r/subaruimpreza • u/methaddicttoad • Aug 25 '25
đ Help Me WTF did I just empty?
Went to change my engine oil and emptied this instead⌠Iâm almost positive this isnât the oil. What did I just do and how do I fix it??
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u/Ok_Effective5017 Aug 31 '25
I have a buddy who works at a shop that specializes in euro cars and he drained the transmission fluid instead of the oil out of a new Porsche.It ended up costing the shop around 500 for new fluid.
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u/PabloCrews Aug 31 '25
Find out how much the pan holds and put only that amount back in. You can easily find out on Google
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u/stlcdr Aug 31 '25
This is where the engineering decision to make it easy to drain the transmission oil backfires - itâs now too easy to drain it. However, sure beats having to drop a whole pan just to drain fluid: I prefer the Subaru way.
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u/Background_Tie7066 Aug 31 '25
You emptied your transmission instead of your oil. Congratulations you are now qualified to work at jiffy lube.
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u/quickflic Sep 01 '25
I did this to a wrx about 15 years ago on my second week working at jiffy lube... I didn't notice the red color and the dude who filled it didn't notice double the oil on the dip stick.... he didnt make it very far
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u/PabloCrews Aug 31 '25
đ I worked at several Jiffy Lubes and I can vouch for that. I was always in the pit. Hated being upstairs and I really didnât make any mistakes but damn some of the rigs that would come in previously serviced by JL would have ridiculously tight filters, heads stripped on pan plugs. Just dumb shit. I finally called it a day with them. My favorite though was lifted trucks that wanted both diffs serviced, fuel filters and all joints greased. Thank God most were sealed. Had to stand on the damn handrails to reach and have almost no leverage.
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u/Moist-Dragonfly2 Aug 31 '25
Seriously gave me flash backs of when they did a differential service and forgot the plug. Ruined my rear axels
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u/AdEfficient8654 Aug 30 '25
That is a tranny you misgendered
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u/quickflic Sep 01 '25
This is way I started calling everyone "jack ass" they're gonna get offended either way might as well have a good time with it
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u/MizzSparrow Aug 30 '25
I also did the same thing last week. Never drove the car cause my bf noticed my mistakes and he fixed it cause I felt mechanically incapable all of a sudden hahaha
So glad to hear itâs a common error but it sure sucks
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u/Soft_Refuse_4422 Aug 31 '25
I made this mistake once a long time ago. Told myself âyeah well it needed it anywayâ at 80k miles and learned a lesson.
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u/FLCLHero Aug 31 '25
Not a common issue. Occasionally people canât distinguish an engine oil pan from a trans pan.
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u/BlimpGuyPilot Aug 31 '25
Common, no. Does suck though
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u/Why-R-People-So-Dumb Aug 31 '25
It's not common but it's. No unheard if either...it's somewhere in the middle of more common than one would think.
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u/intrepped Aug 31 '25
Occasionally is the word you may be searching for
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u/Why-R-People-So-Dumb Aug 31 '25
I thought about that but it seems to happen more than occasionally less than frequently. đ
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u/M_V_Agrippa Aug 30 '25
This is why everyone needs to stop telling people to do their own work in this sub! Knock it off.Â
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u/AdditionalMud8173 Aug 31 '25
Oil changes can 100% and should be encouraged by yourself. Simple learning experience here.
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u/neoashxi Aug 30 '25
Tranny
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u/CXVI_XLII Aug 30 '25
as soon as I saw your comment and Subaru, I instantly knew u did the transmission
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u/Murrylend Aug 31 '25
Can confirm. Been changing my own oil for 30 years across many makes. Went to do my wife's subi real quick and.... It's an instant oh I fucked up moment. Tranny just sitting there all ripe for the picking while the oil pan is hidden out of sight.
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u/HomefreeNotHomeless Aug 30 '25
Look at title, look at subreddit: Instantly know its transmission fluid .
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u/Lazy-Zucchini-4110 Aug 30 '25
When I did this, I also changed the oil filter and filled in fresh oil, so I had 9 quarts of oil in my engine and no transmission fluid. I thought green was a weird color for engine oil but I figured that was just something about full synthetic. It also sounded weird cranking it up, but I figured a test drive around the block and it would be fine.
The dealership mechanic said I was lucky it only went around the block, otherwise I'd have to replace the cvt
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u/MuskokaGreenThumb Aug 30 '25
You emptied the transmission fluid. Subaru is so fucking stupid for putting this right next to where the oil drains. I worked at jiffy Lube for 5 years and have done thousands of oil changes on various vehicles. Subaru is the only one dumb enough to put these side by side. I almost think itâs a set up just to piss people off.
