I'm at 73K on '17 RTL-T & service writer said yeah supposed to tell clients age as well as mileage are determinants for timing belt change but since I'm not an abusive driver -- I'm good till 100-110K mi. I've always heard that water pump replacement was normal when changing timing belt/chain but service writer said not necessary on Ridgeline till 2nd timing belt changeout. Hmmm

 

Can you tell a difference by changing trans fluid every 15K mi ?

 

I bought the truck in jan 2020 with 25k and pretty sure trans fluid wasnt changed... i was blind to any 6 sp trans issues til, at 40k i got the infamous 'judder' issue between 20-30 mph... thx to the good folk on this forum, i heeded their recommendations and i changed the filter and fluid (quite inexpensive and easy, even for this 64 yr!) and the judder went away... just a fluid change - no flush, no 3x fluid change)... since then, I've changed it again once and i dont think I notice any diff, but i havent had the judder or any other issues with trans since (knocks on wood>!

 

@mm19InPA

I assume you are in PA.

You can have pretty cold winters and hot spells in the summer......but you are not in mid or Northern Canada......or Arizona.

If the truck is parked outside 24/7 then I might be inclined to do it a bit early.....but I think you do not have to do it now.

If garaged, I think the standard schedule is fine for you.

 

@mm19InPA

I assume you are in PA.

You can have pretty cold winters and hot spells in the summer......but you are not in mid or Northern Canada......or Arizona.

If the truck is parked outside 24/7 then I might be inclined to do it a bit early.....but I think you do not have to do it now.

If garaged, I think the standard schedule is fine for you.

thx for the response... truck is garaged... still looks/runs awesome with no issues <knocks on wood!>... the standard schedule is 100k OR 7 years.... so im on year 8 now, hence my quandary. If the service wasnt about $1200-$1500, I wouldnt hesitate... but thats a nice chunk of change but in the long run, its cheaper than engine replacement or new truck.

 

Just about to hit 80k miles on my '18. I've been changing the AT fluid every other oil change.

 

How refreshing reading these posts of optimism as apposed to reading all the doom and gloom that was being propagated. Thanks to all of you!
Bill

 

well Bill what you are reading is owners changing trans fluid way more than normal and hoping that keeps them riding, I am back to what I have said all along, and Honda backs it up, more of a fluid problem than a trans problem.

 

I'm at 146K on my 2019. Almost all highway. Averaging 25.3 mpg per the dashboard and trip computer. I do the tranny service every other oil change since I read about the 6 speed. Truck runs great. I probably won't change until I see an EV Ridgeline
The truck doesn't owe me anything, it's my third.

 

Performing fluid changes can be very profitable for the dealerships. Whether the fluid changes are necessary is another question entirely?
As far as I am aware, Honda, as a company, has not revised their recommended service times for fluid changes?

Bill

 

Oh I agree. Twice since the second transmission went in, fluid change has (temporarily) eliminated two problems. First, the judder and 10K miles later, transmission bang shifting from 1st to 2nd. One drain and fill solved the judder, and 2 drain & fills has stopped the shifting problem for now. For lack of an approved or proven other type oil, I'll stick with the DW-1 every 5-10K miles. FYI.... the oil always looks good/ok when drained. Never a lot of buildup on the drainplug magnet or dark & smelly oil. So ... could the oil just be breaking down?? Honda will never tell

 

stick with the DW-1 every 5-10K miles. FYI.... the oil always looks good/ok when drained. Never a lot of buildup on the drainplug magnet or dark & smelly oil. So ... could the oil just be breaking down?? Honda will never tell

The numerous analysis that I have had done have not shown any issues with the fluid. The latest analysis even includes episodes of temperatures exceeding 250 degrees while doing some heavier towing.

Bill

 

Huh?