How much for CVT fluid change? Also, better to DIY?

I just made an appointment with my dealer, $135 plus tax for the cvt fluid change.

it appears that the air box needs to removed in order to access that plug. i can just barely see it, but if the air box is taken out then the fluid is put back in, when you start the car up and shift it into gears will it error b/c the MAF and intake are disconnected ? The other option which I am considering is running it in via the check bolt but I dont see anyone who has tried that. Still boggles my mind why Honda would put the filler plug where they did.

"The other option which I am considering is running it in via the check bolt but I don't see anyone who has tried that."

I poured in the new fluid via the check port. Used a short piece of 1/2" OD clear vinyl tubing I bought at Lowes.

Worked fine using a small funnel and the tubing. Too difficult to access the rubber plug up top.

Only small problem I noticed was when I filled it up to the port the hose blocked the overflow oil from dripping out. So I overfilled a bit. Maybe when you're close to full you can raise the hose to the top of the bolt hole leaving a small gap below the hose for the excess oil to flow/drip out.

dallasjhawk said:

I just made an appointment with my dealer, $135 plus tax for the cvt fluid change.

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Well unfortunately, the lady making my appointment told me the wrong price and it was actually $199....

dallasjhawk said:

Well unfortunately, the lady making my appointment told me the wrong price and it was actually $199....

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$199.95 is the price for the "flush service." "Drain and fill" with up to 3 qt of fluid is $99.95.

These are the raw prices listed by my dealer without any specials/discounts/coupons. If you plan your visits at the dealer service, you will be able to pay a bit less because they have coupons regularly.

Gruber said:

$199.95 is the price for the "flush service." "Drain and fill" with up to 3 qt of fluid is $99.95.

These are the raw prices listed by my dealer without any specials/discounts/coupons. If you plan your visits at the dealer service, you will be able to pay a bit less because they have coupons regularly.

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Ill have to look at my invoice. pretty sure the fluid was listed at $80.

Gruber said:

$199.95 is the price for the "flush service." "Drain and fill" with up to 3 qt of fluid is $99.95.

These are the raw prices listed by my dealer without any specials/discounts/coupons. If you plan your visits at the dealer service, you will be able to pay a bit less because they have coupons regularly.

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Up to 3 quarts and it takes closer to 4? So how much then 120.

marauderguy said:

Up to 3 quarts and it takes closer to 4? So how much then 120.

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It should take 3.7 so yeah you would be charged more than 3.

Swordfish said:

it appears that the air box needs to removed in order to access that plug. i can just barely see it, but if the air box is taken out then the fluid is put back in, when you start the car up and shift it into gears will it error b/c the MAF and intake are disconnected ? The other option which I am considering is running it in via the check bolt but I dont see anyone who has tried that. Still boggles my mind why Honda would put the filler plug where they did.

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most likely yes,

you shouldn't be running your engine without the air filter installed anyway,

i reinstall mine then remove it again, only takes a few mins

you need to warm the fluid up to operating temp, which could take 10-15 mins or more of idling,

i drive mine around the block to make sure its hot before checking it again (doing the final check)

4 quarts of fluid at $12 each plus labor.

My local dealer charges $102 + sales tax = $112 total.

I bought four quarts of Eneos Import CVT Model H fluid @ $6 each and changed the fluid at home.

My total cost was less than $30.

This fluid is specifically engineered for HCF-2 applications -- Honda, etc.

fjrman said:

I bought four quarts of Eneos Import CVT Model H fluid @ $6 each and changed the fluid at home.

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sometimes the cheapest option turns out to be the most expensive option in the long run

for another $25 bucks i would have gone with the OEM fluid

Same as the Honda fluid.

https://www.eneos.us/recommended-pr.../civic&engine=/browse/2016/honda_(us)/civic/2

https://www.eneos.us/product/cvt-model-h/

https://www.eneos.us/about/

I've seen no difference in the performance of my car since the fluid change. Same MPG, no additional drive train noise, etc.

Supposedly their more expensive synthetic fluid offers better MPG and less noise.

I'd speculate that the Model H fluid is what Honda is selling. The Honda fluid is not synthetic fluid.

This oil company is the largest in Japan.

So which civics have the CVT fill plug hidden behind the air box? Is it the 2.0L?
My car has it plainly visible and accessible and I thought all the 1.5T would be the same.

Gruber said:

So which civics have the CVT fill plug hidden behind the air box? Is it the 2.0L?
My car has it plainly visible and accessible and I thought all the 1.5T would be the same.

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its under the airbox on the 2.0L

you need to remove the airbox, but its pretty simple to do, and takes less then 5 mins,

if your not able to remove the air box, you shouldn't be changing the CVT fluid to begin with

It's not that simple. You have to remove more than what is required to change the air filter.

If you don't want to run the engine with the filter box removed obviously you have to reinstall it to go through the transmission three second shift intervals as you circulate the fluid.

It's just a pain in the rear that shouldn't be necessary.

That's why I decided to fill the CVT from the oil level check port and stay away from the filter box and rubber plug up top. It's basically the same fill technique as that for a manual transmission.