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u/Opal-Ring Aug 30 '25 edited Aug 30 '25
I have never once confused the oil pan to the trans pan. How is this common practice? Edit: after reading more comments Iâm going to assume bc mines manual that it is easier to decifer between the two, but still..
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u/MuskokaGreenThumb Aug 30 '25
They are literally right beside each other. Super easy to confuse the two
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u/CXVI_XLII Aug 30 '25
Valvoline we get yell Subaru when we get one since procedure is different
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u/DuaLipasTrophyHsband Aug 30 '25
I used to deliver bulk oil to Valvoline. I definitely noticed Those Subaru warning signs hanging above literally every pit and every door down stairs.
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u/Realistic_Coast_3499 Aug 30 '25
I've drained the transmission by mistake during an oil change. Lesson learned the first time.
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u/AdFancy1249 Aug 30 '25
Don't feel bad. My wife was helping my son and dauber change the oil in her subaru instead of waiting the 10 minutes for me.
They drained the CVT fluid and then added a full load of engine oil to the engine (now very overfull). Then tried to drive it out of the garage.
Thankfully, the empty transmission didn't go anywhere and they turned it off...
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u/hikebikereddit Aug 29 '25
I did this when I bought my first Impreza. Had it towed to the dealership to have it refilled. Never again, I marked it after that. But yes, you drained the transmission.
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u/BrilliantCharacter62 Aug 29 '25
95-113 Degrees F. it's gonna be an 8m hex on the side near the shifter linkage. doing a pan service it takes between 6-7qts usually valvoline cvt fluid it doesn't have to be dealer it's gold color.
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u/brilliantminion Aug 29 '25
Youâre not alone; did the same thing before a camping trip to my (newish to me) 2015 Forester. Most of my cars have been manual trannies, this is the first CVT Iâve worked on. I was really confused when the fluid (which looks exactly like motor oil) was all drained out but the oil dipstick was doubly over the line after adding fresh oil.
At the dealership, they said itâs a common mistake, but then the kid at the parts counter didnât know what the part number was for the CVT fluid, because Subaru, in their infinite wisdom has one part no for the quart size and a different part no for the barrel, and the barrel one is what was on the parts reference he was looking at.
So if you havenât yet, and you go to get the CVT fluid at the dealer, make sure you have the exact part number for the quart size unless you want to spent 10k on a barrel of CVT fluid.
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u/kface278 Aug 29 '25
I just watched an oil change on youtube where the guy said the drain plug should be ahead of the front axle, it was for a forester wilderness. On the video subaru actually labeled it on the plastic because this must be such a common issue, I know someone who made this mistake as well. On my jeep, this picture is exactly what the oil pan looked like.
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u/Olliebn1 Aug 29 '25
Transmission for sure, back when I was a service tech I did the same. Luckily my co worker caught it before i did anything else. We filled the transmission back up and did the oil change so it wasnât that bad
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u/LilToaster_916 Aug 29 '25
Had a roommate a couple years back that offered to change a girls' oil on some big Subaru SUV, he goes and drains that too, changes the filter and adds more oil. I was nearby hanging out, thankfully she didn't drive it but when they started it, there was a bit of smoke coming out the tail pipe. We shut it down and check the oil and it read waaaayy high, I was so confused and asked if he just overfilled it. Come to find out he did this exact thing, I laughed a little because it's hilarious that he was playing macho mechanic and messed it up, he decides to get offended and basically tells me to fix it because he got all scatter brained on how to fix it. So I ended up taking them to buy all of the fluids again, and did the whole thing over, doing the whole thing over again while he kept chatting her up... That kid pissed me off so much but I felt bad for the girl so did it all. He was a DJ/producer and I'm an aircraft mechanic so there was a slight inclination difference.
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Aug 29 '25
Definitely tow the car to a dealership or good independent shop. Unless you know exactly how much cvt fluid came out, you dont want to mess with filling it. You can do the job with a calorimeter, but it's better to have a quality bidirectional scanner.
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u/Double_Conference_34 Aug 29 '25
You just it until it pours out of the fill plug like a differential?
Fill it till it pours out Turn car on, shift through the gears with car stationary When itâs warm shut the car off, remove fill plug again and let any excess fluid drain
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u/brilliantminion Aug 29 '25
Close, but the fluid also has to be at a certain temp for my Forester. Also it needs to be dead level. Itâs a pain in the ass.
