There's an easier way to say exactly what you're saying:

Make sure the fluid you use is compatible with the components it is being used in; in this case- HCF-2 compatible.
Have your used fluid tested by Blackstone.

And my response is: I'd like to hear from someone who's put aftermarket synthetic in the 2.4L CVT.

 

All - No more arguing on here. Also posts attacking users is not acceptable and won't be tolerated. I deleted those comments.

Please keep the conversation civil.

 

How, in 2021, can I be the first "try it and report back"? This baffles me.
How are we here, in 2021, implying there is little to no benefits to using synthetic oil?

I think I have to hear of someone's experience actually doing it, rather than someone telling me not to, "because CoF" or "follow manufacturer recommendations". In the Ford/GM world, "following manufacturer recommendations" gets you a $1500 burnt up PTU.
Honda makes a serviceable CVT filter on our cars, yet they say it is "lifetime". For those of us who want the best for our cars: replace it every other CVT fluid change.
If synthetic CVT is better than conventional (which it is), then I want to run synthetic. What is Honda's HCF-2 fluid? Apparently no one even knows THAT.

 

Have you tried on other forums to see if they have done it? At some point someone has to take the chance of using other products and reporting it to the inter webs. Lol.

If other oil companies (listing there product as compatible) haven't tested it and posted the outcomes, consumers will hesitate to use it. Some have used it but not posted outcomes. Maybe there is a reason or maybe there was no point to. I would say message the guy on the video to see how that accord is doing after adding Amsoil CVT fluid. At the end of the day most consumers are not willing to test the waters when it comes to the CVT. There's more horror stories than successful stories on the CVTs. You see the warnings to make sure you put the correct fluid in the car or risk damage.

Ultimately I'm assuming this is why the question was posed and if you do not get the answers that makes you feel comfortable using another product you're not going to use it. If that's not the case just use the product since it's synthetic oil and compatible and report your findings after a cycle so others will have the answer you're asking.

 

The moderators on this forum are volunteers and don't get paid for their advice. We have one moderator that is a Honda technician, so he may chime in as he would see more failures in CVTs vs the rest of us.

I've never owned a CVT, so I never looked into synthetic CVT fluid. Honda automatic transmissions were prone to have issues with the type of fluid used, so most folks are conservative and stick with Honda fluids.

With this type of forum, a 2013 is pretty new for people seeking help on this site. A lot of members come on this site looking for help to save money on fixing older accords, because they probably can't afford to take a vehicle to a mechanic.

The other challenge with transmissions is the challenge to verify that any fluid is causing excessive wear, because you can't easily verify the fluid's performance.

 

What makes me curious is why it is assumed Honda uses conventional base oil in their CVT fluid? My understanding is virtually all Honda branded oils and oil based fluids have been at least semi-synthetic for many years now. As for CVTs and other automatic transmissions, there is exactly a zero correlation between a synthetic base oil and better performance/longer life.

 

Knowledge moves by interpreting facts, observation and trials of alternatives, and we don't have any here, yet.
I have a 2006 Ford with a CVT - really like the car but not the tranny. I assume CVT general design has improved over a decade, but your syn fluid results to improve CVT would be interesting...

So I for one hope you really do this and then report back, for the rest of us, in 3 weeks, 6 months and 3 years as to your experience. In terms of mixing compatibility - any conventional lubricant mixes with any synthetic one - at least in the car lubricant world: that's state of my understanding.