I would strongly suggest you first loosen the rear diff fill plug first. Imagine draining all the diff fluid only to find yourself having issues trying to unscrew the fill plug.

Tim, I just watched your video and changed my 2012 CRV transmission oil. Your video gave me confidence that I could do it. I changed the transmission fluid and the rear differential oil. Thank you! After the cost of parts, I figure I saved about $160. The Honda dealer wanted $99 just to change the rear diff oil. Everyone should remember they need a pump to put the oil into the rear diff. These are not that expensive and can be used over and over. Be sure and get one which will fit into the oil quart bottle mouth, otherwise you will need to pour the oil into a container (glass jar) which will hold the pump and the oil. The dealer gave me 2 x20 mm washers, and one 18mm, when I needed 2x18mm and one 20mm, so check before you leave the dealer. The trip back was a pain. Total parts costs for me was $60. Thank you again, Tim!

Thanks for the video. There is a exterior transmission filter that you should change as well. You can barely see it under the battery. I changed my transmission fluid in my 2012 CRV 4-5 times now. I will order the filter when I decide to change the ATF again. Also to check the transmission ATF level on the CRV, you have to idle it until the engine fan comes on, stop the car and check the fluid after you stop the car. It describes the sequence in the owners manual.

Nice video...Two things...The dipstick on the auto trans fill has a slot in it that must line up with the fill tube when inserted to get an accurate fill level.I personally capture the old fluid to measure how much was drained so I can replace the same amount. If you really want to get a good trans "flush" you have to do it twice because the trans holds 6.7Qts. of fluid and when done with only 3 Qts.+ it leaves 3Qts.+ left in the trans of old fluid. Do once drive it around for 10-15 miles using all gears (need to use top gear most to lock overdrive up for a while). Then repeat process to get a good flush :). Also on rear diff...removing the fill plug first then the drain plug will get you a better flow & drain....just saying.

I have a 2016 crv & it's at 61k. I took it to dealer for 3rd free oil change & the wanted to sell me the 30k package for like $600. That's brake fluid change, transfer case fluid change, transaxle fluid change & a coolant additive. This video so great. Thank you very much for your time showing us this.

Thanks for taking the time to so clearly document these jobs. People like you make KZfaq so valuable a resource.

Always measure the quantity of fluid that you remove. You can destroy a transmission by over/under fill. The factory manual for my Tundra said 2. quarts. The correct number was 4.

Just changed mine for the first time. 322k miles. Runs like a champ!

If you're like me and you are here for the differential fluid change, it starts around 13:24.

I thought the drain refill fluid amount is only 2.7 quarts? And you need to start it and cycle thru the gears to move fluid in the system before adding more fluid. Overfilling will destroy your transmission.

Thank you! After watching your video I did a drain & flush on my 2012 CR-V and then again the following week. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so shop time is crazy expensive.

Thanks Tim for showing us, however, I think when you doing the ATF. you should wait unit you poured enough ATF fluid and then check the amount on the top screw if you have enough before closing off the plastic cover underneath. But you did a great job. Thanks.

Thanks for the video. Good description, good video quality, easy to understand. A+ all around. I went to the dealer to buy washers for the differential, I took your list and the part numbers 100% confirms. Very good video. Thanks alot.

Thanks for making the effort in making the video. Your checking procedure is wrong. I have a 2012 CRV and I changed the fluid on it a few times. The manual states for checking the level of the transmission fluid you have to warm up the engine until the radiator fan comes on, once it comes on you stop the engine, and you have 90~ seconds to check the fluid. That is the correct procedure on how to check the level of the transmission fluid.

Thanks for taking the time to record and upload...and for taking one for the team.

Nice precision work Tim. Anyone who uses a torque wrench, has my attention.

Most excellent video! Only suggestion I would have is measure what drains out and put that back in when you refill. If you know the level was correct before you started to drain this technique will get you pretty much spot on. Great job

Funny how when that pump sprayed you with the differential fluid, I said the same thing you did. lol. Thanks for the video.

I think you need to have the engine hot to check the transmission oil level. Gongratulations! Excelent video.

