Is max life atf still doing well on honda automatic transmission ? 2009 honda accord 2.4l i4 160k miles .
Valvoline max life atf on Honda accord 2009
- Thread starter MetalSlug
- Start date
Agreed to the above statement -- throw in a bottle of LubeGard Red.
It’s compatible with Honda ?
Yes sir!!!! Run it in my Acura in signature. Just got another bottle this week. Do for a spill and fill here real soon.
Maxlife will be fine in your 2009 Accord 
Maxlife. I use Amsoil SS blue cap in a 19 Pilot six speed.
2009 Pilot here. DW-1 is what you want. It's not terribly expensive at the dealer, a spill-n-fill cost me $42 for 4qts.
IMPORTANT! Read the thread below. After reading it I won't use any other "compatible" ATF in a DW1 application.
P.S. I use MaxLife ATF in other vehicles with great results. It's just not a good substitute for DW1 due to a completely different additive package. Long term usage usually leads to issues in this scenario.
IMPORTANT! Read the thread below. After reading it I won't use any other "compatible" ATF in a DW1 application.
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
Yes and yes.
It brought my 06 v6 auto accord to over 300k kms.
Currently new formula is in our 15 ody.
I love the positive shifts compared to ****ty oem fluid.
Which burns out in under 30k miles
Prove it.........
Honestly......where did you get that idea from.
Oem is a great fluid? Breaking down causing shudder....just spend more money on an over priced conventional oem trans fluid and you are good to go.......what?
Really. Do 3 - 4 drain and fills with maxlife and you will have zero issues and zero shudder for over 100k miles. Easy.
Did you read the thread I posted the link to?
I did.
All 4 pages.
Yes the chemical.composition is different.
However, you said it will cause issues down the road.
This I did not read about anyone claiming this happened to them.
It has run flawlessly in many of my personal hondas with zero issues.
Especially that lovely 5speed in my 06 v6 accord.
Many of those on oem fluid last 100k if they were lucky.
Glad it's working for you, but that thread had multiple claims from different posters about potential long term damage.
Don't get me wrong - I love MaxLife and use it across a wide range of vehicles. But in the Pilot I'm sticking to DW-1. It is repeatedly mentioned in that thread that while new MaxLife may be better than worn out DW-1 - it simply may not be the best choice, due to DW-1 being so drastically different in chemistry. In the thread it came down to AMT vs Step Shift transmissions and their chemical signatures.
Use what you like, but between that thread and countless Hondas being sold in "AS-IS, needs transmission" status - I'm sticking with DW-1 in my 2009 Honda Pilot, or any other automatic Hondas I may acquire down the road.
I have to believe there are more older Hondas out there running around on MaxLife than Honda fluid. Or any other fluid...
Just my unscientific SWAG, so take it for what it's worth.
Just my unscientific SWAG, so take it for what it's worth.
Honestly, for over 30 years I have been a member on civic, accord, and now odyssey forums.
Thousands of users switched over to max and I have yet to read about 1 of those coming back about issues.
This is just, the sky is falling.....don't use it mentality.
Valvoline already conducted extensive field tests with Honda automatic transmissions.
The corollary is, if Honda, or any other transmissions, were blown up due to MaxLife, we would certainly hear about it.
I have been using Valvoline Max Life ATF in my 2006 Honda Accord 2.4L for almost 130K with no issues. I did the drain, fill, drive a few times over the coarse of a weekend. I also installed a Magnafine filter and have replaced it twice during the 130k. I perform a drain and fill once every 2 years now. No issues thus far, smooth shifts and the fluid comes out mostly clean.
On my 07 Accord I used nothing but DW1 and had 386000 on the car when traded in...never a tranny issue at all..Did a drain and fill about every 35000 miles and changed the top canister filter about every 70000 miles..
Having been part of that thread he posted. I don't recall it devolving into blown up transmissions. What the end of the discussion was that the 'unique' chemistry of Z1/DW1 may well have been down to shift feel. Given that some manuals pre-Z1/DW1 suggested Dexron, and then when Z1 came out, said you could use Dexron, but shft feel might suffer, then to full on Z1/DW1 due to the somewhat unique design of the Honda 4/5/6 speed units.
My personal opinion is that Z1/DW1 exists to calm the clunky behavior of the transmissions. By allowing some extra slip to the clutches. They introduced that fluid when they started moving more upmarket in the early 2000's, and the design of some of their transmissions require that some gears need to change that are on the same shaft, so you have one applying and one releasing at the same time. If that's not timed precisely, you'll get a clunk, the fluid is there to help that not happen.
Myself, I've not used official DW1 in years. I've used the Idemitsu H+ and now I've moved on to MaxLife since Amazon has priced the H+ at something stupid.
My personal opinion is that Z1/DW1 exists to calm the clunky behavior of the transmissions. By allowing some extra slip to the clutches. They introduced that fluid when they started moving more upmarket in the early 2000's, and the design of some of their transmissions require that some gears need to change that are on the same shaft, so you have one applying and one releasing at the same time. If that's not timed precisely, you'll get a clunk, the fluid is there to help that not happen.
Myself, I've not used official DW1 in years. I've used the Idemitsu H+ and now I've moved on to MaxLife since Amazon has priced the H+ at something stupid.
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ML caused funky shifts in my 2013 Pilot. Went away after I went back to DW-1.
OTH, ML works great in my 2002 Accord.
In my sample with n=2, ML appears to be better suited for older 4-speed Honda A/Ts versus the 5-speeds (which I think OP's Accord has).
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