Replacing fluid by weight

[RichardS]

The caliber is coming up on 120,000, and it's time to replace the CVT fluid. The process, as most of you know, is a little absurd with special dip sticks, temperature charts, and some voodoo. The local dodge dealer (with their impressive 1.5 star service dept rating) wants $334 plus tax to replace the 13 quarts of CVT+4 fluid. This might seem a little stupid, but couldn't I vacuum pump out the old fluid, and replace it with the equivalent weight of new fluid? Would that eliminate the volume discrepancies from different temperature fluids, or is the possibility of wear material being significant enough to throw off the addition of the correct amount of new fluid?

 

[SatinSilver]

You could draw out the atf and measure what comes out and replace that amount. Just do it cold. Where all the complexity comes in is when a car arrives hot/warm at the dealer/service facility. The hot/warm fluid that comes out has to match the temperature of the new fluid going in. Which can be tricky.

 

[JC1]

I don't see why not. I checked youtube, but there aren't any great detailed videos for the Caliber CVT tranny fluid change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY7ZM4C8o1A

 

[doitmyself]

You can check out videos and sites for the Jeep Compass and Patriot also. They share the same drive train.

 

[RichardS]

It's pretty direct, the changing part. You take off the pan, and drain it out. I believe the TC drains at the same time, as you replace roughly 13 quarts. the last time I looked, admittedly a while ago, the dipstick for the fill tube was like $90 bucks, add that to the unnecessarily expensive MOPAR CVTF+4, and I'm not saving enough to make the personal labor worth it

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: RichardS

It's pretty direct, the changing part. You take off the pan, and drain it out. I believe the TC drains at the same time, as you replace roughly 13 quarts. the last time I looked, admittedly a while ago, the dipstick for the fill tube was like $90 bucks, add that to the unnecessarily expensive MOPAR CVTF+4, and I'm not saving enough to make the personal labor worth it

Can't you get an aftermarket ATF dipstick from Dorman for much cheaper?

 

[Kestas]

I've done changes by measuring the volume of fluid that is drained. But you have to account for clingage losses. All the better if you can do it by weight.

 

[Wolf359]

Isn't there also a filter and a magnet that won't get changed/cleaned out if you just suck out the old fluid?

 

[RichardS]

JC1, Yes, there are aftermarket sticks, and a quick glance found one for $30. But that seems a silly price tag for something I'll use one time if there is a potential, equally effective, and cheaper method. Kestas, That's why I was think about weighing it. I'd have to account for the fluid stuck in the extractor, but I'd imagine that wouldn't be more than 3-5 ounces. I figured a gram scale weight of the tubing before and after would give me a close enough estimate of fluid to replace when adding the new oil in. Wolf359, I'm not sure, honestly. I can find filter part numbers, but both a cartridge and in-sump version that come up. I'm fairly sure it isn't a cartridge, so there may be one in the pan. But JATCO doesn't even recommend servicing the fluid in a privately owned vehicle, so I'm sure filters are treated with the same "life time" interval. I'd be plenty happy with just a fluid swap via whatever I can suction out.

 

[Nick1994]

I think people sometimes use the engine oil dipstick to check the level. Mark your current level on your oil dipstick after inserting into the transmission. Or use a ruler and measure the distance from the bottom.

 

[greasegunn]

Originally Posted By: RichardS

The caliber is coming up on 120,000, and it's time to replace the CVT fluid. The process, as most of you know, is a little absurd with special dip sticks, temperature charts, and some voodoo. The local dodge dealer (with their impressive 1.5 star service dept rating) wants $334 plus tax to replace the 13 quarts of CVT+4 fluid. This might seem a little stupid, but couldn't I vacuum pump out the old fluid, and replace it with the equivalent weight of new fluid? Would that eliminate the volume discrepancies from different temperature fluids, or is the possibility of wear material being significant enough to throw off the addition of the correct amount of new fluid?

This is how I do it on my daughters Mazda 6. For this procedure to work correctly, you have to be at the appropriate fluid level when you do the drain. I use a scale from Harbor Freight.

 

[Whimsey]

Or another option is take what you can remove cold with suction and put into a bucket that has measurements in it. Then just put back the same amount with new cold fluid. I did this with our 2017 Explorer and it worked out well. The Explorer does not have a pan, just a drain plug and a fill hole without a dipstick, hence the need to measure what drains out cold to refill the same amount cold. If you do a pan drop you'll likely spill/lose enough fluid to not get an accurate volume measurement. Whimsey

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: RichardS

JC1, Yes, there are aftermarket sticks, and a quick glance found one for $30. But that seems a silly price tag for something I'll use one time if there is a potential, equally effective, and cheaper method. Kestas, That's why I was think about weighing it. I'd have to account for the fluid stuck in the extractor, but I'd imagine that wouldn't be more than 3-5 ounces. I figured a gram scale weight of the tubing before and after would give me a close enough estimate of fluid to replace when adding the new oil in. Wolf359, I'm not sure, honestly. I can find filter part numbers, but both a cartridge and in-sump version that come up. I'm fairly sure it isn't a cartridge, so there may be one in the pan. But JATCO doesn't even recommend servicing the fluid in a privately owned vehicle, so I'm sure filters are treated with the same "life time" interval. I'd be plenty happy with just a fluid swap via whatever I can suction out.

I don't know about your particular make, but Mercedes did the same thing with their transmissions. First they claimed it was a lifetime fluid, then later they backtracked and said that it should be changed every 40k. Even their new models still call for fluid changes. So I'm not sure I'd believe in anything that really says the fluid is lifetime. They always had a filter available even when it was lifetime and they even make you replace the bolts when dropping the pan as they're one time use bolts. At least there's only 6 of them and they don't cost that much.