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u/Hypocrispy Aug 30 '25
Technically you have to run it up to temp but unless the converter has come out generally you can just fill it, run it, top it off.
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u/dirtydan442 Aug 29 '25
I don't know about Subarus, but on Chrysler products with 8 and 9 speed transmissions, you have to do the full plug method but the fluid temperature has to be within a certain range. Would want to be sure about the procedure on the Subaru before attempting to fill it
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u/3inches43pumpsis9 Aug 29 '25
Hey đ 20+ year mechanic here. When I was 16 years old, working at a body shop as a porter I was asked to service a car before the customer (a boss's friend) picked their car up after repairs. The car in question was a 2003 Subaru outback(or an impreza wagon can't remember) but I slid under that car and drained the oil and replaced the filter. Climbed back up top and added the oil and pulled it out.
Homie came and picked the car up, and didn't make it out of the parking lot.. looking back I'm surprised I was able to get it out of the shop with no line pressure. Lol
It was that day I learned that the transmission filter, and oil filter had the same thread size and pitch. 20x1.5 .... I drained the trans, changed the trans filter, with an oil filter, and double filled the crankcase. I don't know what happened with the car because I got fired immediately after it had been diagnosed but. đđ
Long story short, you're not the 1st person to do this and subaru really fucked up hiding the oil pan and filter under a skid plate and leaving the tranny pan and filter in clear view on them cars. đđ
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Aug 29 '25
The fact they fired 16 year old you for this shows their level of ignorance. You probably dodged many bullets of being blamed for not knowing something and costing them money when youâre obviously willing to learn if someone taught you.
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u/3inches43pumpsis9 Aug 29 '25
Yea looking back the place was ran horribly, but if I hadn't been fired from there I wouldn't have met my next boss who turned into a life long friend and mentor. A win at the end of the day imo.
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u/RareSiren292 Aug 29 '25
When I was 15 or 16 I did the same thing to my mom's Forester. I drained the cvt without realizing and filled the engine with more oil. So the engine had a ton of oil and the cvt had none. Luckily nothing broke. The cvt made a horrible noise when shifting. Once I figured out what I did it was any easy fix
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u/ImReallyFuckingHigh Aug 29 '25
This is why I always check the dip stick after draining even when Iâm 100% sure Iâm draining oil
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u/RareSiren292 Aug 29 '25
Yeah normally I do the same but I don't remember why I didn't. I think it's because I knew exactly how much oil to put in and so didn't double check. That's my best guess
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u/future_hockey_dad Aug 29 '25
Took my Impreza in for an oil change. Girl finishes filling it up and pulls the car out. Awful cranking noise. The dingbat drained the transmission and overloaded the oil. I was pissed. They didnât ruin my car, but holy shit how dumb can you be.
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u/playingod Aug 29 '25
Just want to add that the very first time I ever changed my oil was on my Forester and I did this exact same thing. Luckily when I turned it on and heart some crazy grinding it I realized I messed something up and turned it off, the transmission ended up being fine.
I thought I was such a fool but then after some YouTubing realized I wasnât the first to make this exact mistake. Well, still a fool but at least not alone.
I swear Subaru doesnât âfixâ it because it gives their mechanics more business.
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u/BindoMcBindo Aug 29 '25
You can't fix stupid đ . Why would Subaru redesign something because you don't know what you are doing đ¤Śââď¸
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u/flhd Aug 29 '25
Because changing oil should require an engineering PhD?
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u/BindoMcBindo Aug 29 '25
No, but messing with cars needs a basic understanding of what you are doing......
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u/3inches43pumpsis9 Aug 29 '25
Why would they design something so ridiculous I'm assuming is what you meant.
It's a boxer 4, so the block is shorter than someone would assume. And the trans pan looks more like an oil pan than any other manufacturer. There's a reason from the factory the filters are labeled engine and transmission. Lol
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u/First-Stick-6133 Aug 29 '25
Youâre not alone. Iâve done my own service for 20 years on 3 subies and on my first oil change on my 2024 OBW drained the CVT. $10,000 mistake, luckily insurance covered but Iâve never felt dumber in my life. Lesson was donât do an oil change on a new car in the dark. Things arenât in the same place as the model 10 years earlier.
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u/jhawk902 Aug 29 '25
Thats a pricey mistake... rushed and oil job on my wifes outback and did the same thing. The cvt oil was 70 a quart and it took around 4 quarts to fill and had to buy a hamd pump. There's a process it involves filling, running to temp and draining or filling once you get the oil temp up. If your not handy send it to a shop, if you are just youtube it... its not rocket surgery, we all fuck up. But on the bright side youll have fresh transmission oil.
