CVT fluid change and mixing oils oem vs other brands question?

[lepa71]

I have 2018 Subaru Forester with tr580 tranny
I'm planning to do fluid change on this. The shop I use is using 881056 valvoline cvt transmission fluid, not the OEM subaru one. Is it ok to mix? I know drain and flush will not get all the fluid out. Some people on forums claiming I should do it at the dealer but the dealer wants $150 more.
I have used this shop for more than 15 years with no issues. It is not one of those express oil change places. It is a full mechanical shop. Any thoughts?

 

[KGMtech]

The different fluids will be fine mixed. The CVT fluid, whatever -high quality brand- is made to meet a specification.

 

[hrv]

Stick to OEM fluid and you gave nothing to worry about.....easy peasy

 

[slacktide_bitog]

There is nothing wrong with Valvoline CVT fluid in your Subaru

 

[Nessism1]

I would use the OEM fluid. My old Nissan trans never shifted right after swapping with aftermarket fluid. And yes, the fluid met the spec of the OEM fluid....or so they claimed.

 

[stwremains]

I see you’ve spammed the internet with this question! I hope you get a satisfactory answer, I personally have answered you on Reddit, the Subaru forum, and now here.

Your transmission holds 12qts of CVTF. When you drain only about 6qts will come out. Flushing is not recommended as it can break free particulates and debris that clog actuators and valve bodies and cause a variety of issues. A repeated drain and fill can be done to ensure that more than half the total fluid content has been replaced. Otherwise, a normal drain and refill will provide half new and half used fluid which is very acceptable if doing 30k mile intervals.

Your Subaru TR580 is the same transmission I have in my Crosstrek and same as is in the Imprezas as well.

The Subaru CVTS are very particular about fluid. Yes, generic high quality CVT fluid will allow them to function, but it is not ideal nor properly spec’d for these transmissions. It has been proven that they run and last best when filled with OEM fluid. For your model year I believe Subaru CVT-F II is called for, it is made by Idemitsu, the premier oil and lubricant manufacturer in Japan.

The Subaru bottled part number is:
SOA427V1660

The Idemitsu bottled and identical (and Subaru approved) fluid is the Idemitsu SB2 and it is available on Amazon much cheaper than the Subaru bottled variant.

https://a.co/d/3xneyab

Please be sure your mechanic is familiar with the proper procedure for TR580 fluid drain and refill! It must be done following some precise steps to ensure proper level at a certain temperature so that cavitation of the system does not occur. I would highly suggest having a dealership do this, maybe shop dealerships for the best price. My dealership does a CVT drain and fill for $238 which is a very very good price.

 

[Passport1]

Valvoline makes good products. I use their CVT fluid in my Suzuki. The only rubber band trans I have. It works very well. About every 20K I extract a couple of quarts from the trans and replace the same amount. Also I placed a few magnets on the outside of the CVT oil pan.

From their global website it seems Valvoline is compatible with most Subaru CVTs.

US_Val_CVT_ATF_EN.pdf - DocuSign CLM

sharena21.springcm.com

 

[lepa71]

The different fluids will be fine mixed. The CVT fluid, whatever -high quality brand- is made to meet a specification.

I see you’ve spammed the internet with this question! I hope you get a satisfactory answer, I personally have answered you on Reddit, the Subaru forum, and now here.

Your transmission holds 12qts of CVTF. When you drain only about 6qts will come out. Flushing is not recommended as it can break free particulates and debris that clog actuators and valve bodies and cause a variety of issues. A repeated drain and fill can be done to ensure that more than half the total fluid content has been replaced. Otherwise, a normal drain and refill will provide half new and half used fluid which is very acceptable if doing 30k mile intervals.

Your Subaru TR580 is the same transmission I have in my Crosstrek and same as is in the Imprezas as well.

The Subaru CVTS are very particular about fluid. Yes, generic high quality CVT fluid will allow them to function, but it is not ideal nor properly spec’d for these transmissions. It has been proven that they run and last best when filled with OEM fluid. For your model year I believe Subaru CVT-F II is called for, it is made by Idemitsu, the premier oil and lubricant manufacturer in Japan.

The Subaru bottled part number is:
SOA427V1660

The Idemitsu bottled and identical (and Subaru approved) fluid is the Idemitsu SB2 and it is available on Amazon much cheaper than the Subaru bottled variant.

https://a.co/d/3xneyab

Please be sure your mechanic is familiar with the proper procedure for TR580 fluid drain and refill! It must be done following some precise steps to ensure proper level at a certain temperature so that cavitation of the system does not occur. I would highly suggest having a dealership do this, maybe shop dealerships for the best price. My dealership does a CVT drain and fill for $238 which is a very very good price.

I did not know where I would get the answer faster. My apologies.

I'm going to ask the shop to see if they would get a Subaru Fluid. It is interesting that they quoted me 10qt and said that they would do it 2 times. I see others like you reporting that it only needs 6qt. If the shop would allow me to bring my own fluid then I I would get Idemitsu CVT Transmission Fluid Type SB2-5qt CVTF New Transmission Oilbut it is only 5qt jug. Do you think I would need 6 just to be sure?

