with the amount of fluid required, probably same effect as changing the CVT oil via normal process every 10,000 miles instead of waiting to 100,000 miles. probably better for the transmission not to have all that wear. that's what i do anyway, every second service = CVT oil change. i think that's about 2/3 of the fluid changed each time.
In my opinion, as long as you do a 5 qt drain and fill to freshen the fluid every 20,000 miles or so, that will be more than adequate to protect the CVT for the life of the vehicle. Of course there is nothing wrong with doing a full flush, but that's way too much work for me lol.
@@todd1hd If it's never been changed, you may not want to do a full flush. I've seen cases where a CVT with high mileage and original fluid started acting up after flushing it. Apparently, the debris in the old fluid can add a little friction during operation and when you remove that debris the CVT can start to slip. Given your mileage, I'd just do a 5qt drain and fill and see how that goes.
Update: prior to doing the CVTF change, I had the opportunity to take a 280 mile round trip in the vehicle in about 85 degree weather. I took the OBDII reader and the app. The highest temperature recorded for the CVT was 230 degrees Fahrenheit. Fast forward two weeks and CVTF replacement later the same trip with the same conditions is repeated. The maximum temperature this time did not exceed 196 degrees Fahrenheit. While we can debate back and forth that the fluid may or may not replacement even after my 97k miles, but this I know: the CVT is now operating at a temperature that is 30 or so degree lower with the new fluid. That to me is justification enough to do the replacement. Now if I can only figure out how to reset the CVT fluid deterioration rate to something like .8% (given that the purge never really cleans out the oil)....it is at the 7.59% from prior to change.....
I did this method with a 2015 impreza i bought for my son at an auction. It worked great and really helped both my son and i learn together. Really appreciate the time you took to make the video.
You are extremely precise and detailed. The thoroughness of your job and presentation is outstanding. Even the factory may not take as much care in assembling the car as you do in the maintenance! Since the CVT uses friction to push the belt between squeezing pulleys the frictional coefficient of fluid is critical and as you know that can only be maintained through fluid renewal.
So glad I watched this as this has been bothering me on my purchase, as the dealer wants $700 plus to do full flush, as I can figure the oil runs about @22 a quart, so after the oil cost that means they are charging like $500 labor, well that's too fuc'n much, so thanks, I've seen several of these trans. service videos and they just drain once and refill, so thanks for going the extra mile to show us how easy it is...Javi G.
Hello, greetings from Spain, my name is David and I have a Subaru Forester 2.0 diesel sj from 2016, I want to congratulate you for the great video you have about subaru cvt oil change, here in Spain and Europe the official dealers have no idea of change the cvt oil, besides that the spare parts are very expensive. Thanks to the great video of him saved the lives of many European Subaru CVTs, thank you very much again, if it weren't for people like you, our Subaru would end up damaged by the useless mechanics of Subaru Spain.
As a past Subaru mechanic I went to cvt schooling in the mid 80's because the 3 cylinder justy model used it. I've also done a few 2013-2017 cvt services and I strongly recommend dropping the pan to clean the magnets ( yes 2 magnets)!! Cvt's she'd more metal than a normal trans and one 2013 cvt service I performed for the first time at 90,000 miles both magnets were full and on the verge of not being able to retain any more metal. Nice video!
Great video man. Really in detail but simply and straight forward. I have a 2013 Crosstrek and I'm sure it's a very similar process. I have been researching and watching videos and you're the only 1 that took off the hoses and blew out all the old fluid in the lines. I didn't see anybody else flushing it like you did either. You used 13 quarts but said next time you'll only do 2 flushes so how many quarts do you estimate that would be? Thanks again for this video. I found it to be the best one I've come across.
Thanks a lot. I just used your videos to do the 60k service on my 2016 Impreza. Did the front and rear diff fluid, CVT fluid, brake fluid, spark plugs, and air filter. 😅 Wow it was a lot of work but the local dealer wanted over $2k. I think it cost me about $250 in parts/fluids and took most of the day to complete. Worth it not to get raked over the coals. Next I need to service my 2017 Outback. Should be able to do it a bit quicker now that I know what I’m doing! 👍🏼 Only things I might have the dealer do for me around 130k miles is the fuel filter and coolant flush. Thanks again.
Great video with clear explanations. I own a Subaru Outback 2020 and will certainly change CVT fluid myself as recommended by you and Mr Subaru 1387, 3 years / 36,000 miles regardless of what my dealer tells me. I use Veepeak and Car Scanner to get CVT oil temp. Keep doing superb videos.
watched a bunch of videos before doing this, and your method is for sure the best method to make sure your getting everything out before putting in the new fluid. I am surprised you didn't take off the pan and change out the filter.
Fantastic video -- "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say. Love the attention to detail, including bits that I have not seen anywhere else. THANK YOU !
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. You do an outstanding job on all of your videos. I think that it's interesting that your Suburu dealer took the easy way out. Even more reason to do it yourself, using your method. Thanks again! George in FL.
Thanks for sharing. I would've started at the heat exchanger. Disconnect the return line, use an inline connector and attach it to a clear line and place that into the container holding your clean fluid, I'd prime that line and add a couple more quarts to avoid sucking air into the system. Now, the port in the heat exchanger that the return line was attached to, run another clear line to an empty 5 gal bucket and start the car, shifting through the gears. The transmission will suck in nice clean cool transmission fluid, go through the heat exchanger into the empty bucket. When you see clean fluid running into the waste bucket, shut it down and put the input line back on the heat exchanger. Then go through a final fill procedure like you did at the end. Doing it this way will flush out the cvt, torque converter, and heat exchanger. I used to do this all the time in "normal" transmissions. I know a cvt is a different animal. But, it has a pump and a tongue converter and a heat exchanger. It'll work and you'll have 100% brand new fluid in it.