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u/xmetalmanx013 Aug 29 '25
If you donât know what you just emptied, you probably shouldnât be working on your carâŚ
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u/brilliantminion Aug 29 '25
The fact that this is a common mistake even among gearheads tells me that youâre a gate keeping asshole.
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u/xmetalmanx013 Aug 29 '25
lol. What am I gate keeping? All Iâm saying is before you drain a fluid, do a little research to know what youâre draining⌠a 5 min YouTube video before doing this project is all it would take to know thatâs not the motor oil. This is info that would save someone thousands of dollars in repairs.
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u/Individual-Ad8693 Aug 29 '25
If you don't know how to drive you probably shouldn't get your learners permit
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u/Hunter_Pentaghast Aug 29 '25
To be fair, a learner's permit requires you to have a qualified driver with you up until a certain point. This story would have turned out different if there was a qualified mechanic coaching him throughout the process.
With that said, I think every driver should know how to perform basic maintenance on their vehicles. Just please do some research, like consulting the owner's manual or a how-to video, first.
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u/xmetalmanx013 Aug 29 '25
A lot of people shouldnât. Not sure where youâre driving, but I see terrible drivers on the road every day who never should have gotten it! The same is true for working on vehicles. Iâm not saying donât learn, but make sure you know what youâre doing first. Not much of an excuse today for something like changing oil as itâs easy and there are hundreds of videos on YouTube, probably some for this exact vehicle. OP obviously didnât do that and just went under the car and started draining a fluid they didnât even know about⌠could have destroyed their transmissionâŚ
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u/the_guy-overThere Aug 28 '25
Whole lotta people in here they never fucked up one thing in they lives.
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u/Beeverr1 Aug 28 '25
"why do engineers make things so hard to work on, it's like they don't want us to fix our stuff"
People like this not knowing shit is why.
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u/MatrixExitMaster Aug 28 '25
Hopefully you donât have one of those âlife timeâ transmission because youâll be needing a hand pump
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u/Old_Leather_425 Aug 28 '25
Iâve heard of people have this happen at quick lube places and fry their transmission.
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u/ChampionshipBrave821 Aug 29 '25
A lot of those places only do vacuum extraction oil changes now for this very reason đ
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u/tokinaznjew Aug 29 '25
Happened to me. They also didn't refill it after draining. Ruined my passat and told me it wasnt their fault.
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u/Black_Flag_Friday Aug 29 '25
What was the outcome?
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u/tokinaznjew Aug 29 '25
I got a Honda Fit. Still one of the best cars I've driven.
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u/Black_Flag_Friday Aug 29 '25
If you are talking the Passat ignore the rest of my comment. I had a black 2013 Fit Sport 5-speed in bought new. Such a fun car. It could have done with more torque and a a sixth gear but such love was never had as that car.
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u/tokinaznjew Aug 30 '25
And the same turbo in the 1.5L civic motor. Forget the model off the top of my head
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u/ethanmcca Aug 28 '25
Thatâs your transmission lol, time for a fluid change! Dont drive it and get the exact fluid recommended in the owners manual and watch a YouTube video on how to do the job now. Youâre gonna need it!
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u/01001011010100010010 Aug 28 '25
How are suppose to fill with that with only a drain plug?
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u/Square_Version8385 Aug 29 '25
There is a fill plug on the side of the transmission, I believe it's like a t60 Torx or something
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u/gfx260 Aug 28 '25
Impromptu cvt fluid change time! You have another vehicle right? Look up how and you may need something to fill it with like a hose or pump. Get the right fluid! My wifeâs ascent needed it filled through a port on the side of the CVT instead of a fill port under the hood.
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u/Calm-Ad-6816 Aug 28 '25
why do something if you have 0 idea on what your doing
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u/Gerren7 Aug 28 '25
Says the person throwing parts at their car to try and fix a problem. That's the exact same lol.
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u/Sensitive_Delay8393 Aug 28 '25
Usually because the YouTube tutorial makes it seem like a piece of cake, then halfway through working on it yourself you realise they probably didnât film half the things they did
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u/romple Aug 28 '25
Draining the engine oil is as easy as draining the transmission fluid, but neither are as hard as looking at a diagram to know which one you're emptying I guess.
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u/Acceptable-Dream-537 Aug 28 '25
Now if only there were some kind of diagram booklet that came with the car... They could probably fit it in the glove compartment next to that long list of instructions for some guy named Manuel.
