I have a 98 Accord EX-L sedan with 142,000 miles. I've been really good with making sure stuff like the oil, tires, filters, and plugs were well taken care of. However, when it came to stuff like the power steering fluid and transmission fluid, I wasn't as disciplined.

I'm getting rid of my 94 Civic and the Accord will become my daily commuter vehicle.

I've never changed the transmission fluid in the Accord. The manual says to change it at 90k miles. I'm wondering if I should change it? I've heard recommendations that if you never changed it and have high mileage, then don't change it all. The reasoning I've been given is that the fluid now carries a certain amount of metal "grit" that serves to provide friction for the gears to catch. If you change the fluid, you risk removing that grit and the gears will no longer catch and you may have to repair/replace your transmission.

Obviously, replacing the trannie is not something I want to do at this point (especially since the car is running great.) I want to really give the car a "maintenance overhaul" to ensure it hits 200k with minor or no issues (and of course be more disciplined with all the maintenance. )

Should I change the transmission fluid? Is there a real concern with making the trannie inoperable by changing the fluid at this point?

 

P Adams? please chime in on the "myth". I practive preventative maintence.


Modified by SteveoBA8 at 7:55 PM 2/21/2006

 

change it now. If this is the first time that it has been changed, then you are really pushing your luck.

 

haha, i change mines every 30k anyways even if i don't need to cause i can get hook ups.

 

YeuEmMaiMai,

Your signature states that you installed a new transmission. Just curious but how much did that cost in parts and labor?

 

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

Your signature states that you installed a new transmission. Just curious but how much did that cost in parts and labor?</TD></TR></TABLE>

here is how it broke down

211.60 TQ converter
306.48 master rebuild kit
114.90 Differental bearings
197.84 Main shaft
409.44 Main pressure switch
351.46 Shift Solenoid set
85.00 honda trans fluid
49.95 filter

parts total 1726.75
labor total 1316.00

The new trans performs OK and I got the 2nd gear jet kit installed

The cause of failure according to the shop was main shaft internal bushing failure, leading to pressure drop, leading to 2nd gear clutch pack failure = toasted transmission

If the main shaft had not failed, the differenental bearings would have failed within about 10K and I would still be spending $$$ to fix it.


Modified by YeuEmMaiMai at 5:01 AM 2/22/2006

 

Change it now and pray you gon't have any grit!! Grit, grime and fluid contamination causes wear and other bad stuff.

Look to have it done every 30/50k interval, depending on driving style.
You can go with either the multiple fluid change proceedure as advocated by some here, or you can have it machine flushed; depending on the preference of your repair shop.

Of more importance than the Power Steering Fluid, is the tri-yearly power flush of the brake fluid. Brake fluid absorbs water over the course of time and slowly ruins the inside bores of such things as the Master Cylinder and Wheel Cylinders, leading to brake failure.

P

 

Don't forget the coolant change....it should be due for that by now.