Subaru Outback CVT Fluid Change 2010-2014 Gen 4 

Drain and fill of the CVT transmission fluid on a Gen 4 2012 Subaru Outback with the 2.5i PZEV motor. The process should be the same on 2010-2014 Subaru Outbacks. Remove drain plug and drain fluid approx 5.5 quarts will come out Add approx 4.5 quarts, that is about all you will be able to get in before it starts spilling our of the fill hole. Now you'll need to start car and cycle through gears and with engine idling and in park to distribute the fluid and now you will be able to add the remaining 1 quart. Done. Please give a thumbs up if you find this helpful.

My Forester 2015 is on 120K miles, I just did a CVT flush myself with 11 quarts replaced with Subaru CVTF II. I can immediately feel the car driving smoother, especially at low speed.

Always crack the fill plug loose first, just like with differentials. If you can't fill it, why drain it?

Great video but let me add something if I may. You mentioned the amount you took out and obviously the amount you'll put back in but, unless you're looking at a shop manual for exact instructions on how to do this (this is crucial for DIYers) you will not be aware that the car will only allow you to add approx 4 quarts back in and you will think oh, well, there must have been too much fluid in there, to begin with. After turning the car on, cycling through the gears, and letting the trans get up to temp, and while the car is running, can you add the additional 1.5-2 quarts. So, boys and girls, why is this important? If you decided to drive the car without the exact amount of CVT fluid (or close to it) you can, you guessed it, ruin your CVT.

Very detailed video! Thank you for sharing it!

wait the fill pluf for the cvt is on the driver side and is a 10mm hex socket. the 8mm plug is on the passenger side and is for the front diff. are you sure you pulled the right plug as subaru made the plugs different sizes to avoid you filling the wrong fluid in the cvt or diff

4:50 don't forget to do a taste test.. the old fluid should taste like chewing bitter burnt aluminum foil. And the new fluid will taste like sour butter.

3 years later, how did your it go?

Thank you for the info! (The dog at 5:51 was just a bonus...)

Great explanation... thank you so much!!

is this the 690 model transmission?

I'm in NC I should could use your help I have a 2013 subaru outback I'd like to change the Trans fluid..

The factory warrenty ends at 100k so honestly, at that point you can do whatever you want with your car. I have been told that you should never change CRT fluid because the particles from the disc of the clutches helps it shift. I was also told its best to change the fluid anyways. Its frustrating at best because you dont get Subaru giving any clear answers. We will be towing a small pop up camper with our Subaru this summer. Some say not to tow anything with a Subaru others say a smaller camper will not hurt it. I plan on changing mine at 100k.

Can u do a video doing that manual pump?im doing my first cvt change and i cant seem to imagine how that pump going to work.thank you

Great I have 2013 just hit 50,000 so going to do this but since my buddy at a repair shop will help is it better to flush it? On the differential front and rear would you suggest changing that while we are doing this just to upgrade all fluids. Great Video ...

Do the drain and fill plugs have washers/gaskets that need to be changed out?

Went on a long trip with my 2015 outback 2.5i limited, drove it around 95 MPhs on open highway for 5 hrs straight, AT Oil light yellow turned on. Stopped the car for 30 mins and drove it under 90 non aggressive, it never showed up, car is at 60k never had AT fluid changed. Should I change the AT fluid asap and will I be able to drive it at high speeds for a long time without having that light pop up? Thanks

I may need to do this on my moms 2013 OB again soon, do these transmissions also have an internal screen and filter that needs to be replaced as well?

Will this method apply to 2017 outback? Thanks

Ive got 2011 Legacy, the process should be the same, right? The dealership wants 290 so I told them to kick rocks.

Hey dude, on your next Subaru, do this drain and fill every 30k miles.

