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

OP
OP

CivicXI

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Threads
18
Messages
733
Reaction score
431
Location
NJ
Vehicle(s)
Civic EX-T, Civic EX HB
Country flag
$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.
Do they actually flush or do they do the same 3.7 qt service?
Sponsored

 

mikey003

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
56
Reaction score
35
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
2019 Civic
Country flag
It's not that simple. You have to remove more than what is required to change the air filter.


It's just a pain in the rear that shouldn't be necessary.
takes me less then 5 mins to remove the airbox, i wouldn't really call that a pain in the rear,

i suppose you also think removing the belly pain to access the oil drain plug is "a pain in the rear that shouldn't be necessary??"

removing the air box to me is a lot easier then trying to pour 3+ liters of fluid into the check plug hole
 
Last edited:

Gruber

Senior Member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Jan 27, 2018
Threads
2
Messages
2,309
Reaction score
1,521
Location
TN
Vehicle(s)
2018 Honda Civic Sport Touring; 2009 Honda CR-V EX-L
Country flag
takes me less then 5 mins to remove the airbox, i wouldn't really call that a pain in the rear,

i suppose you also think removing the belly pain to access the oil drain plug is "a pain in the rear that shouldn't be necessary??"

No, it is indeed a PIDA. Nothing complicated, but the CVT fluid drain and fill is so simple otherwise that fiddling with the intake is a PIDA. If it was a German car, I wouldn't be surprised, but Honda... The worst thing is not that you need to remove and reinstall it, because the CVT fluid exchange is not so frequent, and you can also clean the box and replace the air filter on those occasions. But is it worth the effort to put in on repeatedly as you may need to run the engine and add fluid again? I bet the dealer service guy's answer is usually: naaah.... Another opportunity for junk to get into the engine - not necessarily from the ambient air, but anything that happened to fall in there. If it's your own car, you may take your time to clean it, but they need to work fast.

Taking off and replacing the bottom cover is not in the same category, but yes, it is a PIDA too, not so much for the service mechanic, as for the owner who doesn't change the oil herself. They sometimes do literally screw up this procedure (or rather fail to screw it up correctly) and the cover may fall off or become mangled. It is enough intellectual load for an oil change person to mind two screws (the drain plug and the filter). With this cover they have to mind eight more screws and they may not have so many memory locations left in their brains.

The cover in the civic is simple and quite OK, but it is designed easier in some vehicles (mostly larger trucks), where it swivels open and has less fasteners, and these fasteners may stay attached.
 

Gruber

Senior Member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Jan 27, 2018
Threads
2
Messages
2,309
Reaction score
1,521
Location
TN
Vehicle(s)
2018 Honda Civic Sport Touring; 2009 Honda CR-V EX-L
Country flag
honda does not recommend flushing the CVT, a dealer wouldn't do that even if you asked them to,

drain and fill only
Even if they wanted to, I would avoid flushing of anything by the dealer (including transmissions other than CVT and cooling systems). Too much risk they will screw it up, because there is too much thinking and training involved in using the different flush machines and often some cleaning fluids.
 


mikey003

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
56
Reaction score
35
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
2019 Civic
Country flag
No, it is indeed a PIDA. Nothing complicated, but the CVT fluid drain and fill is so simple otherwise that fiddling with the intake is a PIDA. If it was a German car, I wouldn't be surprised, but Honda... The worst thing is not that you need to remove and reinstall it, because the CVT fluid exchange is not so frequent, and you can also clean the box and replace the air filter on those occasions. But is it worth the effort to put in on repeatedly as you may need to run the engine and add fluid again? I bet the dealer service guy's answer is usually: naaah.... Another opportunity for junk to get into the engine - not necessarily from the ambient air, but anything that happened to fall in there. If it's your own car, you may take your time to clean it, but they need to work fast.

Taking off and replacing the bottom cover is not in the same category, but yes, it is a PIDA too, not so much for the service mechanic, as for the owner who doesn't change the oil herself. They sometimes do literally screw up this procedure (or rather fail to screw it up correctly) and the cover may fall off or become mangled. It is enough intellectual load for an oil change person to mind two screws (the drain plug and the filter). With this cover they have to mind eight more screws and they may not have so many memory locations left in their brains.

The cover in the civic is simple and quite OK, but it is designed easier in some vehicles (mostly larger trucks), where it swivels open and has less fasteners, and these fasteners may stay attached.
agree with pretty much everything you said,

shops probably will not re-install the air box/filter to start the car, thats why i do everything myself, shops cut too many corners,

like you said, with the air box removed that gives me access to the entire top of the transmission so i can clean that area properly, i even use a vacuum, a lot of sand and dust builds up on top of the tranny, also clean the airbox spotless,

CVT requires such little and infrequent maint, i dont see a problem with the design at all,

if you needed to remove the airbox to get to the oil dipstick, or fill the washer fluid, then that would be a problem
 

Swordfish

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Threads
41
Messages
854
Reaction score
353
Location
Los Angeles, California
Vehicle(s)
2017 Honda Civic
Country flag
Japanese vehicle with German problems it appears.

I prefer to do my own DIY b/c mechanics despite doing this as their full time job can be very incompetent. At same time, it's your car and not theirs so why would they care. I have the money and that's not a problem for me, it's the quality of work, or lack there of.


This video is an example of what I am talking about. The guy just dumps in fluid without using the check bolt.

 
Last edited:

fjrman

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
Threads
13
Messages
335
Reaction score
151
Location
Tennessee
Vehicle(s)
2016 Civic 4 door LX with CVT
Country flag
Glad I didn't remove the air box. Pain in the rear. This guy broke some clips getting the box out.

