CVTs do not like heat and can overheat quickly. And this, in turn, leads to premature aging of the working fluid and increased wear of the parts of the unit. Therefore, in the southern regions, it is recommended to change the working fluid in the variator more often than in the northern. But when exactly?
You can find out the condition of the working fluid of the variator without visiting the service and diagnostics. That is, you can not only save on maintenance, but also increase the resources of an expensive unit. Advice on how to do this is given by experts from Za Rulem, the oldest and most authoritative automotive publication in Russia, Mikhail Kolodochkin and Alexei Revin.
The superheated fluid loses its properties and wear of parts accelerates. Jatco, whose variators will be discussed later (including variators for Lad), even has a “liquid aging counter” – the control unit analyzes information from various sensors and draws conclusions.
You can learn about the conclusions only during the diagnostics – with Consult 2 or Consult 3 dealer scanners, which an ordinary motorist does not have.
But there is an alternative option to learn all about your car’s variator. We install the CVTz-50 application on the smartphone. It is paid, but there is a free demo with limited functionality.
Then we connect to the OBD-II connector through an ELM327 type adapter (it costs from 400 rubles or more) and get all the information about the condition of the variator.
The degree of fluid aging is shown in points, and here’s what they stand for:
- 0 points – up to 90 degrees,
- 1 point – from 90 to 100 degrees,
- 2 points – from 100 to 109 degrees,
- 4 points – from 110 to 119 degrees,
- 6 points – from 120 to 129 degrees,
- 8 points – from 130 to 139 degrees.
The CVTz50 software shows both fluid aging and CVT temperature “live”.
For reference: the normal working fluid temperature is 70-80°C. Therefore, 4 points is a signal that it is time to change the working fluid, which at this temperature begins to change its properties. Higher temperatures already spoil the seals, leading to leakage.
Read how not to overheat the variator and increase its life in the August issue of the magazine “Behind the wheel” – already on sale.

The material was prepared on the basis of the article by Mikhail Kolodochkin and Alexei Revin “CVT and Heat”, published in the magazine “Za Rulem” No. 8/2022.