My car has 5k miles on it before my warranty runs out. I was having problems with misshifting, so i put some ES shifter bushings in it to hopefully cure my problem. Did not work, so I changed my tranny fluid and put in honda mtf. When I drained my tranny the fluid was a dark black and had a few metal shavings in it. I had the car serviced 13k miles ago, including mtf change.

First question, can mtf get really black in 13k miles, or did the dealership just not change it?

Secondly, will the ES bushings void my warranty?

Third, I have had bad experiences with dealerships doing bad work, not doing the work, etc. I live in Auburn, Al and was wondering if someone could recommend a dealership that they trust to work on their car.

 

1. Dunno, changed mine at 48K and it was black, but that's what I expected. After heat cycles for 13K miles, I'd suspect it would be black however. The part that worries me more is the the metal shavings. That's never good!

2. Possibly, depending on the dealer. Since the bushings didn't cure the problem, I'd recommend removing them before taking your car in for service. It's clear the problem existed before the bushings, so no need to give them cause to refuse your warranty work.

If you were back in Cincy, I'd suggest Columbia Acura or Acura of Dayton. Both have outstanding Service departments IMO. As far as Alabama is concerned, I don't know, but I'd post to the Type R forum and see if they have suggestions since it's the most populated board.

 

If your mtf fluid really was changed 13k ago then you shouldnt have to change it again. I dont trust dealers also. How many miles on your tranny? Could be either synchro or cluth related or maybe air in your clutch lines causing the bad shifts.

Could be many factors, could be paranoid?