First-time ATF change, 1996 Civic
 

Hi, I have a 1996 Civic LX with about 45,000 miles, and I want to replace the automatic transmission fluid, since it's never been done on the car. I've never done it before, so I wanted to make sure that I know the right plan before I start.

I'd heard that bolt for the the drain pan is on the right side, and if you turned the wheel far enough, you can actually see the square-headed drain plug.

My questions are:


1.) I have 3 quarts of Honda genuine ATF DW-1... This is fine to use, right?

2.) Is it possible to access the drain plug and drain the fluid simply by turning the front wheel far enough? Can I get away with not having to jack up the front of the car or put it on the ramp?

3.) Is it okay to reuse the crush washer of the drain plug as long as it isn't badly deformed?

4.) For refilling the ATF, I remove the stopper with the rubber gasket on it and pour the fluid in a funnel placed in the top of the same opening, right?


Anything else I should know?

Re: First-time ATF change, 1996 Civic
 

1 yes...and it should hold about 2.5 quarts (Fill it, run it, then check trans fluid level with the engine OFF)
2 looks in your pics like you may reach it
3 I do it, but that doesn't mean everyone should LOL
4 make sure you have a funnel that will reach the hole first


That plug can take a lot of effort to break it loose, I've broken a Snap-On ratchet on one before
Make sure the square of your tool fits all the way into the plug, you may need to scrape dirt out of the hole first
Wipe all the fuzz off the magnet when you get the plug out

HTH

Re: First-time ATF change, 1996 Civic
 

You might want to read up on the 3x3 drain and fill. Thread linked.. different vehicle/same maker but same routine for both: http://www.mdxers.org/forums/74-2007...hange-fyi.html
With a single drain and fill 3 quarts or so stays in the torque convertor. The idea behind the 3x3 is to help flush out/mix in with the fluid left in the torque convertor each (3) drain and fill. Best to measure the ATF you drain out and replace the exact amount each time.

Some people as mentioned in that post just do a single drain and fill more often than every 30K miles.