mct121

I have seen postings on here talking about a transmission flush. Well, my 2000 Civic (D16Y7 auto, it is what it is) has nearly 90,000 miles on it and I was thinking about some TLC for the ol' tranny. I know that Ford actually has a machine that will run fluid through the transmission to flush out all the old fluid and replace it with new (a drain and fill only changes one third to one half of the fluid, from what I understand). Based on what I have seen on H-T, I thought that Honda may have something similar. I called three dealerships and they all told me that is not the case.

So, is there such a thing as a transmission flush for Honda transmissions or is it just drain and fill? If it is just a drain and fill, what is the best way to get as much of the old stuff out as reasonable?

showtymers619

you dont really need a machine.. what i always recommend if you want to really get rid of your old tranny fluid is do a drop and fill ... for the next 3 oil changes... meaning every oil change you do.. you change out also 3 quarts of tranny fluid eventually you will 90% have new fluid at your 3rd oil change ... its a diluting method.. alot of tranny people ive always talk to said theres a good chance of burning out your tranny replacing all the fluid at once... im doing the same thig on my crv now as we speak ive changed 3 quarts so far and i got 1k mile more to go till another drop and fill .. the tranny uses around 10 quarts of fluid

mct121

10 qts?! That sounds like a lot. The service manual says 2.9 qts for a service and 6.2 qts for an overhaul. Also, there is nothing mentioned in the service manual about only doing a parital change of fluid. Why would a complete drain and fill cause trouble if the transmission was properly services with the correct amout and type of fluid?

b18bcivic

i thought it was 2.9 too?or til it comes out of the fill hole?

JimmyAtlantis

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by b18bcivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i thought it was 2.9 too?or til it comes out of the fill hole?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah...mine's 1.8...

Deemeetree

1.8? Maybe you're thinking about Manual Transmissions? 2.9 is for the Automatic Transmissions. BTW, if you want to extend the life of your transmission, especially Automatic ones, change the fluid every 30k (for Automatics). 90k is pushing it, no matter what people say. My 1990 Chevy 20 van has 378k on it on original transmission, I changed it every 30k and nothing ever happened. This is WITH towing a 2,500lb trailer and about 1,000lbs. of interior cargo...EVERYDAY.

JimmyAtlantis

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dimi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">1.8? Maybe you're thinking about Manual Transmissions?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Reading comprehension owns me! on me

93Civac

We do a flush up at Toyota, we also do just the drain and fill. By far the flush is better. It gets all the old fluid out and lasts longer from what ive seen.

MrBui

we drain and fill ...then run it for a lil bit and repeat process

hayabusa160

my dad had it done on his toyota man it made a big diffrence the tranny was so smooth.
they also have one for the motor.

mct121

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dimi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">BTW, if you want to extend the life of your transmission, especially Automatic ones, change the fluid every 30k (for Automatics). 90k is pushing it, no matter what people say.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I do like to do it every 30 and since my car is coming up on 90k it is time to do it again.

mct121

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 93Civac &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">We do a flush up at Toyota, we also do just the drain and fill. By far the flush is better. It gets all the old fluid out and lasts longer from what ive seen. </TD></TR></TABLE>

That is what I have been told, but I never asked before now if that type of service is available for Honda. It sounds like it is not, but I don't hear anyone saying for sure that is the case.

93Civac

Im pretty sure it can be done, we do it on pretty much all makes and models.

mct121

Thanks eveyone for the answers.

Deemeetree

No problem. Just remember to be a bit on the **** side with fluid changes and preventative maintenence.

Motor oil - 3k
Manual tranny - 15k-20k
Auto tranny - 30k
Rear end (if you have one) - 15k-20k
Transfer case (if you have one) - 15k-20k
Radiator flush - 20k
Valve adjustment - 15k
Spark plugs - 20k
Wires - 50k


etc...and your vechile will last a long time.

Vic Nyce

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ShowTymers619 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you dont really need a machine.. what i always recommend if you want to really get rid of your old tranny fluid is do a drop and fill ... for the next 3 oil changes... meaning every oil change you do.. you change out also 3 quarts of tranny fluid eventually you will 90% have new fluid at your 3rd oil change ... its a diluting method.. alot of tranny people ive always talk to said theres a good chance of burning out your tranny replacing all the fluid at once... im doing the same thig on my crv now as we speak ive changed 3 quarts so far and i got 1k mile more to go till another drop and fill .. the tranny uses around 10 quarts of fluid</TD></TR></TABLE>

ive read this too, is there any proof? i've just done the first phase of my ATF diluting regime. my es300 took about 3 quarts. another 5 or so to go. i read somewhere putting all new fluid all at once can be harmful. is it true or am i just wasting money??