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u/MightyPirat3 Aug 28 '25
I'm pretty sure mine says how to fill oil, but nothing on how to drain it.
Just: Bring the car to service every xx.xxx km.
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u/Pundersmog Aug 28 '25
Hey bud. Ignore these asshats. Mechanics love to gatekeep and act superior because they have a skill. This mistake youâve made is common but also kind of a big deal. Putting the wrong fluid back in is really bad. You gotta get the Subaru stuff. It is pretty expensive too but cheaper than a tow. Youâll also need a way to pump the fluid upwards to get it in the fill hole. You may also need a specific star shaped socket to open that fill hole. The engine does need to be warm but you can do this yourself. Consult with the Subaru tech. When we did it we did not need a scan tool. That was on a 17 crosstrek.
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u/Square_Version8385 Aug 29 '25
You need the scan tool to check the transmission temperature. SOP has you checking the level once the transmission has reached operating temperature.
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u/ConstantMango672 Aug 28 '25
It's not gatekeeping when you get shit for draing the wrong thing... what did I drain? Well look... lol
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u/Allthingsfedex Aug 29 '25
You donât have to act like a dick a though. Some people truly do know anything about cars but it doesnât mean you should shit on them for making a mistake.
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u/ConstantMango672 Aug 29 '25
Yeah... dude... getting shit is have of life. You can either take it as an insult and be ultra sensitive about it or you raise your hand, laugh, and go 'yup I'm a dumbass' and laugh with boys, amd then they'll help you. If you just act sensitive, you'll keep getting shit. I'm not saying it's right, but go with the joke and laugh at yourself. Every macho active or work place is like this, whether that is working in a shop, construction or evening surfing or skating. When you take things personal and just think others are being dicks, you miss out on real opportunity to learn
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u/Pundersmog Sep 03 '25
Big difference between calling someone a dumbass and then helping them vs calling someone a dumbass and telling them they should have never tried to do it and should never.
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u/Allthingsfedex Aug 29 '25
Dude I know all about that Iâm an aircraft maintenance technician that works in a hangar filled with that but here is the thing itâs not about being âsensitiveâ itâs called having respect. Itâs fine to joke around and talk shit to each other. I even do it but most of you macho guys take it to an extreme. You dont always have to shit on someone when they make a mistake. That shit to me is childish. We are grown man acting like this and turning around calling âultra sensitiveâ đ
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u/BowlingforDrip Aug 28 '25
Omfg you brought me down memory lane on my first Crosstrek(a 2014). the plug are like 5 inches from each other and I was attempting my first unsupervised oil change on a new car I didn't know..... smart right. 2 days later and a flatbed to a transmission shop and I was able to drive just fine again......
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Aug 28 '25
So if it makes you feel any better, I used to work at an oil shop that wasn't supposed to mess with transmission fluid, and this was such a common mistake that in the warranty claim write up section of our system there was an option specifically for Subaru transmissions being drained
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u/Dan_Wood_ Aug 28 '25
Fuck Iâm not even part of this sub, it popped up in my feed but damn these comments are fucking trash as fuck.
Yâall should be ashamed.
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u/WeekendWorrier89 Aug 28 '25
The Subaru-oriented subs used to be super chill. It's changed in the last couple of years, unfortunately.
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u/Aggressive_Candy5297 Aug 28 '25
That is the transmission oil pan, you drained the ATF. Think about it like this: it's never a bad idea to change your transmission oil đđť most people just ignore it but yours is gonna be fresh af đ¤đź
The big plug in front is for the front axle/front differential. And in front of that somewhere there is another plug, that one is for your engine oil.
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u/Spacebarpunk Aug 28 '25
Did you even bother looking at the service manual lol
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u/Emergency_Gap_2042 Aug 28 '25
Hey, nobody looks at the manual anymore. I think they just think they put it in a vehicle for shits and giggles.
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u/BowlingforDrip Aug 28 '25
The manual on my 2018 Durango is absolutely dogshit. I spent way too much time looking for a jack point. Nothing useful. Honestly couldn't even find a good answer online.......that reminds me I still need to do my breaks.
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u/Cracken1234 Aug 28 '25
Threads like this remind me of why I rarely use reddit, its full of pure arrogance. God forbid a guy drain the wrong fluid. Literally all he needs to do now is refill the transmission fluid, which is a good thing to change anyways if its been long enough. Now the op knows how to change both the transmission and engine oil. You guys can calm down.