Thanks Tim for the informative video. I had changed ATF on my 1999 CRV and my 2003 Pilot and I didn't know if it would be the same. I just bought ATF for my 2013 and this helped a lot. Subbed. By the way, I'm glad you mentioned breaking the fill plug loose first on the diff. That's the first thing I taught my son a while back when he learned how to do this.

Mr.Wong, Thank you very much for this video. It's very useful for me.

Thanks for the video, Tim. I just did the trans on my wife's CRV, but never even thought about the diff. Looks like I'll be doing that this weekend.

Great video! My'13 is about to hit 29K miles, so I'll be changing the transmission fluid soon. This has definitely given me an idea on how to do it.

So at 2:24, "So, we're under the cowl now...". Man I wish you'd have shown that access panel better in relation to the rest of the under car. For those of you who may wonder exactly where it's at... it's right under the front of the car practically in line with the front of the hood. You don't really have to slide under the car to see it, it's visible just by looking under the front of the car. Of course to actually get the panel off and loosen the bolt you have to be under the car. My bolt wouldn't budge with all my weight pulling it like doing a chin-up instead dragged me up, over 200 pounds. I smacked it with a small sledge hammer, it worked to loosen it.

Do my ATF every 30k miles or 3 years comes out fairly red each time probable do a bit more like 40-50k. Diff fluid went 45k and it still appeared barely good though recommended 35k change. Today, did my differential after 45,000 miles after 4 years. 28,000 1st one and 2nd one today is 73,000k. The diff fluid came out looking the same as this video which needs changed, and the drain plug caught the same amount of gunk. Remember to change your fluid before it goes bad, so it should still be "good" when it comes out. When it goes bad you're damaging mechanical components at that point. I think the recommended is 35k for rear diff fluid. I don't tow, have heavy loads, and the diff doesn't do extra work much do to the elements.

Tim thanks for posting, your videos are very helpful as we have the same car and model. More power and keep up the good work!

Maybe it would be a good idea to open the fill nut first. Also as required by Honda you are advised to fill the rear diff with fluid. Go drive the vehicle .. come back and redo the process again to make sure any residue or metal particles are removed.

Great video but I never saw you change the ATF filter? Fortunately it's not an internal filter like many other auto transmissions and is external so easier to change although you will have to remove the air box to get to it. P/N is 25430-R5L-003 The torque settings for both the automatic transmission and the rear diff bolts are 49Nm Also, if it helps there's apparently a procedure to follow before doing the rear diff if it's an auto. Not sure why though: Differential rear Electronically controlled 4WD Automatic transmission: 1) Depress brake pedal and apply handbrake. Start engine and allow to idle for a minimum of 6 seconds. Switch off engine. 2) Repeat step 1 three times. 3) Depress brake pedal and apply handbrake. Start engine. 4) Selector lever in 'D': Depress accelerator pedal for 2 seconds, then allow engine to idle. 5) Repeat step 4 three times. Love these cars although I wish we had the 2.4 petrol over here because the 2.0 is ever so slightly lacking. Will be interesting to see how the 5th Gen 1.5 turbo gets on. I also will never understand why they shove the air filter box and MAF sensor so far back in the engine bay making it difficult to access when there is stacks of room in the engine bay.

Thank you so much for the instructional video. This is the best one I have found so far for the ATF and differential fluids!

Good video......appreciate the section on removing the small plastic panel to expose the transmission drain plug. I had to search a bit to find my plug on my 2012 CRV.

Tim, You are a pal, This video is EXCELLENT and very helpful,THANK YOU for taking the time to make it..................ericheel

good job,Tim. Looks like I have to buy a pump to do the rear one, and then throw away the pump to save garage space since I just need to replace fluid every 5 years.

You need to warm the engine till fan kicks in before checking the level. Automatic transmission fluid expands. It takes only 3 qts to fill those Honda transmission.

Check the fluid level when the engine is at normal operating temperature. 1. Park on level ground, and start the engine. 2. Wait until the radiator fan starts and then turn off the engine. u Perform step 3 after waiting for about 60 seconds (less than 90 seconds). 3. Remove the dipstick (y ellow loop) from the transmission and wipe it with a clean cloth. 4. Insert the dipstick all the way back into the transmission securely, as shown in the image. 5. Remove the dipstick and check the fluid level. u It should be between the upper and lower marks in the HOT range. 6. If the level is below the lower mark, add fluid into the dipstick hole to bring it to the level between the upper and lower marks, and have your vehicle checked by a dealer immediately.

