Refilling Transmission Fluid

[G Stone]

I have a Haynes manual and it says when refilling the transmission with fluid, "add new fluid through the dipstick or bolt hole." It states the bolt hole is for the V6 and the dipstick is for the 4 cylinder. Why can't I add fluid through the dipstick on my V6? It seems much easier than running a long piece of hose to the underside of the transmission to the filler bolt. Any reason for this?

[Accordriver]

I don't know about 6th gens, but the dipstick hole on a 7th gen is about a 1/4" wide.. much easier to run a tube imo.

But yes, can fill it up through the tube if you like.

[DonutLimo]

the filler bolt is on top of your tranny and says ATF. It's a 17mm I think.

[G Stone]

I will have to look into this more I guess. The Haynes Manual shows a picture of the "manual transaxle" and the drain plug and filler bolt. The filler bolt seems to be right above the drain plug. I'll crawl under the car today and look at it so I know more what I am talking about. I have never drained a transmission so this is uncharted waters for me.

[12153]

G Stone:

The FILLER bolt is right on top of the tranny. You will need 17mm socket, on a long extension, with either a ratchet or a breaker bar to loosen it. The bolt has an aluminum washer.

The DRAIN bolt is on the lower-left side of the tranny. All you need is a 3/8" drive ratchet or (short) pull handle to loosen it. No socket is required. It also has an aluminum washer.

[G Stone]

How much should ATX Tranny Fluid cost from Honda? I just picked up my throttle body gaskets a few minutes ago and asked and the parts guy quoted me $9.80 per quart! Damn, that is a ton! I just did a tranny refill on my wife's 05 Mazda6i and bought Castrol for 4.99 per quart. Too bad we can only use Honda fluid. Maybe there are some websites out there that sell it for cheaper?

[cajun]

Damn. It was $8 last year at my local dealer. There are sites that sell it (including ebay), but if you throw in shipping you won't end up saving much...unless you buy a bunch on the same order.

[12153]

G Stone:

Unless your car is still under some transmission warranty, you are not required to use Honda Z-1 ATF. YOUR car, YOUR money, YOUR discretion.

Honda Z-1 ATF is a conventional, petroleum oil. And IMCO, it SUX.

My dealer sells Z-1 for about ~$9.75/quart. But WHY use Z-1 when you can substitute a superior, fully-synthetic fluid such as Red Line D4 or AmsOil Universal ATF...for the same/less price?

I recently converted to Red Line D4 ATF. My "B7XA" shifts remarkably smoother, more positively, with very clean, crisp response. Nevermind the advertising hype at Red Line's website. Ask others who actually USE Red Line...such as (Mechanic/DA Moderator) FredSVT about Honda Z-1 versus the fully-synthetic ATFs. THEN you decide what you wanna pour into your gearbox.

[G Stone]

Warden:

Thanks for the input. I was under the assumption that my car HAD to have Honda ATX fluid and that was the only thing it could have in it. I have heard of Redline before and will have to check into it more. The things that I have always heard about synthetic fluids is that they are much thinner than standard fluids and therefor can leak more than the standard fluids. Any truth to this? Also, if I were to put synthetic fluid in would I need to flush out all the old tranny fluid or does synthetic mix in? Just trying to get all the information I can!

[12153]

G Stone:

You are required to use Honda Z-1 if your tranny is under some company warranty. In the case some other ATF is used, HMC will not honor your warranty if you have an issue with the tranny. Otherwise, you are perfectly free to use any brand of ATF as long as it conforms to (or exceeds) manufacturer's specifications.

Fully-synthetic ATF is NOT, per se, "thinner" than conventional, petroleum ATF. In many instances, the viscosity is actually thicker. It will NOT leak any differently than Honda Z-1. Most any synthetic fluid will work perfectly fine with a conventional oil. What you have heard/been told is a fairy tale, just a lotta BS.

Fully-synthetic oils withstand much greater temperature operating ranges, reduce heat, and lubricate far better, by reducing metal-to-metal friction. Decimal point.

I bought 13 (thirteen) quarts of Red Line D4, directly from their website. Cost was $9.95 per quart + shipping.

What I am in the process of doing now is four (4) drain-and-refill procedures to remove most of the Honda Z-1 ATF. Tranny system capacity on the V6 cars is ~7.5 quarts. On a drain, you get about three (3) quarts. After the fourth D&R event, you should (theoretically) have NO Z-1 left in the system. Realistically, maybe 5 percent.

While not mandatory, I would STRONGLY suggest you use the same ATF in your tranny. Consistency in methodology is always a good idea.

I am on my FIRST D&R, with approximately 3 quarts of Red Line in the gearbox. And I have noticed a dramatic improvement in the way my tranny operates.

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_g...p?categoryID=8

[12153]

To All:

To CORRECTLY service the ATF in a 4AT, you (else a technician) should perform three (3) tranny drain and refills, driving the car a few miles in between each D&R event. Then, you drain-and-refill a fourth (4th) time.

You do NOT "flush" the transmission. Repeat, with strong emphasis: Do NOT use any kind of "flush" treatment or machine on the transmission!!!

For you 2002 owners, please refer to page 262 in your Owner's Manual.

[nehonda]

You would actually have 13% Z1 (about a quart) left in your transmission after 4 changes based on 7.5 total capacity and changing 3 quarts each time. That presumes complete mixing between each change. Each change leaves 60% of the old fluid mixture in the transmission. You can never get it all out by partially draining 3 quarts and refilling. It comes down to what level is acceptable. I expect there is adequate compatability between the two fluids so there will be no problems.

Here is the calculation for anyone who cares
1 change 60% old fluid 4.5 qts
2 changes 36% old fluid 2.7 qts
3 changes 22% old fluid 1.6 qts
4 changes 13% old fluid 0.97 qts
5 changes 8% old fluid 0.58 qts
6 changes 5% old fluid 0.35 qts

[G Stone]

So this evening I decided to crawl underneath the car to take a look at where the transmission drain plug and filler plug were. I believe I located the drain plug and I am wondering what do I use to get it off? It says in the Haynes manual to use a 3/8 inch drive ratchet. What is a drive ratchet?

I know that the filler plug is located above the drain plug but the Haynes manual doesn't give an accurate description or picture of where it is. There are so many bolts on the transmission that I want to make sure I am unscrewing the right one. I took some pictures. The first one is what I believe to be the drain plug. The second one is what I think might be the filler plug. (It is above one of the frame braces that runs across the transmission) To be honest, I really don't know where it is. haha. Any input/advice is much appreciated!!

[Accordlover]

FYI - the owners manual shows where the drain bolt is. Look at the maint section.

You have pretty low miles on your Accord, if your tranny went out now and you could prove (receipts for honda atf) you changed the fluid at the points it is required to be changed according to the service schedule, I would imagine honda would replace or help you replace it. Mine went at 94.5K and they paid for it. If you don't use the Honda ATF then forget about that possiblility, they'll just blame it on improper fluid usage.

I wouldn't risk it until 120k maybe, since I'd think that's around the time you'd be sol if something happened. Just my $.02.

[cajun]

Originally Posted by G Stone

It says in the Haynes manual to use a 3/8 inch drive ratchet. What is a drive ratchet?

Drive ratchet = socket wrench. In this case you would put a 3/8 socket wrench (with no socket) in the plug.