stevescivic

Hi everyone,

Just wondering something. How does one quickly fill the automatic transmission on the Accord V6s/Honda Oddeysey minivans, Acura MDX and other transmissions that have that little tiny dipstick hole to fill the tranny?

My 91 Civic has a big hole where a large long funnel can easily pop into but on the V6 Hondas it seems like the only way to fill the tranny is through the tiny dipstick hole.

Thanks

MustangLX6.0

There is a plug on top of the trans toward the rear of the car. Look down with a flashlight and you will see a "ATF" nut. You will need a 17MM socket, long extension and a breaker bar to break it loose

stevescivic

this 17mm nut that you speak of... Is it something that is pretty obvious that I couldn't possibly miss?

MustangLX6.0

I would say so. However some accords had a oil jet kit installed in the fill hole. If your Accord has this then instead of a nut you will see a black tube going into a hole where I described the fill hole would be. In that case there is a 12MM bolt you have to remove then work the oil jet out of the hole.


It can be a PITA "Thanks Honda"

good luck. Or option 3 is find a funnel that will fit around the dipstick tube however you risk chunks of plastic messing up your tranny this way.

stevescivic

hmmm I"ll have to pop the hood and look again on my dad's accord....

I've serviced so many of these trannys but not ONCE did I ever see a fill plug (then again I never really bother digging around) and have always filled the darned thing through the dipstick hole.

I guess I should ask where is it relative to the dipstick? Is it the same for the MDX and the Odessey minivan?
thanks

BLKFLSH

You have to lean over the driver side fender, and look down under the edge of the fuse box. Like was said before, if the car is a V6 from 03 or 04 model there may be a black jet kit tube going through there. In this case you could take the bracket for the jet kit tube loose, and maybe get a small funnel through that small hole. This way you don't have to worry about replacing the crush washer on the bolt. Even if you need to remove the bolt, I would think replacing the crush washer would not be necessary.

Found it yet?

xASHERx

is this the booger here?

BLKFLSH

Yes. Just remove the bolt on the bracket holding the tube, pull it out of the hole, find an appropriate funnel (you may want to search for a funnel that will work first). Fill the tranny with 3 quarts of ATF-Z1.

phootbag

I purchased a Martha Stewart turkey baster at Kmart. It is a METAL one. I put it on the end of my funnel and can stick the skinny end of the baster inside the dipstick tube. Fill in about a minute. The beauty of this is that you never have to mess with a second gear jet kit again!

MSchu

You can use the speed sensor hole as described but that is the hard way.... most Honda transmissions fill from under the car... the fill hole is very near the drain hole.... you have to use a pump system to get it in there

BLKFLSH

The dipstick hole does sound like the easiest/quickest way to fill it. If I can find this "turkey baster" and it works, I'll try that next time.

ataiko

Hi, Either there is a 17 mm bolt plug or a injection tube has to remove first to remove the plug.m Then you will have a very large hole for filling. Use only Honda Trans fluid.
The plug could be very tight. May need some force to loosen it.
Good luck.

accord2003

I just changed mine, yesterday. Oil jet was installed at 6k miles. Filled at dipstick, used a cone shaped tip like one on a 75-90 gear oil qt bottle, attached a small vinyl tube (Tractor Supply) to the cone tip,screwed cap to the ATF bottle, inverted, placed air hole in bottle bottom and drained. It would be easy to cut the bottom off the first ATF bottle after draining and use it as a funnel to add the last 2 qts. Is it normal that the drained fluid is as dark as used motor oil???? 2003 Accord has only 34,000 miles on it. Please reply. Thanks

MSchu

yeap

BLKFLSH

I change the fluid every 15k miles. I'm almost at 60k, so I'm going to change the filter this time. Yes, there is a filter.

Ross 2.0

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MSchu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can use the speed sensor hole as described but that is the hard way.... most Honda transmissions fill from under the car... the fill hole is very near the drain hole.... you have to use a pump system to get it in there</TD></TR></TABLE>
No they don't. Only some of the manual transmissions are like that. ALL automatic Hondas fill from the top side.

Ross 2.0

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BLKFLSH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I change the fluid every 15k miles. I'm almost at 60k, so I'm going to change the filter this time. Yes, there is a filter.</TD></TR></TABLE>
You're going to break open the transmission just to do that?

BLKFLSH

This is not exactly cracking open the transmission. Is it?
http://www.driveaccord.net/for...13804

Ross 2.0

Ahh I forgot about that little bugger.

BLKFLSH

What I'd like to know, is why there is absolutely no mention of this filter in the Accord V6 supplement? The only part it mentions is the passage that the filter sits in. It would be nice to have some instructions in the service manual. I don't get it.


Modified by BLKFLSH at 7:10 PM 10/26/2008

MustangLX6.0

because its a lifetime filter and does not require replacement nor have any benefit best thing to do is simply replaced the fluid every 30k. If your filter is that dirty then your trans is gonna be toast anyway

Ross 2.0

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MustangLX6.0 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">because its a lifetime filter and does not require replacement nor have any benefit best thing to do is simply replaced the fluid every 30k. If your filter is that dirty then your trans is gonna be toast anyway</TD></TR></TABLE>
That's honda's general philosophy however, I would disagree as well. Why would they include a filter with some of the remanned transmissions if it were not needed?

BLKFLSH

I change out 3 quarts every 15k miles, because I know how fragile these things are (03 V6 = recall jet kit). Seeing how dirty Tonyware's (guy in the link) filter was at 100k miles, it was obviously doing something before it got totally clogged up. Changing the filter seems like a good idea. At least, if this tranny goes out on me, Honda will not be able to say I didn't do everything I could to make it last. I plan on having this car for 10-15 years, and I want the tranny to last the duration.

It seems many Honda techs don't even know about this filter. The service manual should at least mention it.

BLKFLSH

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MustangLX6.0 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">because its a lifetime filter and does not require replacement nor have any benefit best thing to do is simply replaced the fluid every 30k. If your filter is that dirty then your trans is gonna be toast anyway</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm sure Honda didn't design this transmission with a jet kit in mind either. Lifetime????? I'm sure if I waited for the recommended 120k mile fluid change, the "lifetime" would be much shorter.

Ross 2.0

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

I'm sure Honda didn't design this transmission with a jet kit in mind either. </TD></TR></TABLE>
They didn't design it afterwards either. Those trannies are dropping like flies lately.