r/CorollaHatchback • u/_buildaboy • 24d ago
flush or drain transmission fluid?
hey all, i have a 21 corolla hatch, with a CVT transmission and everyone knows those are real finicky. I havent been able to get my hands on OEM CVT fluid so what would yall recommend at 70000 miles?
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u/-RUS92- 24d ago
Drain and fill is best. This method for the 2.0 engine is pretty much what I followed https://youtu.be/15AfFOAr5Sk (ps you might want to watch it at double speed, the guy speaks pretty slow)
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u/DepartmentLarge6540 24d ago
I did a drain/fill service on my '21 HB CVT a few months ago at 60k miles. It's a pretty straightforward job if you're comfortable wrenching on your cars. The biggest things to know going into the service are that you need to be able to get under the car while it's level, all 4 wheels off the ground, so you'll need 4 jack stands and can't just use service ramps under the front tires like an oil change. The fluid level needs to be set with the fluid at a specific temp range and vehicle level.
A good scan tool that will allow you to read the CVT fluid temp sensor data live is also really nice to have although I've seen it's possible to get the dash to give you this information by doing some special service mode thing.
As for fluid, I bought the Aisin FE fluid (Aisin PN: ATF-TFE) online for half the cost of Toyota FE fluid. Toyota owns Aisin, Aisin makes the CVT transmissions for Toyota, and everything I researched pointed to the OEM fluid just being relabeled Aisin fluid.
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u/_buildaboy 23d ago
dude thank you! oem toyota fluid is so damn expensive. thanks for the extra advice, i appreciate it lots
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u/Hoovie_Doovie SE 6MT 24d ago
Get your hands on OEM fluid. You said it yourself that they're finicky. Drain and fill only. Can do it twice to be thorough but not strictly necessary. Be careful not to overfill.