Your way of connecting fluid lines is what I do when flushing tranny fluids on my Toyotas - let the tranny suck new fluid and blow out old fluid from the radiator tranny cooler line until it is bright red. But this is only good if the CVT “In” port (return port) also ‘sucks’ otherwise his method will suffice.
@bygonebob His method works, no doubt. CVT's have a pump as well, it has too. I used the procedure I mentioned last month. I wish I would've made a video showing that procedure.
Thank you for this reply, I'm due for a CVT fluid change and this is exactly what I was looking for, I too previously did the method you described in my GMC 'normal' transmission and was thinking the same thing, "why not let the transmission 'suck' new cvt fluid since it should have a pump" I searched what seams all Subaru CVT fluid service videos and they all used other methods to pump fluids back into the cvt, but not the method you mentioned of letting the trans use the pumps suction to get the fluid back into the trans, which seems to me to be so much easier.
Your recommendation to use HD hand garden sprayer pump is ingenious. Compared with the other automotive pumps that I price out, it is a steal! Since I heard dealer charge $250+ for a drain and fill. I will diy it for the first time on my two subies. Can’t thank you enough. I recommend water test the HD pump first to make sure you got a good one.
Idemitsu CVTF Type SB2 is a direct replacement for Subaru CVTF II fluid. Idemitsu manufactures Subaru's fluid and it's about 30-40% cheaper than buying from Subaru. I did a 10 quart flush for $120
Amazing job. Makes it look easy. Greetings from Jamaica 🇯🇲. I have a Subaru Impreza g4 2017 limited edition (JAPANESE model) but I think it's the same procedure. Definitely gonna subscribe to this channel.
The partial (approx 6 Qt) CVT transmission drain & fill at the dealership in Louisville, KY costs $250.00 while the radiator drain & fill costs $265.00
I always had the Stealer do this expensive service, being I knew there was a fluid temp for proper fill level. No more Stealer doing this service for me. Thank you for your time and quality in this vid. Same as your other vids too.
guaranteed, you went above and beyond what any Subaru dealer service center or other auto shop would ever do. Great work. At 60000 I got a new CTV transmission because the dealer service center cracked the case following replacement of a line that blew out.
just to confirm 2014 subaru forrester premium 2.5L model also use cvtf ii fluid? i accidentally drained the transmission fluid, your video is such a great help, thank you very much!
Getting ready to do the drain/flush.. got my BAFX wifi reader and downloaded Active OBD. It doesn't do much at the basic version, guess I would have to pay the $14.99 to see what the full version does. It doesn't specify that it's for Subaru, maybe there isn't a version for ios/apple that is Subaru specific?? dunno... Anyway, first I tried OBD Fusion (paid the $9.99) and that wasn't much different, no CVT temp for my $$$. However Car Scanner OBD worked and included CVT temp for free. There's also a Transmission Temp V.1 and V.2, one didn't show anything, and the other was real close to the CVT temp reading.
Excellent video with nice and clear instructions. I own an Outback 2020 and it uses CVTF-III oil and Subaru doesn’t sell this oil in quart or gallon. One way of stopping DIY and force you to have it done at dealer...$$$$$.
don't do it , type II should be fine. It's a hustle is all, just a hustle. here's the link to VERY affordable exact type II replacement fluid www.rallysportdirect.com/part/transmission-fluid/3074-300-eneos-cvt-fluid-model-s-1qt?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9O6HBhCrARIsADx5qCRjUSr0kPm3ttpSO9OKCuhhpRy0T9Rq6Nj0gdYkqsN2OtMJZK79BZ4aAtquEALw_wcB
would changing the oil every 18 months be equivalent to benefits of this thorough method? someone make an equation of wear on this oil with time and % dirty to figure out if it would be the same....i.e lessen the time between changes vs 100% oil flush...
with the amount of fluid required, probably same effect as changing the CVT oil via normal process every 10,000 miles instead of waiting to 100,000 miles. probably better for the transmission not to have all that wear. that's what i do anyway, every second service = CVT oil change. i think that's about 2/3 of the fluid changed each time.
More or less, its great that you are taking action on performing this maintenance task at all!! It will prolong the life, there is no such thing as lifetime fluid.
great job.....if you knew the thread size of the fill port you could buy a barb fitting and fill it with the 3/8" tube by gravity......like you I see no point adding 5 quarts of new oil to 8 quarts of dirty oil.
Wow... great video, very informative. I'm the original.owner of my 2015 Legacy and I know nothing other than doing an oil change. Your videos are gonna save me some money (hopefully) I am at 110,00 miles and have not done anything to my car yet. I better get some tools and get to work. You mentioned Lithia Subaru in the description, good to know Oregonians (Milwaukie here) still help each other out. Again, great videos.
Yes, in theory it should, and very few have noticed that in my video. Truth be told its actually because of video editing and recording. I had actually drained the oil out of the pan first. My bad.
I don't think you need to go through the hassle of taking off the fill and drain hoses. Just empty it fill it with fluid run it and then completely drain it again through the drain plug and then refill it with fresh fluid again I and you've put 10 or 11 quarts of new fluid in and it should be good to go. Probably would get an even better flush that way than going through the hose thing.
