Tranny Fluid Change

89 civic automatic. I want to tranny fluid change. The best time to change
according to the manual saying the tranny must be hot so that fluid
coming out well. Well my tranny is rarely get hot because I don't drive
much. Is cold Tranny fluid change not recommend? Can I drain the tranny
fluid for many hours to let all fluid out?

 

Why not take it out for a drive before doing it? It'll come out a lot
easier if its warm. BTW - use Honda ATF if you can get it.

 

(Red Cloud) spake unto the masses in

It never will. Some is always inside the torque converter. The drain is
basically finished after a minute or so.

Let the car stay cold. It's not like engine oil where you're trying to get
all the water and combustion contaminants out.

From another post, here is the method I use, which I started with our
automatic Toyotas:

"As far as capacity goes, the manual would likely not be accurate anyway.
Neither the Tercel's nor the MR2's was.

What I did with the Tercel and MR2 was to get two one-gallon windshield-
washer fluid bottles. I rinsed them out, then refilled them with water
using a measuring cup. Each pint, I made a mark on the side with a
permanent marker, labelling them as I went. One jug I called OLD, the other
NEW. Then I left them upside-down to dry overnight.

When I did the drain, after it stopped dripping, I poured the contents of
the oil pan into the OLD jug and made a note of the exact amount. I then
added exactly that amount into the NEW jug, and refilled with that. Works
perfectly. I did need to add eight ounces afterwrads, which turned out to
be the span between the ADD and FULL marks on the dipstick.

The contents of the OLD jug get transferred to a different jug for
disposal, that way I can keep the one with the marks on the side.

Now I just use the jugs every time I do a drain and fill, which is every
second engine oil change."

 

You'll also get a lot less out if you start it first, since it takes a
while to drip down from the innards into the oil pan. Don't start the car.
Tranny oil is pretty thin already and flows well from cold, even in the
winter.

 

I wouldn't drain it at all...you only get about 20% of the total fluid out.
The fluid behind the pump and converter will never drain out.

Take it to a lube shop, and have it pressure changed. This is done with the
car running, and gets 100% of the fluid changed. Prices around here start at
$59.

 

But unless is a Honda shop, they won't use honda fluids.

 

"Honda fluids" are just dressed up regular fluid, marked up to a higher
price.

Any quality SAE fluid will perform as well as "Honda fluid", and it does not
effect the warranty.

 

====================

Red Cloud,

I disagree with a couple of the answers you've gotten so far.

1. The reason you're supposed to change the fluid with the unit HOT
(warmed up is a better way of saying it) is to guarantee that a bunch of
crud isn't sitting on the bottom (picture the chocolate in chocolate
milk). A short drive will get that stuff into suspension, and it will go
out with the fluid you're able to drain. I drain it for five minutes,
then start it and run it thru the gears for 15 seconds and a bunch more
comes out.

2. Honda fluid is the exact same stuff you can buy in any automotive
store, except, it has certain friction aditives that make honda trannies
work BETTER, and probably longer. Trannies are SO expensive, why not
spend a few more bucks for the peace of mind (it's not like we're giving
the Honda dealer lots of money all year long, like Volvo dealers get,
right?)


'Curly'

 

Our university did analysis, and studies on engine oils, transmission
fluids, and hydraulic fluids.

The "Honda" brand transmission fluid was molecularly IDENTICAL to other name
brand fluids. Same goes with Toyota.

There were no "additives" whatsoever.

 

Obviously you don't know what you are talking about.

 

OK - this is what my '95 Integra service manual says (I've got a GS-R,
but it's still in the book):

1. Bring the transmission up to operating temperature by driving the
car. Park the car on level ground, turn the engine off, then remove
the drain plug and drain the automatic transmission fluid (ATF).

The capacity seems to vary by model, so check the owner's manual.

 

Toyota recommends Dexron III, although they probably sell their own
branded fluid. I've found many differences in different Dexron III
ATFs, from color to smell. Doesn't mean they're not compatible.

 

Sounds about right to me. "SAE Fluid"?

Common ATF types are GM Dexron III/Ford Mercon (the standards are so
similar that ATF can meet both), Ford Type F, or Chrysler ATF+4.
SAE doesn't specify motor oil like it does oil weights.

 

In the 70s, GM products used Dextron...a simple name developed my the SAE
standard. FoMoCo, did not immediately move to that standard, thus a separate
type of fluid was made call Type F. Later, FoMoCo instituted the standard to
Dextron. The last "additive" added to that base transmission fluid was
Mercon back in the 80s. From that point on, all manufactures were required
to have their US trannys run on that, including imports. It *IS* the SAE
standard today.

Again, at a large university, we did in-depth analysis of transmission
fluids, and they are all the same molecularly.

So if I don't know what I'm talking about, perhaps you could steer me in the
right direction. And please be specific.

Thank you.

 

Here is the step what you saying: short drive while -> turn off
the engine
-> drain 5 minute -> start the engine -> play with gears 15
seconds
-> wait for bunch more to come out -> turn off engine -> put
back the drain plug -> refill the ATF.

Am I right? I will do these step you educated me.

I've bought Honda Geniue ATF for $4 for quart, and other cost 90
cents.

 

====================

In a nutshell, yes, you've got it right. As for the Honda brand ATF,
LOTS of people who had (uncomfortably) solid shifting found that their
tranny started 'behaving' after using real Honda stuff. Maybe it's the
placebo effect? I dunno.

'Curly'

 

First of all - it's Dexron, with no "t". You can understand that we're
skeptical of someone who mispells a well-known name (the same way) more
than once. That being said, the "Dexron" name is trademarked by GM.

I looked through the SAE website. They had a lot of technical papers
available on automatic transmission fluid, but no standard. A search of
technical papers shows results related to ATF meeting multiple
standards. They seem to have a lot of studies, research, and testing
procedures - but no one standard. After looking through search results
in the SAE website, a lot of research seems to be about developing ATF
that meets multiple **manufacturers'** standards.

Really - I purchased several Dexron III transmission fluids in the late
90's. Each one was slightly different by smell and color. Some owner's
manuals I've seen say to judge transmission oil by smelling it. A
"burnt" odor is supposedly a sign of ATF degredation. However - some of
the ATFs I bought already smelled burnt while others didn't. Either
some used different base oil/additives, or one contained something to
prevent the "acrid" smell. Then there are the ones that use synthetic
base oils. If they're "the same molecularly", then something is really
wrong.

Perhaps you can give an SAE standard number specifying the properties of
automatic transmission fluid.

For example, SAE publication #J2227 is titled "International Tests and
Specifications for Automotive Engine Oils". #J1423 is titled,
"Classification of Energy Conserving Engine Oil for Passenger Cars,
Vans, Sport Utility Vehicles, and Light-Duty Trucks".

 

yup

 

Ford Mercon V, for Ford vehicles from 1997 to the present. While most
Mercon V ATF seems to be approved for Dexron-III/Mercon use, the
opposite is not.

 

Tell us about the molecules.

Do you have a published report on that? IMO that would be kinda hard to
determine... that there are no additives.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??