Black Amsoil ATD, 30,000 miles

[BuickGN]

I hope I'm not looking at a new trans soon. Fluid looked like dirty motor oil. I've done 4 drain and refills with ATD in the past to get the stock Z1 out of there. This was the 5th. It's only been 30K so I'm a little worried. The car has 77,000 total miles. It did have a bad bumpshift. I replaced the 3rd and 4th gear solenoids and it shifts fine. I'm hoping that may have caused the black fluid but I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm sort of wondering how it gets black like this when there's no out of the ordinary slipping going on with a premium synthetic, cooler, and magnefine.

The drain plug magnet has too much metal IMO for a unit with this many miles. It's less than the first time or two that I pulled it but I would think after breakin there should be little to no metal on the magnet, especially when the magnefine is picking up some of the metal too. In my experience with the fragile 200-4R in the GN, once the break-in is over, there's very, very little metal on the magnet unless there's a problem.

Fwiw, there's no clutch material stuck to the dipstick. It's clean other than the black fluid.

Anyone else with the Honda 5AT still seeing lots of metal on the plug?

 

[Steve S]

Black oil usually means bad!!! how does the oil smell?

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Black oil usually means bad!!! how does the oil smell?


It smells "ok". Not great but not burned either.

I'm wondering if this is the beginning of another sort of failure in the trans, not clutches wearing out.

Metal on the magnet and black fluid but with awesome shift quality. I would guess it's about to suffer a hardpart failure of some sort.

 

[Steve S]

Why would that turn the oil black?

 

[OVERKILL]

Maybe try some Redline D4 in it? I dunno man, this doesn't sound good...........

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Why would that turn the oil black?


I've seen it before as it superheats the oil. There was one in particular with one of the planetaries completely welded up. You would think this would produce a smell too....

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Maybe try some Redline D4 in it? I dunno man, this doesn't sound good...........


Just used up the last of my Amsoil stock. I may try it, only thing is this looks worse than the equivilent mileage on Z1.

The only hope at this point is the color is from the massive bumpshift it had before I changed the solenoids.

 

[JHZR2]

Honda quality? Doesn't sound right...

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Honda quality? Doesn't sound right...


To it's credit, it has never needed a single part or broken down in 77,000 miles. Just oil changes and tires. Haven't even done the brakes yet (the Wilwoods are collecting dust). This might be a potential problem but as of now I might be overreacting.

 

[talker]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Honda quality? Doesn't sound right...




yes I does.

 

[The Critic]

See, didn't I tell you to not mess with the solenoids!??! Look at what happens!!

Just kidding...

Did you save any of the old fluid for an UOA? The torque converters are a common failure item on these transmissions so maybe you should watch out for that. Have you had any shudder problems?

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
See, didn't I tell you to not mess with the solenoids!??! Look at what happens!!

Just kidding...

Did you save any of the old fluid for an UOA? The torque converters are a common failure item on these transmissions so maybe you should watch out for that. Have you had any shudder problems?


LOL.

No tell tale signs at all. No noises, no oddball shifts. TCC locks just fine without shuddering. It goes into drive and reverse as quickly as it did when new. I'm hoping I'm just over reacting.

I'll tell you what, if this unit fails in under 100K when I've given it every chance to survive (syn fluid, cooler, filter, short OCIs, solenoid changes) I'll send you a 12 pack of your favorite beer.

 

[Steve S]

Some times parts break especially when they are CAD to the minimum quality to gain the maximun profit.

 

[Mr Nice]

Didn't you once say that you sometimes autocross this car ?

 

[PT1]

My 2002 CRV turned the Z1 very dark in 10k. But never any metal on the magnet.

 

[Gary Allan]

The dark color doesn't inspire confidence in trans condition. Pull the Magnefine and check the washer/magnet. The lack of burnt smell is encouraging. Some fluids due turn dark naturally, but I'm not aware of being a characteristic of ATD.

 

[panthermike]

I hope it works out for you man! I serviced the trans in my old towncar, fluid turned black within a few thousand miles or so. After I sold it, two weeks later I saw the car on the side of the road with a bad trans. Shifted fine.

Keep an eye on it, hopefully it's nothing.

 

[Mike_dup1]

Why are you using ATD?

Quote:
AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ is recommended as a direct replacement for TranSynd® Synthetic ATF in heavy duty, on and off highway automatic transmissions manufactured by Allison,® General Motors,® Ford,® Voith® and ZF® or wherever the standards TES-295, TES-389, C-4, Dexron® III, Mercon,® Voith G-1363 or ZF® TE-ML 14C are specified. Examples of operations that benefit from using AMSOIL Torque-Drive™ include municipal or transit buses, motor coaches, garbage haulers, motor homes, delivery vans, emergency vehicles, school buses, dump trucks, utility vehicles, cement trucks, line haul trucks and tow trucks.

 

[BuickGN]

It's heavier duty and a little thicker than ATF.

 

[brian12]

You should do a uoa on the fluid.