About Castrol CVT fluid

PapaVanTwee · Mon Oct 01, 2018 8:17 pm

My new Kazashi needed a CVT change, it was moaning quite a bit. I didn't feel like dropping $140+ on the fluid, but I saw I could get Casrtol CVT fluid from Amazon for $70 for 12 quarts. After reading many positive reviews (mostly Nissan, but the occasional SX4 and Kizashi) I decided it would be a good buy. And it was. After 3 drain/fills the fluid is much cleaner and the CVT has quieted down.

The bad news (for some at least) is that the Castrol fluid is red. I'm not sure mixing with the Green is a wise idea. The good news is, the stuff in my car was red as well. Somewhere down the line someone else had cheeped out as well (I hope, they didn't cheap out and put in regular trans fluid).

Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:50 am

Other people here have also used the Castrol CVT fluid so I think you will be fine. Interesting how the old fill was also red in color. If you are concerned enough, you can always get the old fluid tested by a lab like Blackstone Labs to verify if it was CVT fluid vs. ATF.

Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:21 am

I'm beginning to think the earlier CVTs (built in Japan) had the Suzuki green stuff in them as the factory fill and the later MYs CVTs (built in Taiwan IIRC) may have come factory filled with something else that was red. Someone else some where here said they owned their car from new (MY 2012 as I recall) and the fluid in it was red.
Mine was the green stuff so I'm sticking w/ it.

DiggerDerrik · Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:49 am

My 2010 had green in it originally. I flushed it with the red Castrol about 15K miles ago. That stuff works fine.

bdleonard · Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:16 pm

PapaVanTwee wrote:My new Kazashi needed a CVT change, it was moaning quite a bit. I didn't feel like dropping $140+ on the fluid, but I saw I could get Casrtol CVT fluid from Amazon for $70 for 12 quarts. After reading many positive reviews (mostly Nissan, but the occasional SX4 and Kizashi) I decided it would be a good buy. And it was. After 3 drain/fills the fluid is much cleaner and the CVT has quieted down.

The bad news (for some at least) is that the Castrol fluid is red. I'm not sure mixing with the Green is a wise idea. The good news is, the stuff in my car was red as well. Somewhere down the line someone else had cheeped out as well (I hope, they didn't cheap out and put in regular trans fluid).

The color of most automotive fluids (Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, etc) is almost always just dye, mostly done so you can tell the various fluids in the car apart more easily. As long as you used CVT fluid (not traditional ATF), and it listed Nissan NS-2 on the label, I wouldn't have any worries. I've had Castrol CVT fluid in my Kizashi for 25K miles, with no issues.

The only major concern is if you needed to exercise the 7 yr / 100K mile power train warranty, you may need to convince the service center / Suzuki (via documentation, testing , etc) that you had not accidentally put in a traditional red ATF. (Which does not provide sufficient traction for the CVT belt, and may ruin a CVT transmission)

n8dogg · Wed Oct 03, 2018 1:49 am

I got this on sale....
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/AON10118042
Like many other brands, says it's compatible AND it's green! Not that I ever thought the color made a difference, but hoping it may raise less questioning by the dealer if I have to take it in for warranty work.

Wed Oct 03, 2018 1:55 am

Here's another one: Pennzoil Platinum CVT-2...specifically mentions it's for Jatco push belt CVTs. Says Suzuki right on the bottle. That's rare.

https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/products ... U9ZW5fdXM=

PapaVanTwee · Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:59 pm

The Castrol says Suzuki on it as well.

honsonwong · Fri Oct 05, 2018 6:17 pm

Sorry, but are you sure that your Kizashi needs to change CVT fluid? I have talked to the dealer yesterday, and I was told that the CVT fluid needed to be changed over 200,000 kms (124,274 miles).

Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:39 pm

honsonwong wrote: I have talked to the dealer yesterday, and I was told that the CVT fluid needed to be changed over 200,000 kms (124,274 miles).

take a look at the fluid that came out of my WHINEY trans at 80,000 miles and you tell me what you think about the dealer's "recommendation"...

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=4657

BTW, the whine has died down significantly.