Great video, I like the "Oh fuck" comment, so true. When you said you rinsed the transfer pump with water I thought why not use some of the used rear diff fluid instead. Better than having water in the pump or transfer case. You should do more of these clips.

Tim, have you ever changed the filter in line which is at the back of the transmission housing ?

Thanks for the clear video! at 9:07 you said you believe you require 3.5 qt for the transmission fluid but I just looked it up on the 2013 owner's manual and it says 2.7 qt for AWD models.

Thank you for the video. Just replaced the transmission fluid on my 2012 CRV. Awesome.

2Thanks for the video. Just fast forwarded to the diff part of the video and heard you say "flushed the pump with water". Almost levitated from my seat. You're better off to just flush with the new fluid only than introducing water to your car's internal components. Just trying to find out how often to replace the diff fluid on 2016.

If the C clip nuts don't want to break loose. You can hold them with a 10 mm square or 8 point socket.

1:07 dUAL pUMP Fluid is for 4WD models. Dual Pump rear differential. 2WD models (like mine) can use DW-1 ($11 x liter= USD $33)

93 Honda dealerships disliked it

Looks brand new under there bro!!

Helpful video, but you know to always loosen the fill plug first? Otherwise, if you get the drain plug off before the fill plug and you don't get the fill plug loose, you'll have to have the car towed to a service place.

So I watched this video and noticed a couple things: page 343 of the Honda manual for this year (2013...same as mine) says with AWD the refill capacity is 2.7 qts (2.3 qts for 2WD). Normally ATF levels are checked with the fluid and transmission at normal operating temps. Also, I noticed you filled the ATF, checked the dipstick, THEN lowered the car. Fluid levels are supposed to be checked with the vehicle on level ground. Sure that changes when driving but it should be level when establishing the baseline. So now I'm curious how much fluid it really takes to refill given the almost one quart discrepancy.

Just a thought - wouldn't it be more correct to have the vehicle level when replacing the rear differential oil? Due to the proper level of fluid being when it runs out of the fill hole, when the rear is higher than the front, the fluid level in the rear differential is above the fill hole. When you go refill it in this position, you cannot add the same amount back. Let's just say for example that the oil was a quarter inch above the bottom of the fill hole with just the rear elevated. When you have refilled it, it can only be just at the bottom of the fill hole. All the rest will run out. So you will be refilling it with less oil.

Hello, beware that the engine oil metal protective sheet under the car is not installed properly. Also, there is a transmission filler plug and transmission filter behind the air box. Thanks.

I forgot to mention I believe the procedure for checking the ATF is the car has to be hot and not running. After 60 seconds of the car being off is when you check the fluid level.

Nice video. I always but in the ATF that I take out. In this case is is just shy of 3 quarts not 4 as in the video. Other than that well done.

Thank you very much for all your videos. Best I have seen on youtube. I have a 2014 CR-V and I am using your vids to do my servicing (already done the oil and oil filter change). I have a question, when do you think I should do the ATF filter change?

Thanks!! Will revisit when I need to do this procedure.

Very thorough. Thank you!

Empty your drain pan completely,drain the trans and measure the old fluid to know exactly how much to put back in. Same procedure for the diff. And water does not clean the fluids out of anything.

Tim, great video! Wish you had included replacing the ATF filter though.

2.3 qt fluid for 2WD 2.7 qt fluid for AWD

You're supposed to check the atf fluid while it's running and at operating temperature

Just like your other videos, this is very well done. Thank you for hard work. I am about to do 2008 CRV. Do you think the process is the same? I know the torque might be different. Do you use guide that has all the torque mentioned? Also you had the car on two jack stand. Would it better to have it on no stand or four stand so car is level when draining the fluid?

The level should be checked with the vehicle HOT & on LEVEL ground NOT hiked up in the air like this example. There is nothing worse than putting too much oil in your gearbox !

Very nice job thanks doing mine in the morning.

Thanks for the great video.

