CVT failure analysis

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Ronzuki
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Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

bdleonard wrote:The 2010 Rogue uses the same Jatco JF011E transmission used in the Kizashi (Nissan also calls it the RE0F10A) with one notable difference. Without the "tow package" the Rogue lacked a secondary CVT oil cooler (which the Kizashi has always had) and the Rogue was very prone to overheating the CVT fluid. That was very tough on the fluid, and the transmission. Nissan eventually released a service bulletin and kit for adding a secondary CVT cooler to that generation Rogue: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2015/ ... 7-2280.pdf
This TSB has great pics of the cooler return filter part of the trans. I suspect the Kizashi would have come equipped w/ the 'beehive' cooler return heat xchanger like the Rogue's and others) had it not interfered w/ the trans mounting directly above it on our cars. As it is, we still have a TSB (thank you dbleonard) for similar issues of fluid quality degradation due to heat:

download/file.php?id=3868
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
motosonic
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:16 pm

Ronzuki wrote:
bdleonard wrote:The 2010 Rogue uses the same Jatco JF011E transmission used in the Kizashi (Nissan also calls it the RE0F10A) with one notable difference. Without the "tow package" the Rogue lacked a secondary CVT oil cooler (which the Kizashi has always had) and the Rogue was very prone to overheating the CVT fluid. That was very tough on the fluid, and the transmission. Nissan eventually released a service bulletin and kit for adding a secondary CVT cooler to that generation Rogue: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2015/ ... 7-2280.pdf
This TSB has great pics of the cooler return filter part of the trans. I suspect the Kizashi would have come equipped w/ the 'beehive' cooler return heat xchanger like the Rogue's and others) had it not interfered w/ the trans mounting directly above it on our cars. As it is, we still have a TSB (thank you dbleonard) for similar issues of fluid quality degradation due to heat:

download/file.php?id=3868
Hmm, so what's the cure for Kizashi owers? Just change the fluid regularly?
DiggerDerrik
Posts: 171
Joined: Sat May 14, 2016 6:52 pm

That’s about all that can be done motosonic. I’m no expert but I’ve always left the paddle shifters alone too. That and besides corners I tend to drive it pretty easy.
2016 Ford Explorer XLT Ecoboost
2010 Kizashi GTS FWD
2011 F-350 Lariat Crew Cab 4x4 6.7
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Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

Change fluid early and often per the TSB, or, add a larger external trans cooler not integrated with the engine's cooling core. No different really than any other vehicle experiencing trans, engine or power steering heat fluid issues.
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
motosonic
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:16 pm

Adding a cooler seems like a pretty expensive option. lol I'm guessing there's not one specifically made for the car, so I'll have to pay my mechanic to try and retrofit a generic one on the car somewhere.. I'll just get the fluid changed asap and hope it's not too late. I have like 53k miles on it now, and it's driven rather gingerly, so hopefully It'll be ok.
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Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

No, nothing specific for the Kiz (like everything else). A Hayden universal is what I'd go with if I were to put one in. That and some properly sized & rated fluid hose.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Hayden-Transaver ... 457&chn=ps

It's a pretty simple, inexpensive DIY...mounted in between the grill and the A/C condenser/radiator. The tricky part would be routing the hoses from the cooler filter cover and the Hayden. Possibly some home-fab'd mtg. bracket(s). The universal kits rely on a method of attaching it to the existing condenser/radiator through the cores. Not a fan of that idea. Hence universal. I added a small trans cooler the Toyota power steering system's fluid cool in my Samurai trail rig. Super-low-speed crawling in rocks w/ loads of steering input, pushing over-sized tires around, on hot summer days, was causing the old salvage yard pump to screech, whine and strain. Much like the issue w/ the K's CVT. Hot weather, hills, hard driving...cooking fluid, causing whine. I have to find a picture of that install to add.
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Last edited by Ronzuki on Mon Oct 08, 2018 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
bdleonard
Posts: 268
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:39 am

motosonic wrote:Adding a cooler seems like a pretty expensive option. lol I'm guessing there's not one specifically made for the car, so I'll have to pay my mechanic to try and retrofit a generic one on the car somewhere.. I'll just get the fluid changed asap and hope it's not too late. I have like 53k miles on it now, and it's driven rather gingerly, so hopefully It'll be ok.
I'd say you're probably fine. No additional coolers are likely to do much (without more planning than people care to give, as too cool is also not good), the Kizashi already has a loop through a CVT specific cooler + a loop through the radiator. Honestly, a drain and fill with a fresh CVT fluid every 30-50K is probably plenty of care for most use cases. Changing the CVT cooler filter around 50k (which would have 50k of the break-in wear, etc) would not be a bad plan. The 2010 and 2011 Kizashi have a TSB relating to the CVT pan, pickup, and dipstick for thermal issues (they enlarged them a bit for cases when there could be fluid starvation and overheating). Some 2010s and 2012s had CVT re-programs to fix CVT controller issues, and some 2013's had a CVT controller recall to replace a bad TCM.
bdleonard
Posts: 268
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:39 am

Ronzuki wrote:It's a pretty simple, inexpensive DIY...mounted in between the grill and the A/C condenser/radiator. The tricky part would be routing the hoses from the cooler filter cover and the Hayden. Possibly some home-fab'd mtg. bracket(s). The universal kits rely on a method of attaching it to the existing condenser/radiator through the cores. Not a fan of that idea. Hence universal. I added a small trans cooler the Toyota power steering system's fluid cool in my Samurai trail rig. Super-low-speed crawling in rocks w/ loads of steering input, pushing over-sized tires around, on hot summer days, was causing the old salvage yard pump to screech, whine and strain. Much like the issue w/ the K's CVT. Hot weather, hills, hard driving...cooking fluid, causing whine. I have to find a picture of that install to add.
If you really wanted to do this (Note: I think this is pointless for all but the hardest CVT abusers / insane people who want to race with a CVT) I would suggest that the thing to do is to remove the standalone secondary CVT cooler (about 24"x3" in the lower bumper opening) and replace it with a larger cooler. If the existing hoses fit you don't even need to change anything (excepting whatever is necessary to get a larger cooler to fit)
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