I WOULD LIKE TO RUN THIS PAST YOU FOR COMMENT IN LOOKING IN THE OWNERS MANUAL IT SAYS THAT THE TRANS HOLDS 5 QUARTS OF FLUID BUT YOU CAN ONLY DRAIN 3 OF THEM AT A TIME AND THAT YOU SHOULD DRAIN FILL AND DRIVE AFEW MILES THAN DRAIN IT 2 MORE TIMES. IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO CHANGE 3 OF THE 5 WITH EVERY ICE OIL CHANGE.

Not sure if this is how it would work but by following the drain/drive/fill repeat method you describe, it would take you 9 quarts to do a fluid change and you would end up with about 6% of the original fluid left in the CVT (assuming 40% after the first drain, 40% of 40% the second and then 40% of that the third). If you were to change 3 quarts at each oil change you would always be leaving 40% used fluid in the transmission.

I have no idea what the intervals are for maintenance on the HCH but if you change your engine oil at say 10k miles, and your CVT fluid at 30k miles, you would use the same amount of fluid overall.

My own opinion would be to get as much of the old fluid out at one time than to leave 40% of the old fluid in there for a longer period of time. The old and the new fluid might not play well together.

Just my theory FWIW.

I like your idea.
It is quick & easy.
You are fortifying the properties in the leftover fluid.
The trans doesn’t have the same impact on the fluid as the engine.
The sediment always is supposed to land in the bottom of the pan.
Sounds like a good idea to me.
JC

I haven't looked at the drain plug area yet, but I thought Honda's recommendation was extremely inefficient. Draining and filling three times to flush everything out is odd. Seems there must be some way to suck out more of the fluid. Perhaps one of those suction type oil changers? I'm wondering how much of the extra fluid resides within the valve body. There is no torque converter, so it can't be in there... is there a trans cooler in the base of the radiator like on an A/T? Those coolers and their lines could hold a fair amount of fluid, but they're easily drained.

Guess I have some investigating to do... but plenty of time to do it. I'm only at 4,500 miles now!