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Transmission fluid change

89K views 107 replies 22 participants last post by  rollinhonda 
#1 ·
So I called the dealer and they want $90 for a drain and refill and $210 for a flush. Which one should I choose? My 06 RTL has about 56,xxx on it and I have no idea if it's ever been done before (but I doubt it). I was thinking of doing the drain and refill myself so I also asked about how much the ATF costs and how much it takes and they said $8 a quart and it takes about 3 quarts. They said the flush takes about 12 quarts! Is there a drain plug on the pan? What about a filter?
 
#3 ·
Some recommend the 3X drain and fill (drain it, run it a few minutes, drain it again, etc.) to get out about 90% of the fluid. I prefer to do the 1X and do it more often, like every 15K or every other or 3rd oil change.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Ditto here.

There are plenty of threads here that show how to do the tranny fluid change. Nothing to fear if you can change oil. The hardest thing to do is break the filler bolt free. Make sure you have some quality tools else expect to twist off some el cheapos in the process. ALWAYS loosen the fill bolt before you drain a fluid. *ALWAYS*

Here's an excellent tutorial for the A136 service... which is more than you're asking... but may be what you need to do if you have questions about where your RL is service-wise.

Ask away if you have questions. Plan about 1/2 a day for this if you DIY. Probably won't take that long... but the first time everything takes longer.. plus the setup and cleanup takes some time too. And the savings are significant. I saved about $400 recently doing this to our Pilot (compared to the dealer quote for a 60k mile service).

Edit: you'll need 4 quarts of ATF-Z1 (Honda fluid only), 1 qt of 80w-90 hypoid gear oil (any brand), and a gallon of VTM-4 fluid (absolutelty no substitutes) for the A136 service. Whatever tools you use for the VTM-4 fluid change (tubing, pump, etc.)... keep it dedicated strictly for VTM-4 fluid. It does *not* like to be contaminated.

If you buy enough at a time, your dealer may be willing to give you a nice discount. My local dealer has done so in the past. Never hurts to ask.

Edit2: Honda frowns on tranny flushes for whatever reason. I've seen it reported that flushing the tranny can mess up the internal filter (not part of the transmission service.) I don't know what the truth is. So I will sometimes do a tranny fluid change at every oil change... or maybe every other oil change... whatever I decide at the moment... until I have a few done in a reasonable time frame.
 
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#5 ·
:act035:
This was a great reference, I got my 2008 Ridgeline with 14,000 miles recently, there was no indication on the history that fluids were replaced other than the oil. Since I have no indication on what driving conditions it was operated in over the last few years and the dealer has agreed to replace the fluids VTM 4 do you think I should have the ATF-z1 and haploid gear oil replaced at the same time if the dealer will cover the cost? No sense waisting resources, only drive 5000 miles per year.

Thanks for your input, Maintence Minder says 70% on oil, and I've bought enough Mobil One for 3 Oil Changes, should I convert after 3000 miles from the last Oil Change?
 
#7 · (Edited)
Well rats. I just had a computer crash after typing a lengthy response.

Long story short, if you can't get the service records for your RL, I would assume that you're on your 3rd oil change with 70% remaining at 14k miles. The mx schedule calls for VTM-4 service at 15k miles. However, it's been my experience that you will get the -6 callout for VTM-4 service when you're due the 2nd oil change.

IE, you should see an A1 callout at 5-8k. And a B6 callout at 10-15k. Much depends on the driving environment the RL sees (road or city, hot, rapid starts, etc.) And as usual, YMMV.

Without service records, I'd go ahead with the VTM-4 fluid change by 15k and leave the MM alone and watch for the next callout for the -6 service. You might eyeball the rear diff drain and see if the white paint marks line up. If not, it's a good bet the rear diff (VTM-4) has been serviced. But still.....

Per the schedule (normal service), the first tranny service (with accompanying transfer assembly fluid change) happens at 45k miles. I serviced my tranny at 17k miles and am glad I did due to a significant amount of debris on my mag plug. I'll likely do another tranny drain and refill at the 30k mark.

Use your own judgment on the tranny service at 14k. It's way early (as was mine). Also I wouldn't worry with the transfer assembly (hypoid gear oil) for a good while yet... maybe at the 30k point or at least by the 45k point.

On the oil change to Mobil 1, personally I'd wait until the MM calls for your next oil change.

Edit: or as hondaloyal correctly points out below, at 12 months from your last oil change if the MM hasn't called for it.

See the note at *1:
 
#12 ·
Nor for severe service usage either. Note the requirement to change things early if in severe service.

Personally, I'm not fully persuaded that the MM is an improvement over the old maintenance schedule.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the info. I asked the dealer about the transfer case and they said it was sold in gallon jugs. I guess they were thinking about the rear diff. I changed that a while back but it's probably due again, and a good idea after all of the water I went through. Thanks again.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Most definitely they were thinking of the rear diff. All too many dealers don't even know the RL has a transfer assembly.... which is kind of scary. Even more reason to do the work yourself, if able.