Okay after thinking about it I think I see what you're doing The transmission gets all new fluid from the pan and then drains the fluid from the transmission without remixing with the clean fluid in the pan. If I do it my way l get down to a quarter of the original contamination concentration by draining and refilling the pan twice. If I let it run through the gears in between drain and refills so that the fluid is well mixed.
Hard to say for sure being so much fluid get trapped in the cvt, but I like your idea. I could speculate draining and refilling the pan every 25k miles might be all thats needed. 5-6qts per pan drain. That's 40-46% of the fluid per drain & fill.
I like what you did. I am getting ready to do this on my Crosstrek. I have done this on other AT vehicles I have owned. What I did was remove the return line from the cooler and just "pumped" out fluid there. I pumped the old fluid out and you don't have to use any compressed air to blow anything out. Just another way to accomplish the same thing and you don't need compressed air.
@@tdizzle2179 I guess I wasn't clear on my comment. Sorry. I didn't use an actual pump. I disconnected the line from the cooler (heat exchanger) that returns transmission fluid back to the transmission. It is labeled in the video (4:33). I took it off at the transmission and not the cooler. Although, it really doesn't matter a whole lot and you could take it off at the cooler; however, this would make your hoses/connectors a little different. I connected a hose to extend the line using a double barbed fitting you can get at a hardware store or Lowes/Home Depot. (Sorry, I don't remember the size.) I put the hose into a container I could measure the amount. My wife got in the car and started it up. With the car running the transmission fluid does "pump" out of the transmission to the cooler. I would "pump" a quart out and then add a quart. I did this until the fluid looked clean/new. If you are using this method, it does take 2 people and make sure you have the person turn off the car a little before you reach the amount you want to pump out as it does flow a little while the car is shutting off. I have used this method on other vehicles to get the remaining used/old fluid out of the system. I hope this helps and clarifies.
He is showing a TR580. I wonder if this procedure can be applied as well to a TR690? I think the difference between these 2 CVTs, is the location of valve body. in TR580 VB is located on top and in TR690 is at the bottom
I’m looking at a 2015 outback wagon never had a flush as far as I know when the transmission warms up it has what they call micro slips where it hesitates for a brief second I’m wondering if flushing the transmission would fix
This sucks they had to make it complicated unlike the older cars. Can't wait for the first EV's with Hub motors in each wheel eliminating Transmissions. Oh darn my hub motor finally failed. No biggie pop another one on.
Great Video - Thank you! I have watched many other videos on this subject and yours is by far the best. One thing I'm wondering is why some are saying there needs to be a relearn for the transmission after flushing/refilling. Is that really needed? You did not mention it and I suspect you did not perform the relearn.
Great Video. Super helpful and precise. You helped me changed my CVT fluid. It would be helpful for another viewer to explain that the crush washer is against the pan. I really appreciate the time you took to make this video! PS. Enjoy the coffee!!!!
You’re a fucking legend for this. My transmission fluid has just started looking a tad gross, more or less in the first stages. This is mighty helpful, thank you xx
Hello, how you think, need to change oil filter in cvt or its not necessary? Deeler say that subaru cvt need adaptation than you change oil. Do you do adaptation or its actually not necessary?
The actual oil filter in the transmission requires removing & disassembling the tranny to replace. The filter everyone is concerned about is a coarser filter pickup to protect the pump IMO. Neither need to be done. You risk contaminating the CVT. Its up to you, I did not do the pan filter.
Could you fill the transmission fluid through the line line in from the cooler? Or can it only be filled from the fill hole..? I understand the whole point of the fill hole is to make sure you put the right amount in, but if everything is measured it should be fine
Hey there. Just wanted to thank you for your videos on CVTF and Front Diff oil replacement . I did these on a 2015 Subaru Outback 2.5L, and let me tell everyone it’s exactly the same. Even the Front Diff Fill Plug located on top of the front right drive shaft was over tightened and took a major push to break. So thanks again, other than an oil spill (my fault) in the engine compartment, it went rather smoothly. The back and forth underneath to fill the CVTF was annoying but that is what is required....... I used an OBD II reader and the free ActiveOBD app and it was a cinch.
@@elizabethpaguio8175 I am sure you can get it anywhere. The prices were the same so I went to the dealer. Bought extra, just in case something went wrong, and returned the extra after I was done. But this was awhile ago. I don’t know what the pricing is today.
Hows the car doing? I have a 2015 Outback with 218k.. Never changed CVT oil because of so many conflicting opinions on if it should ever be changed or not. But I am thinking I may give it a go.
Thank you so much for this wonderful, thorough, informative video!!! We were totally in a panic after accidentally removing the CVT plug not the oil plug during an oil change and this video allowed us to deal with the self-created emergency. THANK YOU!
I am literally in the same situation right now. Got the transmission cover removed and need to get an 8mm allen to start this pump process. I'm still pretty stressed but grateful to see I'm not the only one who's made the oil plug/transmission plug mistake and that add fluid using this method will help me recover.
Amazing. Just well done. Please indulge me by helping me understand something. A simple drain and fill takes let’s say 5 quarts- measured exactly by draining and measuring the fluid. Then you pour in the 5 replacement quarts and finger tighten the fill plug. If then I measure exactly what is removed by running the engine and using the oil cooler outlet method you showed, and do it say twice and each time add exactly what was removed would it be necessary then to go through the temperature check method to ensure proper fluid final quantity? Once again: top notch work.
