I have a 2010 civic hybrid with under 10K miles. It is about 9 months old. I have never check the transmission fluid. How often should this be done or is it done by the dealer at oil servicing. I not adverse the checking fluids if they need to, but If there is no need to I think sometimes things are best left alone. I also live on a hill so checking at home is not a option and my wife mainly drives the car. So what is a good interval for checking the fluid.
Thanks

 

I have a 2003 HCH. I do a drain and fill twice a year. It seems to have worked for me so far. I have 212000 km on the car. I am not sure what the maintenance schedule calls for on your car but I know that on my car, the transmission is a problem area.

 

Great idea I am going to change my fluid this weekend. My trans now has 10k miles on it it must be time now! I don't mind changing trans fluid a bit more to enjoy the perfectly smooth CVT. IMO this is the way all automatic transmissions should work. Saves gas and is a smoother ride when it's a good CVT like the ones in the HCHII's.

 

Going from memory I think the Maintenance Minder tells you to change the CVT fluid about every 45000~50000 km's, say 30000 miles. Personally I shortened that interval, but I'm likely overzealous. I wouldn't go shorter than say 24000 kms, particularly since that stuff is very expensive. Bottom line, transmissions don't "consume" fluid, unless they're leaking.

There is a dipstick for checking the fluid level, it's very easy. I'd suggest: check it cold, and if it's showing somewhere in the middle to top of cold range, just leave it alone, assume the factory got it right. Also make a note of that level.

Changing, I put in 3 us quarts after a good drain, and left it thus. There's instruction in the owners manual for hot check. I wouldn't put much credence in it: it never worked for me.

 

I live in mountain terrain and the MM told me to change at 34000 Kilometers. Go by the MM and you will be OK. Mendel is correct when he mention how expensive it is. Mendel lives in the city and you can see he got much more life out of his CVT oil! H

 

I agree it's expensive, I looked into it. But, my car suffered a broken trans mount and I now have a 2009 trans with unknown miles on it. I think it says 9409 but whomever painted it on there is terrible at their job lol, so it could be 19409. I think I'll change it to be on the safe side even though it looks and smells good right now and is at the perfect level.

Better safe than sorry though, as I don't want to have to tear the CVT apart anytime soon to replace parts….