Change trans fluid with 219,000 miles on vehicle?

[callbay]

Wife's friend has a 2013 Honda Pilot with 219,000 miles on it and she has not changed the trans fluid. She bought it used with about 150,000 on it with no service history. No trouble with it right now.

My biggest concern is that that year Pilot has a non serviceable trans filter.

Change it or leave it alone?

Thanks a lot, guys!

 

[totegoat]

If the fluid looks and smells ok, I'd leave it alone.

 

[tblt44]

So it could have been changed but knowbody knows.
I would maybe want to replace 50% with new fluid but no flush

 

[Graham Piccinini]

I bought the 2009 Pilot with 185k and unknown history. Bought a gallon of Honda DW-1 fluid, $42 from a dealership near my house. Drained, refilled, and result wasn't dramatic, but still very noticeable. Shifts smoothened out.
Old fluid was brown-red, almost burgundy, but didn't smell burnt.
Coming up to 202k now, still buttery smooth. Will change it again at 210k, and then every 30k after that.
My vote goes to YES - change the fluid.
Only use DW-1 Honda OEM fluid. THIS THREAD shines some light on why that's important, how it's different, and why universal ATFs are not truly compatible with Honda "automated-manual" transmission. Which is what the Pilot has.
Here is a little explanation on AMT, Automated Manual Transmission:
"Until 2017, Honda’s automatic transmissions did not use planetary gears as almost all other automatic transmissions do. These Honda transmissions utilized traditional, individual gears on parallel axes –like manual transmissions do– with each gear ratio engaged by a different hydraulic clutch pack. These Honda transmissions preserve engine braking by doing away with a sprag between the first and second gears, relying instead on pressure circuits to change gears."

P.S. I do agree that in this case it's best to tell that friend to take the car somewhere to perform this service. The transmission will most likely benefit from it (like mine did), but if something unexpected does happen - friend's fingers will point to the last person who touched the transmission. Choose wisely.

 

[wpod]

I would leave it because if it fails it will most likely be because of your changing the oil.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Someone else's transmission - I wouldn't touch with your 10 foot pole. Even if it had only 50K on it.

If it were mine, that would be different.

 

[HemiBenny]

This is one of those cases that could easily turn into one of those, “It was working just fine until you did this.” situations.
No service history, your wife’s friend, it’s working just fine,….I would leave it alone.

 

[daves87rs]

Simple.

Nope!

 

[proveitwithdata]

Wife's friend has a 2013 Honda Pilot with 219,000 miles on it and she has not changed the trans fluid. She bought it used with about 150,000 on it with no service history. No trouble with it right now.

My biggest concern is that that year Pilot has a non serviceable trans filter.

Change it or leave it alone?

Thanks a lot, guys!

The question you have to ask yourself. Are you ready to live with the benefit or repercussions of this service?

 

[WylieCoyote]

Are you offering to change it yourself, or are you recommending she take it somewhere? I'm of the opinion that you should absolutely not lay a hand on that car (or at least the transmission), because doing so could lead to the end of your friendship. If that transmission has been neglected at 219,000 mi, it could be living on a prayer if there were no undocumented fluid changes. Limit your help to things involving tire rotations, coolant top off, etc. Don't touch that transmission. Feel free to recommend that she take it somewhere for a fluid swap, making sure she knows to request "no flush".

 

[ripcord]

If it was my car, I would change it.

 

[wlk]

A simple drain and fill with DW-1 would be good. No flushing just D&F. I do a pan drop or drain and fill on all my vehicles when I buy them, even ones with close to or over 200k miles, and never had any issues.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Service that bad boy. Drive a few hunnerd miles and service it again. Then at the next oil change.

 

[Sayjac]

Someone else's 2013 Pilot, 'probably' not. Even though I think any risk quite small, something happens kinda be on you. If' you're ok with that risk, your call.

My own Pilot, I'd do a simple trans d&f.

 

[JavierH19]

If it were mine sure, but not being mine i won't touch it because if something were to fail even if you wouldn't have touched it now it becomes your fault and you're going to be tormented since she's a friend of your wifes who will then talk smack about you to all the others if you don't pay for it and embarrass your wife too. Not yours not your problem, it's not an oil change where the possibility of it dying right after are next to none.

 

[eljefino]

It should get changed. I got my BIL a $400 Cutlass Ciera with the 4T60 and the seller didn't want me test driving it, because it barely caught the gears above first. Filter was clogged with silt, and it was shredding itself because it couldn't make the line pressure to hold the clutches on properly.

Dropped the pan, changed the filter, fluid, and it worked great for another couple of years!

The "clutch friction is the only thing holding it together" meme is an old wive's tale.

 

[SC Maintenance]

It should get changed. I got my BIL a $400 Cutlass Ciera with the 4T60 and the seller didn't want me test driving it, because it barely caught the gears above first. Filter was clogged with silt, and it was shredding itself because it couldn't make the line pressure to hold the clutches on properly.

Dropped the pan, changed the filter, fluid, and it worked great for another couple of years!

The "clutch friction is the only thing holding it together" meme is an old wive's tale.

I absolutely agree. I just wouldn't touch someone else's. There may be nothing holding it together. Then its "your fault"

 

[Slick3914]

Simple drain and fill with Honda fluid is what I would do.

 

[John105]

I absolutely agree. I just wouldn't touch someone else's. There may be nothing holding it together. Then its "your fault"

Agreed. This is a my .02 ymmv deal.

I bought a 10 yo Toyota in 2016, with 81k, and went through this dilemma.

I found this helpful.



Then, Japanese indie said “not a chance” of harming trans at 81k and explained you’d need 3x at different times to get to 83% new and 17% old since a small amount comes out each time (I found a Toyota grid for my car confirming).

P.s. ChrisFix imho is worthy of 10M subs

Edit here’s the grid. I ended up doing 4 over 2 years so < 10% original remains

 

[joekingcorvette]

I would change it.