Thanks a bunch. Yes you should set the fluid level using the transmissions read-out temp. Consider if your method went well, has there ever been a leak, one that is hidden? Are you the original owner? Has anyone else ever worked on the CVT? Even just a tech that pulled the plug to "inspect" the fluid and level? Was the fluid level set correctly at the factory? All the variable's and margins of error could leave you with incorrect fluid level and damage to the CVT. Short answer: Use the temp method. Good luck!
MT Thank you. Let’s assume that’s it’s the first time and when the filler plug is opened there is a slight drainage implying that the level is good. I was just thinking out loud as to why fresh oil will flow out at the last stage and the filler plug is to be tightened to torque with a warm engine and a slight drip. Confuses me arithmetically speaking.... given you can pour in exactly what you drained😀 who knows? Maybe a chemical engineer....
@@Yankee7000 you still wanna use the temp method. If you pull your fill plug without the car running, you will have a bunch of fluid all over you. Level must be set at temp, car running. This probably has to do with each cvt needing slightly different amounts of fluid, based on how much each system consumes at idle ( torque converters, cooler & lines etc.) They probably have a good reason for this vs a more common method like a manual trans.
Hello, thanks for a much for the great tutorial. I am getting ready to just check my CVT fluid. I had read that from the factory there was some cars coming out with a low CVT fluid level. I know the dealership does not check this prior to a new car sales. I'm just wondering when you ran through the gears to circulate the fluid did you have your foot on the brake or did you let the wheels spin as the car was sitting on jacks. Just wondered because I'm a little nervous of putting it in gear in case the torque throws the car off the jack stands. thank you very much
Hello MT :0) All ok there? Still waiting for fluid but i have this scann app for ios and i wanna try it So, what is the normal tenperature for CVT fluid once it gets its working value? Thank you 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Hello again MT. Hope all ok there So happy because my cvt fluid is finally here, changing it this week. Wanna ask you please, did you read the fluid deterioration parameter BEFORE procedure? I wanna read it now for compare after the flush. But having problems with obd/app Thank you :0)
Great video. Your explanation during the video was super helpful. My dealer just quoted me $295 to change and flush. I’m going to call him to verify they will flush for that price and have him explain the process to make sure he tells me the temperatures and shifting thru the gears.
my latest video: ua-cam.com/video/G4t8rmrm08A/v-deo.html
with the amount of fluid required, probably same effect as changing the CVT oil via normal process every 10,000 miles instead of waiting to 100,000 miles. probably better for the transmission not to have all that wear. that's what i do anyway, every second service = CVT oil change. i think that's about 2/3 of the fluid changed each time.
In a 2018 subaru crosstrek limited has a filter in the transmission? Or it has no filter ??
In my opinion, as long as you do a 5 qt drain and fill to freshen the fluid every 20,000 miles or so, that will be more than adequate to protect the CVT for the life of the vehicle. Of course there is nothing wrong with doing a full flush, but that's way too much work for me lol.
Good comment
Interesting, my '16 Crosstrek has 159,000 miles on it and I am thinking about changing the fluid in the CVT.
@@todd1hd If it's never been changed, you may not want to do a full flush. I've seen cases where a CVT with high mileage and original fluid started acting up after flushing it. Apparently, the debris in the old fluid can add a little friction during operation and when you remove that debris the CVT can start to slip. Given your mileage, I'd just do a 5qt drain and fill and see how that goes.
Update: prior to doing the CVTF change, I had the opportunity to take a 280 mile round trip in the vehicle in about 85 degree weather. I took the OBDII reader and the app. The highest temperature recorded for the CVT was 230 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fast forward two weeks and CVTF replacement later the same trip with the same conditions is repeated.
The maximum temperature this time did not exceed 196 degrees Fahrenheit.
While we can debate back and forth that the fluid may or may not replacement even after my 97k miles, but this I know: the CVT is now operating at a temperature that is 30 or so degree lower with the new fluid.
That to me is justification enough to do the replacement.
Now if I can only figure out how to reset the CVT fluid deterioration rate to something like .8% (given that the purge never really cleans out the oil)....it is at the 7.59% from prior to change.....
man you were thorough as hell, good job, coming from a toyota technician
What a pain, huh?! But love that you take such good care of your Subaru! 😎 #SubaruAmbassador
I did this method with a 2015 impreza i bought for my son at an auction. It worked great and really helped both my son and i learn together. Really appreciate the time you took to make the video.
I did mine drain and fill about month ago with 135000km on the car, even just one drain and fill makes the transmission run much smoother.
You are extremely precise and detailed.
The thoroughness of your job and presentation is outstanding.
Even the factory may not take as much care in assembling the car as you do in the maintenance!
Since the CVT uses friction to push the belt between squeezing pulleys the frictional coefficient of fluid is critical and as you know that can only be maintained through fluid renewal.
Thank you!
You stated the reason for changing the fluid very well.
One of the best instructional videos on UA-cam and I’ve WATCHED A LOT of them.
So glad I watched this as this has been bothering me on my purchase, as the dealer wants $700 plus to do full flush, as I can figure the oil runs about @22 a quart, so after the oil cost that means they are charging like $500 labor, well that's too fuc'n much, so thanks, I've seen several of these trans. service videos and they just drain once and refill, so thanks for going the extra mile to show us how easy it is...Javi G.
