CVT fluid change

[Toptek]

For CVT owners, are you still having the fluid changed every 2 years and at what annual mileage please?
I advocate the annual oil change regardless of low mileage but wonder if at 1500 miles a year and nearly 9 years old it's time to leave Honda servicing and whether the CVT fluid could be safely left to 3 years based upon other people's experiences.

[jasonevans]

If your intending to keep the car I would stick to 2years or 20k  . That's what I did before I sold it for a MK4.

[paulhipw]

Bought our 2012 Jazz 3 months ago.
It had a good service history but could not tell if the CVT fluid had been changed.
So I changed it and then after a few hundred miles changed the fluid again.
I will be changing the fluid every 25,000 miles. We do about 8000 miles a year. Jazz is now on 82,000 miles and going well.

[DavidP]

I queried the timescale with my Honda dealer.  They informed me a change after 8 years was in their service plan but they checked the CVT fluid condition at each annual service.

[ColinB]

I queried the timescale with my Honda dealer.  They informed me a change after 8 years was in their service plan but they checked the CVT fluid condition at each annual service.

8 years sounds extreme to me. The service requirements in the handbook state every 2 years, so what does the dealer know that the Honda engineers don’t? Sticking to the published interval seems like a cost-effective way of avoiding the need for (very expensive) CVT repairs down the line.

[paulhipw]

I queried the timescale with my Honda dealer.  They informed me a change after 8 years was in their service plan but they checked the CVT fluid condition at each annual service.

8 years sounds extreme to me. The service requirements in the handbook state every 2 years, so what does the dealer know that the Honda engineers don’t? Sticking to the published interval seems like a cost-effective way of avoiding the need for (very expensive) CVT repairs down the line.

What do they mean by "checked"? Do they mean the fluid level or the chemistry? I kept a sample of the fluid that came out of my CTV but could not find a way of easily "checking" it. There were places that would check the chemistry but no one to actually say it needed changing. I do not see how a mechanic could look at a sample and say it was OK.
I shall be changing mine regularly, I thought it was every three years or 25,00 miles but an earlier post says 2 years or 20,000 miles. Will have to check.

[Lord Voltermore]

What do they mean by "checked"? Do they mean the fluid level or the chemistry?

Probably just a subjective check by an experienced mechanic familiar with the difference between  good and bad fluid  .  In the past  it was not uncommon to check the condition of engine oil by its  colour and whether it still appears to be the correct viscosity.  They might also  also rub some between their fingers to see if it felt 'right' , or for  any signs of grittiness etc.  The same may still be done with the much more expensive  CVT fluid.

Honda probably set the change intervals for the worse case scenario of city traffic, climbing mount Fuji etc.   Many owners  will  be more gentle, with motorway miles, gentle runs etc  putting less stress on the fluid and allowing longer change intervals.  Even this relatively crude inspection would be sufficient to say if  the interval can safely be extended . IMO. 

The fingertip test is now discouraged  due to medical risks  but they might still do it wearing thin nitrile gloves .

[ColinS]

Sticking to the published interval seems like a cost-effective way of avoiding the need for (very expensive) CVT repairs down the line.

Having served a mechanical engineering apprenticeship years ago and understanding the mechanics behind a CVT, I couldn't agree more with ColinB.