How Big Is My Problem ?

[ctechbob]

Yea, they would be coming off with $90 for a case of DW1 (Or equivalent) I would do it myself and never go back there again.

I can't remember if the 2004 has a belly pan like my 08, but its 2-10mm bolts and a 3/8" Square drive to drop the fluid. I would do at least 3 drain and fills with idling in between and going through all the gears.

That being said, as long as you don't continue to drive on it until you change it out, I don't think you will have done any damage, although 2004's tend to have a bit of a fragile transmission.

The shop owner is a moron.

It's a long shot, but if it does cause a problem, you'd probably have to take him to court to get him to fix it. Make sure you have all your documentation, especially if he documented putting the wrong fluid in on your receipt.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Yes absolutely never use CVT fluid in anything but a CVT hopefully you can get it out soon before you do too much damage to it.

 

[Link]

Yea 2 10mm and few plastic clips for plastic undercover. 3/8 drive for drain bolt. 17mm located on top of the transmission for refill bolt which can be hard to break loose so may require a breaker bar and/or cheater bar. If I’m not mistaken our TL transmissions hold about 12 quarts of fluid and a typical drain on average drains about 3 quarts. You want the car level when draining to get as much fluid out as possible. So you want to do 4 drain and refills at the minimum and maybe one more for good measure.

Typically in between every drain and refill it’s recommended to get some mileage on the car to get the new fluid mixed in with the old but in this situation I would not want to drive on incorrect fluid. As another poster suggested above I guess idling and running through the gears should suffice. I would not use anything other than original Honda DW-1 fluid especially in a 04 TL tranny. I believe the 04’s also have a serviceable transmission filter I would get that done also if possible. Also some recommend changing the transmission pressure switches as general maintenance but that’s unrelated to this.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Make that shop pay to have your transmission flushed at the Honda or Acura dealership, and get some kind've notarized affidavit from that shop stating they filled it with the wrong fluid.

 

[gathermewool]

Have you started or drive the car yet? A single drain and refill will be fine if not.

 

[Blinker]

Huge

 

[CharBaby]

It was the shop, not me!

So, it was the shop that performed the fluid drain & refill, not you?
If so, then this shop is in trouble especially if they noted CVT fluid on your work order/receipt.

I just watched a Youtube video where the youtuber used Nissan Matic-J in an Altima CVT. I mean, does anyone know what they're doing today?

 

[demarpaint]

I can't think of any way a shop would mistakenly put CVT fluid in a 2004 TL, the only reason would be spite.

Occasionally it's stupidity.

 

[DuckRyder]

I’d recommend against line flushing a Honda.

Honda has a procedure for multiple drain and fills. Follow it.

 

[Shel_B]

I’d recommend against line flushing a Honda.
Honda has a procedure for multiple drain and fills. Follow it.

Just curious, why recommend against a line flush? This might be a good thing to know.

 

[bbhero]

I can't think of any way a shop would mistakenly put CVT fluid in a 2004 TL, the only reason would be spite.

Don't know man...

I don't know how people at my old job gave 50 yes.... 50 milligrams of morphine to a patient... Order was given as 10mg/5mL concentration give 2.5 mL every 8 hours... Which would obviously be 5 mg every 8 hours....

Well evidently the person who pulled that drug somehow missed it being dosed as 100mg/5 mL... Or a 20mg to 1 mL concentration... 2.5 mL was actually giving 50 mg of morphine....

Amazing they didn't take that person right out of here.

 

[2K2AcuraTL]

Id recommend to do a 3 times drop and fill, or the proverbial 3 x 3..
DW-1 or MAXLite ATF syth will do fine... do it sooner than later...
j

 

[HangFire]

If you read Honda/Acura's drain and fill procedure very, very carefully... you'll see it calls for 4 drain and fills. Not 3.

 

[ctechbob]

Also, if you can't easily get to the 17mm fill plug, just skip it and fill it through the dipstick tube. I've never even bothered removing the fill plug on either of my cars. They're buried under wires and tubes. Dipstick tube with a thin funnel is much more convenient.