Rep Power: 191

I have an '01 Civic EX, 146,xxx miles, bought used. (You may remember me from a timing belt thread. That got done, I'm very happy.). No service records, except whatever is on the carfax (which does note an AT fluid change @ 80k mi at a dealer, no other AT service on there but that doesn't mean it may not have been done).

It shifts smoothly through all gears with no slip, and I've smelled the fluid and it smells normal (not burnt), and it doesn't feel gritty. It's a little used looking, but not brown or black or nasty.

(No strange noises, except what I thought might be belt whine when it shifts, but I haven't pinpointed it, it's not loud, but I notice it... I was thinking maybe it was the airbox, or who knows what.)

I want to keep there from being problems in the future if I can help it. I know the old wives tale version is that it is risky to touch AT fluid on high mileage transmissions, but I'm not sure if I buy it (I had an AT flush on my elantra and it shifted even smoother after a flush, @80k mi, and it had literally black fluid (no burnt smell, but it was dark as an ink pen!)... and a single drain and fill on the Civic seems less risky).

So everyone, do you think there's more risk to changing the fluid, or letting it be?

Thank you

 
Rep Power: 235

Your only 64K beyond the last fluid change. If the fluid seems fine you should be ok to change the fluid. I would probably change it once a year or so after that.

The only time you don't change the fluid is when it's already nasty because the new detergents and other additives will strip off all the friction material in the tranny.

I would ask Gearbox too.