Does transfer case fluid really need to be changed?

jdmarsh said:

I have a 2013 CX-5 with 60K miles on it. I had the rear differential fluid changed at 30K and I will be having it changed again soon. I have recently seen posts about people having their transfer case fluid changed. But the CX-5 manual only says about the transfer case fluid, "If this component has been submerged in water, the oil should be replaced." There are no comments anywhere in the manual about any mileage interval for changing the transfer case fluid other than if it has been submerged. So does this fluid really need to be changed if the transfer case has not been submerged?

Thanks.

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cx-500 said:

The Eclipse and Subie forum owners typically changed diff oil around 30,000 miles.

The maint manual says:
"*5 If the vehicle is operated primarily under any of the following conditions, replace the rear differential oil at
every 48,000 km (30,000 miles).
a) Towing a trailer or using a car-top carrier
b) Driving in dusty, sandy or wet conditions
c) Extended periods of idling or low speed operation
d) Repeated short trips of less than 16 km (10 miles)"

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jdmarsh said:

Yeah, so i get that the rear diff fluid should be changed every 30K but the manual makes no mention of changing the front diff/transfer case fluid unless the vehicle has been submerged. So does the front diff/transfer case fluid need to be changed? if so, how many miles? I guess I could also call the dealer and see what they recommend...

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Conrad 16.5 said:

If you're coming here for a recommendation, I'd agree with the others here who say to change it along with the rear every 30k miles. As long as you're changing out the rear diff why not do the front at the same time? Cheap peace of mind.

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