Transmission problem after oil change, no oil is draining back out, help needed

[AEFXC]

2016 Honda Civic Touring Coupe with 19k miles - 1.5L engine with CVT.

Conducted an oil change myself. Drained just over 3.5L of fluid from the engine and oil filter. Filled new Bosch 3323 oil filter with 0W-20, installed it. Added 3.25L oil to engine - I am certain of this. Dipstick ran high, like REALLY high - maybe 2.5 inches up the metal above the plastic piece. Checked this both cold and using the owner's manual prescribed procedure of idling for a few minutes and then waiting three minutes, same result. I was very perplexed by this and honestly indignant, and my parking spot is on slight a incline with the engine low and trunk high, so I pulled around to the front of the building (~300 feet). Engine started revving freely with only a small amount of power making it to the drivetrain, ended up with no power to the drivetrain out in front of the building. The engine itself ran perfectly smoothly, normal idle, revs sounded perfectly smooth.

Same dipstick reading on level ground maybe 2" up the metal. I made several attempts to drain oil from the dipstick tube using a narrow fuel hose, using this thread as guidance: https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/practicle-oil-dilution-measurement.33511/ . I never was able to pass a 3/16 OD fuel hose fully through the dipstick tube or able to pull anything up this way. So I jacked the car up again and attempted to drain some oil via the oil drain plug. Something on the order of 0.25L came out and after that nothing came out. I removed the oil cap on top of the engine, removed the dipstick. Absolutely nothing further came out of that engine from the oil drain plug, no heavy pour and a stop - just a gentle trickle from the start that tapered off into nothing. Dropped the car back down and checked the dipstick, still got just about the same reading on the dipstick - now maybe 1.5" above the plastic piece, honestly not certain it changed at all. Tried to at least get it back into my parking space, but there was zero power going to the transmission and the vehicle threw up a transmission error. The engine itself still sounded normal and smooth as butter. Made a second attempt to drain oil from the oil pan, absolutely nothing further came out. I removed and emptied the oil filter and put it back on, still no change in dipstick oil reading or transmission status.

Last oil change was 1yr ago when an oil change was performed by honda service techs per that recall that went out. The 3.5L I originally drained out looked a bit more like honey than the black oil I'm used to draining. The ~0.5L I drained later on was black with no observable color tint or debris. Never had a single maintenance issue with the vehicle until now, beyond the dang infotainment system. I'm having a bit of deja vu like I had a similar albeit transient issue when doing a previous oil change myself, but that was at least 2 years ago and I don't even remember if it even happened.

I am the most perplexed person on the planet right now and my car is completely inoperative. Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas would be very welcome.

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[AEFXC]

Ok I'm realizing this post made it seem like after I pulled around to the front of the building I drained my transmission oil instead of the engine oil. Which would have been great, because that's a problem I could have fixed. I went BACK UNDER the car and no, I did not drain my transmission oil by accident. That's a 12mm bolt head and I've been using the 3/8th pipe plug socket that ONLY fits the oil pan drain bolt this whole time.

 

[SDAlexander8]

Dude. Thats the trans oil pan plug with the 3/8th socket drive. The engine oil plug is a 17mm bolt that faces at an angle almost sideways.

Do not attempt to drive that car. Until you get the right amount of Honda OEM CVT trans fluid back into it. If you can’t figure out the proper way to do that yourself, get it towed somewhere that can do it.

Youve also overfilled your engine with oil. You need to drain all that out and put the correct amount of new oil back in.

I hope you didn’t ruin your transmission by trying to drive it low on fluid. CVTs are extremely sensitive.

 

[AEFXC]

OK I see it now, thanks for having me revisit that!

 

[fitter_here]

This is the way I see it also, you drained the transmission oil and over filled the engine.

 

[vtecr]

As mentioned, don't drive it. Don't even run it.

Too much oil is very bad for the engine and too little ATF will overheat and damage the clutch packs in the transmission.

To be honest, and I mean absolutely no offence by this, but if you can't tell the difference between draining the transmission and the sump then it's probably best to have a professional do this and to check the car over to make sure there hasn't been any damage already done. It could be a very expensive mistake.

 

[The Vyzitor]

I pulled around to the front of the building (~300 feet). Engine started revving freely with only a small amount of power making it to the drivetrain, ended up with no power to the drivetrain out in front of the building. The engine itself ran perfectly smoothly, normal idle, revs sounded perfectly smooth.

Tried to at least get it back into my parking space, but there was zero power going to the transmission and the vehicle threw up a transmission error. The engine itself still sounded normal and smooth as butter.

yeah, you drained the transmission. Get the car towed to a service center, tell them the trans is completely empty, and have them refill the transmission. also have them drain and refill the oil to the appropriate level.

Hopefully no catastrophic damage has been done to the transmission. These transmissions are pretty much replace-only, most shops will not even attempt to repair them.

 

[calonzo]

To be honest, and I mean absolutely no offence by this, but if you can't tell the difference between draining the transmission and the sump then it's probably best to have a professional do this and to check the car over to make sure there hasn't been any damage already done. It could be a very expensive mistake.

People make mistakes and learn from them. No reason to tell someone to hang up their tools forever.

 

[AEFXC]

People make mistakes and learn from them. No reason to tell someone to hang up their tools forever.

