I just went to change the trans fluid @ 110k miles. I don't know the prior owners history so I am doing 3 flushes and the external filter. The bolt looked odd to me compared to pics I saw on here so I wanted to post it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p7xqxxc0x5...02.38.jpg?dl=0

Is this normal?

 

When ATF is that far gone it's best to leave it in there. At the most, I would just drain and fill once. When you put completely new ATF in a tranny with crap like that in it you're asking for it to fail.

 

I feel like that's an old wives tail. Why specifically would new fluid cause it to fail?

 

The new fluid will eat the coating right off the clutch packs.

I'm really surprised you don't already have problems with that much varnish in the tranny. Unless you can do it yourself you better start saving for that $3000 tranny rebuild.

 

It shifts absolutely perfect right now. I did do two changes today, should i just go all in and do the third and the filter?

 

The jury is still out on that. Though most professionals believe that the friction material loss from the clutch packs becomes suspended in the old fluid and aids in the transmissions operation.


I dont know how true this is or not,but I do know these facts:

1. Old, unchanged fluid breaks down chemically.
2. The old fluid DOES have clutch particles suspended in it.
3. I have experienced the "new fluid" trans failures on more than a few occasions when working on customers cars. Enough times that I now offer a disclaimer first.



With that said,your drain plug looks fairly normal for a Honda trans.

 

Thanks for explaining. When you say it looks normal for a Honda trans, is that a good normal, or a very bad normal?

 

I did the 3rd change, I'm all in at this point Filter to be done on Monday.

 

I don't think drain and fills will ever hurt a transmission. A Power flush, with a machine is something I would avoid. That's a lot of metal on the drain plug, but I would expect that much accumulation over 110k miles. I change out 3 quarts (DW-1) every 15k miles to keep it clean and fresh.

 

Really? I've only seen that much varnish on trannies that were already bad.

I do a drain and fill once a year, which is 15-20K miles.