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Old 09-14-2011, 11:18 AM
yeldogt yeldogt is offline
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2002 Pathfinder
2002 Pathfinder
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8
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I really should not have used the word synthetic - technically all AT fluid is synthetic. Originally AT fluid was whale oil!

I was really talking about some of the advanced synthetic additives smelling.


Many transmission fluids are a Dextron formula base with additives that change the fluids characteristics. These additives are added for all kinds of reasons -- and they do change the fluid. With electronic transmissions where you can have greater control of the shifting the fluid is more important than in the old hydromatic transmission where all the shifts are the same.

Are you saying you don't know what is in the car?


Nissan in the factory books lists Dextron III/ Mercon as a secondary choice -- so you should be able to use any quality fluid meeting III and not have any harm done. That is not to say that Matic D is the same as Dextron III -- the factory instructs the dealers to use Matic D when filling and rebuilding. You may get slightly different shifting characteristics out of the transmission. Mixing should not be a problem

Soda is almost all water -- but Coke is not 7-up is not Dr. Pepper.

How many miles on the truck? What is the fluid condition when you wipe off the dipstick? Any trouble with the shifting? Fluid rarely fixes a transmission.

I bought an older Lexus a few years ago -- to the best of my knowledge it had the OE fluid in it but I'm not sure. The fluid looked normal for the miles. I bought 4 quarts of the Toyota Type IV fluid from the dealer for about $5 a quart and changed it out - then at my next oil change I had him do it again with another 4 quarts. The transmission in that car holds 9 quarts -- about the same as the Nissan. So I gave it a good fluid refresh.

You could certainly do the same thing. Change out the transmission fluid and ask your mechanic how the fluid looked -- if he said it looked bad -- do it again at the next oil change. If you know the fluid is really bad and need to save a little money you can always change it out twice with Dextron III and if you are happy fine - if not -- do another change with the Matic D to replenish the additives.

But, if the fluid looks good -- or normal for the miles -- a simple refresh with 4 quarts of Matic D would be the way to go.

I would only use the Matic D in the transfer case.
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