CVT Fluid Change

My 2007 Caliber has 60K now, and I was told that only a dealer could do
this, because of sucking out the fluid with a special machine and then
refilling with the same machine. My mechanic also said that if I am having
no transmission problems, just leave well enough alone. In the past, when I
had the pan dropped and the transmission fluid changed, I always had leaks,
etc. I should have left well enough alone. Should I just leave well enough
alone with the CVT if it is working perfectly?

 

So what type of transmission is in it - related to the A604/42LE?

In general, no harm in replacing the fluid - you can do it yourself, but
if you're not inclined to do that sort of thing, yeah - most places use
a power flusher. Some of them back flush the filter so the pan does not
have to be dropped, and the filter stays in place - so that would
eliminate the concerns about breaking the seal on the pan.

If you had problems with leaks in the past at the pan seal, then that
sounds like incompetence. Chrysler probably sells a metal sandwich
gasket to use instead of RTV - they do for the trannies I am familiar
with. People have good success with that not leaking.

One thing to be absolutely sure of: Whoever does it, do not let them use
*anything* but the prescribed fluid for it. I assume it's ATF+4 unless
they've come out with something newer. Don't let them tell you that
some generic or other type of fluid with an additive is equivalent to
the Chrysler-prescribed fluid. A dealer probably will do it right, but
almost all of the independent and chain shops have been brainwashed into
believing that some fluid with an additive will be equivalent to the
right stuff. Fortunately they can't force you to do business with them.

 

Are you the original owner and does it have the lifetime power train
warranty? If so, you should follow the maintenance requirements in
the owners manual and have it done. Your mechanic may not have the
right equipment to do the fluid change but surely there are some
transmission shops that do besides teh dealer. What does the owners
manual actually say is needed? At 60K I would change the fluid even
if I had to pay the dealer if I planned on keeping the vehicle.

 

Well, he said it's a CVT -- if somebody were to tell me there was a
single part in common, I'd be really surprised.

I find myself wondering just how weird the CVT might be -- no droppable
pan, maybe?

Here I'll just answer with a hearty "amen".

 

Oops - I wasn't paying attention.

 

last caliber i looked at had a nasty noise in the tranny any time it was put
in gear and the factory recommendations to the dealer was swap it out. Poor
tech said they taught him how to fix it then they wont let him do it. R and
R, then send the old one in to be rebuilt. Unfortunately a lot of the
manufacturers are doing that now, especially the Europeans.

no dipstick in this trans if i recall and yeah a special machine to suck it
out and refill it sounds right. The dealer techs have a special dipstick
with graduation marks on it. there's no real pan on this tranny, just a 2
piece case that bolts together at the sides.
http://www.allpar.com/images/autoshow/2006-ny/cvt-front.jpg Fluid is real
expensive, worse than ATF+4. Some guys on line are claiming $35.00 a qt.


Just curious does the owners manual say to have it changed at this point?

 

well looks like there is a small pan on one end. but i am not sure it needs
to come off for fluid changes. i can assume the filter is in there.

 

Yes, I am the original owner with the lifetime warranty. I guess that I was
lucky to buy the 2007, because in 2010 they dropped that. We plan on
keeping this Caliber till the body rots away! I did that with an old Dodge
Dart, but the slant-six just wouldn't die!

 

Yes, that is what I found out: no dipstick! The owner's manual says to
change it out at around 60K, but with all the things on the 60K schedule, I
am having to do only a few things at a time. The radiator flush and refill,
even though the fluid looks very good, is $110. Thank God, this engine has
a timing chain, and not a belt!

 

Which engine? Does the timing chain drive the water pump? If so, there
goes any advantage to having a timing chain.

 

If you want to keep the warranty in effect just make sure you follow
the maintenance schedule. If your LT warranty is like mine (PT) you
need to bring the vehicle in to the dealer for an inspection right at
the 5 year (and/or perhaps xxxx miles) point for an inspection. You
might already have too many miles on it to keep the warranty in effect
if you have not done the inspection.

 

2.0. My luck if that is the case.

 

Japanese, in this case. The Caliber uses the same JATCO CVT transmission
that the Nissans use.

I gather that once JATCO has enough failure analyses on it, they'll
release it for field service. But right now they're in the mode of
wanting to analyze why ANY unit fails in the field.

 

One of the "World Engine" series for sure. Probably the 2.0.
Huyndai/Kia uses the same basic engine architecture and shared design
with Chrysler and Mitsubishi, but the different manufacturers use
substantially different parts external to the block. I know very little
about these so far, except that they're holding up reasonably well, and
with VVT and a CVT, they're turning in better efficiency numbers than
the Chrysler 2.0/2.4 they replaced.