Have any of you changed you CVT fluid and needed to relearn/reflash your transmission? In talking with my dealership they recommended waiting till 100k and changing the fluid. They said it's necessary to do a protocol relearn/reflash process with the fluid change. Their quote was $450 for everything. I thought modern transmissions relearned on their own after going through the gears and a driving period of time. I was thinking of doing it myself and have read quite a bit on the procedure--but the need for a protocol relearn/reflash was a new one for me. What are thoughts and experience with a CVT fluid change with or without a relearn/reflash?
T-Stick
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If I remember correctly, the dealer service manual specified a temperature range for the CVT fluid during the change (fluid expands contracts with temp so temp is required for setting fluid level). It also specifies the use of a dealer diagnostic tool. I believe this was to help readout temp.
Transmission service (even a fluid change) is not something I would recommend attempting if you do not know what you are doing. Particularly on a transmission that might be more temperamental like the Subaru CVT.
Transmission service (even a fluid change) is not something I would recommend attempting if you do not know what you are doing. Particularly on a transmission that might be more temperamental like the Subaru CVT.
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1,694 Posts
My point was not that it cannot be done by someone at home. Several on this forum have done it. My point is that if you do not know what you are doing, $450 for a mechanic to do it is a lot cheaper than repairing/replacing a transmission after screwing up a do it yourself job. This is true for most automotive work. That said, $450 does seem steep for the job. I have read posts on forums with Subaru CVT owners paying significantly less than that. A quick search after seeing this thread and I found dealers with service pages quoting $310 or less for the service.
You seem to be suggesting ATF in your CVT. I hope I am misreading what you wrote. Automatic transmission fluid is not the same as CVT Fluid. If you are suggesting ATF in your CVT, then you may want to spend some time educating yourself on the differences between a CVT and traditional automatic transmissions. I would pay particular attention to the parts about fluid needs. CVTs are significantly different than traditional automatics. As a result, they have different fluid requirements. Using ATF in a CVT is known to cause significant damage (things like belt/chain failure) to CVT transmissions.
You seem to be suggesting ATF in your CVT. I hope I am misreading what you wrote. Automatic transmission fluid is not the same as CVT Fluid. If you are suggesting ATF in your CVT, then you may want to spend some time educating yourself on the differences between a CVT and traditional automatic transmissions. I would pay particular attention to the parts about fluid needs. CVTs are significantly different than traditional automatics. As a result, they have different fluid requirements. Using ATF in a CVT is known to cause significant damage (things like belt/chain failure) to CVT transmissions.
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