gearbox

iTrader: (95)

well if the trans is not shifting properly (either takes too long or has trouble switching) it can be caused by a faulty tps sensor on the throttle body.

haterforever

ok, car not going past 60-something even when pressing accelerator from 0 so its not going into gear

niketennis

I am new to this forum. I did my first transmission flush today(78000 miles on 2003 EX). I was only able to put back in 2.58 quarts. Does this sound right to you guys?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

you maybe didnt wait til all the fluid dripped out, otherwise it should be almost 3 qts.

Awjvail

Is this the same method for a manual transmission?

niketennis

How long does it usually take to drain all the fluids? I think I let it drain for almost 10 minutes.

g2s

Honda dealer quoted me $99/each time to change the transmission oil and need to do multiple times. Thanks to this DIY guide, i decided to do it myself eventhough i know nearly nothing about car.

I did have a hard time to find the location of the bolt. The easy way to find the bolt was turn the wheel all the way to the right and i could see the bolt right away (See Photo). I was able to reach & lock rachet wrench on the bolt from the opening. Then, gave it hard pull (counter clockwise ) from the front of the car without jacking the car up (i am small). I jacked the driver side up for more oil come out. I did not have a long funnel, therefore i taped 2 straws to the funnel with a duct tape. I am glad that i save $70 from doing it myself. My car is Honda Civic LX 2001, 4DR, Autotransmission

g2s

I was unable to tighten the transmission oil dipstick to prevent dirt coming in. Do you simply push it down?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

unfortunately 01-05 civics have a defective "loose" dipstick that will not seal properly. you just have to let it sit there. i havent had any dirt go in or the stick fall out so i think its okay.

a_a91

Anybody know where the bolt on a 2004 lx is located ?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

just look around on the bottom of the trans case (on passenger side). its the only bolt with a square hole in the middle for socket wrench to fit into. lol theres a pic a few posts up.

gpb

If you go to a Honda dealership, for less than $10 you can buy a new dipstick that fits correctly. Apparently they fixed that loose design a couple years later... I own two 2002 sedans, and they both have a nice tight ATF dipstick now.

I'm going to flush the ATF on the one with 130k tomorrow, for my first time. Next weekend will be oil and ATF on the one with 90k. Thanks for showing us how easy it is to DIY!

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i know, thanks. this thread is old and i posted about the new stick a while back. however, you do need to change it every year or two because the fluid will splash on it and shrink the rubber. mine is almost getting there after a year like it was before.

gpb

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was your thread that got me to get new dipsticks. I'm really sorry to hear that they shrink back. Oh well.

So... I chickened out with the ATF change, expecting it to make a pretty big mess. I'm assuming the fluid will pour out of the hole similar to an oil change. What happens when it hits the frame just a few inches from the hole?

I'm picturing a lot of splashing going on... are my fears unfounded, and I just need to get down there and pop it off?

Thanks, guys.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

get one of those larger oil drain bins, the plastic ones for coolant without a top. that way you can hold it under the bolt when taking it off. ive never had a problem doing that. and you can wear gloves so you dont get used oil on your hand when removing the bolt. make sure the washer comes off too and you replace it after cleaning the bolt magnet. some fluid will touch the frame but it doesnt make a mess and you can just wipe it once you let everything drain. just be careful at the end because as the fluid starts to drip, it can "walk" and start dripping from a few inches away and miss the container.

magicpotatoes

thanks for this, i came here to ask how much ATF is needed for drain and refill and got a lot of useful information. my girlfriend has a 2004 ex with about 120k miles now without getting atf change, i drove it this weekend and it shifts like a person who doesn't know how to drive a stick trying to drive one, especially 2nd going to 3rd. the atf looks really bad, doesn't smell burnt but it looks a lot like used engine oil. i picked up 6 qts of atf dw-1 at the dealership (z1 was discontinued apparently) and hopefully a couple of drain and refills will fix the jerky shifts and slipping and that nothing was permanently damaged

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i just changed mine and only 2.5 qts came out for a drain (i measured it exactly). so technically you are replacing almost 1/2 of the total capacity of 6 qts but not quite. i think 2 drain and fills should be good but be sure to drive it for a few days after the first fill so it mixes with the old stuff. as for the 2-3 shift, if its slipping then you have the infamous defect from worn clutches that most of us are stuck with.

magicpotatoes

i used a clear measuring container and i drained out 80 fl oz. which is exactly 2.5 qts. so far 1-2 and 3-4 shifting isn't as rough but 2-3 still slips. i'll give an update when i do it again in a week

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i think i will be switching to valvoline maxlife atf instead of the honda dw1. heard many good stories about it some even better than the z1. its just a bit hard to find the regular maxlife around here (no seal conditioners/stop leak additives). the part number is vv324 if anyone is wondering.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

just got done doing 3x drain and fills with the maxlife atf on my 2002 auto with 100k miles. everything feels exactly the same as with the z1. smooth shifting and no problems. im not sure about the long term effects, i guess we will wait and see. i wont have a chance to test cold performance til next winter. overall im very happy i went with the maxlife over dw1. for an older trans, i didnt want to move to a full syn formula. the maxlife is basically the same as z1 (semi-syn) and has the usual red color. im sure its a completely different formula tho. it says you can use it for all hondas in place of z1 (except cvt trans which requires special fluid). oh and i found the maxlife atf at kragen for $75 (case of 12). i will be doing one more drain and fill in a month or so with the leftover bottles. it was kinda a pain due to always draining different amounts of fluid. first time 3 qts came out cold, then next two times 2.7 qts came out warm. i overfilled the last time and had to drain a bit out. its really hard to get a good reading so i just kept adding til it read max on the line.

redleg

Just bought atf at dealer. Got DW-1 instead of Z1. Is the DW-1 a replacement for the Z1? Should I use the DW-1?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

the dw-1 is a full snythetic replacement for the discontinued z1. supposedly honda says its compatible in every old auto trans, but i had my doubts. too many stories ive heard about full syn destroying an older trans due to loosening deposits and clogging the internal filters. hence why i decided on the maxlife (semi synthetic, like z1), which is working better than z1 over the last two months. smoother shifts, much less cold slippage, and longer fluid life.

mattandchris

Dealership charged me $90/drain + fill ATF on my 2010 Honda Civic LX, three months ago.
Today I went to the dealership and bought 3 bottles of Honda ATF + one washer for $25. Poured the disgarded/drained ATF into an empty plastic milk jug, which I used as a measuring device. Poured a slightly less amount of NEW ATF into a second milk jug. Warmed up engine / Checked dipstick and made slight adjustment.
Total time to do the job was 20 minutes, the longest part was the engine warming up. And I saved $75

civicinin

How has the maxlife worked out? I just bought a gallon of it, it is says "full synthetic" on it. Has the formula changed?

03 Dx Gigem

I was wondering the same thing. I bought my 2003 DX used and it had 98k miles on it. Shifting is awful sometimes and based on what I read through this post, it's probably the tranny fluid.

Are there any new Tranny Fluids I should use?

Additionally, Am I correct in thinking the tranny fluid cap (for refilling the tranny with new fluid) is to the right of the engine near the power steering fluid?

-Gigem