I really appreciate somebody sharing a sentiment like this. I've done my own oil changes for a decade across a few civics and a motorcycle and this left me a little complacent - rather than double checking everything against the owner's manual like it was my first time, it became a routine chore of "take the big bolt at the bottom of an oil pan out, put it back in, filter off, fill new one put it on". Factor in the fact that it's been two really difficult years since I last worked on the car (given last year was the recall), having a really difficult week were I'm trying to push through a lot of anxiety to get important stuff done, and working in the dark - you end up with an error like this. I also had no idea the CVT had its own oil pan and 4 quarts of its own oil. If you asked me a week ago, I would have guessed it was some red fluid whose reservoir more resembled the brake fluid rather than an engine oil pan.

It's embarrassing to be sharing my mistakes with ya'll, I just needed a little help pushing me in the right direction to figuring out what happened. Just let me be and leave me to clean up my mess on my own.

 

[Joe1986]

2016 Honda Civic Touring Coupe with 19k miles - 1.5L engine with CVT.

Conducted an oil change myself. Drained just over 3.5L of fluid from the engine and oil filter. Filled new Bosch 3323 oil filter with 0W-20, installed it. Added 3.25L oil to engine - I am certain of this. Dipstick ran high, like REALLY high - maybe 2.5 inches up the metal above the plastic piece. Checked this both cold and using the owner's manual prescribed procedure of idling for a few minutes and then waiting three minutes, same result. I was very perplexed by this and honestly indignant, and my parking spot is on slight a incline with the engine low and trunk high, so I pulled around to the front of the building (~300 feet). Engine started revving freely with only a small amount of power making it to the drivetrain, ended up with no power to the drivetrain out in front of the building. The engine itself ran perfectly smoothly, normal idle, revs sounded perfectly smooth.

Same dipstick reading on level ground maybe 2" up the metal. I made several attempts to drain oil from the dipstick tube using a narrow fuel hose, using this thread as guidance: https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/practicle-oil-dilution-measurement.33511/ . I never was able to pass a 3/16 OD fuel hose fully through the dipstick tube or able to pull anything up this way. So I jacked the car up again and attempted to drain some oil via the oil drain plug. Something on the order of 0.25L came out and after that nothing came out. I removed the oil cap on top of the engine, removed the dipstick. Absolutely nothing further came out of that engine from the oil drain plug, no heavy pour and a stop - just a gentle trickle from the start that tapered off into nothing. Dropped the car back down and checked the dipstick, still got just about the same reading on the dipstick - now maybe 1.5" above the plastic piece, honestly not certain it changed at all. Tried to at least get it back into my parking space, but there was zero power going to the transmission and the vehicle threw up a transmission error. The engine itself still sounded normal and smooth as butter. Made a second attempt to drain oil from the oil pan, absolutely nothing further came out. I removed and emptied the oil filter and put it back on, still no change in dipstick oil reading or transmission status.

Last oil change was 1yr ago when an oil change was performed by honda service techs per that recall that went out. The 3.5L I originally drained out looked a bit more like honey than the black oil I'm used to draining. The ~0.5L I drained later on was black with no observable color tint or debris. Never had a single maintenance issue with the vehicle until now, beyond the dang infotainment system. I'm having a bit of deja vu like I had a similar albeit transient issue when doing a previous oil change myself, but that was at least 2 years ago and I don't even remember if it even happened.

I am the most perplexed person on the planet right now and my car is completely inoperative. Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas would be very welcome.

Wtf omg lol sorry but that's the transmission flu drained omfg

 

[Joe1986]

People make mistakes and learn from them. No reason to tell someone to hang up their tools forever.

Transmission aint cheap, that over a 5k if its fooked

 

[calonzo]

It's embarrassing to be sharing my mistakes with ya'll, I just needed a little help pushing me in the right direction to figuring out what happened. Just let me be and leave me to clean up my mess on my own.

I've been there. So, I get it. This is a forum to help each other, not to tear each other down. It's fine to point out the dangers and pitfalls, but no need to make someone feel small. It's up to each of us to decide what risk we are willing to accept.

 

[vtecr]

It's embarrassing to be sharing my mistakes with ya'll, I just needed a little help pushing me in the right direction to figuring out what happened. Just let me be and leave me to clean up my mess on my own.

I wasn't suggesting you avoid ever doing anything mechanical in future. I'm simply saying it'd be a good idea to get a pro to get you out of the current hole, given the potential cost of it going badly and the possibility that damage has already been done.

By all means attempt it yourself. It should be easy enough to sort out and hopefully it'll be a learning experience.

 

[SDAlexander8]

So the CVT transmission actually has 7 quarts or so. Maybe it is differen’t for the 1.5. I did it in the 2.0.

When the CVT fluid is serviced, around 4 quarts drains out of the trans, and around 3 is left in circulation and in the torque converter. The 3 quarts of old fluid stays and 4 new quarts goes in and they mix.

And no, Honda’s CVT fluid is not Red.

 

[Gruber]

Yeah, definitely don't get discouraged and keep changing your oil. Your CVT will probably be fine.

Oil change is extremly easy, but, for heavens sake, it's not THAT easy. Have some respect for things you don't know. There is more than one bolt down there.

And btw. removing oil via the dipstick tube is also extremely easy. I do it all the time.

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