2010 kizashi sport model transmission problems

[krell]

Was thinking of getting that cooler but it kinna pricey seen some Hyden cooler much cheaper . do i have to add addition tranny oil if i installed this cooler. Like any mechanical parts, the more you "expose" it to harsh conditions, the more quickly it will wear down. Those harsh conditions being heat, constantly flooring it, etc.

I might get this..http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/B ... 70266.html

[murcod]

The Kizashi already has the two coolers. If you've got any warranty left then you'd be mad to make any changes - they could turn around and deny coverage because you've modified it.

You'd also want to check that any aftermarket cooler is actually more effective than the OEM external cooler (assuming there isn't space for two external air coolers- perhaps there is?)

Krell posted this in the other thread:

Found this today...

CVT Transmission Issues. (Fail safe, Whining, Temps, & FIX!)

Postby Ddflosrt » Mon Sep 10, 2012 9:11 pm


I'm gonna start off saying that I work at a Nissan dealership and I'm gonna explain what I see on a daily basis and I will give you input from a dealer perspective. Fail safe happens when the transmission overheats. That's what it's designed to do. Cvt fluid level is a huge factor. I don't know if this has been covered but there is a special way to check the fluid. We use consult 3 and monitor a temp count. After the temp count is where it should be the fluid is set. The fluid is not set at the full mark though. If its set there it's overfull and will cause it to whine and go into fail safe. Usually when it whines it's because the fluid is aerated. The fluid is usually set in the middle of the crosshatch marks to 3/4 depending on fluid temp. This is why we see so many people with transmissions that are over full. Coolant protection is also a factor. There are tools out there to check freeze protection. Nissan recommends -34 degrees for proper cooling of the transmission. I seen some overheat at -48 degrees. I live in Colorado so it usually doesn't get that hot. The hotter the climate the easier the transmission will overheat if the coolant protection isn't set right. If your doing it yourself try to mix the coolant and water to -25 degrees. That would be more ideal. Seems to cool a lot better. And so everyone knows This is for all cvt equipped nissans. Rogues aren't the only one with these issues. Altimas and sentras have the same issues. Now if anyone has been in a front end collision And the radiator replaced make sure it's a Nissan radiator. Here is an example. Customer came in had the transmission replaced 30k miles ago. Transmission kept going into fail safe and whining. Level was good on the transmission but coolant protection was off. Set freeze protection where it should be and took on a long test drive. Same issue. Found out that it was in a front end collision 6 months earlier and a aftermarket radiator installed. Aftermarket radiators don't cool as well as oem ones. We replaced with a Nissan radiator and problem never came back. Now I have a 2005 Nissan altima. You better believe if my radiator cracks I will probably replace it with a aftermarket radiator because I don't have a cvt transmission. These transmission are so sensitive to heat its crazy. Now there are always times that it may need a transmission and if that's the case then it will be replaced. Usually when this happens a check engine light comes on or there are some codes stored In the ECM.

Now I want to talk about aftermarket fluids. Don't use them. There are some fluids out there that are suppose to be compatible but I wouldn't trust it. Talking to some of the engineers I have talk to said these aftermarket fluids Dont have the same qualitys and will cause the transmissions to overheat and or damage it. Plus at my dealership if you have different fluid and a transmssin concern you can kiss that warranty goodbye. Now I know people think that most dealerships think of ways to get out of warranty repairs. Well that's not all true. There are def some out there though. I get paid for warranty work. If I could replace a transmission daily under warranty I would. Thats how we get paid. Now nissans calls these things back to inspect to see what has failed. . If you cover something under warranty and Nissan calls it back then it had better have some sort of failure. If nissans finds out that it not they kindly send it back to us and charge us for the repair. It's really s*** sometimes even when it's Nissan fault. I see a lot of chrome pieces have tiny rust spots on them on a lot of armadas and pathfinders and Nissan won't warranty it. Nissan has charge the dealership I work for numerous times stating that it's not a defect when it clearly is. What I'm trying to say is that not all dealerships are trying to get out of warranty work. We do however have to protect ourselves so we don't get charged back for repairs. I hope the people on these boards can find trustworthy dealerships. From hearing some the of the stories on here it's no wonder why dealerships have bad names. In the meantime if anyone has questions own anything feel free to message me anytime.

http://forums.nicoclub.com/rogue-cvt-is ... 63940.html

Some of the coolant temperature stuff is a bit confusing???

[coref1]

On a serious note, it appears to really be a heat-related issue. It's summer time for many Kizashi owners and coincidentally, reports of CVT issues have increased. If I recall correctly, there were not many CVT-related complaints during the winter.

I know the Southern hemisphere is a smaller market but don't forget while it was winter up north it was summer downunder and it does get pretty warm here. Last summer we were driving in +40 degree celsius days at times and no reports of cvt failures that I'm aware of.

[bdleonard]

Some of the coolant temperature stuff is a bit confusing???

That is why I prefer to post TSB numbers and the like, as opposed to random forum grabs. NTB12-057 discusses 3 reasons Nissan identified that cause issues with the JF011E CVT in their vehicles.

