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CVT FLUID LEVEL QUICK CHECK GAUGE NTB18-055b

13K views 15 replies 4 participants last post by  amc49 
#1 ·
Nissan has finally provided a way to check the CVT fluid level on the CVT8 - it's about time!!!!

Unfortunately - the calibrated dipstick for the check is $250 !!!!!!

We can get around that by marking the fluid level on the dipstick from the 4th gen Altima as per the procedure.

Enjoy.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10158429-9999.pdf
 
#2 · (Edited)
This is great info and thanks for posting! It appears the dipstick tool in the picture can have it's length changed according to the red/blue cap. With the blue cap installed the stick length is shortened, at least according to what I'm seeing! You mentioned using the gen 4 dipstick and mark accordingly.
Here's what I've done with my 15 Altima 2.5. I bought the car used two months ago and saw there was no trans dipstick. I'm a retired tech and have a dipstick tool for Mercedes, which also has no dipstick. So I inserted the Mercedes tool in my Nissan and made note of the level with car at operating temp according to the coolant gauge. (I did not measure the fluid temp) I then purchased a dipstick for a 4th gen Altima part # 31086-JA00A. When comparing the Nissan stick with the Mercedes stick, the Nissan one was somewhat shorter by over an inch. The conversion between the mercedes and nissans sticks allowed me to make new marks on the nissan stick which resulted in the hot level being just above the lower notch and close to the checkered area just above it. I've done a drop and fill and installed a Hayden 696 trans cooler that has a thermal by-pass that allows the trans fluid to by-pass the cooler until it reaches 180 degrees and I installed it in series with the cooler in the radiator. I refilled according to the mark made on the Mercedes stick, which is confirmed with the marks I made on the gen 4 stick.
Transmission feels like new! I wasn't having any problems before hand, but a small growl was noticeable before I did the service. That growl is gone and the trans is smooth and quite with no lag, skips or jolts.
So onto my question and sorry for all the above info. Do you know the length of the Nissan tool in your post? How would you convert the info from the TSB to make new marks on the gen 4 stick? As I've mentioned, the gen 4 stick appears too short for the gen 5 as outlined in my comparison to the Mercedes tool.
I'm also looking into either a scan tool or blue tooth dongle and app that can read transmission temps. If you know of one, please do share.
I have an Bimmergeeks Protool with bluetooth dongle for my BMW and have written to the the Bimmergeeks folks to ask if I can use that BT adapter with an app like Torque Pro, which I think has the ability to read trans temps. A puzzle worth solving in my opinion. I think Nissan over-complicated this entire transmission level thing ad nauseam! As for now, I seem to have my car dialed in according to countless checks with both dipsticks I have, and with the addition of the hayden cooler and fresh fluid. I'm planning on doing another dump and fill over the summer. I"m using BG CVT fluid which meets all Nissan specs for CVT fluid. BG CVT is not sold retail, but I was able to find 9 qts on ebay. Look forward to you thoughts on all this. Cheers!
 
#3 ·
I am taking it on faith that the factory fill was correct (the CVT fluid in my car is original). My plan is to read the level on the gen 4 dipstick after the fluid temp reaches 170°F and consider this level as full. I am able to do this with the cvtz50 Android app that I bought for $4.99 at Google Play.

Where and how did you mount the Hayden trans cooler? Was it easy to install?
 
#4 · (Edited)
Here's a link to the Hayden 696 with some specs:https://www.carid.com/hayden/rapid-cool-transmission-oil-cooler-with-thermal-bypass-mpn-696.html, but I got mine from ebay for under $60 shipped. It came with about 4 1/2 feet of hose. I also purchased the Hayden Automotive 253 Metal Mounting Bracket Kit for $12 and an additional 4 /12 ft of hose. You will also need a 3/8" barb fitting and clamps for the return hose connection. The top nipple on the radiator is the return line to the transmission. I removed that hose and inserted barb fitting and ran that line to one side of the cooler, the other side of the cooler ran back to the nipple on the radiator, thus creating an in series loop. This way the normal operation of the fluid being heated on start up is not interrupted being the Hayden just by-passes the fluid back into the radiator lines. CVT must have fluid warmed up in colder climates (I'm in NY) so there will be no issue with "overcooling" of the fluid. I removed the plastic cover on the radiator support and then removed the center support bracket that holds the two horns. From there I fashioned a bracket to bolt under the center support where it bolts to the radiator support and also drilled a second hole in the bracket to strengthen the fashioned bracket. From there I attached two brackets to the cooler in an inverted "V" shape, and bolted that to my fashioned bracket. The hose connectors on the cooler point upward (I checked with Hayden tech support and they said the cooler can be mounted in any direction and the in/out hoses can be put on either side of the cooler) I ran the hoses through the radiator support to the cooler. For insulation, I cut lengths of 5/8" heater hose and split them down the middle and wrapped them around the trans lines to prevent chaffing. I used wire ties to secure the insulating hoses to the trans hoses. I was able to do all of this from the top of the car as I didn't want to remove the engine under cover and route the hoses that way. One caveat, was the air cleaner tube which runs along side the radiator support was contacting the new cooler hoses.. The bottom of the tube was pressing against the lines, so I trimmed away some of the baffle for clearance. I closed up the hole in the baffle with some spare wheel liner plastic and some construction adhesive and screws. The air cleaner mod has shown no affect on anything. The baffle I cut seemed to be a secondary tube that did not feed the air intake. In hindsight, I could have found another way to route the hoses, but I chose to trim the air cleaner baffle, and it's not visible anyway. With regard to the gen 4 dipstick, it's about an inch and a half shorter than my Mercedes tool. However, I was able to mark the gen 4 dipstick to coordinate with the marks on the Mercedes tool. I got that on Amazon a few years ago: Mercedes 722.6 Transmission Fluid Dipstick Tool. Interestingly, the Mercedes tool has markings for fluid levels showing 80c (176f) at the full mark. My research shows that coincides with the Nissan spec of 170f to 180f when checking models with a dipstick. I'm looking into that app you mentioned, just not sure which BT adapter dongle to get. Any suggestions?
 
