I bought a 2002 Civic VTEC a little over a year ago, it had 115k on it. It came with no documentation of service, so I had to trust the seller, who was one of these Jiffy Lube owners that things were up to date at the time of sale. He said he'd given everything a thorough check already.

NOW, I checked the automatic tranny fluid yesterday for 1st time, and with it hot but with engine shut off, it checked right at the low mark.

Question 1: Is the fluid supposed to be clear? Mine is. What kind is that?

Question 2: Is it best to just top it off and not flush and fill? I read this is best with high mileage cars/transmissions.

It shifts OK I guess even though it seems to be slow to change sometimes. I assume that behavior may just be part of wear and tear. It's pretty solid when fully warmed up.

Thanks! martin

 

clear? no clue why it would be like that... afaik all ATF is pinkish, and gets darker the older it gets
you can top it off, but from what i've heard its better to not mix fluids.. especially considering that clear fluid doesn't sound to good.. you should just drain/fill it 3 or so times with genuine honda fluid

 

Honda ATF-Z1 is reddish/pinkish (or possibly amber) in color. Can't say for certain since I have an MT. The guy you bought the car from probably just used whatever fluid they had at the shop where he works. Many "quick lube" service stations are notorious for using whatever is on hand, rather than using genuine (correct) fluids. I don't know "what kind" of ATF would be clear, though. I've never seen "clear" ATF. Also, using non-Honda ATF can effect shift quality.

I would flush the system with genuine Honda ATF-Z1 fluid.


On a side note: If it's the original transmission, you might consider yourself lucky that it still works at 115k miles. 01-02 automatics are well-known for "premature" failure.

 

My whip is a 2002 civic EX with 189K miles, Recently... trans failure. I consider myself lucky.
Now, I'm trying to find a replaceable trans (04-05) EX trim. Will a trans from an 04 LX fit my 02 EX, if so what should i expect? Cost for trans $700, 75K miles. NOt really sure if i should make the purchase. Any thought would be greatly appreciated.