Hello, greetings from Spain, my name is David and I have a Subaru Forester 2.0 diesel sj from 2016, I want to congratulate you for the great video you have about subaru cvt oil change, here in Spain and Europe the official dealers have no idea of change the cvt oil, besides that the spare parts are very expensive. Thanks to the great video of him saved the lives of many European Subaru CVTs, thank you very much again, if it weren't for people like you, our Subaru would end up damaged by the useless mechanics of Subaru Spain.
I accidently drained my cvt fluid so now I'm here
Same, and this seems like a nightmare
Hi Here, I’m dad.
CAN THEY MAKE A SIMPLER TRANSMISSION ?
It's called a manual transmission. 🤣
They do, it's called a manual transmission but Americans don't buy them, so they don't sell them here, sadly.
Wow! Excellent video. Best so far that I've seen for a newer model Forester. Thanks for your thoroughness. I'll be doing my 2014 Forester this summer.
Agreed.
As a past Subaru mechanic I went to cvt schooling in the mid 80's because the 3 cylinder justy model used it.
I've also done a few 2013-2017 cvt services and I strongly recommend dropping the pan to clean the magnets ( yes 2 magnets)!!
Cvt's she'd more metal than a normal trans and one 2013 cvt service I performed for the first time at 90,000 miles both magnets were full and on the verge of not being able to retain any more metal. Nice video!
What did you use to reseal the pan? And did you have to let the adhesive dry or fully cure before adding the new fluid?
Don’t forget the filter
that is good idea, you should make a video
Do you think it needs to replace gasket when take of the pan?
Можно прилепить ниодимовые магниты снаружи на поддон
Loosening your fill port first is very smart. If you do your drain first and then can't get the fill out, you'll be calling a tow truck.
Great video man. Really in detail but simply and straight forward. I have a 2013 Crosstrek and I'm sure it's a very similar process. I have been researching and watching videos and you're the only 1 that took off the hoses and blew out all the old fluid in the lines. I didn't see anybody else flushing it like you did either. You used 13 quarts but said next time you'll only do 2 flushes so how many quarts do you estimate that would be? Thanks again for this video. I found it to be the best one I've come across.
I am looking video clip for crosstrek 2016 fluid change too,
That's amazing. Super thankful for showing that the home depot sprayer worked without introducing air bubbles!!!!
Thanks a lot. I just used your videos to do the 60k service on my 2016 Impreza. Did the front and rear diff fluid, CVT fluid, brake fluid, spark plugs, and air filter. 😅 Wow it was a lot of work but the local dealer wanted over $2k. I think it cost me about $250 in parts/fluids and took most of the day to complete. Worth it not to get raked over the coals. Next I need to service my 2017 Outback. Should be able to do it a bit quicker now that I know what I’m doing! 👍🏼 Only things I might have the dealer do for me around 130k miles is the fuel filter and coolant flush. Thanks again.
Great video with clear explanations. I own a Subaru Outback 2020 and will certainly change CVT fluid myself as recommended by you and Mr Subaru 1387, 3 years / 36,000 miles regardless of what my dealer tells me. I use Veepeak and Car Scanner to get CVT oil temp. Keep doing superb videos.
watched a bunch of videos before doing this, and your method is for sure the best method to make sure your getting everything out before putting in the new fluid. I am surprised you didn't take off the pan and change out the filter.
Fantastic video -- "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say. Love the attention to detail, including bits that I have not seen anywhere else. THANK YOU !
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. You do an outstanding job on all of your videos. I think that it's interesting that your Suburu dealer took the easy way out. Even more reason to do it yourself, using your method. Thanks again! George in FL.
Thank you sir!
Thanks for sharing.
I would've started at the heat exchanger. Disconnect the return line, use an inline connector and attach it to a clear line and place that into the container holding your clean fluid, I'd prime that line and add a couple more quarts to avoid sucking air into the system. Now, the port in the heat exchanger that the return line was attached to, run another clear line to an empty 5 gal bucket and start the car, shifting through the gears. The transmission will suck in nice clean cool transmission fluid, go through the heat exchanger into the empty bucket. When you see clean fluid running into the waste bucket, shut it down and put the input line back on the heat exchanger. Then go through a final fill procedure like you did at the end.
Doing it this way will flush out the cvt, torque converter, and heat exchanger.
I used to do this all the time in "normal" transmissions.
I know a cvt is a different animal. But, it has a pump and a tongue converter and a heat exchanger. It'll work and you'll have 100% brand new fluid in it.
Your way of connecting fluid lines is what I do when flushing tranny fluids on my Toyotas - let the tranny suck new fluid and blow out old fluid from the radiator tranny cooler line until it is bright red. But this is only good if the CVT “In” port (return port) also ‘sucks’ otherwise his method will suffice.
@bygonebob His method works, no doubt. CVT's have a pump as well, it has too. I used the procedure I mentioned last month. I wish I would've made a video showing that procedure.
Thank you for this reply, I'm due for a CVT fluid change and this is exactly what I was looking for, I too previously did the method you described in my GMC 'normal' transmission and was thinking the same thing, "why not let the transmission 'suck' new cvt fluid since it should have a pump" I searched what seams all Subaru CVT fluid service videos and they all used other methods to pump fluids back into the cvt, but not the method you mentioned of letting the trans use the pumps suction to get the fluid back into the trans, which seems to me to be so much easier.
Hey Mark. I have Subaru Exiga 2011. I want to ask, why the indicator at oil temp on my Subaru Exiga always on. Can you tell me how to fix it?
Saving a large amount of $. Do not own and will never purchase a CVT. POS transmission unless they get it right. Good luck with that.