 

[lepa71]

My dealership does a CVT drain and fill for $238 which is a very very good price.

This shop quotes me $245. One dealer, closer to me, was $389. I may call another dealer and see if price is different.

 

[Sayjac]

I can't speak to Subaru use, but I did a d&f with Valvoline (dedicated) CVT blue bottle fluid on Nissan 2.5L. Been ~30k miles now, no issues to report. Shifting fine. Based on that, I'd use it. Stick to the Valvoline dedicated CVT fluid linked by @Passport1 above.

I see above that Idemitsu claim to 'seemingly' be identical to Subaru OEM. Based on what I've seen with Honda ATF, would really like to see a VOA of both to compare. I say it because though there are many that appear to make some "claim" of being very similar if not identical to Honda, as the chart pinned at the top proves, none of the aftermarket fluids are the same Honda DW1/Z1. Not saying Idemitsu isn't a fine CVT fluid for Subaru, expect that it is. Just saying like to see VOAs of both side by side. Idemitsu is claimed to make Honda OEM ATF too but it's aftermarket for Honda fluid(s) VOA are not identical to Honda or close.

 

[Pelican]

I have 2018 Subaru Forester with tr580 tranny
I'm planning to do fluid change on this. The shop I use is using 881056 valvoline cvt transmission fluid, not the OEM subaru one. Is it ok to mix? I know drain and flush will not get all the fluid out. Some people on forums claiming I should do it at the dealer but the dealer wants $150 more.
I have used this shop for more than 15 years with no issues. It is not one of those express oil change places. It is a full mechanical shop. Any thoughts?

Subaru makes its own auto-trannies so I doubt that Valvoline will make one to specs. Valvoline is multi trans fluid it will work for most, but for how long. I'm one of those that for ATF uses only OEM, just to be safe.

 

[stwremains]

I did not know where I would get the answer faster. My apologies.

I'm going to ask the shop to see if they would get a Subaru Fluid. It is interesting that they quoted me 10qt and said that they would do it 2 times. I see others like you reporting that it only needs 6qt. If the shop would allow me to bring my own fluid then I I would get Idemitsu CVT Transmission Fluid Type SB2-5qt CVTF New Transmission Oilbut it is only 5qt jug. Do you think I would need 6 just to be sure?

I didn’t mean to come across in a bad way, it was smart to post in multiple places, as some communities are more lively than others! Well done.

They likely said 10qt as they intended to do a full flush, which would not be advised, or perhaps they intended to drain and fill, drive it around to mix, and then drain and fill once more to get a higher percentage of fresh fluid in the system.

5.8 is what is usually needed on the TR580 with a drain and fill, which is why we say 6qt just to round up. As I mentioned, the total capacity is about 12 Qt but due to design only about 6qt drains out, so only 6qt is needed to refill. If a customer wants more than 50% of the fluid in the transmission to be new, a drain and fill can be done, then drive the vehicle for about 50 miles to ensure the old and new fluid is all thoroughly mixed, and then another drain and fill can be performed - which would in theory leave the final capacity of fluid at about 75% new and 25% old. Doing a third drain and refill would nearly ensure all fluid is as new and fresh as it can be. This isn’t really necessary as a 50/50 mix of old and new is quite adequate for 30k mile fluid change intervals.

If just one drain and refill is satisfactory to you, I would buy the linked idemitsu SB2 yourself, enough for 6qts, and have the mechanic or dealership drain what they can which will be about 6 quarts, and have them refill with 5qt, do the proper cycling of gears and get transmission up to temp between 95-110°F, and then add fluid till it overflows and produces a steady stream coming back out the check port. Then seal up and you’re good to go.

 

[stwremains]

This shop quotes me $245. One dealer, closer to me, was $389. I may call another dealer and see if price is different.

Honestly for a Subaru dealership to do it under $300 is fair considering the time, tools, and fluid cost. I’d get a dealership to do it as they are Subaru techs specializing in this, and I’d sleep easy.

 

[lepa71]

Honestly for a Subaru dealership to do it under $300 is fair considering the time, tools, and fluid cost. I’d get a dealership to do it as they are Subaru techs specializing in this, and I’d sleep easy.

Can I ask if you would do the same for front and rear diffs? I feel like it is easier than CVT.
I know that the shop told me that the reason they quoted me 10qt as they would be doing it twice. They were upfront with it.

 

[stwremains]

Can I ask if you would do the same for front and rear diffs? I feel like it is easier than CVT.
I know that the shop told me that the reason they quoted me 10qt as they would be doing it twice. They were upfront with it.

