2003 Honda Accord 3L V6 auto at 12K miles on rebuilt transmission

[ap]

This is factory rebuilt transmission, installed at 37K

In case if you interested what happen to original here's the link

http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message_id=339261&thread_style=flat

 

[pinoy99]

Good result for 12k(one year?). How much fluid was changed?

 

[ap]

Transmission is only 7 months old.
Transmission power flush was performed at 12266 miles.

 

[TR3-2001SE]

Looks like a good one to me. Not sure I would have power flushed it. Should have been good for 30,000 before a regular change of fluid. Still you look to have a good one this time. Tan on two other Honda trans where .4 and .6 so that looks to be perfectly normal.

 

[ap]

Well, mechanic told me that fluid is a bit dark and since I already had very bad experience I decided to power flushed it.

But that's not the end of the story, yet

It took UPS almost a month to deliver my postal to the lab (must be bad timing) and I thought they lost my postal.
So being desperate with no information and no old/replaced atf left for another test I think I made a big mistake - added ~7oz of Lubegard Red http://www.lubegard.com/automotive/trans_atf.html to my new ATF hoping it will help my transmission.

Now, when I know that my original ATF did just fine without any additives I really worry about my original idea of adding Lubegard Red in a first place.

What do you guys think?

 

[john_ertw]

I would go with the drain refill method on Hondas as recommended in the owners manual. I have an 04 Accord V6 as well and will be doing a drain / refill every 20,000km or so instead of the recommended interval (I think it is 48,000km).

You only get about half the ATF out with a pan drain, but by doing it often enough I hope to always have fluid that is in good condition.

If you change your own oil, the tranny fluid is no harder since there is a drain plug on the pan.

As for the additive... You always hear that Hondas are picky about the tranny fluid and to only use Honda OEM fluid, so I would try to get it out of there.

 

[benjamming]

john_ertw,
I agree with your post & 2nd your notions.

ap,
I don't believe you are accomplishing anything good by using a powerflush & certainly not by using the Lubeguard Red additive. I would do a drain & refill every 15k miles with a UOA.
Glad to hear they fixed everything & paid for your rental car.
I wouldn't necessarily listen to everything your mechanical has to say when ATF or oil fluid color is discussed. UOA is the best way which you have done.

 

[ap]

Why drain & refill better than powerflush?

Anyway I guess I have to powerflush it again to flush Lubeguard out?

 

[john_ertw]

I think that a drain & refill done often enough ensures the fluid in the tranny is always in good condition even though you never remove 100% of it at a time. You are draining it often and removing a portion of the fluid (which will contain a portion of the contaminates). I think this mention ensures that the fluid never totally wears out.

 

[pbm]

john-ertw:
Do you think this (partial) drain and refill done often will help avoid problems in the troubleprone Honda A/T's or are they bound for failure regardless?

 

[Tosh]

I have a 2001 CL-S with 74k that had the AT replaced once and factory jet kit recall done. (CL/TL warranty on the AT has been extended to 100k.) The way I look at it is if I change the fluid more often than the owner's manual recommends, I MIGHT delay an inevitable failure for a few thousand miles. But what's the sense in that? If the AT is a dud, I want it to fail sooner rather than later. What if I am able to prolong it until 101k and then get denied warranty? I would feel like such an idiot wasting that effort and money. Try to relax and just enjoy the car. That's what I force myself to do. At 90k I'll think about how to spin a tale and talk the dealer into another free tranny. I'll be nice to that one. (Not that I'm not nice to this one.)

 

[john_ertw]

I'm not sure what the problem is exactly... is it that contaminated fluid is not protecting the transmission as well, does the fluid break down and not provide the same protection as new fluid? If one of those cases is true then I think new fluid would help avoid problems. If it is not really related to the fluid and only a design problem, it probably does not matter as long as the fluid is at the right level.