Yes. Definitely a good idea to change the fluid after going through all that water at the OB. But I'll bet you won't find any contamination even though the driveline isn't sealed. Let us know what you see when you change it.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the great advice speedlever! I changed the transfer case oil and transmission fluid last night and it was pretty easy. The fill bolt for the tranny was a pain and it was very sound advice to make sure you can remove it first. I broke 2 extensions trying to get it out. Once I got it out though the rest was a breeze.

The transfer case fluid looked brand new. The tranny fluid was a little brown but didn't smell burnt or anything. I didn't see any signs of water either. I just did the fill and drain twice and I'll do in again after the next oil change. I'll probably do the VTM-4 tonight. Thanks again.
 
#15 ·
Depending on how you space the maintenance, the MM will never know you did additional changes in between the recommended intervals.

The MM is perfect for the "I know nothing, don't want to know anything, but don't want to screw up the car" owner. But for the rest of us.....
 
#19 ·
NEVER flush a Honda transmission. I don't believe in flushing trannies in general. A flush is what killed my transmission in my old Grand Am.

I bought my RL with 75k miles on it from a private owner. The original owner had passed away and his nephew inherited it who in turn sold it to me. It had a decent service history but had some gaps. One of the first things I did was change all the fluids so I had a baseline and KNEW they were all fresh. VTM-4 and tranny fluid had been changed at 55k and still looked good. Oil was done right before I bought it, so I waited a little longer for that and switched to Pennzoil synthetic. I still need to change the transfer assembly lube, but that's not a huge deal. I plan on doing a drain and fill on the tranny fluid every 12-15k miles. It's easier than changing oil and takes less than a half hour even if you work slowly and methodically like I do. As long as you make sure the fluids are constantly fresh and at the proper levels, you should have years and years of trouble-free service.
 
#21 ·
I did all 4 changes yesterday at 25,000 miles.

Rear axle used 3.3 quarts of VTM-4 fluid
Transfer case used .7 quarts of NAPA gear oil
Transmission 3.7 quarts of Z1 transmission fluid
Engine used 4.5 quarts of Mobil 1 ( and an A01 Honda Filter).

Took about 1.5 hours.
 
#22 ·
Did you have it up on the lift to do that, larry? That's a lot quicker than I can do it.
 
#25 ·
Yes, I got it on a lift. And the mechanic let me use his 1 qt syringe to put the VTM-4 fluid in. - Boy does that make it easier.
 
#23 ·
Just changed the VTM-4 fluid. It was like a 1 beer job but I have one of those pumps that screws on to the bottle from the last time I did it. I didn't see any water and the fluid was about the same color as the stuff I put back into it. Good to know it's nice and clean now either way.
 
#24 ·
Good to know you can wade through that much water without contaminating the drive line too.
 
#30 ·
I have a 2006 Ridgeline which I changed the transmission oil on. I accidently added too much oil. With the vehicle sitting level and transmission cold the oil level is about 3/4 of a inch above the top mark. Will this hurt my transmission or am I okay driving it like this? I have 110,000 miles on the truck. I also plan on towing a 3500 pound trailer on a 8,000 mile trip.I would appreciate any feedback.
 
#31 ·
If you mean 3/4 above the hot mark, then yes it can hurt it. It could cause it to get air bubbles in the fluid. Once the fluid gets hot it also expanse so now you will be about 1 1/2 over full.
 
#33 ·
I've always heard that you can damage an engine after over filling the crankcase by the crank frothing the oil. I have no idea if and how a tranny can be damaged by adding too much fluid (whatever constitutes too much).

IAC, you can easily lower the level by cracking the drain plug or using a fluid extractor (MityVac or equivalent) and put a tube down the dipstick tube to suck out the excess.
 
#37 ·
The correct way to check tranny fluid level is hot, within 60-90 seconds of shutdown. I estimate there is about a half quart difference between the low and full mark on the tranny dipstick.

 
#35 ·
Is 12 qts of tranny fluid enough to do the multi drain/fill for the tranny? I should drain/fill 3X correct? Or is it four?

I changed the engine oil/filter and transfer case oil yesterday. From the looks of the TC oil, I highly doubt it really needed changing, even at 100K.
 
#38 ·
The official Honda tranny flush procedure is 4x D&F. This is normally done when changing over from the old Z1 fluid to the new DW-1 fluid or if you have toasted/contaminated the tranny fluid.

When I do this, I do the changes about a week apart (for the sake of convenience) so that the tranny fluid has mixed well and all gears have been exercised.

 
#45 ·
I always thought the 3 or 4X only needs to be done once, like if you have never done it before which should cover everyone.
After that, you could do a 1X every other oil change.

Or, maybe do a 3 or 4X every 40-45k.

Some will skip the 3 or 4X and just do a 1X with every oil change for a while.

These are only suggestions. Use your best judgement. Obviously some pile on miles faster than others.
 
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