I've never had a lick of issues with CVT I have however had problems with conventional but your opinion is your own😊
This was a great informative video, thank you for taking the time to detail so much.
Subaru said my 2018 Forester had a sealed transmission that had lifetime fluid?!
Outstanding video! Best I've seen on this subject.
Thank you!
Your recommendation to use HD hand garden sprayer pump is ingenious. Compared with the other automotive pumps that I price out, it is a steal! Since I heard dealer charge $250+ for a drain and fill. I will diy it for the first time on my two subies. Can’t thank you enough. I recommend water test the HD pump first to make sure you got a good one.
Idemitsu CVTF Type SB2 is a direct replacement for Subaru CVTF II fluid. Idemitsu manufactures Subaru's fluid and it's about 30-40% cheaper than buying from Subaru. I did a 10 quart flush for $120
Amazing job. Makes it look easy. Greetings from Jamaica 🇯🇲. I have a Subaru Impreza g4 2017 limited edition (JAPANESE model) but I think it's the same procedure. Definitely gonna subscribe to this channel.
Big up I got a g4 2.0L limited edition too
The partial (approx 6 Qt) CVT transmission drain & fill at the dealership in Louisville, KY costs $250.00 while the radiator drain & fill costs $265.00
I always had the Stealer do this expensive service, being I knew there was a fluid temp for proper fill level. No more Stealer doing this service for me. Thank you for your time and quality in this vid. Same as your other vids too.
the best.subaru forum reccomendedi watch this before i do it saturday..the best.ill have no problem now..thankyou ...gonna do exactly the same way...
Great lighting, camera angles and very informative. Thank you.
guaranteed, you went above and beyond what any Subaru dealer service center or other auto shop would ever do. Great work.
At 60000 I got a new CTV transmission because the dealer service center cracked the case following replacement of a line that blew out.
Was the brake being depressed during the 3rd and 4th flush or were the tires allowed to move since it was on jacks?
The brake is on, wheels not spinning.
Thank you for all the information I learned a lot , it makes you appreciative of what it takes to do it right .
just to confirm 2014 subaru forrester premium 2.5L model also use cvtf ii fluid? i accidentally drained the transmission fluid, your video is such a great help, thank you very much!
Getting ready to do the drain/flush.. got my BAFX wifi reader and downloaded Active OBD. It doesn't do much at the basic version, guess I would have to pay the $14.99 to see what the full version does. It doesn't specify that it's for Subaru, maybe there isn't a version for ios/apple that is Subaru specific?? dunno... Anyway, first I tried OBD Fusion (paid the $9.99) and that wasn't much different, no CVT temp for my $$$. However Car Scanner OBD worked and included CVT temp for free. There's also a Transmission Temp V.1 and V.2, one didn't show anything, and the other was real close to the CVT temp reading.
Subaru Active OBD for free on Android is what I used, not sure if its on Apple products 🤷♂️
@@MTsubflyplease share exactly which OBD scanner you used, such as model numbers please! Thank you!
I have a 2015 Forester as well. Very helpful thank you for guiding thru the steps and get to know my vehicle a little more.
Thanks you! Glad I could be of help! 😄
For Forester the drain torque spec is 30 ft lbs
Excellent video with nice and clear instructions. I own an Outback 2020 and it uses CVTF-III oil and Subaru doesn’t sell this oil in quart or gallon. One way of stopping DIY and force you to have it done at dealer...$$$$$.
don't do it , type II should be fine. It's a hustle is all, just a hustle. here's the link to VERY affordable exact type II replacement fluid www.rallysportdirect.com/part/transmission-fluid/3074-300-eneos-cvt-fluid-model-s-1qt?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9O6HBhCrARIsADx5qCRjUSr0kPm3ttpSO9OKCuhhpRy0T9Rq6Nj0gdYkqsN2OtMJZK79BZ4aAtquEALw_wcB
Yup...no such thing as a lifetime fluid...
Wow, a nice , thorough well thought out job! 👍🏻
Thanks for sharing this video, interesting information.
One of the best video & instructions . Thank you
would changing the oil every 18 months be equivalent to benefits of this thorough method? someone make an equation of wear on this oil with time and % dirty to figure out if it would be the same....i.e lessen the time between changes vs 100% oil flush...
with the amount of fluid required, probably same effect as changing the CVT oil via normal process every 10,000 miles instead of waiting to 100,000 miles. probably better for the transmission not to have all that wear. that's what i do anyway, every second service = CVT oil change. i think that's about 2/3 of the fluid changed each time.
More or less, its great that you are taking action on performing this maintenance task at all!! It will prolong the life, there is no such thing as lifetime fluid.
I did a Lexus Transmission. non CVT. Didn't have special tools. I drained all I could and put back exactly the same amount. No issues.
great job.....if you knew the thread size of the fill port you could buy a barb fitting and fill it with the 3/8" tube by gravity......like you I see no point adding 5 quarts of new oil to 8 quarts of dirty oil.
Wow... great video, very informative. I'm the original.owner of my 2015 Legacy and I know nothing other than doing an oil change. Your videos are gonna save me some money (hopefully) I am at 110,00 miles and have not done anything to my car yet. I better get some tools and get to work. You mentioned Lithia Subaru in the description, good to know Oregonians (Milwaukie here) still help each other out. Again, great videos.
Do yourself a favor and sell it. My '13 legacy just ate the CVT at 131k. $7650+tax from the dealer to replace. First and last Subaru for me.
