edwinbaby

I know, I know. I searched the site, and found this: https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/should-i-attempt-change-my-transmission-fluid-2953454/.

But... that's a completely differnet vehicle. So.. I know we've all heard the myths: changing your ATF will cause your transmission to stop working.


Facts:
I'm nearing 90k miles on my vehicle.
I've owned the vehicle for 30k miles.
I don't know if the transmission fluid has been changed.
Looks gold in color with small silvery specs.
When shifting from Neutral to Drive, it takes about an extra 1-2 seconds more to engage the gear then it did at about 75k miles. Help :'(

Any constructive advice will be amazing. Thanks!

BLKFLSH

IMO, drain and fills will not hurt your transmission. Transmission flush machines are a NO NO. I would do one drain and fill. Then depending on what the drained fluid looks like, do another drain and fill a week or so later, and so on until the fluid looks clean and Red. I use Honda DW-1 fluid (it's new). There is a filter you can change, but you might not want to get into that on the first drain and fill. You can save by buying a case of fluid, knowing you will use it up sooner or later. I buy most of my OEM parts from online Honda dealerships. I will usually buy enough maintenance items to last a couple of years, so the shipping costs don't ruin the good online prices. HandA is a good place to order maintenance items, because they will ship fluids, but they don't sell parts.

Accordman1

As a rule, I have my ATF fluid change every 30K when I bring my car in for the 30K check ups. Depending your driving condition, you may have to change it sooner but not later. At 30K, I would have it changed regardless. I never heard of a gold ATF fluid as most ATF is red so I would change it immediately if the ATF fluid is not Honda or the wrong type. If it is not Honda fluid, you may have to do a full replacement rather than drain and fill. If you see the silvery metal in the fluid when you drained it, it is wearing from the clutch. The Honda seems to be more ficnicky on the ATF fluid.

GoLowDrew

Gold means almost brown. I would do a 3X change, since this most likely will be the "first" time.

It may seems like waste, but if you DIY, it's still cheaper than what it cost the dealer to do it 1X. I did not go through that link for instructions. If you have questions as to How-to, just ask here.