Hello and thanks very much in advance for any advice.
Me and my fiance have a 2006 Sentra with 48,000 miles on it and would really like to do any preventative maintenance on it to try and avoid costly problems don the road as we are strapped for money. We change the oil every 3,000 miles but was wondering if we should do any servicing of the tranny such as maybe changing the fluid. I actually spoke to a few people at my job who have heard of the tranny causing problems with these cars. Any advice for our car would be greatly appreciated. We are just worried about it breaking down. I know we really should not be living in “fear” but this is where we are right now.THanks
[i] We change the oil every 3,000 miles[/i]
Not needed and little to be gained. Us the recommended oil change interval as listed in your owner's manual.
It is even possible you could do more harm than good. However in really life you are not likely to ever notice the difference.
[i] was wondering if we should do any servicing of the tranny such as maybe changing the fluid.[/i]
Yes. Change that transmission fluid and clean the filter every 30-40,000 miles. You are not likely to see that on the list of maintenance items in any modern car, but it really should be. Do change that transmission fluid and save money or the inconvenience of a non-functional transmission. (Note the above assumes automatic transmission.)
I would not worry 3,000 mile oil changes either. Modern engines and oils don’t need that many changes. Do read your owner’s manual and make sure you follow all the recommended maintenance items.
Thanks a lot. Is it just a drain plug that I have to remove. I also just read on the internet that you should do this in four weeks:
“there is a reason for doing it 4 times. i dont remember the math completely, but it was something like this”
1st drain and fill - 50% new fluid
2nd drain and fill - 70% new fluid
3rd drain and fill - 85% new fluid
4th drian and till - 90% new fluid
Is this true???
There are several views on this. I happen to be of that viewpoint, and I drain by pulling the plug on my 2001 Sienna, which is three quarts, which may vary by car, and add back three quarts again. Since one does not drain it all, the numbers you mention will give you the idea, but it will depend on how much is drained on your model. Each time you replace part of the fluid, the percentage that is new gets greater.
Others prefer to drop the pan and replace the filter when you replace the fluid, if you car has one.
Yes. If you want to change out ALL of the fluid then you must drain and refill several times over because just draining it will only get something between about 40-60% of the old fluid out (the exact percentage will vary by car).
The typical best interval is 30K miles. If you follow that you can just do it once each time. Since you’re almost 20K past for right now, I’d think about maybe doing 2 in quick succession and then going to the 30K miles.
One of the single most important things to do is use the correct transmission fluid. They are not all the same and it gets very confusing. Look in your owner’s manual and follow what it tells you about fluid type. If you get confused at all, then spend the little bit of extra $$ and buy it directly from a Nissan dealer parts department.
Do check to see whether or not the filter is serviceable. It is typically accessed by removing the bottom transmission pan (it would be whatever your drain plug goes into). If there is a removable pan and serviceable filter it is actually preferable to do that every 30K. The filter is important and it gives the opportunity to inspect the pan for signs of issues.
Thanks very much everyone for the help.does anyone if a 2006 sentra has a serviceable filter? Thanks
You should check the owner’s manual though they often do say next to nothing about the transmission.
I don’t know this transmission, specifically, but Autozone sells a typical pan gasket/filter kit, so I’d say the answer is yes.
Unless you are a DIY mechanic who plans to do this yourself your best bet is to ask around for the most reliable/trustworthy local transmission shop. Absolutely NOT a quickie lube place or national transmission chain. Also not just a general purpose mechanic. The best person to look after your transmission and inspect your pan is somebody who spends most of their time with transmissions.
Well, I got two quotes today for a tranny fluid change and they were $80-90. One place said I could also have the kit changed(gasket and something else) and it would be $200 total.
Both seem expensive.
I did a Corolla in my driveway for $35…That was including the filter kit and 5 quarts of ATF…45 minutes on my back with hand tools…Two hundred bucks?? Easy Money…
$200 for a trans service is nuts. What kind of place was this? A lot of places - especially “car care” chains have purchased various kinds of expensive equipment for doing things like transmission flushes. Hooking up the machine & letting it do what it does is a big money maker as it requires very little labor. But that’s not what you want. You want a human being to pull the pan off the bottom, inspect & clean it, replace the filter. This is not as big a money maker. It sounds to me like the $200 quite is inflated to get you to not choose that option.
Call around to local, independent transmission shops.
They put a drain plug on your Toyota to make it easy to change your transmission fluid, Replacing the filter and pan gasket is up to you. If it was my car I would just do the fluid every 30,000 miles. Doing it multiple times is overkill, best for people who don’t have any real problem so the obsess about their car.
It is only a car and it will eventually wear out, you should be seeking the best cost/benefit ratio. By changing the fluid you are already doing more than 98% of people on the road.