Great job!!! What were the final quantities of differential fluid and ATF?

2 errores que se deben tener mucho cuidado. 1. El proveedor marca 2.2 lts y el le pone casi 4. Mide el aceite con el coche apagado y por eso le.falta. debe medirlo a temperatura de 92 grados para que le de la medida.

My wife's 2015 owners manual says HVF-2 for the fluid, so check your owners manual or the Honda dealer when you buy it to make sure you get the right kind. Also I don't think she has that panel to remove and her dipstick is really short. Also with AWD the trans takes 4.5 quarts according to the owners manual. I'm going to try to measure how much I drain out.

Excellent video step by step instruction! How often should the ATF and AWD fluid be changed?

Nice video thanks for posting.

Great Video, very helpful. thanks Tim!

AWD models : 4.3 L (4.5 US qt) 2WD models : 3.7 L (3.9 US qt) techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/content/rjxa_isisviewer_sa.aspx?m=61T0&k=pubs/sm/1/2/Contents/enu/61T0ZD/GEN/SCT/SC/SYS/G004329_enu/web/html/G004329_enu&p=SM&t=H&model=CR-V&year=2015&referer=ownerlink Replace rear differential fluid (AWD models) Use Honda DPSF-II. Capacity : 1.2 L (1.3 US qt)

thanks for posting this, very helpful!

If only dsg transmissions were this easy

Great video

Great Video. Thanks for posting

Check level off the jack stands also

Nice video. Very informative.

ohh and thanks for some very good video's reg. the CR-V

Sou do Brasil 🇧🇷 tenho uma 2015 vou fazer essa manutenção.

Thanks for the video Tim. for disposal of old fluid, can you mix the ATF fluid with the Dual Pump Fluid?

Desde hacia rato que empezó a tirar aceite cuando estaba llenando el diferencial !

Thanks for the video is going to really help me to do this

Thanks, I changed my ATF last night and noticed I have a lot of missing bolts/nuts on my skidplate and am missing the entire oil pan covering.

Saved me some money... thanks...

Thanks Tim.

Tim, how’d you learn how to do all of this stuff? I used your video to do my plugs and it was really helpful. Just wondering if you’re a mechanic by trade.

Thanks for the tutorial nice i going to change my fluid because i have a 2 years dont change! How Many kilometers recommend the change?

23 feb 2019 12:31 pm est: thanks.13:25 differential-drive-shaft location.1 time i drove our crv year 2003 on snowy-road. snow cover both road,pedestrian-walk-path.i did not see that pedestrian-walk-path. then climb that pedestrian-walk-path then descend pedestrian-walk-path. i'm not sure whether that pedestrian-walk-path were in between 2 front-tire and 2 rear-tire. i hope i did not scrape that differential-drive-shaft

Thanks bro! Great video!

Great video. Thanks!

The 2015 and up don't have an ATM, they have a CVT. Different animal and uses different fluid and different intervals.

I don't get it why did you not show the correct way of checking the ATF when the engine is hot. You've already exerted so much effort.

always crack the diff fill plug first. be a shame to drain the fluid and have a siezed or stripped fill plug.

Does it really matter which way round the crush washer goes? - you mentioned smooth side to pan. Great vide btw.

I see you didn't change the filter... not necessary?

Thanks for share this video

Dear sr, I like your videos, I have a honda crv 1.6 120cv 2014. Do you know how to get the workshop manual? In spain is difficult, this car doesn’t sell much. Thank so much. I appreciate your answer

Great video. Can you elaborate on exactly where you placed your jack stands for each procedure? I assume you used different points for these two procedures. Thanks fir the help. Have a nice day.

Is it really necessary to use a torque wrench?? I don't have one and they seem kinda pricey....not sure if I'll use it again for anything.

Does anybody read their owners manual? It tells you everything you need to know about fluid type and change intervals. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Good video. Good job

Thanks for the informative video. I sure learned a lot. I have 2014 crv , 2015 pilot & my son's2013 civic. Your videos will come in handy. Do you know how often transmission fluid & different fluid are suppose to be replaced. And maybe the brake fluid as well for that matter?

What about the inline transmission fluid filter under the air filter box???

Good vid, Thankyou!👍