O'Reilly CVT in Subaru

[SavagePatch]

Hi,

Today I brought our 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness in for an oil change at the local indy shop. It only has 12.5k miles on it. They assigned the job to the new guy and accidentally drained the CVT. They then let a more seasoned mechanic correct it buy topping it back off with 4qts of O'Reilly CVT. When I looked up the capacity of a Drain & Fill it's about 4qts. Also, the mechanic said that he brought it up to proper temp and made sure it was full.

I do believe that they tried to make things right but if they would have caled me I would have asked for Subaru OEM fluid and even offered to pay for it. Now our "brand new" car is filled with 2/3 OEM fluid and 1/3 O'Reilly house brand.

Should I be concerned about this? I see I have 3 choices:

1) Don't worry about it and move on.
2) Ask that they replace all of the mixed fill with Subaru OEM fluid.
3) Ask that all of the mixed fluid is replaced with Subaru OEM fluid at a Subaru Service Center.

What would you do?

 

[Rand]

oof I wouldnt be happy. I'd have the dealer change it/flush it whatever to get most of that out.
There is a reason subaru has 5 different CVT fluids.

 

[RobbS]

This happened to me with a lesser importance liquid, my coolant got flushed with "generic "coolant. Toyota pink coolant is good for over a hundred thousand miles.
So I went right to the dealer and got it corrected.
I would go to the dealer and get as much factory fluid back in there. Or at least get some advice from the dealerships or here in this forum.

 

[RF Overlord]

I'd have the dealer change it/flush it whatever to get most of that out.
There is a reason subaru has 5 different CVT fluids.

Agree w/@Rand

 

[Zee09]

The only positive thing they did was to tell you the truth. Maybe they shouldn't have. Now you are worried over a dumb rookie move.

Those vehicles are so easy to change the oil on you probably should do it yourself if possible. Good luck.

 

[doitmyself]

Being that it is new and under warranty, I would opt for #3. That means that you may have to be assertive with the shop that made the mistake. Assertiveness is a skill that gets your desired result. It doesn't mean being a jerk, but you need to stand your ground if necessary. I would get a quote from your Subaru dealer first, then go to the offending shop and work with the manager. I would think (don't know) that he has no grounds to deny your request because of your warranty and they made a serious mistake.

Just my opinion. I would feel forever uncomfortable with anything less on a new, under warranty vehicle.

 

[DirectRejection]

Subaru's are picky about fluids.

They must be changed often, correctly and probably expensively.

This is the one reason I have never owned one of these durable tanks.

 

[dogememe]

I wouldn't worry about it

 

[Nuclear_42]

The back of the Oriley CVT bottle does not list Subaru CVT-III which is the only fluid allowed. I’d demand the shop to pay for a drain and fill 3 times with oem fluid or just pay the bill for a dealer to do it.

 

[D60]

Their "compatibility" by make and MY lists Foresters up through '23, but this is not a confidence inspiring way to verify.

I'd rather see a PDS but can't find one.

In the Q&A O'Reilly says this is "made by" Omni Specialty Packaging, presumably this:
https://www.omnisp.com/

@slacktide_bitog is really good at sharking out this info, but presumably he also has a life, so maybe no time.

It sounds like this fluid is amber/translucent, so not sure the dealer could tell anything from color.

And, HTH does even a newbie confuse an FB25 engine oil pan with a trans pan? That guy definitely licks windows....

 

[D60]

But ultimately OP I think you're fine, and if so it's just a matter of how much effort you want to put into it. I also think the "High Torque CVT" covers you here.

It's surprising and impressive they were honest at all. If you push it too much they might listen to Depeche Mode's Policy of Truth next time, which is not to say you shouldn't get after them if that's what lets you sleep.

You'll find your problems multiply
If you continually decide
To faithfully pursue the Policy of Truth

 

[Zee09]

I think from memory Subaru even marks the drain pan bolt area as "oil" to avoid this issue on late model vehicles.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Their "compatibility" by make and MY lists Foresters up through '23, but this is not a confidence inspiring way to verify.

I'd rather see a PDS but can't find one.

In the Q&A O'Reilly says this is "made by" Omni Specialty Packaging, presumably this:
https://www.omnisp.com/

@slacktide_bitog is really good at sharking out this info, but presumably he also has a life, so maybe no time.

It sounds like this fluid is amber/translucent, so not sure the dealer could tell anything from color.

That site leads to Pureguard and Xtrarev. The bottles look identical to the bottle posted in the OP. As you'd expect, the PDS is identical for both CVT fluids. Both seem to be amber (since it specifically says not dyed in the properties section).

There is no O'Reilly nearby, so I don't pay much attention to them and otherwise wouldn't know much about their house brands.

And, HTH does even a newbie confuse an FB25 engine oil pan with a trans pan? That guy definitely licks windows....

Yeah, that gets me too. They don't even use the same kind of bolt! The oil drain is a regular 17mm bolt, while the transmission drain is an allen bolt

 

[2heeldrive]

I wonder when they found out they drained the transmission instead of the engine?

 

[D60]

I wonder when they found out they drained the transmission instead of the engine?

I wondered that, too. The honesty may only go so far....

 

[D60]

Yeah, that gets me too. They don't even use the same kind of bolt! The oil drain is a regular 17mm bolt, while the transmission drain is an allen bolt

Or is it the T70? I can't remember without one in front of me.

 

[D60]

The back of the Oriley CVT bottle does not list Subaru CVT-III which is the only fluid allowed. I’d demand the shop to pay for a drain and fill 3 times with oem fluid or just pay the bill for a dealer to do it.

Is this true for a '23? This Subaru parts site suggests the -III for '24+ Forester.

OP, does your manual say??

edit: apologies! I see the "Forester Wilderness" is apparently a model unto itself. 'Cause that makes sense <--- sarcasm

 

[wavinwayne]

I wonder when they found out they drained the transmission instead of the engine?

Maybe after they overfilled the oil by about 4.5 quarts, checked the dipstick and said, hmmm that's a lot of oil..

I would insist they pay to have the fluid replaced by the Subaru dealer with the proper fluid. Take them to small claims court if you have to.

 

[martinq]

I vote for #1.

The fluid they used would be of no concern to me. I've used four different brands of CVT fluid and they are all fit for purpose. Sure I'd rather have Amsoil over Valvoline but the important point is the fluid level and type.

I would recommend you drop the CVT pan (if it has one) in the first year / 10k to clean and inspect. This shop kinda did that for you. Getting rid of SOME of the break-in wear material is better than nothing.

I recommend dropping the pan a year from now for inspection and cleaning. Top up with whichever CVT fluid suits you best.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Or is it the T70? I can't remember without one in front of me.

I don't remember off hand, but it's definitely different than a regular oil drain plug