The differentials are very easy, and any brand of 75W90 weight GL-5 rated lubricant (Without limited slip additive! These are open differentials and do not need limited slip additive, which is a friction modifier and is not beneficial to your Subaru’s open differential operation!) can be used in both front and rear differentials. I would personally suggest using Valvoline 75W90 SynPower for both differentials. A 4 quart jug will do both differentials. Any shop can do this easily. Maybe have your local mechanic do it, or if the dealership doing the CVT is willing to do it for a fair price (under $130 is fair for both differentials parts included) it might be simpler to just have the Subaru dealership do it all at once.

Basic answer is, the differentials are no where near as precise or risky, just a general drain and refill of any GL-5 rated 75W90 differential lubricant (w/o limited slip additive as mentioned above)

Suggestion: have dealership do everything with OEM fluids if you’re happy with total cost, or just have Subaru dealership do CVT and then have your regular mechanic do the differentials, and buy the Valvoline SynPower yourself and provide it for him to use.

Valvoline SynPower SAE 75W-90 Full Synthetic Gear Oil 1 GA https://a.co/d/4ZnTM2N

 

[JTK]

The Subaru CVTS are very particular about fluid. Yes, generic high quality CVT fluid will allow them to function, but it is not ideal nor properly spec’d for these transmissions. It has been proven that they run and last best when filled with OEM fluid...

I've been out of the Subaru game for some years, but owned 2 of them equipped with CVTs and followed all that is Subaru quite closely at the time.

Just curious to see an example of where it's proven a name brand "suitable for use" aftermarket CVT fluid caused issues in a Subaru CVT.

 

[stwremains]

I've been out of the Subaru game for some years, but owned 2 of them equipped with CVTs and followed all that is Subaru quite closely at the time.

Just curious to see an example of where it's proven a name brand "suitable for use" aftermarket CVT fluid caused issues in a Subaru CVT.

I say "proven", and you could be fair in calling that out... I regard proven as, there are plenty of forum and YouTube reports of folks who did use generic CVT fluid instead of OEM and then had valve body issues, shift slippages, towing problems, high temp issues, and so forth. These CVTs are very picky and truly do require the exact formulation Subaru specifies with the OEM fluid.

Fun fact, from the thread I linked to another forum, Idemitsu makes the special formulation for Subaru CVTF, but they cannot rebrand and sell it for several years after initial manufacture, Subaru owns all rights to it for a few years. This is why its so hard to find the official Subaru CVTF3 anywhere but a Subaru reseller. In another year or so we should see Idemitsu reselling it just like we do with the SB2 for older CVTs (2020 and older)

 

[dkryan]

The differentials are very easy, and any brand of 75W90 weight GL-5 rated lubricant (Without limited slip additive! These are open differentials and do not need limited slip additive, which is a friction modifier and is not beneficial to your Subaru’s open differential operation!) can be used in both front and rear differentials. I would personally suggest using Valvoline 75W90 SynPower for both differentials. A 4 quart jug will do both differentials. Any shop can do this easily. Maybe have your local mechanic do it, or if the dealership doing the CVT is willing to do it for a fair price (under $130 is fair for both differentials parts included) it might be simpler to just have the Subaru dealership do it all at once.

Basic answer is, the differentials are no where near as precise or risky, just a general drain and refill of any GL-5 rated 75W90 differential lubricant (w/o limited slip additive as mentioned above)

Suggestion: have dealership do everything with OEM fluids if you’re happy with total cost, or just have Subaru dealership do CVT and then have your regular mechanic do the differentials, and buy the Valvoline SynPower yourself and provide it for him to use.

Valvoline SynPower SAE 75W-90 Full Synthetic Gear Oil 1 GA https://a.co/d/4ZnTM2N

I am willing to bet serious coin that the product you referenced above has a limited slip additive in it.

The single quart “flex pack” of the exact same gear lube clearly states that it has a limited slip additive in it.

SynPower™ 75W-90 Gear Oil

pro.valvolineglobal.com

 

[stwremains]

I am willing to bet serious coin that the product you referenced above has a limited slip additive in it.

The single quart “flex pack” of the exact same gear lube clearly states that it has a limited slip additive in it.

SynPower™ 75W-90 Gear Oil

pro.valvolineglobal.com

Yes valvoline synpower contains a generic limited slip additive, and is acceptable for vehicles with and without limited slip differentials.

Using a limited slip gear oil in an open differential won’t ruin it, but it can affect shift quality in a manual transmission, especially common in Subarus. This is a CVT model, so it doesn’t affect it, but the more potent friction modifiers in a dedicated limited slip gear oil can oxidize more quickly and lead to shorter effective life of the gear oil. This is why I am recommending non limited slip, or the Valvoline Synpower which is acceptable for all applications whether open or limited slip, as its formulation is non controversial.

 

[lepa71]

I've been out of the Subaru game for some years, but owned 2 of them equipped with CVTs and followed all that is Subaru quite closely at the time.

Just curious to see an example of where it's proven a name brand "suitable for use" aftermarket CVT fluid caused issues in a Subaru CVT.

It would be really hard to prove, but in my case, I have an extended warranty because of the all issues they had and SOA can play the game of "not done at an authorized shop".