Have 92 accord. Purchased few months ago. I was not sure about maintainance done by previous owner so thought to change transmission and engine oil to have new start. Searched internet, heard from people that changing automatic transmission oil on old cars cause tranny to go bad. Reason that if for some reason old car did not had oil change, has shavings and sludge inside transmission. Draining the oil and adding new one would cause loosing both and making parts loose as sludge and shavings are not there as they made their place in loose places .

Should i change the oil ? transmission is working fine no problems so far. Oil seems to be transparent.

 

With an automatic the rule is...

If it is red or dark red and smells fine, it can be changed.

If it is burgundy or brown and smells fine, you may want to leave it alone.
There is so much friction material suspended in the fluid it is probably what is keeping the transmission from slipping.

Any color, smells burnt, change it. Fluid has been overheated and will just get worse.

 

So i am not sure in what case I am in. Fluid is Transparent and does not smells burned . I checked it from Dip stick, how do you actually check the color on paper or on dipstick?

 

Automatic transmission fluid is always a red hue, and should be easily seen on the dip stick. Wiping the fluid off with a white paper towel or rag will stain the rag red.

There is a phase where transmission fluid turns a yellowish color before turning into a burgundy/brown color. You can still safely change the fluid.

If the fluid is clear then there is something other than ATF in the case. Never use anything other than the appropriate grade of ATF for your particular vehicle.

 

Thanks Mike......... you are always helpful........... placed the transmission fluid on white visiting card. It is thin and light red. has some brownish shade if you keep staring it for some time ..........

I think ill try and change it........... A near by mechanic (i doubt his abilities) said why change ATF as it lasts until it gets brown and that time tranny had to be changed. ATFs are life long.......... RIP HONDA

 

Also How many Liters go into it ? someone said if you just drain and fill then 3 liters.

If you do cooler line flush then 6.5 liters

Is above correct? if yes is it necessary to do cooler line flush or is it worth it?

 

My metric conversions are not good.

Usually ~2.5 quarts for a drain and fill on a 4th gen.

 

Yeah that is about right, it may be more of less depending on how much fluid drains out. Unlike an engine, there will still be fluid in the transmission circuits when you drain the pan, sometimes this fluid can leak down or be siphoned out from the draining action of the sump. But 3Litres/3Quarts is about what will drain out of the sump.
No point in doing a cooler flush. Just drain the sump fluid, refill, and drive around. Ideally you change the fluid three times to change out most of the fluid. Usually you would drain and refill the sump. Drive ~160-300 km or so, making sure to use every gear P-D1 to make sure you are getting all the new fluid through all the circuits and ports. Drain the fluid from the sump, refill, drive, drain, refill. No need to do it all in one day. If you commute daily in your car, then drain/refill the fluid on the weekends. Fresh ATF has detergents that will break down most sludge/varnish. This is part of the cleaning/draining process. To remove the buildup and restore the fluids friction modifier properties.

Trans fluid does break down and will wear out, or the properties will change with heat and age. If the fluid is overheated it is no good, and will need to be changed. That includes 'lifetime' fluids.