should I have fluids replaced at 60k miles?

Once again this manual also does not schedule any ATF changes. Why?
And just in case you missed it, there is some Chinglish going on here !!!
Trust them...

 

Yes. If you look at my Redline D6 UOA's over in Gen II Oil Analysis thread.

What the nay sayers aren't understanding is this is a car forum and some of us are maintaining our cars in a high performance mode. Its our little version of BITOG. I use high performance engine oil and high performance CVT oil. If that's not your thing great. Don't change your cvt oil. Don't change the engine oil either.

If you notice in the UOA my Redline D6 it has no additive package. No calcium or boron etc. Just pure 100% Poly ester base stock. The additive pack in WS are additives that mitigate acid. That help the TAN. These additives are what allow it to be a lifetime fluid by reducing acids. But they also contribute to metal wear.

So its a trade off. Run pure high quality ester base stock oil and have no wear but have increased acid over time or run WS and have lower acids but more wear.

Using a high performance OCI and running pure poly I have no wear and at 30,000 mile oci just begins to increase the TAN. That's why I ran an UOA. To see when the tan started to change. In a Gen II 30,000 miles showed it was time for Redline D6 based on the tan report.

High performance monitoring and high performance fluid. Its not expensive and gives a good return in fun, info, and fully functional equipment over the lifetime of the car. Also contributes to a good resale. It proves I am very serious about taking car of this car. In 60,000 miles I have replaced the cvt fluid twice and have had 2 UOA's.
Total out of pocket over 5.5 years to maintain the transmission is $160. so far.

That's $ .50 cents a week.

I have had other cars transmissions that did not have such TAN numbers as this cvt and was able to leave in Redline for the life of the trans. I think the differential hypoid section of this cvt is very hard on the fluid. Lots of micro dieseling.

I would not leave Redline in a Gen II trans for 60,000+ miles. The wear factor would be minimal but would have increased TAN. I have not seen a 60,000+ mile UOA on Redline on a Gen II. There's some real good metal wear going on this cvt. Looks even worse in a Gen III.

But throwing $40 of Redline in there every 2 years will result in a cvt that will have virtually no wear after 200,000 miles. It will out perform WS in wear numbers. But for a lifetime fluid you never intend to change you need the additive pack of WS.

 

ed,
Thanks, that is really useful information!

 

I second that