to go back to lower range at braking, vibration at switches to lower range.
– all of these are consequences of "leaky" plate with significantly worn down body and valves. The valve body needs to be repaired and possibly even replaced.

Filings and chips also cause irregular wear or seizure of the oil pressure relief valve.


This type of defect can occur fairly soon, in cars with not more than 18–25 thousand Miles on the odometer.

Unless the valve body is repaired or replaced in time, this will ultimately cause damage to pulleys and belt that will have to be replaced in this case. Pulleys are the most expensive unit of the CVT. They can be polished but in some cases only replacement can help.

Metal contaminants also block up pressure controllers, thus contributing to an accelerated wear of valves.

Timely oil change and a mandatory installation of new filters can help avoid these problems.


3 - Wear and, accordingly, oil contamination get stronger if the driver starts off when the engine is cold. Pulleys and push belt wear off quickly at slip (at this very moment filings and chips occur). Modern engines do not need to be run in, although they do not like abrupt loads in cold, but it is very bad for transmission. It is recommended that the driver move smoothly during the first few minutes.
= (let the car warm up for three to five minutes before moving, then drive slow for another couple of minutes)

Actually, I don't think we are meant to go anywhere until the green engine temperature light goes off.

[jimmy409]

I don't have a Mirage, but I do have a Nissan Versa which uses the same CVT and have read on other forums that Idemitsu is the manufacturer of the original factory fill fluid in JATCO CVT's. Whether this is true or not I don't know. My Versa has got an extended 7/84 warranty on the CVT because of a class action law suit so I'm using Nissan fluid until the warranty expires then I'm probably going to use Valvoline CVT fluid. Until the warranty expires I don't want to have to worry about arguing with Nissan if there's ever a problem with the CVT. I've read of lots of people using Valvoline without problems so unless that changes I see no reason not to use it.

Thank you for the input.

I would be doing the same as you if I still had a warranty.

Was not aware of Valvoline CVT Fluid as a good alternative option.
- It's definitely worth considering.

[jimmy409]

Using the information in the following post from Dorifuta, it may be necessary to let the car warm up past the green engine temperature light going off in order to save the CVT.

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ull=1#post7338

Dorifuta:

"My (green) cold coolant advisory lamp ticks off at about 138*. That doesn't mean the car's out of warm-up mode though. Idle is still elevated until roughly 165 degrees, and the transmission doesn't finally switch into overdrive mode until it's properly warmed up; it has happened at anywhere between 175 and 192 degrees while cruising at 65 MPH, kicking in earlier if more highway driving is factored into the warm-up cycle, so I'm inclined to believe there's a transmission temperature sensor communicating with the PCM and letting it know when to switch from warm-up to standard economy mode.

It could be to reduce transmission stress at lowered temperatures, or to help light the secondary cat. I'm not entirely sure. "


Thank you user: Dorifuta


However, I would not advise using the highway as part of the warm up cycle for this CVT.

[Eggman]

Consider using an engine block heater to help get things up to operating temperature. Don't forget heater pads if this is a big concern.

[CROSSBOLT]

This is a great idea, Jimmy409! But didja replace any of the two filters? Frankly, replacing the mesh screen in the pan is a waste of time, in my opinion. Now, the cartridge is probably a good idea at least at first but not every service interval. Anyone have one of these types of transmissions all the way to high miles? Be interesting to hear the experience.

[Fummins]

I'd take that quote from 2014 regarding the cvt not shifting to overdrive until hot with a grain of salt.

Highest mileage cvt in our fleet has almost 420,000kms on it. There was one at whitebear posted on the forum somewhere that had way more than our car and allegedly still had the original cvt. All the failures I've seen had the thrust washer on the input pile up on them. The only other failure I saw was what looked like it was shock loaded really bad, like spinning out on ice then hitting dry pavement. I can't remember what broke but it wasn't normal wear and tear, more likely major driver caused.

[jimmy409]

This is a great idea, Jimmy409! But didja replace any of the two filters? Frankly, replacing the mesh screen in the pan is a waste of time, in my opinion. Now, the cartridge is probably a good idea at least at first but not every service interval. Anyone have one of these types of transmissions all the way to high miles? Be interesting to hear the experience.

Hello CROSSBOLT!

Thank you.


No. I never did the filters.

I did the full fluid change out method using the pump, and then did maintenance fluid changes every 20K miles until I sold the car with 85K miles on it.

Now, I have another 2015 Mirage with 18K miles on it. - So the process begins again.


The chips and metal shavings are on my mind, and when you mentioned the filters, you got my attention.


Now, I regret selling the old car without doing the filters.

I will research into how they work and replacing them.
- Hopefully it's not too involved.

[jimmy409]

Consider using an engine block heater to help get things up to operating temperature. Don't forget heater pads if this is a big concern.

Good idea. Thank you.

I'm in Colorado, and extra heat is needed.