[VStar650CL]

Regardless of what dipstick you use, the right way to calibrate it will be doing a change using the leveling plug, then scribe the level it reads on the stick as your "max" line. CVT's don't care much about being underfilled, but overfilling is anathema. Your tranny won't even notice half a quart low, but I've personally seen half a quart over kill a brand new RE0F10 in under 1,000 miles. So don't trust the lines on any pre-bought stick. The leveling plug is never wrong when used correctly, and it will tell you the proper level on the stick for your trans.

 

[VStar650CL]

Is it necessary to do a fluid change before checking transmission fluid level by removing the leveling plug? What is the proper way to change the transmission fluid in a 2016 Nissan Rogue? The information I found on the Internet, is remove the transmission drain plug, let the fluid drain out in a pan, measure the fluid the came out and add the same amount of fluid back in. This method isn't going to drain all the transmission fluid so new fluid added will be mixed with the fluid that didn't get drained out. Is there a way to drain all the fluid out of the transmission when doing a fluid change? Is there a filter that needs to be changed? RockAuto has a transmission filter for the 2016 Rogue.

Leveling plugs all work the same way on Nissan CVT's. The only really problematic ones are certain '14 Altimas that for some reason came through without one. The critical thing when using the plug is having the vehicle level on both axes, with side:side being a little more critical than front:back. Warming it up is important and having an app like CVTz50 that can see the temperature via TCM is very helpful. That's actually what I use in the shop, it's a lot quicker than booting up the very-slow Consult3+. The next best thing is a point-and-shoot thermometer aimed at the tranny pan. To avoid driving the 10 miles or so that it takes to fully warm up, you can do a low-grade torque converter stall. In gear, foot on the brake, raise the RPM to 1200~1500. Hydraulic resistance in the TC will quickly heat up the fluid, but since nothing except the turbine is spinning, it's harmless to the belt and pulleys. Just don't get carried away, 2 minutes at 1500 or 3 minutes at 1200 is usually plenty. Using Nissan's calibrated sticks, we've found that letting the flow from the leveler completely run dry usually leaves them a bit low. When the flow slows down you'll get a "hiccup" in it, and reinstalling the plug at that point generally leaves them spot-on. Draining all the fluid is impossible, and running some extra out of the TC by disconnecting the cooler outlet and running it dry is possible but not healthy. If you want to void burned-up fluid, the best way is 2 or 3 successive spill-and-fills. Good quality aftermarket fluids are all miscible with NS3, so there's no reason to void the system when changing over.

Is 60,000 miles a good change interval for the transmission fluid on a 2016 Nissan Rogue under normal operating conditions (no towing, no top luggage carrier, no driving in dusty conditions)? If the transmission fluid is light blue in color up to 60,000 miles, then it would be okay to wait until 60,000 miles before changing the transmission fluid?

Waiting till 60K for the first change is probably okay for most people in normal driving conditions, but not after that. Subsequent changes should be no more than 30K, and I don't recommend waiting on the first one unless you can't afford it. It isn't doing the tranny any favors. If you're still under warranty and need to get out cheap, Eneos fluid is the same color as NS and won't cause you grief at the dealership.

The replacement fluid when changing the transmission fluid should be Nissan NS-3 since not all fluid will be drained and the new fluid will be mixed with the fluid that does not get drained out. There is information on the Internet that Aisin ATF-NS3 is identical to Nissan NS-3 and at a much lower cost.

As I mentioned above, all the aftermarket fluids that claim NS3 equivalence will also be miscible with NS3, so you shouldn't have any problems when mixing them. Someone may correct me, but I believe Aisin is actually Nissan's provider for NS3 and Eneos was the provider for NS2, so both of those should be totally unproblematic.

 

[VStar650CL]

Does the engine need to be running and transmission in Park when checking the transmission fluid level by removing the leveling plug?

Yes, but you really shouldn't "check" it that way. Change it that way, then use the level to "calibrate" your aftermarket stick. Or skip the stick and get an app like CVTz50 that can take the temperature. Temperature behavior in CVT's is generally very consistent, so once you get a feel for how your tranny's temperature behaves under normal conditions, it will always clue you if it has a problem.

Is the copper crush washer the same for both the transmission leveling plug and the transmission drain plug (M12 - 12mm inside diameter).

Not sure but I don't think so. The tranny plug has a larger head and I think the crush washer has a larger OD. BTW, I re-use them all the time. Don't get carried away with the torque and they're almost infinitely reusable. Make the plug snug, don't torque the crap out of it. The dissimilar metals will guarantee that "snug" won't come loose.

 

[VStar650CL]

The change interval for the transmission fluid should be no more than 30K. What about the transmission filter? Is there a recommendation for a change interval for the transmission fluid filter?

There's a screen in the pan, but I've never seen one clot unless the tranny was on its last legs and full of metal debris. Blowing it clear if there's visible debris is a good idea, changing it is optional but usually unnecessary. There's also a paper filter underneath the beehive, but Nissan recommends never changing that. I agree with the recommendation. It's there primarily to catch fine metal shavings from break-in, and popping the beehive and changing it can just put some of that crud back into circulation. For the same reason, CVT's should never be back-flushed.

