Maxlife ATF or Beck Arnley Premium ATF for 2007 Honda Ridgeline?

[hk24]

Idemitsu makes ATF for Honda. I like the knockoff better. All good.

Didn't someone on here post a chart comparing the contents of the fluids - Idemitsu, Max Life and DW-1 were in the comparison. I am not sure what to make of the results but Idemitsu and DW-1 weren't identical.

 

[hk24]

Use Z-1 or DW-1 (if it's backwards compatible) and be done with it. Transmissions are nothing to play with.

I'm inclined to agree and if something happens with the transmission and you used something different than DW-1, Honda and other transmission mechanics might point that out - and there's nothing you can respond with? I bought ATF that someone had extra of and that was my only concern - it was DW1 but was not 'new' or recent. I am considering doing a 4th drain and fill of brand new fluid later - after it's used - just for peace of mind. DW-1 here is probably cheaper than the alternatives - it's really expensive on Amazon and I don't know that anyone around here supplies Idemitsu either. I think Idemitsu is carried by some places in Japan as an alternative to DW-1 but I think it's kind of odd - when did it start and is there any real recent comparisons between the two to confirm it's good and that Honda will accept it as a usable alternative? I don't think it's available in every country either - either has to be ordered on Amazon or Ebay? Okay, sorry for rambling.

Edit: Found this: https://oilsadvisor.com/honda-atf-dw1-equivalent/

 

[ctechbob]

I'm inclined to agree and if something happens with the transmission and you used something different than DW-1, Honda and other transmission mechanics might point that out - and there's nothing you can respond with? I bought ATF that someone had extra of and that was my only concern - it was DW1 but was not 'new' or recent. I am considering doing a 4th drain and fill of brand new fluid later - after it's used - just for peace of mind. DW-1 here is probably cheaper than the alternatives - it's really expensive on Amazon and I don't know that anyone around here supplies Idemitsu either. I think Idemitsu is carried by some places in Japan as an alternative to DW-1 but I think it's kind of odd - when did it start and is there any real recent comparisons between the two to confirm it's good and that Honda will accept it as a usable alternative? I don't think it's available in every country either - either has to be ordered on Amazon or Ebay? Okay, sorry for rambling.

Edit: Found this: https://oilsadvisor.com/honda-atf-dw1-equivalent/

We've pretty much beat the topic to death in a couple places on here. You can't go wrong with real DW1, but you probably won't go wrong with the others as well.

That website you linked though, is a mess. I wouldn't take any of that information into account. It looks like they just copied text right off the bottles. It almost reads like a Project Farm video.

"So, what are the negatives of using Idemitsu’s ATF Type-H Plus? The lifespan of the Idemitsu ATF is a little bit shorter than that of the ATF DW-1, and the price difference it brings might not make up for the same, in most cases. "

Wha? Not sure where they get that from.

They also claim Z1 was pulled because it caused cancer or some such nonsense. Z1 was pulled because the base oil was pretty shear prone. DW1 is essentially the same additive package with a better base oil. That's all there is to that one.

One more:

"LubeGard’s OEM comparison chart shows that both Red and Platinum products are a viable replacement for Honda’s DW1. The Red is more affordable than the Platinum. "

Again....wha? Lubegard is an additive, not an ATF.

That article is complete trash.

Here is the discussion in the white papers section where we get a bit more into some Honda history:

Three ATF's Analyzed

Three ATF's were analyzed by two labs, one a university lab and another a commercial lab to determine their elemental and chemical composition because of on-going debates about the suitability of each fluid for various applications. The three ATF's analyzed were: Genuine Honda DW-1, Valvoline...

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[The Critic]

Ugh, it was $33 back on May 10th, which is the last time I bought some.

But yes, I am another H+ user. Both of my Honda vehicles have been using it for some time now. Gets the from me.

Only issue I have found with Idemitsu is the color. The fluid turns amber/brown within a few thousand miles in every car that I have used it in.

 

[NormanBuntz]

After all of the discussion here and contrary to my original post, I've decided to stick with the Honda recommended DW-1 fluid. The best price I've seen is for Aisin brand DW-1 on Rockauto for $4.81 a quart plus shipping, which is reasonable. Thanks for all of the input.

 

[KlubMarcus]

Use Z-1 or DW-1 (if it's backwards compatible) and be done with it. Transmissions are nothing to play with.

I searched through Valvoline's website because I wanted one brand for several cars. MaxLife Synthetic ATF is compatible with Honda AT's according to their Product Information sheet.

 

[nicholas]

Didn't someone on here post a chart comparing the contents of the fluids - Idemitsu, Max Life and DW-1 were in the comparison. I am not sure what to make of the results but Idemitsu and DW-1 weren't identical.

Ide was much closer to maxlife vs honda oem.

 

[kc8swy]

Back when I had my 07 Ridgeline I'd drain the trans every engine oil change. If I remember right, it took 3 or 4 quarts of trans fluid exactly. I changed the engine oil every 7500, and Honda called for 30k transmission fluid changes. Never had a trans issue in the 200k I owned it. Always used Redline Trans oil. With the drain plug and fill plug for the transmission, it was just too easy...

 

[BMW Dom]

Back when I had my 07 Ridgeline I'd drain the trans every engine oil change. If I remember right, it took 3 or 4 quarts of trans fluid exactly. I changed the engine oil every 7500, and Honda called for 30k transmission fluid changes. Never had a trans issue in the 200k I owned it. Always used Redline Trans oil. With the drain plug and fill plug for the transmission, it was just too easy...

Sounds expensive, and excessive.

 

[ctechbob]

Sounds expensive, and excessive.

Not necessarily. If you're changing oil at 7500-10000 then doing a D&F to the trans at that time is much the same as doing a 3x D&F at 30k.