Cropgun

Recently bought a 2007 accord 100k miles on it. 2.4L I4. The automatic transmission doesn't seem the smoothest. Especially in lower gears or while turning from a stop. Not a honda guy, so I'm not sure if this is just a honda thing or if maybe something is going on in the transmission. I followed procedure in owners manual and checked fluid level in transmission, plenty of fluid. Fluid is red. I remember reading in the manual that honda has its own automatic transmission fluid but does allow dex 3 for top offs but mentions that shifting performance may be degraded. Is the honda fluid red? If not maybe I've got a transmission full of dex 3 and that's the issue...

Any insight would be appreciated.

user456101

I have the same exact car and I have no transmission problems. I have owned it since new, and I used only the Honda transmission fluid when I changed it and it is pink/red. I think all transmission fluid may be the same color. If you don't know what the previous owner put in it, I would change it. You can change it yourself. It is kind of like an oil change but you have to do it multiple times, driving in between, because all of the fluid doesn't come out when you drain it, only about half comes out. Get 6 or 8 bottles of Honda transmission fluid from your dealer's parts department. You can take it someplace and have the fluid replaced but it is more expensive that way and "flushing" transmission fluid is in general a bad idea because it can force particles into the tiny passages in the transmission and clog it up with no way to unclog it/remove the particles once they are jammed into the passages. It is best to change the transmission fluid on Hondas more frequently than even the manufacturer recommends because the automatic transmissions are so finicky and have a history of being the weakest part of the car. Manual transmission Hondas on the other hand are pretty bullet proof.

Cropgun

Does the pan have to be dropped each time or is there simply a drain hole like the engine oil pan?