elementALgirl

2006 Element 93,000

So I just paid off my Element, decided to get tires rotated, trans drained & filled. It seemed to shake after 70 mph next day but it was windy and I didnt know if it was tire rotation.
No problems for a week then blinking D light.

Supposedly Valvoline Max Life is ok for Honda but web sources say otherwise. Hoping for a fix that doesnt break the bank. Dropping off at the Dealer later for diagnostics.

Any experiences here?

qwrty

you should only use oem honda atf for the trans, a lot of V owners here(including ME!)
got into trouble or had issues w/ their tranny after using non oem atf... replace it asap!
drain and fill it for couple of times or if you could get to any shop that purges the tranny
fluid much better, but youll end up using lots of atf so buy a box online to make it cheaper!!

hth..
G/L!

Mechanic

I edited this gentleman's post a tad, but I agree with his recommendation to replace the non-spec transmission fluid immediately with Honda DW-1 fluid. (It's synthetic, btw.) As he stated, the recommended DIY procedure is drain and refill three times. (In other words, drain and refill the transmission and then drive long and far enough for the transmission to engage all five gears (several miles, at least). Then repeat the drain-and-refill procedure two more times. (Yes, this is tedious, but it is necessary.) Doing this yourself, of course, is much less expensive than having it done. And, yes, it will cost you about $90 for Honda OEM transmission fluid to do this correctly. (Me, I'd take the time to order it from an online source and not drive the vehicle in the meantime.)

One final caveat: under no circumstances should you allow anyone to "power flush" your transmission using any sort of pressurized equipment.

elementALgirl

Thanks, Honda dealer it said needed a switch replaced in tranny and it's covered under Honda care. Refilling with Honda trans fluid. Will ask them about drain & fill 3x if that's really necessary! Hoping for no more transmission issues...

Mechanic

http://www.crvownersclub.com/forums/...ead.php?t=2324. Same tranny; new fluid.

If you have Honda do it be sure you tell them you used a non-spec fluid, and you need to replace all of it.