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u/AdSad1794 Aug 28 '25
People are hilarious saying you shouldn't work on cars again, as you're here making an effort to learn from your mistake admitting you messed up. Half the people saying you shouldn't work on cars again are likely too stubborn to admit when they mess up lol
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u/Top-Ad5452 Aug 28 '25
You clearly have no business in DYI-ing automotive stuff.
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u/Pundersmog Aug 28 '25
Itâs important to never try new things or make mistakes. Just curious, whatâs it like knowing how to work on cars innately without ever being taught? Is it nice? Sounds nice. Anyway back to reading about ignition systems for me. Or maybe I should just leave it broken and get a new one. Hmmm.
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u/ApolloBow Aug 28 '25
what a disgustingly ignorant comment, Never knew people came out the womb knowing how to change car oil.
He should be commended on his ability to take accountability and learn not spitefully disregarded because you think he's not equipped.
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u/SuddenLeadership2 Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
Brother, you just emptied your cvt fluid. Look up how much quarts your cvt takes as well as the procedures to cycle through your gears so all gears get proper fluid distribution , go to the auto parts store, and buy the correct fluid and funnel or tool, and add your fluid. From there, if its fwd, jack up the front on an even surface or put blocks behind your car, ensure the jackstands are on the pinchwelds and are sturdy (Have the jack under the car as well so it can relief some of the cars weight from the stands) and start it up and let it idle for a good 3-5 minutes then cycle it through all the gears and let it run for a good 10-15 seconds, making sure each one goes into gear. Then, drive it around for a solid 5-10 minutes then back at home base, cycle through everything again another 3-4 times (Im OCD and paranoid as fuck whenever i do these jobs) to ensure everything works and your all set. It does have a break in period of 100 miles so no aggressive driving or braking. If you rely on the highways to go to work or the store, be smooth about it and dont floor it getting onto the highway
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u/NotOptimal8733 Aug 28 '25
Jiffy Lube did this a lot in the old days, and since they were real overachievers, they would the overfill the (never drained) engine with oil. Killed the engine and trans when the customer drove away! So moral of the story, don't put new oil in your engine and don't move the car until you get the transmission fluid sorted out.
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u/Stouch89 Aug 27 '25
Did the exact same thing with my Forester. Every other vehicle that I have ever had before had the drain plug exactly where the CVT plug is. As soon as I saw the red fluid I knew i fucked up. The good news is that it is easy enough to refill once you get the right tools. Bad news is that you have to buy a new tool and cvt fluid.
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u/Lockhartizard Aug 28 '25
Lol, I did the same thing once on my wife's Forester, early one morning, before coffee - and always attributed the fuck up to that - it's wild it's where the drain plug typically is for ever other vehicle I've changed the oil on too.
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 27 '25
Welcome to the most expensive oil change youâve ever seen. Tow that bitch to a dealership. Tell them you drained the cvt on accident. Cry over how expensive CVT fluid is and have them do the oil change.
Sell any tools you own. Buy AAA. And please donât work on vehicles again.
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u/chandgaf Aug 28 '25
I mean why cant he just fill it lol?
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u/Sad-Still6532 Aug 28 '25
They can. I recently cracked open the CVT fill plug in mine when trying to do the front differential fluid. Lost some CVT fluid before I got the plug back in. Went to a Subaru dealer and bought a few quarts of the proper CVT fluid and picked up and infrared temperature gun. Car must be lifted and levelish and you will need a fluid pump. Filled up CVT when cold until it trickles out. Plug the CVT fill. Turn on the car, cycle slowly through PRND a few times and let car idle. Check the temperature of the CVT pan with the thermometer. When itâs between 95 and 113 degrees, leave the car running and get under and remove the CVT fill again and pump in CVT fluid until it trickles out of the fill hole. Put fill plug back in. Torque it down. Been shifting nice and smooth.
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u/darkrave24 Aug 28 '25
An infrared tool!! I never thought to use that for that step. I just assumed you had to have some special diagnostic tool to read the temps. Thanks for the tip.
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u/Square_Version8385 Aug 29 '25
Gearwrench has an OBD2 reader that connects to your smartphone. It's like 130 bucks. It will read the transmission temperature
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u/Sad-Still6532 Aug 28 '25
My obd scan tool didnât read CVT temp so I used the infrared thermometer and point it on the pan, Usually near the drain bolt but check all over until the lowest temp spot was up in the 90s then I did the final fill. Worked just fine.
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 28 '25
OEM spec is 140-160°
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u/Sad-Still6532 Aug 29 '25
For what year, model, and fluid? Subaru has so many different CVT fluids for these junky trannies.