This and another video helped me install an oil cooler.
Great video!
Dear friend, I have a question for you. By the time you release the filler cap, shouldn't it come out fluid with the engine cold and stopped?
Yes, in theory it should, and very few have noticed that in my video. Truth be told its actually because of video editing and recording. I had actually drained the oil out of the pan first. My bad.
I don't think you need to go through the hassle of taking off the fill and drain hoses. Just empty it fill it with fluid run it and then completely drain it again through the drain plug and then refill it with fresh fluid again I and you've put 10 or 11 quarts of new fluid in and it should be good to go. Probably would get an even better flush that way than going through the hose thing.
Okay after thinking about it I think I see what you're doing The transmission gets all new fluid from the pan and then drains the fluid from the transmission without remixing with the clean fluid in the pan.
If I do it my way l get down to a quarter of the original contamination concentration by draining and refilling the pan twice. If I let it run through the gears in between drain and refills so that the fluid is well mixed.
Hard to say for sure being so much fluid get trapped in the cvt, but I like your idea. I could speculate draining and refilling the pan every 25k miles might be all thats needed. 5-6qts per pan drain. That's 40-46% of the fluid per drain & fill.
If I just do a drain from the pan and fill, how many quarts does a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek XV take to fill back up?
I like what you did. I am getting ready to do this on my Crosstrek. I have done this on other AT vehicles I have owned. What I did was remove the return line from the cooler and just "pumped" out fluid there. I pumped the old fluid out and you don't have to use any compressed air to blow anything out. Just another way to accomplish the same thing and you don't need compressed air.
curious what you used to pump the oil out ?thanks
@@tdizzle2179 I guess I wasn't clear on my comment. Sorry. I didn't use an actual pump. I disconnected the line from the cooler (heat exchanger) that returns transmission fluid back to the transmission. It is labeled in the video (4:33). I took it off at the transmission and not the cooler. Although, it really doesn't matter a whole lot and you could take it off at the cooler; however, this would make your hoses/connectors a little different. I connected a hose to extend the line using a double barbed fitting you can get at a hardware store or Lowes/Home Depot. (Sorry, I don't remember the size.) I put the hose into a container I could measure the amount. My wife got in the car and started it up. With the car running the transmission fluid does "pump" out of the transmission to the cooler. I would "pump" a quart out and then add a quart. I did this until the fluid looked clean/new. If you are using this method, it does take 2 people and make sure you have the person turn off the car a little before you reach the amount you want to pump out as it does flow a little while the car is shutting off. I have used this method on other vehicles to get the remaining used/old fluid out of the system. I hope this helps and clarifies.
As in this demonstration,
ALWAYS PULL THE FILL PLUG FIRST.
FAILURE TO DO SO COULD TEACH YOU A LIFE LESSON
I should know this, but I don't. Are you showing a TR580 or TR690 CVT in this video?
He is showing a TR580. I wonder if this procedure can be applied as well to a TR690? I think the difference between these 2 CVTs, is the location of valve body. in TR580 VB is located on top and in TR690 is at the bottom
I’m looking at a 2015 outback wagon never had a flush as far as I know when the transmission warms up it has what they call micro slips where it hesitates for a brief second I’m wondering if flushing the transmission would fix
Awesome video Sir! (Owner of a 2015 Subaru forester xt!)
This sucks they had to make it complicated unlike the older cars. Can't wait for the first EV's with Hub motors in each wheel eliminating Transmissions. Oh darn my hub motor finally failed. No biggie pop another one on.
Great Video - Thank you! I have watched many other videos on this subject and yours is by far the best. One thing I'm wondering is why some are saying there needs to be a relearn for the transmission after flushing/refilling. Is that really needed? You did not mention it and I suspect you did not perform the relearn.
Great video!! I did all but the coolant pump which I'll do on my next fluid swap. Thanks!
you definately shouldnt be touching that fluid with bare skin..................
Woah thats is a tad complex. Well done dude I could never attempt that. It will be off to Subaru workshop. Impressive 👍
Great Video. Super helpful and precise. You helped me changed my CVT fluid. It would be helpful for another viewer to explain that the crush washer is against the pan. I really appreciate the time you took to make this video! PS. Enjoy the coffee!!!!
Thank you for the kind feedback, and coffee! It will be a treat! Thank you much!
I'm not an expert but with the fill I think you are going way overboard. Good job with the flush and video.
Thanks for this video. What is the app you’re using with the OBDII scanner?
Excellent tutorial! Details and all. 🎉 Ill try it myself and cross my fingers I don't screw up.
Good job man, super pro (compared to the dealer lol)
Great vid! Can the "Relearn" procedure be none with the Bafx OBDII?
i usually measure what comes out and put the same amount back in but i get the importance of checking leval when done👍great flushjob
You’re a fucking legend for this. My transmission fluid has just started looking a tad gross, more or less in the first stages. This is mighty helpful, thank you xx
Hello, how you think, need to change oil filter in cvt or its not necessary? Deeler say that subaru cvt need adaptation than you change oil. Do you do adaptation or its actually not necessary?
The actual oil filter in the transmission requires removing & disassembling the tranny to replace. The filter everyone is concerned about is a coarser filter pickup to protect the pump IMO. Neither need to be done. You risk contaminating the CVT. Its up to you, I did not do the pan filter.
@@MTsubfly Ok, thax man!
