Replacing Transmission Fluid; Do ? (2005 Civic)

[Robert11]

Hello,

A family member has a 2005 Civic with about 135,000 miles on it. Wow !
Live in New England.

The transmission fluid has never been flushed, or replaced.

Before I suggest that this would be a good idea to have done, thought I'd ask here first.

I seem to remember Posts for different brand autos where it was said, strongly, in effect, "if it ain't broken dont fix it", and that not to replace the transmission fluid - just leave it alone as replacing it would/might cause more problems than having "dirty" trans. fluid.

As to be expected, there were many Posts that said it should "most definitely" be replaced every XXX miles.

What do you think ? Replace or leave alone ?
If replaced, how often ?

At this mileage, any other fluids or maint. that should be done that we are not aware of; the manual is misplaced ?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

The transmission fluid has never been flushed, or replaced.

Before I suggest that this would be a good idea to have done, thought I'd ask here first.

Before you ask here first, what does the owner's manual say about recommended maintenance?

Anyway, don't "flush" it like you're thinking. Honda recommends a repeated drain/fill routine to get rid of as much of the old stuff as you can, but Honda doesn't recommend an active flush.

But overall, the owner's manual does have a recommendation for single drain/fill intervals.

Whatever you do, use the Honda-brand fluid for your car, from the dealer.

 

[Tegger (2)]

Hello,

A family member has a 2005 Civic with about 135,000 miles on it. Wow ! Live in New England.

The transmission fluid has never been flushed, or replaced.

Before I suggest that this would be a good idea to have done, thought I'd ask here first.

I seem to remember Posts for different brand autos where it was said, strongly, in effect, "if it ain't broken dont fix it", and that not to replace the transmission fluid - just leave it alone as replacing it would/might cause more problems than having "dirty" trans. fluid.

As to be expected, there were many Posts that said it should "most definitely" be replaced every XXX miles.

What do you think ? Replace or leave alone ?
If replaced, how often ?

At this mileage, any other fluids or maint. that should be done that we are not aware of; the manual is misplaced ?

Your Owner's Manual can be found online from American Honda, here:
<https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/RJAAI001_OMANUAL.asp>

You're not far off the officially specified 120K interval for the first fluid change, so no damage will have occurred. However, you do need to change the fluid properly and change it now. Then you need to change it every 60K from here on out for maximum transmission life.

Use ONLY genuine Honda ATF-Z1, available only from a Honda or Acura dealer. Do not use "Honda-compatible" aftermarket fluids.

The correct fluid-change procedure according to your Owner's Manual:
"To thoroughly flush the transmission,
the technician should drain and refill
it with Honda ATF-Z1, then drive the
vehicle for a short distance. Do this
three times. Then drain and refill the
transmission a final time."

NOTE: Do NOT allow anyone (including the dealer!) to sell you a "flush" that consists of circulating through the transmission a fluid of /any/ kind that is not ATF-Z1. Chemical "flushes" are officially prohibited by Honda.

The online Owner's Manual has a Maintenance Schedule that calls out change intervals for the car's other life-limited fluids.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

The correct fluid-change procedure according to your Owner's Manual:
"To thoroughly flush the transmission,
the technician should drain and refill
it with Honda ATF-Z1, then drive the
vehicle for a short distance. Do this
three times. Then drain and refill the
transmission a final time."

Technically speaking, that is not the correct fluid change procedure.

The fluid change procedure is a single drain and fill.

What you quoted above is the Honda-specified FLUSH procedure, which is different.

 

[Tegger (2)]

Technically speaking, that is not the correct fluid change procedure.

The fluid change procedure is a single drain and fill.

What you quoted above is the Honda-specified FLUSH procedure, which is different.

OK, "flush" then, not "fluid change".

I try to avoid the use of the word "flush" because people tend to conflate that with the chemical "flush" procedures sold by the aftermarket.

To clarify: the OP needs to do a "flush" _as specified_ in his manual.