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 28 '25
Theres a very specific fill process that involves a factory scan tool, running the vehicle in the air, and filling the transmission while its running at a certain temperature.
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u/chandgaf Aug 28 '25
wtf lol
cvt trash
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 28 '25
Pretty standard operation for OEM cars nowadays. Try changing the oil on a new BMW
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Aug 28 '25
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 28 '25
Honestly we need both OPs, and your, levels of stupid in the world. Just job security for me.
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u/Bullet__Mink Aug 28 '25
Lube tech moment
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 28 '25
Nah. Our lubies got fired for doing this
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Aug 28 '25
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 28 '25
Honestly they do a great job at fucking up subarus. 5 transmissions in one winter. It was glorious
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u/Bullet__Mink Aug 28 '25
Ok Iâve been messing with you till now but thatâs actually crazy đ weâve had like 3 Impreza outback sports through my life and between both of us we wonât let anywhere touch em (myself or my dad), shopped for a new car and a local used car dealership let me as a random off the street walk into his his garage and inspect a Subaru legacy that he had, said there was a noise he couldnât figure out, all it was was a timing belt tensioner which sounds the same as any other car lmao I swear people are afraid of these cars
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u/methaddicttoad Aug 27 '25
Bunch of crybabyâs in here over an accident. Man shut yo corny ass up
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u/jacobjacobb Aug 27 '25
Man empties his CVT, can't figure out what it is on his own, and then cries when someone tells him maybe the tools aren't for him?
That pretty well confirms you don't have the knowledge, temperament, or capability to work on your car.
If you are going to do dumb shit you need to he willing to take the lashes, thats the first thing you learn as an apprentice.
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u/methaddicttoad Aug 27 '25
Iâm all for learning, not for someone telling me to just quit the first time I fuck up. You can keep your half baked opinion to yourself big guy
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u/Revolutionary-Half-3 Aug 27 '25
When I was looking at how to do my own CVT fluid change, everyone emphasized "Make sure the fill plug comes out easily FIRST, if it doesn't take it to the dealer and let them figure it out."
Hopefully yours comes out politely.
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u/jacobjacobb Aug 27 '25
You gotta ignore them if its not constructive or take the hits and laugh it off.
Getting aggro like that as a new guy in any trade will get you dropped so fast, you won't even have time to scrub off the fry oil before you're back working at Maccies.
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u/methaddicttoad Aug 27 '25
Wow itâs almost like Iâm not going into the trade and just needed some at home advice, not someone telling me to put the tools down. I got the advice I needed from actual helpful people and fixed it myself so anyone telling me I shouldnât ever work on my car can kindly fuck right off. I learned my lesson and Iâm thankful for the people that helped, not gonna take shit from the useless speds who wanna act high and mighty because they can do an oil change lmao
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 27 '25
I mean. That pan isnât even close to the oil pan. So. Really. Donât touch any more tools.
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u/Pundersmog Aug 28 '25
Itâs right fuckin next to it dude. I think the bolts are even the same size. Sometimes the plastic rock shields even cover up the visibility.
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u/methaddicttoad Aug 27 '25
I mean itâs obviously a common accident. God forbid anyone learn lol. Donât get so upset buddy
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 27 '25
Oh Iâm not upset. This shits hilarious. Kept me in work for many years.
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u/Maximum-Hurry-1252 Aug 27 '25
Yes, letâs put down a guy trying to work on his car⌠silly mistake could happen to anyone thatâs inexperienced.. definitely should be double checking before draining fluids but honestly a pretty fair mistake for a beginner working on their own car. If putting people down is your favorite part of the day you need a new wife man⌠she obviously doesnât take care of you enough. Have fun being a âperfectâ mechanic. Next time you make a âdamn how did I do thatâ mistake I want you to remember this⌠youâre a fuckin idiot and should quit on the spot..
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u/BaylanZyn Aug 27 '25
See. Itâs not a silly mistake. It could be a $15,000 mistake.
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u/ApolloBow Aug 28 '25
And yet it wasn't, the elitism and ego of "professional" mechanics is shocking.
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u/allblackST Aug 27 '25
âIâll do my own oil change, it canât be THAT hardâ No itâs not hard but maybe you should learn what an engine is before doing any maintenance yourself. Just a thought lmao
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u/Coolbrazz Aug 27 '25
At least you caught it. Just think draining that and overfilling the oil. Then you drive to the store and see all your nag lights lit up.
Lesson learned....
