How do I change my transmission fluid?

Can anyone tell me how to drain the tranny fluid myself? Where is the
drain plug? Do I need a crush washer?

2002 V6 Accord 35k

Thanks.

 

Dill a 1/2 inch hole at the bottom.

 

------------------------------

www.slhondaparts.com has your diagrams and part #s.

Use a 3/8 socket HANDLE without socket, normal thread. Make sure to
remove fill plug (dipstick) and tranny should be warmed up just before
draining. Use ONLY Honda Z1 fluid, and do it three times (weekends) or
run it through all the gears between drains. Magnet will be heavily
coated and drain bolt will be VERY tight first time (nobody knows why).

'Curly'

 

As Curly mentions, when you take the bolt off you need wipe off all of
the metal goo that is attached to the bolt. Also replace the crush
washer and use a pole if you need extra leverage (I end up always
needing it). I just believe that it may be overkill to replace the
fluid three times. I doubt most Hondas out on the road that have over
150k miles baby their cars as we do and they are still fine. I would
change it once wait a week and do it again and that's it.

Nick

 

Must use Honda's Z1 fluid. Change once now. Look at the fluid after
driving to mix. If it still looks bad (or worse, smells cooked),
change again. If not, then go to a 15,000 mile schedule. The "change
three times" deal is overkill for most people. Would recommend it
though, if you do a hellacious amount of stop n go in hot
temperatures.

The crush washer is probably 18mm like on 7th generation Accords.
As I recall, older models (my old '90 Integra) used the same 14mm as
the engine oil drain.

 

That's not a change. Honda specifies that only for people who wish to
exchange much of their fluid for some reason. They specify NO flush,
but rather the drain/fill/drive/ threepeat cycle.

When the service schedule says "change transmission oil," it means pull
the plug, drain all you can, and fill back up. Period.

 

Thanks all!

 

That is the factory specification. You only get some of the fluid out with
each drain.

You need to drive the car a hundred yards or so between drains to exchange
the fluid that's stuck in the torque converter.

If you regularly do a drain/fill two or three times a year, you can get
away with doing only one drain/fill each time.

 

That is the factory specification.[/QUOTE]

For a full exchange, that's the factory specification (as opposed to a
"flush" which is not recommended under any circumstances).

For a routine transmission fluid service, they specify a simple, single,
drain and fill.

 

For a full exchange, that's the factory specification (as opposed to a
"flush" which is not recommended under any circumstances).[/QUOTE]



I've recently been following a couple of highly interesting threads
in rec.autos.tech.

In that group, a working tech with lots of transmission experience
described the flush procedure, plus his many observations of
disassembled transmissions.

1) A "flush" is not what I was thinking it was.
2) Sludge does not build up inside the valve body or shift valves.

Conclusion: The prohibition on "flushing" is "Internet wisdom".
There is nothing wrong with a "flush" as routinely performed by garages.

Check out this thread:
<http://groups.google.com/group/rec.autos.tech/browse_frm/thread/ff3d521790590332/b9c3aacf10b40f6d?lnk=st&q=&rnum=1#b9c3aacf10b40f6d>

Look for posts in that thread by:
shiden_kai

 

A local independent garage that specializes in Hondas has been
"flushing" automatics for years without problems.

Interesting read!

JT

 

Except that Honda specifies only multiple drain/fill/drive cycle to
replace the fluid as completely as possible (if that's your goal), and
not any kind of a flush.

It's not Internet wisdom; it's Honda engineers.

I'll take the Honda engineer wisdom any day over "some tech who does a
bunch of tranny work".

 

I dunno... It also ensures that Honda will sell three time as much oil
as would be needed in a conventional system that has a drain plug on the
converter where most of the fluid resides. Utter cheapness on Honda's
part, (bean counter engineering), IMNSHO.. Also, as I stated in
another post, an independent shop that specializes in Hondas near me has
been "flushing" automatics for years without incident.

JT

 

I dunno... It also ensures that Honda will sell three time as much oil
as would be needed in a conventional system that has a drain plug on the
converter where most of the fluid resides.[/QUOTE]

Again, Honda doesn't specify the multiple cycle drain/refill as a
regular maintenance. They specify only a singly iteration as the
regular maintenance.

They specify the multiple cycle drain/refill only for those times when a
fairly full replacement is desired, and that is not the case for regular
maintenance.

I'll take the Honda engineer wisdom any day over "some tech who does a
bunch of tranny work".

 

it's such a crock when they say stuff like that. "without incident"
means what exactly? no fireball explosion? no leakage? do they
actually monitor individual transmissions? over what period?

what i usually see is it gets "flushed" with non-honda atf, the shift
quality goes to heck, and the transmission gets replaced because "when
they start to shift like that, they're just about to go". i got my 89
civic like that. 106k genuine miles, shift quality all to blazes.
chick selling it couldn't offload it fast enough as she'd clearly been
terrorized about cost of replacing "the inevitable failure". here i am
57k later and that transmission is smooth as silk thanks to drain &
refill with genuine honda atf.

and don't get too panty-bunched about frequent transmission oil changes
either. look at the change schedule in the owner manual and believe it.
friends had a 360k accord that had *never* been changed. worked
perfectly.

 

Again, Honda doesn't specify the multiple cycle drain/refill as a
regular maintenance. They specify only a singly iteration as the
regular maintenance.

They specify the multiple cycle drain/refill only for those times when a
fairly full replacement is desired, and that is not the case for regular
maintenance.

I'll take the Honda engineer wisdom any day over "some tech who does a
bunch of tranny work".
[/QUOTE]


I think that we'll hafta agree to disagree on this one.

To me, anything less than a totally and easily accomplished fluid change
is like taking a bath then wearing the same ol' soiled socks 'n underwear...

<G>

JT

(Who hates strange rashes...)

 

Sorry Jim, but I'm with Michael on this one. This shop which is in its
thrid generationn of family ownership with a loyal customer base is
proof 'nuff for me.

I never subscribe to much of the hype offered by manufacturers including
Honda where most of the profit exists with "service" after the sale.

Where did I say "non Honda" fluid?

It won't in Texas. Dino based fluids go kaput shortly after 50K. Don't
ask me how I know...

<G>

JT

 

do they monitor individual transmissions? over what period?

with respect, that's illogical. honda service intervals are /way/
longer than most shops will have you changing your oil, so there's no
"extra profit" built into their schedule. all the profit is with the
shops that have you spending money on excess oil changes.

do you /know/ they use honda fluid?

you mean heat problems, right? i have family in las vegas, so schlep on
over the high desert passes on the road from san francisco bay area
regularly. i haven't noticed any heat degradation problems on my
civics, and i wouldn't call death valley exactly chilly.

 

If they weren't performing satisfactory work, they would be out of business.

Uh, when I said "service," I implied the whole scheme of "service after
the sale." That is where the real profit(s) lie.

 

i hear what you say jt, but i gotta tell ya, that logic doesn't hold.
san francisco honda are quite unspeakably abysmal, either grossly
incompetent or utter rip-off, and they stay in business. so does the
kwik-lube place where my grandmother sometimes goes - you know the kind
of place: "your transmission fluid needs to be flushed urgently" - only
300 miles after i personally changed it.

fact is, most places do /not/ really know what they're talking about,
they simply go through a routine money-making routine while telling the
customer they're doing them a favor. and 99% of car owners know no
better [and nor do many mechanics for that matter]. to that 99%,
there's some nice professional person "offering friendly advice". and
cars are expensive to maintain - it just goes with the territory.