My Girlfriend's 1998 Accord LX 4door (4cyl/5speed) sometimes doesn't go all the way into 3rd and 5th without rev matching and/or double clutching on shifts.

Before suspecting synchros, I'd like to get in and change the tranny fluid. I have a couple quarts of Honda MTF laying around.

Are there any tips and tricks to making the process easier?

On my old EG Civic sedan with the D15, I used to be able to pull the Vehicle Speed Sensor to quickly check the level of and add transmission oil. It'd save me the trouble of crawling under the car and using a hand pump to add through the fill hole.

I couldn't find the VSS on the Accord, although I didn't look too hard. I wrongly assumed it'd be in the same place.

 

iirc, the vss isn't going to be as easy to get to as you can on your Civic but you could probably do it that way.

although, I find it quite easy to use the fill hole, no pump required. Just go to a hardware store and buy a hose that fits in the hole, stuff a funnel into the hose and there you go. Poor the fluid into the funnel and let the hose carry it into the fill hole.

 

Ya mean I gotta go out and jack the thing up and crawl under it? lol...

I just hate the funnel because if I put too much in the funnel and it starts spilling out of the transmission, then I've gotta lay in the puddle to put the fill plug back.

Yeah, I guess I've been spoiled by that trick on the Civic. I thought I was hot sh*t when I found out about that. You can see straight in to the differential from that VSS hole.

If that's how it is, then I guess that's how it's gonna be.

 

to prevent putting too much fluid in the funnel/hose, take note of how much recommended fluid is needed and as you near that recommended amount only add a little fluid at a time. This minimizes fluid spill, usually I just have to wipe a little off the tranny case. ALso, if you notice it spilling out the fill hole but you have a lot left in the funnel/hose just set the fluid container down and quickly pull the hose out of the tranny while putting your finger over the hole to stop the fluid. Then empty the rest into the container. It's really not that hard to keep things clean this way, just have to use a little extra care.