Mystery of ATF Color, 02 Civic

.... Or, It's funny what the dealer won't say.

My 02 Civic EX with 25k miles developed a leak I thought was motor oil.
Brought it in and they replaced the transmission shift shaft seal (or said
they did -- 'twas very quick).

Still leaking. After looking again, I wasn't sure if the leak was ATF or
motor oil, as they both looked, smelled and felt about the same, and the
same as leak. Bring it in again and they then said rear main seal, but
changed their minds a couple hours later and put in a brand new transmission
(a week later).

So, now they're wondering if I had changed the ATF (yeah, right, after 1
year and 25k miles) and put in something other than ATF (coffee, tea?) as
they know I change my own oil.

Finally, the question(s): Is Honda ATF installed at the factory red or
brownish (as some other makes are). If red, how did it get brownish? It
didn't smell burned and seemed to shift fine (although it does seem to shift
better now); could it still have been burned? Will an AT shift with motor
oil in it if the assembler at the factory mistook it for a manual
transmission?

Much fodder for thought ....
I wish I had taken a sample, though I don't know what I'd do with it --
bring it to a lab?

Scott

 

If it was brown it was burned.

 

They treated you well. Good dealer.

You should have. It would have been a good idea.

Generally speaking, ATF is bright red. If yours was brown, cloudy, smelled
different from the new stuff or was black, then you needed to drain and
fill.

Just like engine oil, ATF gets old had must be renewed.

Clutch material worn off the friction discs. This is normal, and along with
molecular shear is the reason for fluid changes.

NEVER happen. NO way. Autos and manual trannies are filled by totally
different methods.

Since you now have a new tranny, any leakage from it will definitely be
bright red and smell very different from motor oil.

Learn your lesson here and change the auto tranny fluid twice a year at the
very least. You will get much longer life out of it that way. Automatic
tranny rebuilds are very expensive.

You should be changing your engine oil every 3-5K as well. Your engine
seals will thank you.

 

TWICE a year???

 

Yes. More often if you do a lot of city driving.