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If I had one of the piece of crap trans in the older Odys, I'd be using Maxlife too.
Honda/Multi-Vehicle ATF Comparison Chart
- Thread starter jayjr1105
- Start date
Made the switch to Valvoline MaxLife ATF on the 2017 Honda Pilot Elite AWD 2 years ago. No problems to report.
Correct; 9AT is a normal stepped gear automatic, not the funky Honda design. So higher likelihood of success.
I don't recall too many tranny issues in the 9 speed's on the forums. The 3.1 fluid Honda uses in that seems to get decent reviews also because it is listed as full synthetic. Either way disabling VCM would probably help more than anything.
Plus it is a ZF designed box.
I'm still VERY torn on swapping to something other than DW-1. I'd be the one they do fluid analysis on to say it's not OE with tranny issues and deny me on my HondaCare extended coverage. I just got my BlackStone report back. Not confidence inspiring especially since I've been running a Magnefine filter in place of factory one. It has a lot more magnet area than just the drain plug. I don't know what thread this should go in but it is for DW-1 in a '19 Honda Pilot EX-L 6 speed tranny, Honda factory trans cooler added at 21k. This fluid has had 5 drain and fills during last 29000 miles. I had a bunch of small chunks come out on last D&F. I'm really not sure what to do except I'll probably have a D&F when it goes in for windshield. At least it will be noted in Honda system as 30k change. They did it at 20k also.
With all that in there I’m not sure my choice of fluid would be my most pressing concern.
Something might be up in your trans.
Those are big chunks. How did they get past the magnefine?
I'd still switch over to maxlife. There is less slip going on with max. = far less particles on my plug magnet. Far less.
Not to mention it can easily handle the heat your 6speed will throw at it.
Those are big chunks. How did they get past the magnefine?
I'd still switch over to maxlife. There is less slip going on with max. = far less particles on my plug magnet. Far less.
Not to mention it can easily handle the heat your 6speed will throw at it.
I have 3.5 years and 70k miles left on the HondaCare. Keeping that valid is part of that.
They are not metallic. Another forum member thinks might be clutch stuff from description and pictures. I think they might have been more on the rock catcher internal screen and not sent through. They came out as I was doing the drain and fill. That turned into replace with a new magnefine due to what I saw. I still need to cut the filter media apart. The external filter on the Pilot is after the added factory cooler. I'm wondering if some might be blocking my external cooler ports. I'm contemplating reversing the flow to cooler and run 4 qts into a jug to backflush it to check it.
Tranny has been up to 230F for about 15 minutes when going slow up a bunch of hills with 2000lbs trailer (840 trailer, 1200 load) weighed on scale. That was the max I have ever seen it but just started monitoring with VeePeak and OBD Fusion recently. That trip it was at 210-215F for about 1 hour sitting in almost dead stop traffic on I-95, idling along less than 10 mph and almost 90F ambient. Trailer is small utility used to move the kids back and forth to college 100 miles away not going over 65mph, normally much less (Long Island traffic to Bridgeport CT.)
My son took it multiple times for road trips with friends without trailer and temps didn't go over 200F.
Too bad Dave doesn't make HPL Red so it looks more like stock. Otherwise I'd be tempted to try the HPL Green but that will be really obvious something different is in there. Then all the debates and choices between VML, Idemitsu, Aisin, Amsoil Bluecap, D6. VML being easiest since WM carries it for not much money.
Yeah no oil brand is going to make a difference here. I’d keep doing what you’re doing- servicing with DW-1, documenting the services, and then documenting your UOAs and what’s on the magnet and in your filter. I don’t know what that stuff is, but I can’t imagine that it’s a good thing.
Does your warranty specify that Honda fluids must be used?
Extended warranties are considered service contracts, they're not governed by Magnusson-Moss or any of the usual consumer protections.
I meant that it was strange that the filter media on the magnefine did not get it.
You already said they were not metallic.
For what it's worth. The trans in my 15 ody with the 6 speed has max and lubegard and never ever goes above 200. Towing or loaded with 8 adults.
So perhaps fluid might help.
Fwiw
Not sure if it would help, but below is the the UOA from my '16 EXL Pilot. It's been a while since I've done it (2019) and had around 30K at the time sample was collected. I've had two D&F's done around 20k, so the sample is original fluid plus around 11k miles with new two D&Fs. One thing I've done around 50k miles is installed ATF cooler and SVCM (VCM disabler).
Honda Factory External cooler installed at 21k, SVCM installed at 25k.
Drain and fills done:
20490 (7-10-2020)
21078 (2x + Magnefine and cooler installed) (7-14-2020)
23742 (9-28-2020) (SVCM at 25480, 12-7-20)
29713 (6-9-2021)
42726 (8-28-2022)
50391 (6-14-2023) sample taken midway through draining from stream and sent in.
There are also no approved substitute fluids. All the listed are recommended or compatible for by the fluid manufacturers.
The last D+F in my daughters CRV got VML but that is 15 years old and 223k on it. no warranty left long ago
My Accord with 96k (6MT) is on GM Synchromesh FM. No warranty bought used at 49k.
No problem switching if warranty is out but on a real expensive part with known issues trying to keep from being denied. The dilemma is if switched might never have an issue. If I didn't have 8/120 coverage it would have been swapped already.
56K on our 19 EXL, VCM disabled, factory cooler installed. Three drain and fills with Amsoil SS blue cap atf. I do a drain and fill every 30K. Drives like it should.
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