Don't know why he didn't remove the box and rubber plug before draining the oil? Glug, glug, glug!

Best thing is do is pour all four quarts in. Do the timed shifts, get the car level and remove the level check bolt and catch the small quantity (a cup or so) which drips out.

4 / 3.7 = 8.1% overfill

0.3 quarts = 9.6 ounces
 

Swordfish

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Threads
41
Messages
854
Reaction score
353
Location
Los Angeles, California
Vehicle(s)
2017 Honda Civic
Country flag
Glad I didn't remove the air box. Pain in the rear. This guy broke some clips getting the box out.

Don't know why he didn't remove the box and rubber plug before draining the oil? Glug, glug, glug!

Best thing is do is pour all four quarts in. Do the timed shifts, get the car level and remove the level check bolt and catch the small quantity (a cup or so) which drips out.

4 / 3.7 = 8.1% overfill

0.3 quarts = 9.6 ounces
How did you put the fluid in through the check bolt? I may just hand pump it in. The clips are cheap plastic and break easily.


I'm sure the guy didn't tell the customer he broke those clips either
 

TypeSiR

Senior Member
Joined
May 15, 2017
Threads
67
Messages
2,091
Reaction score
1,689
Location
On a Twisty Road
Vehicle(s)
1.5T Civic, Fit, MX-5, CTR
Vehicle Showcase
3
Country flag
Japanese vehicle with German problems it appears.

I prefer to do my own DIY b/c mechanics despite doing this as their full time job can be very incompetent. At same time, it's your car and not theirs so why would they care. I have the money and that's not a problem for me, it's the quality of work, or lack there of.


This video is an example of what I am talking about. The guy just dumps in fluid without using the check bolt.

"Any good mechanic knows the feel of a nice and tightened bolt." Good mechanic proceeds to hand torque drain bolt and break some plastic clips.
 


OP
OP

CivicXI

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Threads
18
Messages
733
Reaction score
431
Location
NJ
Vehicle(s)
Civic EX-T, Civic EX HB
Country flag
honda does not recommend flushing the CVT, a dealer wouldn't do that even if you asked them to,

drain and fill only
What's the $199 flush service then?
 

fjrman

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
Threads
13
Messages
335
Reaction score
151
Location
Tennessee
Vehicle(s)
2016 Civic 4 door LX with CVT
Country flag
"How did you put the fluid in through the check bolt?"

I used a 4' piece of 1/2" OD clear vinyl tubing bought at Lowes. They have it on a reel and you cut the length you want. 3' is plenty.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EASTMAN-1-2-in-x-100-ft-PVC-Clear-Vinyl-Tubing/1000365033

I used the top from a gear lube bottle to pour the fluid into the tubing. I use this lube oil in my bike's rear wheel drive. Installed the small tipped top on the cvt fluid bottles and poured into the tubing.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech-Full-Synthetic-Gear-Lubricant-75W-90-1-Quart/309470123

For the last quart hold up the end of the tubing as it enters the check port. This will provide an open space below the tubing for the oil to drip from the port when full. Otherwise the tubing will be positioned at the bottom of the port blocking the overflow.
 

Gruber

Senior Member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Jan 27, 2018
Threads
2
Messages
2,309
Reaction score
1,521
Location
TN
Vehicle(s)
2018 Honda Civic Sport Touring; 2009 Honda CR-V EX-L
Country flag
What's the $199 flush service then?
It's a pity this guy calls the CVT oil change (drain and refill) a flush. This is by no means a flush.

I generally don't criticize people who put videos on youtube. I appreciate those who bother to do it. I learned a lot from them. But viewer discretion is definitely advised, because at least incomplete information is a very common fault. So I also advise to always view several videos on the topic, if they exist.

On this topic, it should be at least mentioned that the check level hole exists, and that the drain plug washer exists. I would say that doing the oil change this way will usually work OK (the washer can be used at least two or three times and any over/underfill should probably be insignificant, considering the large total oil volume in the transmission.

But... the cost of the washer is negligible and using the check hole is no big deal, so there is no point for most owners to cut corners... The last time I took out the air box in my CR-V I washed it in water and soap so it looked like the day it was first installed in factory.....
 
OP
OP

CivicXI

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Threads
18
Messages
733
Reaction score
431
Location
NJ
Vehicle(s)
Civic EX-T, Civic EX HB
Country flag
It's a pity this guy calls the CVT oil change (drain and refill) a flush. This is by no means a flush.

I generally don't criticize people who put videos on youtube. I appreciate those who bother to do it. I learned a lot from them. But viewer discretion is definitely advised, because at least incomplete information is a very common fault. So I also advise to always view several videos on the topic, if they exist.

On this topic, it should be at least mentioned that the check level hole exists, and that the drain plug washer exists. I would say that doing the oil change this way will usually work OK (the washer can be used at least two or three times and any over/underfill should probably be insignificant, considering the large total oil volume in the transmission.

But... the cost of the washer is negligible and using the check hole is no big deal, so there is no point for most owners to cut corners... The last time I took out the air box in my CR-V I washed it in water and soap so it looked like the day it was first installed in factory.....
I"m just wondering if his dealership is ripping people off because drain and fill is $99 but flush is $199?
 

mikey003

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
56
Reaction score
35
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
2019 Civic
Country flag
Best thing is do is pour all four quarts in. Do the timed shifts, get the car level and remove the level check bolt and catch the small quantity (a cup or so) which drips out.

4 / 3.7 = 8.1% overfill

0.3 quarts = 9.6 ounces
No you should NOT run the car with the tranny overfilled, even for a few mins, sorry but that is terrible advice
Sponsored

 


 


Top