dan_g

Hi I will be completing 30k mileage soon. I wanted to know if it is necessary to do a fluid change at 30k or wait till 60k and after that do it like every 15k or 30k miles.

Thanks


Dan

phootbag

30 k. A trans is expensive. Fluid is not.

BLKFLSH

I would go ahead and change out 3 quarts at 30k. What condition the fluid is in, and how much metal is on the drain plug magnet, would help determine how frequently I would change it in the future.

HONDAPARTSMANMIKE

i would rec every 15k and use the honda atf

Targa250R

As mentioned, automatic transmission fluid should be changed every 30,000 miles at a maximum.

I usually recommend changing it every 20,000 miles. For most people, that's not even once a year.

Use genuine Honda ATF-Z1 fluid. It seems expensive when compared to lesser ATF formulations, but in the grand scheme of things, $20-25 for 3 quarts of fluid is a drop in the bucket. It takes a lot of trans fluid changes to add up to the $2300+ cost of a remanufactured transmission.

The Honda stuff also shifts the best. I know a lot of enthusiats with non-Honda vehicles who run Honda fluids for this reason.

dan_g

Thanks for your responses. I checked the fluid last night and it looked good. Bright red. I will however change the fluid, air and cabin filters.


Dan

YeuEmMaiMai

yeah I would change it, although it is not required, I would do it

KWayRacing

Change it. Fluid is cheap. Especially seeing you are in florida where temps are over 90 for 3 months of the year.

dan_g

I changed the fluid a few days back. First of all I had to replace over 3Qts, more like 1/4qt over three.

I compared the old fluid to the new fluid by saving a little in a small bottle and the old fluid is more like brownish red and not bright red i saw when using the dipstick.

The Transmission nut was not easy to break open took a lot of my strength as well as the use of a breaker bar.


Dan

BLKFLSH

Since the old fluid didn't look bad, did the magnet on the drain plug have a lot of metal shavings stuck to it? If there was very little metal on the magnet, I think you could probably go another 30k before the next change.

shortlid

Is there a dipstick on '03 Accord coupe with 4 cyl. Is the filter just a sceen behind the pan or a actual spin on? Going to a stealership tonight to pick-up four qts of Honda ATF.

BLKFLSH

I have a V6, so I'm not sure, but I think the filter is an in-line filter. Maybe someone else with a 4 cylinder can confirm this. I have seen pictures of the filter, so if you do a search you might find one.

Targa250R

No Honda automatic transmissions have pans or spin-on filters, but all of the automatics have a dip stick.

Prior to 2003ish, the only filter was a metal screen buried deep inside, which could only be accessed by splitting the cases. The late model 4-cylinder transmissions ('03 and newer IIRC) added a small in-line filter, which is attached to the ATF cooler lines. The 4-cylinder's in-line filter is about $19-20 but has no specified service interval. For '03+ V6es, there is a small cartridge filter that is accessed by removing a plate on the top side of the trans. The V6 filter element is $15-16.

BLKFLSH

I would like to know why this filter is not mentioned, in maintenance or anywhere else, in the 03-05 Helm Service manual (V6 supplement)? Is there a more detailed book for the automatic transmission, that shows this filter? Why is the filter a secret?

Targa250R

#7:

BLKFLSH

Sure, I found out it has a filter, then found it on Majestic Honda, and bought one. But looking through the 03-05 Helm service manual (V6 supplement) you will not find any mention of it.

Targa250R

I know it's not in the manual.

I don't really think it's a replacement item; chances are that it's a metal screen filter that just needs to be washed out. If it were a paper cartridge filter, there would be a specified service interval.

ch0baca

yeh i doubt u need to replace dat. USE THE NEW AND IMPROVED HONDA MTF FLUID.

BLKFLSH

This is the link that showed me there actually was a filter, and it could be changed without taking the tranny apart. Yes, it is a paper filter, and it gets dirty pretty quickly. I changed mine at 60k miles, and it was totally black.
PS: This was not the first time the guy in the link changed the filter. He has over 130k miles on it now, and still going strong. I hope I can do the same.
http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13804

Targa250R

Interesting.

BLKFLSH

What I wonder is, how many transmissions could be saved, or at least last much longer, if proper maintenance was done here? Looking at the filters tells me they are filtering well, and probably should be changed often. Can you imagine what one of these filters looks like after 100k miles or more?

AK94GSR

For as long as i have been working on hondas, i have never heard honda rec replacing this filter in the trans.
I rec changing atf approx every 15k to 20k . Honda auto trans are very sensitive and frequent fluid changes should be a must.

BLKFLSH

It was never an external, paper/cartridge filter before. It was always internal/screen. The filter is not hard to change (once you know how) too bad I had no help from the service manual. I assume Honda decided not to make changing the filter a required maintenance item, but then they don't require fluid changes until 105k miles either, so what the heck do they know? When Honda came up with the maintenance schedule, for the V6 transmission, I doubt they knew there would be a recall later on. I'm not going 100k miles, before the first fluid change, and I'm also not leaving that filter in there forever. I would sooner just remove the filter, so it's not slowing down the flow of fluid, after being clogged up with crud.

brandonick2000

there is no interval for the filters cause not all of the transmissions have them (i have worked at a dealership for 2 years and have never heard anyone even talk about changing them). i would just change the fluid every 30k regardles of what it looks like.

0Janet@bisimoto

I agree. Use only Honda ATF. Look at your owners manual for specific details of fluids changes. However, If you don't have access to an owners manual, go ahead and replace the trans fluid simply to be safe and protect your investment.