yeroks

Can somebody describe the steps to change the transmission fluid in a 2002 civic? Is it a pan that needs to be dropped or is it just a magnetic drain bolt (If so, where is it located?) Is there a filter that needs to be cleaned/replaced. Any help would be great.

04 ex a/t

yea i was wondering the same , i thought i read somewhere though it was just a magnetic drain bolt ...was that wrong?

bluehonda1

All you need to do is to remove the drain bolt which is located behind the passenger front wheel. You have to be on a leveled area so all of the tranny fluid comes out. It is important for you to get honda certified auto tranny fluid from the dealership. You dont need to replace a filter. It only cost me like 20 bucks. I dont remember but I thinkyou need 3 3/4 of fluid. It so easy, it took me like 15 minutes to change. There is a DIY in here somewhere.

mrtrinh

iTrader: (2)

exactly what he said, its about 3 1/2 quarts

TurismoDreamin

iTrader: (1)

Well doing the aforementioned will only drain and replace some fluid (about 25% of all the fluid). That is not what a flush is. You would need to take your car to a shop to actually get it flushed and it's usually pretty pricey. It is also unneccessary to flush unless you have some underlying circumstance to flush out ur tranny (such as metal shavings). Usually, it's "somewhat" safe to flush. Only reason why I say somewhat is because when you flush, it forces fluids in directions where it's not suppose to flow. Yea, it does clean out the system but you can already see how it can cause damage especially if you go to a shop who doesn't clean out their machine after each use.

04 ex a/t

why would u only replace 25% that seems kinda pointless i mean im sure it may make a slight difference but.......

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

the manual says you need to drain and refill it 3x. most of the fluid stays in the tranny and torque converter so you gotta just do it a few times. like change it once, drive around for a week til it all mixes, then drain and refill again. generally if the fluid looks red after you do it, that means its good. i drain and refill mine once every 10k miles at the least.

fullgrown

if you want to DIY automatic transmission flush, you need to use one of those pumps...(the pump you usually use for the turkey juice..) and use that to suck all the remaining transmission fluid out.

mrbanhbao

when u guys say drain and refill it couple times.. do you guys use the same oil? or buy some new oil everytime

Dticalman81

^ Just buy three new quarts of the ATF and pour it in after you've drained the old 3 qts. outta the system..

04[ivi[

Just did mines, I found this helpful and thought u might too.

http://https://www.civicforums.com/forums/7-honda-civic-diys-civic-tech-chat/121208-diy-atf-change.html

Civic_Racer9

iTrader: (9)

EVERY 10K!!! WTH....thats wayyyy too often and wasteful. tranny fluid last up to 120k. i usually do at 60k.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

actually most mechanic says its a good idea to do it every 5k like engine oil change.

TemjinX2

iTrader: (11)

its more dependent if you do a lot of city or mostly highway. My first tranny change at 32k, the fluid was pretty black. I did more city and less highway driving. I changed again at 15k and the fluid was still red.

I started doing more highway driving and changed again at 30k. The tranny fluid was mostly red.

I say 20k-30k per change is good. Depending on how your drive, your really only suppose to change it when the fluid starts to turn black.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah mine was black around 18k miles, maybe it needs to be changed very soon the first time.

civics4everyone

The manual specifically says drain and fill 3 times that way you change all/most of the fluid. It says to drive a short distance between drain/fills (anybodys guess as to how far a "short" distance is), so driving for a week like the other guy mentioned is wrong. In a week the new 3 qts would have been contaminated by the old 6 qts. I admit ive only changed out 3 qts at a time but Ive been doing it more often and far earlier than recommended. I feel my tranny fluid never really gets bad if I change often enough. Anyway my fluid has remained red and I havent had any tranny probs as yet(105k).

eraxpres

Where do you fill the new fluid? Through the "dip stick" with a thin funnel? Thanks

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yup, once you put drain bolt back, just fill from dipstick hole.

burke420

iTrader: (4)

you cant go wrong chaging it more often.... i mean come on! if you can afford to maintain... do it! it's protecting your investment!

spudz904

A: The Transmission filter is internal and cannot be changed
B: The drain plug is a magnetic plug
C: Use only Honda ATF fluid
D: A "Flush" means draining all the fluid; not some of it.