B16aEGx2

I also work at Toyota and all of the other techs pretty much swear by these flushes.
Customers have noticed a considerable difference.

Vic Nyce

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vic Nyce &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

ive read this too, is there any proof? i've just done the first phase of my ATF diluting regime. my es300 took about 3 quarts. another 5 or so to go. i read somewhere putting all new fluid all at once can be harmful. is it true or am i just wasting money??</TD></TR></TABLE>

ok after scouring the web for info i found an explanation for the ATF dilution method. mind you this is for a GS300/GS400.

The text in this document is contributed by SeattleGS400 on ClubLexus.com
Percentage Old AT Fluid Remaining after a ATF Drain and Refill Process, and subsequent Drain and Refills
(1) 77.8%
(2) 60.5%
(3) 47.1%
(4) 36.6%
(5) 28.5%
(6) 22.1%
(7) 17.2%
(8) 13.4%
(9) 10.4%
(10) 8.1%

Basically, after 10 drain and refill processes (20 quarts of ATF total), you will still have approximately 8% of the old fluid left, which is pretty negligible.

If you want essentially all of the old fluid out of the A/T in one step, then you’ll need to do a A/T flush procedure (moderate cost at Lexus dealerships or a rather challenging process for a DIY job as you don't have the machinery), but it does get all of the old fluid out. This is NOT recommended on cars with spotty service records, as sludge build-up will come loose as the new ATF's chemicals will get the sludge loosened, which can clog up some vital internal parts.

If your ATF is a brown or black color, I'd recommend maybe 4 sequential drain and refills at any one time--no more. Then do a single drain and refill of ATF along with each oil change interval (i.e. for the next 3 oil changes, drain and refill the ATF at that interval as well). This will allow your transmission to slowly clear up the sludge in a gentle manner and minimize any clogging risk from large amount of sludge being loosened from "shock" of new ATF fluid.

Redline96LX

Alright.

AUTO transmissions:
A flush is when they use a pump and flush out all the old fluid. a drain and fill doesnt always work cause most of the fluid is in the torque converter. The reason a flush and fill can be BAD is that if your fluid got old, the new fluid can be too "good" for the build up, and shallac that has formed on the valve body. I think i'm using the wrong words, but basically adding new fluid to the old fluid (if its built up) can cause valves not to move, and the thing wont shift. so they run a cleaner through it, sort of like an engine flush. this will clean out any build up, and make it like new. they usually replace the filter for it too.
This usually runs around or under 100$ at most shops. Honda probably charges more, as they always cost more.

marshun

i had an auto back in the day with like 210k miles on it. tranny was still strong too. every other month i'd change the tranny fluid along with the oil. i drive allot.

i've seen lots of auto tranny's burn out

NOSpeed97

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ShowTymers619 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">.. alot of tranny people ive always talk to said theres a good chance of burning out your tranny replacing all the fluid at once... </TD></TR></TABLE>

?

Redline96LX

if you do it "right", meaning have a shop clean out all the old fluid, and put in new stuff, assuming there was no build up, and a new filter is in, you'll be fine. They can check for you if there is a problem.
This is where it comes in handy to have a GOOD mechanic

Vic Nyce

i know this is a honda board but the boys at the lexus/toyota forums couldnt answer this one. you sound like you know transmissions well so i was wondering if you can answer this for me. my es300 has 143k on it and the fluid is black and burnt. the reverse slips a little once the engine has warmed up. the weird thing is when its cold, it works perfectly. any ideas? you think an ATF cooler would help?

going from 6 manual hondas to an auto toyota

Redline96LX

if your fluid is black, it is WELL overdue for a change. most auto trannies last around 150k miles. id have that flushed, and have a good mechanic look at it. Kauffman Tires has good mechanics (meaning there not stupid ***** like the cashiers at napa.) You should have a professional look at that, and when he goes to drain the old stuff, have him inspect the old fluid. if there is some sort of debris, resistance or something, those could be burnt clutch bands. They are costly to replace. When you can, have it flushed, and refilled, and talk to the mechanic about the slipping.

marshun

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vic Nyce &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i know this is a honda board but the boys at the lexus/toyota forums couldnt answer this one. you sound like you know transmissions well so i was wondering if you can answer this for me. my es300 has 143k on it and the fluid is black and burnt. the reverse slips a little once the engine has warmed up. the weird thing is when its cold, it works perfectly. any ideas? you think an ATF cooler would help?

going from 6 manual hondas to an auto toyota </TD></TR></TABLE>

have you tried getting it flushed at toyota?