#6 ·
Yes the ELM 327 version 1.5 is recommended to use as per the CVTz50 app instructions. Is that the version you're running on your ELM?
Not sure if other versions will work and I'd rather go with something proven. I just don't want to buy a counterfeit ELM and have problems.
 
#7 ·
My ELM327 looks exactly like the one in the link below. I confirmed that the elm327 version in my car is 1.5 within the cvtz50 app.
I keep the adapter plugged into the port 24/7/365. It doesn't appear to draw any current with the car turned off.

My ebay purchase history only goes back three years so I cannot provide any more information about my specific BT adapter.

It might be challenging to find this adapter with version 1.5 as it seems most now are 2.1.
Perhaps the one in the link really is 1.5. Happy hunting.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Mini...871715?hash=item3d4540ada3:g:ztcAAOSw~XVbaYOF
 
#8 ·
Thanks much for the info. I found a web link to the cvtz50 how to guide and it stated ELM 327 V1.5 as you have indicated. I was able to find one on Amazon for $20. NEXPEAK Universal OBD2 Scanner WiFi for iPhone iOS Android Check Engine Code Reader ELM327 V1.5
There are lots of them on ebay (most ship from China) so besides the wait, chances are I'll get a fake. At least with Amazon, I can return it without trouble.
Please keep me posted on your progress and I'll update this thread as I go forward.
 
#9 ·
Update: The NEXPEAK was a dud and I returned it to Amazon. I couldn't get it to connect and the fitment into the OBD port was loose. I replaced it with this:
Vgate iCar Pro Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE) OBD2 Fault Code Reader OBDII Code Scanner Car Check Engine Light iOS iPhone iPad/Android Compatible ELM327 Adapter which was $30. The CVTz50 works like a charm. I was able to clear the deterioration rate of the fluid since I did a fluid change, and the temperature readings are a valuable way to monitor the transmission. I also have a temperature probe that I was able to fish down the dipstick tube to check the fluid temp. It was the same as the CVTz50 app reading! I also installed Torque Pro app, which seems to have a lot of features, but the transmission temperature is inaccurate when compared to the CVTz50 app and the probe readings. Happy to know what's going on in my CVT and that the fluid level is correct. The trans feels great so far.
I'm wondering how things will work when the temperatures climb into the 90's here in NY. Hopefully my cooler will make the difference.
 
#10 ·
You can easily replace that Nissan cap removal tool with any Chinese soft steel slot screwdriver 1/4" wide tip with the last 3/4" bent to at least a 90 degree angle while the end is heated red hot with a propane torch. Cost maybe $2 and the cap comes right off easily. Some car models may need more bend up to close to 180 depending on how much room there is outboard of the dipstick tube location.

I bought the '13 Alt dipstick and it worked perfectly in a '17 model.
 
#11 ·
I checked the fluid level in my 2014 a few days ago with the 2012 dipstick at 77°C (cvtz50) with the engine running at idle. The level was at the bottom of the cross hatched area which I believe is correct for the 2013-2018 2.5L engine considering that ziddak had virtually the same dipstick reading (see post #2 ). This will be the level I will match when I replace the fluid and paper filter in the next few weeks.
 
#12 ·
FYI..........ALL chips claiming to be Elm ARE Chinese knockoffs and especially the 1.5 version as Elm never made a 1.5. If you get the device for under $50 it is a knockoff as the Elm chip by itself runs $35-$40. The newest Elm is the 329 which is for CAN only apps like Nissan now uses.

Just so you know whether you got taken on the price. I have a much more expensive device that uses official Elm and the chips unplug to be able to upgrade.
 
#13 ·
I lucked out with my ELM327 clone. Works great. The Chinese have never been shy about stealing intellectual property and appear unwilling to stop based on the latest trade talks.

Little has been done to prevent the sales of these and other clones/knockoffs in the US. Is a 500% tariff the solution?
 
#15 ·
Nissan has finally provided a way to check the CVT fluid level on the CVT8 - it's about time!!!!

Unfortunately - the calibrated dipstick for the check is $250 !!!!!!

We can get around that by marking the fluid level on the dipstick from the 4th gen Altima as per the procedure.

Enjoy.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10158429-9999.pdf
Thanks for the info, here is a follow up to the article. I hope this will help out with the dipstick measurements.https://gearsmagazine.com/magazine/fluid-level-quick-check-gauge-jatco-cvt-tool/.

Have fun everyone and stay informed.
 
#16 ·
I've used a cheap $10 universal oil dipstick from the parts stores to cut to needed length and marled correctly but you need to fasten the cap down positively to measure correctly. Bulletproof cheap tool when done.

I drive Fords with plastic handles that break to let remainder of dipstick slide further down into hole to not be able to get it out. Nrew stick costs $25 just to break again in 2 years. The replacements work forever.

Screw dealers who give you overpriced crap parts just to break again , or don't give them at all like here. One has to wonder how many transmissions Nissan has changed when an axle seal leaked to lose all trans fluid and owner could not tell until trans was junk. The methods they now use should be considered corporate scams.
 
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