Id say its best to take it to a shop to flush it but it is possible to do it yourself but it requires you to drain and refill 3 times. The point of draining and refilling is to keep the fluid as clean as possible for as long as possible. Transmission oil has somewhat of a long life and it is not necessary to constantly flush it. Also as stated previously flushing it "could" be "bad". The transmission holds something like but not necessarily 10 quarts.....idk. So 3 quarts is good for draining and refilling. Basically drain and refill regularly to be safe and flush only so often......i do it every 30k

Fyi: if you go to the dealership to get the ATF for a flush it gets expensive like 70$........so if u can try to talk the guy at the stealership down since ur buying so much....i was able to get 20$ off

TheJGB3

[QUOTE=spudz904;4293655]
A: The Transmission filter is internal and cannot be changed
B: The drain plug is a magnetic plug
C: Use only Honda ATF fluid
D: A "Flush" means draining all the fluid; not some of it.

A: Hondas do not have a AT filter at all

Honda does not recommend a flush. They say to do a "drain & fill". This is in the Honda service manual, and this is what the dealership service dept does when you have them do it. Also if you do not use OEM Honda ATF-Z1 fluid you will ruin your tranny.

murray

I changed the automatic transmission fluid on a Ford car once and ruined the tranny. I don't know the technical reason why have heard a transmission get can get used to the dirty old stuff and simply can't handle the new fluid. Is a Honda transmission tougher or....? Thanks

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

that does happen alot in poorly maintained, older transmissions. you need to keep up with the scheduled fluid changes and not wait 100k miles and then decide to change it. new fluid has much higher cleaning capacity and will dislodge alot of the buildup caused by abuse, which will then circulate thru the pump and trash it. if you waited too long, its better to leave the old fluid in and hope for the best.

abchilln

BUMP

I'm at 65,000 miles on my 2004. I don't think it's ever had a drain and fill done before. The fluid is somewhat dark, but still has a red tint to it. Doesn't smell burnt, and shifts great. Should I go ahead and change it? Or would I be doing more harm than good?

senna

Hondas are a drain and fill. at work we check the fluid at 30k and see how it looks but it's recommed at least 60k. and yes use Honda trans fluid. Hondas are very picky with the fluids.

dcove

If you want to make sure to put the proper amount of fluid back, use a catch basin with a spout when draining. Simply get a plastic washed out milk jug and pour the drained fluid into the milk jub and mark the level on the outside of the jug or on a clean like jug ( youcan discard the old fluid in the old jug ). You now have a clean jug with the fill mark. Pour the new ATF fluid into the jug to the line that was drawn. Pour the new fluid in the jug into the funnel inserted into the ATF dipstick tube.
You should always check the fluid level regularly to make sure it is correct regardless of this procedure.........my 2 cents

innerlight

The 2002 Civic is notorious for automatic transmission problems. Check the fluid. If it smells burnt, flush it out at least 3 times. What I mean is drain it, refill with 2.9 quarts, drive it about 30 min or more. This will flush the new oil through the torque convertor. Honda recommends this procedure 3-4 times. Also if you see any junk on the drain plug, clean it. Use oil recommended for "ATF-Z1". You don't have to use the Honda brand even though they say you should. I use the Valvoline Max Life Dextron III/Mecor (good for ATF-Z1 on back). Never had a problem. If you don't know how to change the fluid, go to Youtube and watch the video "How To Change Transmission Fluid on Honda Civic".

After that, if you have money to spend, buy a good stacked plate transmission cooler. I recommend a B&M. These trannys run hot. Heat kills automatic transmissions. Don't buy a tiny cooler. Get one for a light truck/SUV. ~15000-25000 BTU. And remember, a stacked plate (no tube types). Good Luck.

hwt101

iTrader: (12)

Yeah my buddy is a honda tech and they drain and fill, 30, 60, 90, 120, etc.

honda-99

I have a 2002 Civic, bought it new, w/AT & 80k mi. Have never changed the ATF but now considering try flushing it using the method I found on YouTube, and here's the link .

I like what I see on the video. Has anyone here used the flush method shown in the video?

While google'ng I also found how probamatic '01 & '02 Civic automatic transmissions are. See here. I now feel the urgency to change the ATF and want to do it throughly but in a safe manner so I won't shorten the transmission life.

I ordered 12qts of Honda Z1 ATF.

Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks,

honda-99

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

if you have 80k on the original fluid, i can almost guarantee the gears will start slipping if you flush it. even just a 3 qt drain and fill may do damage. i say just leave it with the old fluid and hope it lasts for a while. esp if its driving normally now.