1) The CVT fluid level is not set precisely according to a procedure in the bulletin, including checking and adjusting the level with the fluid at very specific temperatures

2) The coolant mix has been changed from 50/50 (protection to -34F) to have increased freeze protection, which reduced the thermal capacity of the cooling system (water carries more heat than glycol) leading to over temp conditions. Biasing slightly the other way if the climate allows (say 45/55, for protection to about -25F) would improve the cooling ability of the system.

Always stay between 40/60 and 60/40 for proper corrosion protection, regardless of the temps that you experience.

3) The CVT has degraded fluid, or traditional ATF has been mistakenly added by an un-informed owner or service tech. The fluid should be fully replaced with proper spec CVT fluid, and the condition of the system reassessed.

[murcod]

I sort of guessed that must have been suggesting the coolant mix, but surely the CVT isn't that close to running on the limits that a slight change in the coolant ratio makes the difference between the trans living and dieing?

The same with the fluid level having to be just right.... There should be some tolerance without a catastrophe resulting!

BTW there's products like this that can help out with cooling issues: http://www.redlineoil.com/Products.aspx?pcid=10 . A friend who had a heavily modded Skyline used it and said data logs showing a slight improvement in temps when using it.

[Woodie]

Was thinking of getting that cooler but it kinna pricey seen some Hyden cooler much cheaper . do i have to add addition tranny oil if i installed this cooler. Like any mechanical parts, the more you "expose" it to harsh conditions, the more quickly it will wear down. Those harsh conditions being heat, constantly flooring it, etc.

I might get this..http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/B ... 70266.html

That looks like the same piece RRM is selling for three times the price. Yes, you'll need more fluid.

[bdleonard]

I sort of guessed that must have been suggesting the coolant mix, but surely the CVT isn't that close to running on the limits that a slight change in the coolant ratio makes the difference between the trans living and dieing?

The same with the fluid level having to be just right.... There should be some tolerance without a catastrophe resulting!

The fluid level issues seem to be something that was overlooked/unnoticed in development and testing. It certainly should not be the case, and the current procedure is far more rigorous then the procedure that Nissan initially specified in their service manuals. I consider it a band-aid for an issue that probably could not be fixed without redesigning the transmission.

I should add that Nissan does not really say that these issues cause CVT failure, just that they are likely to cause unwanted NVH, reduced performance, and/or cause the CVT to go into temporary fail safe mode to protect the system. (Incorrect and/or badly deteriorated fluid excepted, that could easily kill the CVT). If you ever experience this, the best course of action is probably to safely stop the car as soon as convenient and allow it to cool down for 10-15 minutes. If it was a heat or fluid aeration issue, that should be enough time for the condition to pass. The nissanhelp.com forum keeps a big archive of Nissan Tech Bulletins, and NTB12-057 can be downloaded there.

If I get the chance while I'm thinking about it, I'll measure the factory secondary CVT cooler on the Kizashi that sits in front of the radiator, so that we know the stock dimensions. Given its location, directly behind the lower center grille, it is likely to accumulate plenty of junk over time. Careful cleaning to remove accumulated bugs / road debris might be advisable.

[bdleonard]

As an FYI, the secondary CVT cooler in front of the radiator is approximately 24" x 3" x 1". It sits almost entirely in the opening of the lower grill section, so airflow should be excellent.

[Ronzuki]

surely the CVT isn't that close to running on the limits that a slight change in the coolant ratio makes the difference between the trans living and dieing?

You know, I wouldn't bet on that at this point. The 2011 SX4 we have uses the same model Jatco CVT. Much smaller and lighter car and I don't recall seeing any complaints of the type we're seeing in the Kizashi. What I initially thought when the CVT SX4 came out, I now truly believe: Suzuki should have used the next larger size model Jatco in the Kiz (that probably wouldn't have physically fit, been heavier and cost even more which is why they didn't and not because it wasn't needed).

[KuroNekko]

You know, I wouldn't bet on that at this point. The 2011 SX4 we have uses the same model Jatco CVT. Much smaller and lighter car and I don't recall seeing any complaints of the type we're seeing in the Kizashi. What I initially thought when the CVT SX4 came out, I now truly believe: Suzuki should have used the next larger size model Jatco in the Kiz (that probably wouldn't have physically fit, been heavier and cost even more which is why they didn't and not because it wasn't needed).

I agree that vehicle weight has a lot to do with CVT problems. The heavier the car, the more prone to CVT issues, especially if the CVT was not over-engineered for the vehicle.
Some of the most problematic cars with CVTs are midsize sedans, full size sedans, and SUVs. One of the worst vehicles for CVT issues is the current Nissan Pathfinder. That's a 3-row SUV with a CVT.

There are plenty of cars equipped with CVTs that are problem-free, but most of those are under 3000 lbs. Nearly all the kei-cars in Japan have CVTs and I've not heard issues about their transmissions. These cars also weigh about half of that of something like the Kizashi.