2002 mdx, 5 qts amsoil atf, observations.

[meep]

2002 mdx, 74,000 miles.

Just got it, repair records show regular engine oil but no indication of ATF refresh. Dealer maintained, mechanically in great shape, though occasional "surging" like ignition or problems with TC lockup, such as 3-4 pulses per second.

Drain took forever. I actually got 5 qts out... I'd start it for a few seconds and shut it down... steady 3/16" bead of "washed-out-red" fluid for forever. Fluid never foamed and tranny never rumbled during the brief start-up periods. (I know this is controversial, I've done it sparingly and never had problems).

5 qts amsoil ATF in.

also did valvoline 5-30 synpower OC at same time.

TRans definitely feels different, Amsoil seems to grip just a little quicker than Z-1 did. That AT didn't mush into gears before, and while it's not a huge difference, you can tell it snaps in to gear with a little more kick than before, unless you're near WOT (not our normal habit, but for the test drive I did). It's not alarming or out-of-place, just an observation.

Here's the interesting bit. Now, this also involved an OC to Valv. Synpwr at the same time, but I've rarely seen a mpg improvement from motor oil... wife was previously averaging 15.5-15.9 mpg in town in this 4000 lb fuel pig. She's seeing 17.4-17.0 mpg averages now, all with A/C on.

Mike!

 

[barlowc]

Interesting to hear about the Amsoil ATF observation. I recently did a 3x drain/fill on our 2007 VUE which has a Honda powertrain that I believe is the same J35A3 engine and transmission that the 2002 MDX has. I stayed with the ATF-Z1 this time around and noticed an improvement in shift quality. While it's still pretty soft, I'd also stay it seems to "snap" into gear quicker than before. (The shifts had gotten a little sloppy prior to the fluid change.) So I'm wondering if what you're observing is due to the Amsoil versus ATF-Z1, or simply the result of fresh clean fluid.

I'm curious about your oil selection. I've used both Valvoline SynPower and Pennzoil Platinum in our VUE and it seems to like them both equally. But I use 5W-20 which is what's recommended for it. Presuming Acura also recommends 5W-20, why did you choose 5W-30?

 

[meep]

barlowc,

great point-- as I don't know the age of the Z-1, it's hard to know if the differences are age/vs oils.

I prefer the PP but the synpower was on sale at AdvAuto-- 5 qts+K&N filter for $27. Synpower has been noisy in my past hondas but this engine is quiet with it. My wife says it feels "smoother." (She noticed!!). It does rev with more spunk.

As for viscosity, the OM and oil cap both call for the 5-30 in this application. It's the same 3.5L, but it may be tuned differently than the VUE, odyssey/accord... specs premium fuel, etc. Does yours?

I'm waiting a few weeks to see if the mpg stays the 1-1.5 mpg higher. I have had mpg improvements with syn atf in other vehicles, but in my previous hondas I never tried amsoil.

m

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: meep
As for viscosity, the OM and oil cap both call for the 5-30 in this application. It's the same 3.5L, but it may be tuned differently than the VUE, odyssey/accord... specs premium fuel, etc. Does yours?


Interesting. No, the VUE uses regular 87 octane fuel. At least GM doesn't explicitly recommend anything else, but I've developed the opinion that GM didn't fully know what they were doing with that powertrain.

 

[meep]

I think our 3.5 would be fine on 5-20 if it was all we had. They may have left it at 5-30 due to the higher strains the motor may see in this configuration... advanced timing, increased output. Personally, I wished it didn't need premium fuel... We've tried 87 in it and it definitely holds the timing back as it softly but densely pings. Trying mid-grade now, which seems ok.

M