@Robert.Mauro

The claimant says he has discussed this with you. He touts a business using motul for Ascent CVT fluid changes.

 

Yes, that is what prompted his post. I wanted to make sure that I was not giving false information by stating that the only approved fluid is the Subaru high torque CVTF-LV (low viscosity) SOA748V0300.

 

Still correct.

I'll be camping with some of the engineers next month and will inquire. I hope to have Motul's specs handy.

Mike is a friend of mine and has a long standing relationship with Motul and does not believe they'd state something false related to compatibility. Motul is a solid company.

This is an area he and I disagree on, especially after Amsoil's nonsense. We're pretty on sync about other maintenance related things, and if I'm not doing the work, it's his shop my Ascent goes to (I pay for the OEM CVT fluid, which they stock and use for any car under warranty).

I'll report back once I've spoken with one of the CVT engineers. Not sure if he can make it, but I'm hoping that the engineer responsible for some.of the 2022/2023 changes can make it... but Japan is pretty far away and not all of them get to visit every trip.

 

People are being led down this road by the aforementioned service facility. When I stated the facts as we know them he suspended me from his group, and later removed me from his group when I called him a coward for doing so. Turns out it was his group, so he had every right to do so. But he is still wrong
This Forum has a much much higher knowledge level than the other. A lot of those people had very little mechanical knowledge, and really needed some help. They are easily led down the wrong path.

 

I send people from there to here all the time. Much better community here and the search leads you straight to the right answers.

 

I just bought a bucket of CVTF-LV today. I saw that the Motul claims suitable for use, but neither of my Motul distributors currently stock it. For what it is worth, Valvoline also has a product that claims suitable for use in the LV applications.

We are starting to recommend 30,000 mile changes here in the mountains.

 

Not a bad idea. I am hoping more frequent changes will start resulting in CVT longevity. I wish we knew how many of the failures were caused by incorrect fluid!

 

It is my understanding that Subaru only recommends the drain and fill method. So when I say “change“ that is what I’m referring to, the Subaru recommended method of drain and fill, and only with the correct Subaru CVT fluid. I will try not to use the term. “change” to avoid confusion. Thanks for the post!

 

Very helpful. Thank you.

 

I’ve seen many Subaru CVT’s ruined by the CVT fluid inside them. I’ve never seen one ruined by the correct spec, OEM fluid.

 

So, it's not compatible.

And, it seems Mobil makes Amsoil's CVT fluid. Mobil does NOT list it compatible with ANY Subaru TR690.

 

Note that NONE of these are low viscosity fluids...

Mobil and Motul...

Note how MOBIL does NOT claim compatibility with anything except the original TR580 (not even the new TR580's, much less ANY HT-TR690).

Amsoil...

Redline also absurdly claims compatibility (though technically not with the new generation HT-TR690 that debuted in the Ascent - regardless, I can assure you it's not to spec for ANY HT-TR690 ever built)...

 

You and I have seen this beaten to absolute death over on the outback forum. I just don’t see the use of alternative fluids as worth the risk. You only save 100 or so dollars. Subaru CVT’s are great and last a long time, and in my experience, the factory fluid (Subaru direct, Eneos, Idemitsu) is critical to that happening.

To be fair, I have rebuilt far more TR580’s than 690’s. I’d say 9/10 of them that go across my bench for a rebuild have either red or yellow fluid(the correct fluid is blue).

 

This is the first I’ve heard of anyone rebuilding Subaru CVTs. I was under the impression that the vast majority of the internal parts weren’t even available.

 

They can be rebuilt as long as the bearing surfaces are not damaged. The variator can be had from Subaru at exuberant cost and used from a few vendors in the states. The clutch sets and bearings are readily available. The gear sets and planetary rarely fail, but they are available used as well.

Usually a rebuild far outweighs the cost of a JDM unit with low miles, so most customers go that route.

I’d say the most common failure is due to insufficient fluid or wrong fluid. There are plastic sealing washers all throughout the 690 that fail with the wrong or lack of fluid. Next would be the bearings on either ends of the variator pullies. They starve for lunrication if underfilled and fail.

 

I hadn’t heard of rebuilt CVT‘s! are you doing this commercially?

This is the first I’ve heard of anyone rebuilding Subaru CVTs.

I actually know a few of the rebuilders. There are three I know of. No, sorry, I cannot give any further details.

I was under the impression that the vast majority of the internal parts weren’t even available.

They're all available. While "pricey", it's cheaper than new by far. As a matter of fact, I have 1.5 CVTs on two of my workbenches in my workshop for video purposes. And, bunches more parts for them in boxes.

There are plastic sealing washers all throughout the 690 that fail with the wrong or lack of fluid.

So far, all I've found is steel and rubber in the HT-TR690 (but I have only been dissecting the new generation)... the pressure is pretty crazy in them, with the originals pushing 145,000 psi and the new generation in the Ascent onwards pushing even more. Rubber is used for lower pressure seals, such as on the fluid pipes through the valve body into the main case's oil channels.

 

I actually know a few of the rebuilders. There are three I know of. No, sorry, I cannot give any further details.

With Subaru or non affiliated Subaru shops?

They're all available. While "pricey", it's cheaper than new by far. As a matter of fact, I have 1.5 CVTs on two of my workbenches in my workshop for video purposes. And, bunches more parts for them in boxes.

You’re in a unique position and perhaps only one of very few.

I’m surprised that with all of the Subaru CVT failures (and CVT failures in general) that more transmission shops aren’t offering rebuilding services on CVTs. They are very rare in my area. It might be just that newer transmissions are a lot more complicated than the traditional automatics of the past.

 

You’re in a unique position and perhaps only one of very few.

Perhaps for the Canadian supply chain, but, in the US, anyone can buy the parts. parts.subaru.com