I would change it out of abundance of caution. it certainly would not hurt if done properly.
As i recall, Subaru change interval is 60,000 or five years unless driven under more severe conditions. If the intervals were in fact followed assuming normal driving conditions, a change now would be 20,000 miles early. that would not be horrible at all, in fact it would be beneficial for the vehicle (just not your wallet). On the other hand it might be late if the vehicle was driven under more severe conditions.

I say, go for it. Just make certain it is done properly. it will provide a solid baseline for you future driving enjoyment and reduce the chance of more expensive repairs.

 

Yes it is fine. The CVT is not built like a classic transmission. The fluid doesnt have any friction material suspended in it, which assists the engagement of worn clutches. This transmission has no clutches. Changing the fluid on or before time, is very important in a CVT.

 

Go ahead and service the CVT, plenty of outbacks got their first service between 150k - 180k miles because of the first round of warranty extensions and the torque convertor/valve body failures in the early models.

 

You can get the fluid from Subaru, or source Eneos Eco CVT.

If the fluid that comes out with the first drain is really dark, after running the car about 20-30 miles or so drain and fill again.

 

You can get the fluid from Subaru, or source Eneos Eco CVT.

If the fluid that comes out with the first drain is really dark, after running the car about 20-30 miles or so drain and fill again.

Thank you all
My concerns stem from the video here (start about the 6 minute mark)

where he basically claims you can have the same problem waiting too long to replace CVT fluid as if you had a conventional automatic with ATF.

 

Go for it especially a drain and fill it can’t hurt

 

So… opinions on the information in the video above??

 

He is very knowledgeable on these cars, I have used many of his videos for diy guides. I think he is reaching slightly but I can see where he is coming from. My understanding from the way he phrased it is that if you wait too long, particulates/contaminants build up in the fluid, and can cause wear on transmission parts if allowed to go long enough. He states that these particles are still floating around in the fluid and could be increasing the friction between the worn parts. If you suddenly remove the fluid after the parts have been worn and replace it with a thinner more slipper fluid (less crud in it) the worn parts may now slip. Personally I think it’s a bit of a reach and probably in reference to cars that go 200k+ on flushes but I can see where he is making these conclusions. I’ve asked a few dealers what they recommend on flushes and they generally agree that you should do the first flush (drain and fill) by 70k and about every 30k after that. I see people make elaborate setups online and pump gallons of fluid through to make it run clear again and it seems like a lot of effort compared to more frequent drain and fills. My car had its first flush at 30k right before I purchased it, I just did another at just under 60k, the fluid that came out was dirty, but still green and somewhat translucent.

In short, I don’t think you’ll have problems draining and filling the fluid, as others have said you may want to repeat the process after a few miles of the fluid was really dark, but otherwise it should give you no issues.


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This is all pretty speculative and doesn't even seem to be supported with much anecdotal information. I'd at least give it a single drain-and-fill to help replenish fluid additives. Additional speculation - the CVT center differential is a multi-plate transfer (MPT) clutch, lubricated by the CVTF, which will contribute wear debris (particularly if you haven't been good about keeping your tire circumferences matched).

 

More importantly is your tail pipe extra sooty?

 

Do you mean because I went to a 2013 2.5i with the known oil consumption issue? I did appear to be losing about a quart every 700 miles when I first bought it. But after doing an oil change (Valvoline 0W-20 high mileage full synthetic) and running some Seafoam through it it seems to be losing oil much more slowly now. I haven’t noticed a particularly sooty tailpipe. Or maybe that’s not why you were asking…

 

Thanks all I’ll go ahead and do a fluid change within the next week then maybe another one at my next oil change which would probably be about 3k miles down the road. Keep my fingers crossed it won’t hurt anything.

 

Welp, set up an appointment to have my CVT fluid changed this morning at the local dealership, they quoted me a price and the labor time. Go to the dealership for my appointment, and then find out the tech won't do it because it's a "sealed system." Flat out refused to give me an explanation when I told him I had had my 2016 2.5i done a couple years ago there with no problem, and how can they quote me a price and an estimated time if its not a service they perform.
I guess SoA has pretty much cracked down on their dealers doing this service because the whole idea of the CVT is "planned obsolescence."

 

identify an independent shop or a different dealership to perform the service

 

@bugman; so sorry you're dealing with this. I hear you that SOA wants to be done with the CVT breakdown issues, but we both know that the CVT's system is not sealed, and that Subaru provides information in the owner's manual(s) about which fluid to use for replacement. While you don't have a dealership close by, maybe one of them closest to you would do the service? Perhaps it's worth checking into. I sincerely hope my dealership will service my cars' CVTs when necessary; my HOA won't allow us to work on our vehicles. . .

 

That's when I let the dealership know I won't be back to their shop....

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yes, change it

 

Tell the dealership.

 

The opinion of one dealer, and a shop that probably just doesn't want to stock the OE fluid (aftermarket fluid is known to cause problems), does not amount to proof that Subaru is "cracking down" on CVTF service or that they want people's CVTs to fail. They pride themselves on the claim that, "96% of Subaru vehicles sold in the last 10 years are still on the road today". Makes no sense. My local dealers, and a well-informed local Subaru indie shop, are all still offering the service.

 

The opinion of one dealer, and a shop that probably just doesn't want to stock the OE fluid (aftermarket fluid is known to cause problems), does not amount to proof that Subaru is "cracking down" on CVTF service or that they want people's CVTs to fail. They pride themselves on the claim that, "96% of Subaru vehicles sold in the last 10 years are still on the road today".

I think my point has been completely missed. My dealership used to have zero problem offering the service. Now they don't. And they won't give a legitimate explanation. It has nothing to do with their "opinion." And BTW the "96% of Subarus sold in the last 10 years are still on the road today" claim a) isn't an indication of reliability since it doesn't necessarily mean that they haven't had to be repaired, and b) basically is unprovable hype?

My local dealers, and a well-informed local Subaru indie shop, are all still offering the service.

That's nice. Mine isn't. I'd love to know exactly why, since they used to have absolutely zero problem offering it.

 

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Seagrass

 

Do it. It's easy and 100% worth it. Do it 2-3 times actually.

 

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