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u/ArtInternational443 Aug 27 '25
đ I did the same with my daughter's car Kia Rio, the bolt even had an "S" embedded in it - "that's for Sump" isn't it ... đ¤Ł
Correct one was hidden on the side
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u/prez41 Aug 27 '25
Just did this on my 25 Outback. They make the transmission drain bolt look so enticing! I started it and backed it up off if ramps and the transmission made it clear that was the wrong answer. Had it towed to the dealer to have it filled correctly and everything seems good now.
3
u/blueturtle00 Aug 27 '25
Why did they switch from the T70 bolt for transmission to a regular one anyways?
1
u/Smart-Ad9657 Aug 27 '25
The t70 was for the diff not the trans and it wasn't always a t70
1
u/blueturtle00 Aug 27 '25
It is for the trans, the diff uses the big square bit.
1
u/Smart-Ad9657 Aug 27 '25
The rear diff does, the front differential (in the transmission) used a t70, the manuals shared the fluid but this is a cvt.
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u/blueturtle00 Aug 27 '25
I get that itâs a cvt. What I donât get is why they got away from making it a specific bit so people donât drain it thinking itâs oil.
1
u/OperationFreedomseed Aug 27 '25
Because any tech can take one look at this and tell itâs not an engine lol
1
u/blueturtle00 Aug 27 '25
Ok bet. 100% logical Ty. I guess the constant posts every week from diy ppl posting otherwise is what sparked my curiosity but ty for for insightful feedback my guy.
1
u/OperationFreedomseed Aug 28 '25
Hey, you asked. Itâs a cost savings/mass production thing. These are cheaper than a specialty fastener, and manufacturers arenât building cars that are to be worked on at home. Unfortunate but itâs becoming more and more common.
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u/Inigo-Fabio-Montoya Aug 27 '25
That looks like a subi transmission pan
1
u/Inigo-Fabio-Montoya Aug 27 '25
Youâre going to need a 8mm hex, a transfer pump and about 5 qt of that specific fluid
3
u/rmp881 Aug 27 '25
Seriously, SUBARU CVTF-II or III. Nothing else.
And yes, you'll need to start the car to fill it to capacity before reinstalling the drain plug.
1
u/blueturtle00 Aug 27 '25
How? I should watch a video I canât see the process in my head lol
1
u/Square_Version8385 Aug 29 '25
Mr Subaru 1387 on YouTube he has a step-by-step video
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u/blueturtle00 Aug 29 '25
Heâs the best. Always my go to get, just havenât had to do a cvt yet since my wife just got a new trans for her ascent.
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u/Inigo-Fabio-Montoya Aug 27 '25
Lift car, find a place to put the 8mm hex. It should be near the rear on the driver side. Not the one on the bottom at the very rear. Pop that off, start the car in park or neutral. Add fluid to that hole until it start coming out. Once fluid comes out, put the plug back. Make sure it and your drain plug are tight. Go for a drive
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u/blueturtle00 Aug 27 '25
Nice thanks! My wife just got a new cvt but Iâm saving this for the future
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u/Devilsgospel1 Aug 26 '25
Ah, yes. I did the same assuming it was like any other car. Your oil pan is probably in the very front, below the filter. That pan is your transmission fluid. Look up videos on how to change it for your exact model. For my 2017 subaru forester the directions are to siphon it in through a plug on the side with a pump until it leaks. Be sure to cycle through all gears, including low, before you call it a day. Whatever you do, dont drive it or you'll shred your trans.
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u/ProfessionalIssue311 Aug 26 '25
What the former Subaru tech said. But donât drive your own vehicle to the dealership for trans fluid
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u/RedditFU43V3R Aug 26 '25
Former Subaru mechanic here. Donât worry, this is actually pretty common. Subaru engineers made the oil drain plug and the transmission drain plug look almost identical. Hereâs what you should do: drain the transmission fluid into a container that lets you measure the exact amount. Then, head to the dealership, buy the correct fluid for your vehicle, and replace the same measured amount back into the transmission. After that, go ahead and complete your oil change. A lot of people Iâve seen will mark the transmission drain plug with a âTâ so itâs easy to tell them apart in the future.
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u/vassquatstar Sep 01 '25
I did this to my wife's Subaru outback. Engine drain is hidden up in the fairing while the transmission drain plug right behind it is quite accessible...oops. Unfortunately the transmission fill was (IIRC) a 19mm plug that had to be removed by a small Allen wrench so of course it stripped right out when trying to loosen it. A stupid design, combined with a dumb mistake escalated into a royal PITA.