Changing Trans Fluid Bad Idea?

[road_rascal]

I'll add my $.02: While I do drop the pan and replace the trans filter on both of my Fords every 30,000 miles, every year I'll evacuate about 6qts of fluid from the trans dipstick (yup- the '99 Taurus and '01 Windstar are still old school and have dipsticks

). I've been doing this ever since I've bought the vehicles and I haven't had any problems. From what I have read from different message boards/ owners groups these transmissions are somewhat of a weak point and keeping clean fluid keeps them running cooler and lasting longer.

 

[motorguy222]

quote:

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Originally posted by EricZoom:
I've listened to some of Goss's generic crap on the TV show Motorweek. I wouldn't bother with his advice.

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I tend to agree.I have noticed some of his comments and they dont always hold water to me.

I also think he has a tendancy to make simple repair/maint. procedures out to be harder than they are.

He has even made some comments regarding motor oils that are rather off the wall in my opinion.

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, I imagine that he's like those two bearded bozos that have a weekly column in the Sunday paper. It's just entertainment. They never really say anything and tend to direct you to the service counter anyway ..like Goss did (do not attempt this at home folks!).

 

[motorguy222]

That sounds like Click and Clack,the Tappet brothers.

Actually,their names are Tom and Ray Magliozzi.

Ray seems to have shaved off the beard,at least in the photo on the www.cartalk.com site.

I used to listen to them but they started to get really annoying.

Tom got to where he would laugh at just about anything.

I havent listened in some time now.

They used to have some good info,that is until they got so far off of the subjects while doing the show that it was pitiful.

 

[thrace]

quote:

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I just bought 12 quarts of Honda ATF so that I can drain & refill the auto transmission fluid on an '04 Pilot at about every other oil change.

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Good idea. Those Honda Acura auto transmissions are not as reliable as even Ford F150 transmissions. Hope you got a reasonable price on ATF. My dealer charges $6-7 per quart. Hondaparts4you charges about $3 with a flat rate shipping of about $5-6. There is not a full synthetic ATF approved by Honda.

quote:

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Goss responded by saying that most people don't own a several thousand dollar fluid exchanger

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As you know, the Honda AT does not have a conventional filter to be replaced or pan. It does have screens that can get clogged and it does have a tendency to release clutch material and clog the oil passages. Some would say that a flush may push loose debris around and cause more trouble.
See this site about cleaning the Acura MDX transmission. This owner cleaned his own transmission when it started to go bad. His abilities are way beyond the usual do it yourselfer. http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/show...8786c2&threadid=21609&highlight=deltajetfixer
http://www.acuramdx.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1917&papass=&sort=1&size=
http://www.acuramdx.org/photopost/s...etfixer&cat=500&perpage=12&sort=1&ppuser=2768

quote:

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that merely dropping the pan (the Pilot doesn't have a pan) and replacing about 1/4 of the total fluid may actually be detrimental - not beneficial - for the transmission.

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Replacing 1/4 of the fluid may be harmful if the trans is already bad as others have said.

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From some Honda owner websites that I have looked at, the standard procedure (even at the dealerships) is to drain the fluid and drive the car, drain the fluid and drive the car, and then drain the fluid and drive the car for a third time. This is how the factory specs the fluid change be completed.

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This is just a way to replace almost all the ATF without any flushing machine or disconnecting any tubes. I must say that the 2003 Honda Odyssey service manual does not state that a flush is the way to service the AT, only the drain and fill. You are on the right track. Goss is not if that is all he really said.

 

[Gary Allan]

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Actually,their names are Tom and Ray Magliozzi.

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That looks like them. I think that they qualify as service advisors and nothing more. I've seen real incomplete and shallow advice in their column.

 

[motorguy222]

Tom and Ray are supposed to be mechanics but the last shows that I listned to on the radio were basically low grade entertainment.

I havent listened for probably a few years,they are probably doing the same thing.

 

[chas3]

pat goss has a weekend radio show on one of the local stations around here. goss' motorweek segment is rather like watching al gore discussing social security as a lock box. the radio show is a bit better. pat gets annoyed with callers and will occasionally show some emotion. usually the advice is good. call in sometime and tell him the mechanic changed a sensor because the engine was setting a code.

as for pat and partial changes--mixing good fluid with "bad" fluid just makes bad fluid.

 

[Tosh]

This only applies to Honda auto transmissions:
I have one of these notorious Honda ATs, and it's been replaced once. My attitude toward these transmissions, from endless firsthand accounts on acura-tl.com and acura-cl.com, is that a large proportion (opinions vary 2-5%) of these are inherently bad, and no amount of PM, whether it be fluid changes, oil coolers, different fluid, driving behavior, whatever, is going to prevent the inevitable. Now, I'm protected by Acura having extended the factory warranty to 7YR/100k on the AT, so perhaps my attitude will change once that expires in two years. But until then, I'm not doing anything besides what the service schedule calls for, which is a fluid change at 45k. I believe that anything else I do would be held against me by the dealer when I make a warranty claim. I'm obsessed about my car and usually very proactive about prolonging my car's life, but in this case I feel like I'm at their mercy. All I can do is try to learn exactly what are the issues involved in the Honda 5-speed ATs, because apparently there are many, and real and useful info is in short supply. So I'm waiting and listening...