Could you fill the transmission fluid through the line line in from the cooler? Or can it only be filled from the fill hole..? I understand the whole point of the fill hole is to make sure you put the right amount in, but if everything is measured it should be fine
Or you can do what the service manual recomends, which is leave the damn thing alone.
Fabulous work my friend, excellent video work and communication
skills
Hey there. Just wanted to thank you for your videos on CVTF and Front Diff oil replacement . I did these on a 2015 Subaru Outback 2.5L, and let me tell everyone it’s exactly the same.
Even the Front Diff Fill Plug located on top of the front right drive shaft was over tightened and took a major push to break.
So thanks again, other than an oil spill (my fault) in the engine compartment, it went rather smoothly. The back and forth underneath to fill the CVTF was annoying but that is what is required.......
I used an OBD II reader and the free ActiveOBD app and it was a cinch.
Excellent work!
I'm about to have my CVT change. Where did u purchase ur cvt oil aside from d subaru dealership.
@@elizabethpaguio8175 I am sure you can get it anywhere. The prices were the same so I went to the dealer. Bought extra, just in case something went wrong, and returned the extra after I was done. But this was awhile ago. I don’t know what the pricing is today.
It was $17.34/qt at the dealership in TF Idaho today.
Great video!!! from Philippines :-)
Hows the car doing? I have a 2015 Outback with 218k.. Never changed CVT oil because of so many conflicting opinions on if it should ever be changed or not. But I am thinking I may give it a go.
Been driving normal. Thats pretty good 218k. Nice!
Very informative step by step DIY. Thanks!
How many liters used?
What kind of ATF fluids?
Excellent video. Detailed and specific, which makes for great content. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this wonderful, thorough, informative video!!! We were totally in a panic after accidentally removing the CVT plug not the oil plug during an oil change and this video allowed us to deal with the self-created emergency. THANK YOU!
That's no fun!! Hope it went well, and thank you! I really appreciate those that find my videos helpful! Thanks!
My son made the same mistake!
I am literally in the same situation right now. Got the transmission cover removed and need to get an 8mm allen to start this pump process. I'm still pretty stressed but grateful to see I'm not the only one who's made the oil plug/transmission plug mistake and that add fluid using this method will help me recover.
Amazing. Just well done. Please indulge me by helping me understand something. A simple drain and fill takes let’s say 5 quarts- measured exactly by draining and measuring the fluid. Then you pour in the 5 replacement quarts and finger tighten the fill plug.
If then I measure exactly what is removed by running the engine and using the oil cooler outlet method you showed, and do it say twice and each time add exactly what was removed would it be necessary then to go through the temperature check method to ensure proper fluid final quantity?
Once again: top notch work.
Thanks a bunch. Yes you should set the fluid level using the transmissions read-out temp. Consider if your method went well, has there ever been a leak, one that is hidden? Are you the original owner? Has anyone else ever worked on the CVT? Even just a tech that pulled the plug to "inspect" the fluid and level? Was the fluid level set correctly at the factory? All the variable's and margins of error could leave you with incorrect fluid level and damage to the CVT. Short answer: Use the temp method. Good luck!
MT Thank you. Let’s assume that’s it’s the first time and when the filler plug is opened there is a slight drainage implying that the level is good. I was just thinking out loud as to why fresh oil will flow out at the last stage and the filler plug is to be tightened to torque with a warm engine and a slight drip. Confuses me arithmetically speaking.... given you can pour in exactly what you drained😀 who knows? Maybe a chemical engineer....
@@Yankee7000 you still wanna use the temp method. If you pull your fill plug without the car running, you will have a bunch of fluid all over you. Level must be set at temp, car running. This probably has to do with each cvt needing slightly different amounts of fluid, based on how much each system consumes at idle ( torque converters, cooler & lines etc.) They probably have a good reason for this vs a more common method like a manual trans.
Hello, thanks for a much for the great tutorial. I am getting ready to just check my CVT fluid. I had read that from the factory there was some cars coming out with a low CVT fluid level. I know the dealership does not check this prior to a new car sales. I'm just wondering when you ran through the gears to circulate the fluid did you have your foot on the brake or did you let the wheels spin as the car was sitting on jacks. Just wondered because I'm a little nervous of putting it in gear in case the torque throws the car off the jack stands. thank you very much
Foot on the brake!
Great video with an AMAZING breakdown of the process involved, THANK YOU! I'll let you know how it goes!
Thanks so much.
Good instructional video
Great job on this video! Super helpful
Hey MT do you have any video on the rear diff or transfer box servicing?
Great video! Awesome!
Hello MT :0)
All ok there?
Still waiting for fluid but i have this scann app for ios and i wanna try it
So, what is the normal tenperature for CVT fluid once it gets its working value?
Thank you 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Hello again MT.
Hope all ok there
So happy because my cvt fluid is finally here, changing it this week.
Wanna ask you please, did you read the fluid deterioration parameter BEFORE procedure?
I wanna read it now for compare after the flush.
But having problems with obd/app
Thank you :0)
Thanks, could not have been better explained. Ditto to Randy Fitz below. Keep em comming.
Great video. Your explanation during the video was super helpful. My dealer just quoted me $295 to change and flush. I’m going to call him to verify they will flush for that price and have him explain the process to make sure he tells me the temperatures and shifting thru the gears.
The dealer not doing what you wanted or paid for is NOT OK.
So it looks like the obd reader is no longer available, do you have other recommendations?
nice video and thanks...Same step for 2016 Subaru Legacy ? Thanks
Thanks! Yea should be similar, check but verify with dealer parts dept.