 

[VStar650CL]

Eneos N+ fluid is light blue which is the same color as Nissan NS-3 fluid and and won't cause you grief at the dealership.

What color is AISIN ATF-NS3 transmission fluid? I found on the Internet that Nissan has extended the warranty on their transmissions for some models that includes my 2016 Rogue to 10 years or 120,000 miles. If the transmission fails and a Nissan dealer finds a different color fluid in the transmission they could say the warranty is voided because Nissan NS-3 transmission fluid wasn't used?

Any brand the same color should be fine for those purposes. That's why I give an edge to Eneos over AMSoil when recommending to customers. Fluids which "meet or exceed" NS3 for your '16 would actually preserve the warranty regardless of who made them, but using a different color fluid naturally shifts the burden of proof from the dealership to you. So keeping the fluid's appearance consistent with OE can end up saving lots of aggravation in event of a failure.

Monitoring the temperature would be the first indication that the transmission has a problem. If not monitoring the temperature, what is the first indication that there is something wrong with the transmission?

The problem is, they don't give a lot of indications besides judder. By the time that shows up, it's often too late. When judder first starts, most people initially notice it when applying light-to-moderate throttle on an uphill.

Is it common for bearings in Nissan CVT transmissions to fail? My 2016 Rogue with 43K miles had a bad front right wheel bearing and a bad carrier bearing on the right CV axle. I see that Nissan CVT transmissions are made by Jatco.

The wheel bearings and CV axles aren't part of the tranny and really have nothing to do with CVT issues.

If I change the transmission fluid in my 2016 Rogue at 30K change intervals and only have normal driving conditions (no towing, no top luggage carrier, no dusty conditions) is there still a strong possibilty the transmission will fail before 100K miles? Any chance the transmission could go 200K miles without any problems?

There's an old Murano that frequents our shop which is pushing 500K on the original CVT. It's had spill and fills at 30K or less since the day it rolled off the lot, and it's been everyplace imaginable without so much as a hiccup. For reference, the car is on its second engine and other things are starting to fall apart, so at this point, I have no doubt that the CVT will outlive the car. CVT's have little sacrificial clutch material like an A/T, so there's simply nothing much to wear out. Give it excellent care and it will probably give you perpetual motion.

 

[VStar650CL]

Does a 2016 Rogue with AWD have a separate oil reservoir for a transfer case that needs to be checked?
Or is the transfer case part of the CVT transmission so there is no separate oil reservoir for the transfer case?
I know that the rear differential has a oil reservoir that needs to be checked (75W-90 gear oil).

The front diff is tacked onto the tranny assembly and they share fluid, so changing the CVT takes care of the diff too. The rear diff is different, but there's nothing to change in the fluid coupler, that's a sealed unit. The diff itself is just a normal diff which takes normal diff oil.

 

[VStar650CL]

Transfer oil:
• Genuine NISSAN Differential Oil Hypoid Super GL-5 80–W90 or equivalent conventional (non-synthetic) oil

Yep, my bad, the RE0F10D doesn't have the siamese setup. The transfer takes hypoid on those, same as the diff. Sorry all, and thanks for looking it up to correct me.

First thing that goes with age is your memory. The second thing is... er... um... just give me a minute, it will come to me...

 

[VStar650CL]

Per a phone call with my local Nissan dealer, it was thought the CVT was the source of the noise and it may need to be replaced but Nissan's warranty of 10 years or 120,000 miles doesn't apply to the 2016 Rogue. Is the Nissan dealer telling me the correct information about the CVT warranty on a 2016 Rogue?

I think that's right, but if you want to PM me your VIN, I can run a Service Com on it when I go to the shop on Tuesday and tell you for sure. I think it was '15 when they went back to the standard 5-60 on the CVT's.

 

[VStar650CL]

If the transmission is not covered under Nissan warranty, is there a lemon law that would apply? My 2016 Rogue has 44K miles.

I doubt it. Past warranty, the lemon laws generally apply to repeated attempts to repair a problem without it actually being fixed. However, with only 44K miles, there's a pretty good chance at getting Nissan to help out with all or part of the cost under a "goodwill" submission. That depends a lot on the Service Manager's recommendation, so if you have a good relationship with the dealership that's probably a shoo-in. If not, it's probably still worth asking.

If the transmission needs to be replaced, does Nissan have an improved version of the transmission that will be less prone to problems?

We don't see a whole lot of problems with gen2 Rogue CVT's when they're well-maintained. When they crap out early, it's almost always the result of lots of hard driving or engine overheating combined with old fluid in the tranny. The gen1's had problems with both bad valve bodies and lacking coolers, but that doesn't apply to the gen2.

 

[VStar650CL]

New, yes. However, they don't fail very often, so any used one you buy is likely to be good. Frankly that's why I got the lube info wrong from memory, because we replace very, very few of them. The AWD coupling in the rear is a different story, we do replace some of those.

Only the righthand axle needs to be removed, the lefthand goes into the tranny and not the transfer case. The '15~'16's have almost no differences, and I don't recall any at all in the drivetrain. However, attached is a copy of the '16 DLN section. See page 71 for R&R of the Transfer Case.