krazymatt

I have a 2008 Civic EX auto which I want to change the trans. fluid as maintenance. Just drain and refill. I plan to buy the fluid at the dealer but how many quarts will I need? Thanks....

02civicsi02

Do you have the owners manual it should tell you in there. If not go get a owners manual or a service manual, they can be your best friend. But all I know is that it is 3 something for the autos.

krazymatt

If the owner's manual answered my question I wouldn't post it on here. The owners manual says the capacity of the transmission. Pulling the drain plug likely doesn't drain half the total fluid. I'm looking for personal experience here. If I call the dealer they'll tell me 12 quarts so they make money. I don't want to be stuck with half a dozen extra quarts to put on my garage shelf!

Nosepicker

I've never seen an owner's manual NOT ever mention the oil capacity. It will also have it listed in the back under the maintenance or reference section.

02civicsi02

Just buy the amount your are suppose to like it says. And drain it and then fill and after the 2nd quart just start checking the dip stick. You already know the answer to your question but you still ask it.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

pour the old fluid into a container, then add the same amount of new fluid. it really doesnt have to be exact since you should check the fluid level anyway after changing (be sure car has been driven alot past warmup and leave the car running, on flat ground).

johng35

Buy 3 qts.
The total capacity is about 6 , but you can only drain a bit under 3 at a time.
(get new washer as well.)

Unless you figure out some way to run the engine/tranny and pump the old into a barrel as you fill it.... good luck with that disaster.

Have you changed the filter ?

krazymatt

There's a filter? Where's the filter? I know this car doesn't have a pan with the filter inside like older cars?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

it has external canister style circular filter with bracket inline with the atf cooler hoses.

krazymatt

Thanks! I'll be sure and change that as well.

johng35

Good luck with that.... i found it to be almost un-reachable.
Taking it to the dealer this tuesday to service the filter . ugh !

krazymatt

Where exactly is it?--Front of the Trans/engine, or behind? I thought I spotted it the other day on front of the transmission attached to a line, does it look like a fuel regulator or something like that?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah, it has one line on each side and a cylinder type black metal object with bracket around it. i think they are kinda low in the engine bay. too low to reach from top, and too hard to reach from the bottom (without removing all the splash shields and jacking up the car.

johng35

it's just below the throtle body, mounted to the block. Under the cowl, and what seems to be about 2 inches from the rear of the radio (that's a joke)

once you take the entire air cleaner out of the engine bay, you can finally see it.
It looks like a fuel filter of old, black with a single bolt/bracket holding it to the block, and 2 rubber hoses with clamps attached.

dealer told me they never change them - will be good for 100,000 miles- then why do they make it external and disposable I ask.