1992 Nissan NX Pricing and Specs

This goes against everything we were told a generation ago about the transmission fluid in automatic gearboxes. In the old days, bits of clutch and metallic band would wear off the internal parts of the transmission, requiring the fluid to be changed to avoid this dross doing damage to the actual transmission.

The theory is that with today’s better transmission designs, materials and precision engineering, this is not going to happen and the vehicle can use the same transmission fluid for its entire operational life. Maybe it can, maybe it can’t, but I’m with you in being a bit confused about it all. My preferences (and that of many transmission specialists) is that even in a sealed-for-life transmissions, you won’t be doing any harm by replacing the fluid at sensible intervals. And if you do happen to flush out some rubbish in the process, the expense might be well worth it.

Bear in mind there are two types of fluid change. The cheapest is simply a case of emptying the transmission’s pan and adding enough new fluid to take the level back to where it should be. The second, more expensive, option is what’s called a flush. In this case, the fluid in the gearbox is changed, as well as all the fluid in the lines, coolers and other plumbing around the car.

The only catch with this would be if Nissan regards a fluid change as some kind of tampering and takes the view that this would void any factory warranty. So check with Nissan first. The correct type of fluid for your car’s CVT is also crucial.

Because the Elgrand was not officially imported into Australia by Nissan, parts can be a bit difficult to obtain. Mechanical bits are not such a problem as the Elgrand used mostly Nissan Maxima or Altima mechanical parts. But body panels and trim pieces can be more difficult to obtain.

That said, there are specialist parts recyclers that deal in these vehicles. A quick internet search might turn up what you’re after or at least give you a few clues on where to look next. The companies that import these vehicles for sale here also sometimes import spares parts as well, so they’d be worth a call, too. While not terribly thick on the ground here, the Elgrand is popular enough that there will be a part supply industry that has built up around it.

This sounds more like a control problem that one with the actual compressor. The body computer is often at fault in cases like this. Part of the body computer’s job is to control things like central locking, power windows and the climate control gear. The fact that the system is cycling between fresh air and recycled air makes us suspect the computer as the culprit. Has this been checked?

Hopefully, you first raised this issue with Nissan all those years ago when the vehicle was still under warranty. If so, then you have what is called a pre-existing condition and even though the car is now out of warranty, Nissan is still obliged to fix it as if the warranty still applied.