# Residual CVT fluid in old bottles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** cr-v, honda\ **Created:** [January 4, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949 "2018-01-04T19:17:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chad33el1936](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Chad33el1936](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Chad33el1936)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/1 "2018-01-04T19:17:41Z")
I went to my dealer to buy some DW-1, and even though their computer had it in stock, they could not locate any bottles of it. So rather than turn away a customer over a stocking error, he found some old empty bottles of CVT, and had the service techs fill them up from their barrel with DW-1…and he gave me a substantial discount for the trouble. I have had the bottles in my garage for a while now, just because I was in between drain and fills, but it has began to make me curious, is there any harm in ANY of the residual CVT left? I am pretty sure the parts manager made sure they were totally empty, but I know how some people are so specific about the Honda ATF- so now I am second guessing myself. Is there any fear that maybe a few milliliters of CVT were in that bottle? I’m not a chemist or an engineer, so who knows. Honda has altered the ATF formula so many times over the years, I start to wonder as long as it is slick, it probably would work just fine. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/2 "2018-01-04T19:20:48Z")
From my view, this is like putting a drop of wine in a jug, filling the rest with water, then worrying about getting too drunk to drive. 😉 I think you’re fine. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/3 "2018-01-04T19:31:36Z")
Personally, I’d not feel comfortable with this unless I’d personally verified what was put into the bottles. The risk is just too great. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/4 "2018-01-04T20:30:52Z")
Haha. 2 responses. 1 for yes and 1 for no. I will cast the 3rd vote. For maybe. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 9:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/5 "2018-01-04T21:32:38Z")
Yeah another maybe. I can’t believe it would be a problem but I wouldn’t feel good about it. Maybe buy a few more and use just one for a drain and refill. I dunno. Where’s transman been? He used to overhaul transmissions just to destroy them for fun. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/6 "2018-01-04T21:55:54Z")
I wouldn’t worry about it. The ratio is minuscule. Besides, a CVT doesn’t have clutches. So there’s no friction modifiers in the CVT fluid that can mess up the clutches in your transmission. Tester ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 4:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/7 "2018-01-05T04:34:59Z")
I think you must be living a life with not much to worry about. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry, my wife does it all for the both of us. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/8 "2018-01-05T13:45:19Z")
I’d use it, but I’m not risk averse. You got a spectrum of answers because some people willing to take risks and others are not. ---
**Author:** ![Chad33el1936](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Chad33el1936](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Chad33el1936)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 5:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/9 "2018-01-05T17:36:25Z")
I think it takes 3 bottles for a drain and fill- I’m gonna do 1/3 with the “tainted” bottle. 2 new ones. Thanks for the responses. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 10:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/10 "2018-01-05T22:53:02Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > Besides, a CVT doesn’t have clutches. So, how does it get into reverse, or lock up the torque converter? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/11 "2018-01-05T23:23:06Z")
A CVT has a single fixed ratio reverse gear. A CVT doesn’t have a torque converter. > **[How CVTs Work](https://auto.howstuffworks.com/cvt.htm)** > > In a regular transmission the gears are literal gears -- interlocking toothed wheels. Continuously variable transmissions, on the other hand, don't have interlocking gears. The most common type operates on a pulley system. Learn all about the... Tester ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/12 "2018-01-06T00:06:56Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > A CVT doesn’t have a torque converter. Well, Nissans do: ![CVT](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/e/e6c2de24f6cf90546e1023c47c23606aae1f2b82.png) ;-] ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/13 "2018-01-06T00:13:59Z")
The article above is pretty good at explaining how the gearing system works when the car is moving, but isn’t very clear how the “stopped at a stop-light in gear” function works on a non-torque-converter equipped CVT. I’d always thought that CVTs used a torque converter for that function. But it’s possible to come up with some kind of belt disengagement method I expect. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/14 "2018-01-06T00:25:13Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > But it’s possible to come up with some kind of belt disengagement method I expect. The belt itself doesn’t disengage, they use a mechanical clutch (on my Insight, below) or torque converter. ![InsightCVT](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/d/d9ece5afa362b40616ee4f26d67520537c2bd4a4.png) And note those pesky clutches. ;-] ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/15 "2018-01-06T00:46:13Z")
Here’s a video on how a CVT works. [http://www.team-ind.com/index.php/products/cvt/how-a-cvt-works/](http://www.team-ind.com/index.php/products/cvt/how-a-cvt-works/) And those aren’t hydraulic wet clutches. They’re centrifugal clutches. Tester ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/16 "2018-01-06T00:48:28Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > And those aren’t hydraulic wet clutches. They’re centrifugal clutches. You couldn’t be more wrong… Edit: I take that back…I shouldn’t speculate on that. ;-] ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/residual-cvt-fluid-in-old-bottles/110949/17 "2018-01-06T01:01:40Z")
Insight CVT hydraulics: ![CVThydraulics](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/c/cfd62609820a1cba023371a44611217b545b0299.png) ;-]