Quote Originally Posted by 7milesout View Post
Now we're getting somewhere. Grumpy, if I had a CVT car, I'd be all over this subject trying to learn. The longevity of our cute little 1.2L engines (assuming proper maintenance) concerns me very little. But if I have one with a CVT, the longevity of that CVT contraption would concern me greatly. So, I'd be trying to make sure I did every little thing I could to give it the greatest opportunity to keep on keeping on.

This is interesting even without a CVT. You never know, I may have one on the future. So I'm going to try to let some of this digest.
I've mentioned this before, Phillips/RedLine has the friction packages worked out. But beside that.....

I read, researching the CVT, that operation below 60 F fluid temp is problematic and the reason they have a fluid heater for start up. This is a viscosity problem, not a temperature problem. But as vis it tied to temp and the fluid is etched in stone, a 'marker' is set at 60 F.

The -40 C temps of CVT fluids is something attention is paid to by the manufacture. That target can be met with a mineral oil WHEN a PPD (pour point depressant) is added. But as ALL additives are 'sacrificial' they have a life thus the 30K fluid changes. A PAO based fluid has a significantly superior position in both pour point and - 40 C vis BUT it does so without a PPD. So longer life IF operating temps are held in check. Fact is, PPD's do not even work in PAO's as they inhibit wax crystallization 'structures' and PAO is wax free. So are Group III's but their low temp vis numbers are what they are and not as advantageous as the PAO blends.

Because of this low temp advantage, the 100 C vis can be higher and is. I won't post the entire vis profile as anyone can look them up. But at 100 C Mitsubishi is a bit over 5 cSt. The three I posted earlier are all over 6 and Red Line at 7 cSt.

And I'd still change them on the Mitsubishi severe schedule and add a cooler if I could find the adaptor.