Thank you, very helpful

This is a stupid process and youtube should discard this video. Before the draining of this gearbox, as the engine is stopped since some time, half of the oil which fills the torque converter flows back into the gearbox : approximately 1.5 quarters. This quantity is drained out and is part of the quoted 5.5 quarters in the pan. If the filling of the gearbox with the gearbox is done at cold temperature, motor stopped, one of the two following things will happen. Either the level in the box was way too low before the operation, and our guy will succeed in filling 5.5 quarters in his gearbox. Or the level was ok, or slightly too low, and the refilling with the pump will not succed : oil will reflow if the hose has a smaller diameter as the filling hole, or an incontrollable quantity will leak out when retiring the hose and putting in place the plug. The only way to put exactly the same quantity of oil than the one drained out is to start the engine, so that the pump in the gearbox sends oil in the torque converter and fills it, which allows room in the gearbox for the volume of oil previously drained. Nevertheless, this process doesn't allow to check if some oil has been lost since the last leveling of the gearbox. In case of an old vehicle with some leaks, applying this method a few times will finally bring to driving with a too low oil level in the gearbox and a failure.

Very important to scan the cvt temperature to get a proper fill. 92 degrees or more.

Is there a dipstick to check fluid level?

I have a 2014 Subaru Legacy 2.5i cvt at 65k (outback’s little brother) should I do this for my legacy now due to its age?

How many quarts you get in there? The manual states it holds 13.2 qts. in 2011 outback 2.5i model.

Ever heard of these cvt’s going bad and causing the car to die upon heavy braking? I have a ‘12 outback 2.5 this is what mine is doing. 85k one owner was considering fluid change see if that helps

Thanks for the video... can you comment on why no filter replacement?

Could you just undo the transmission cooling line run the engine and pump as much as you can out and then replace the difference

I have a 2011 Outback with the CVT, I was told by the dealer its a sealed system and that you don't change the fluid on it ?? that doesn't sound right to me !!

Great video!

Is that the first change that you made for the cvt fluid?

Subaru says to replace the CVT fluid at 100,000km. Not sure where people get that it's a 'lifetime' fluid.

Can someone tell me if the drain plug and the fill plug has brass washers or rubber gasket??

Great video thanks

Thanks for the video. You did this at 165k miles? Did you happen to send a sample to a lab for analysis? Did you have any regrets about not doing it earlier? I have 75k on my 2011 presently. Wondering if maybe it would be better to hold off until 100k and up? I drive probably a 50/50 mix of city/highway and I'm not too aggressive with driving and accelerating. Thanks!

Is it's also 8mm and 10mm for the rear differential?

Did you just jack and stand the front of the car. Doesn't look like much room under there.

Thank you for your video. How was it running after changing the fluid?

This is not the correct way to service a transmission. You should always replace the filter. Remove the oil pan , clean the magnet in the pan. And clean the mating surfaces, and make a gasket or use RTV between the steel pan and aluminum transmission. And then fill the pan with fresh oil until it run out of the fill oil port. Disconnect the two oil lines from the radiator. Disconnect the return line from from the side of the transmission and thoroughly clean that line with brake cleaner and compressed air to remove all contamination. Place a pan under and exhaust line start the engine and flush all the used dirty contaminated oil from the torque converter and and moving inner components. To properly do this 2 to 3 gallons of oil is recommended. I strongly recommend a transmission cooler and a I line canister transmission filter this is time consuming and not that expensive. The objective to protect the transmission at all costs. A very good canister filter can be easily changed any time you want with out the mess.....Good luck and thank you for your patience..

2009 Porsche Carrera 4S , You owe it to yourself to test drive a 3.6R Outback.

How is the car running?

Did this work

Good infor thanks

Did you replace the plugs or rings or you were okay with the original ones?

Thank you so much for the video, I live in Spain, where can I buy this cvt fluid?

On CVT’s you replace fluid once in between 34-55k miles depending on manufacturer and never again if you crack that seal they will break down faster guaranteed.

you were doing pretty good in your forum but I just happen to notice the poops what you said cycle through the gears if you really do have a CVT transmission I'm sorry to say but you really don't have gears especially when you also say that your cycling through the gears with the wheels aren't even turning you right cycling anything think about it before you answer that I'm just saying

“Let me show you my cars Bc everyone asked for it” hahahaha dude get to the point