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Transmission Drain and Fill Picture

242K views 416 replies 117 participants last post by  Buffalo4 
#1 · (Edited)
Transmission Flush and Fill Pictures

I tried to put together a " one pic worth a thousand words" type
picture of my recent transmission drain and fill. Hope it helps someone. :)

I uploaded a new combined picture below. Maybe it will be clearer now!

http://www.odyclub.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=124726
 
#2 ·
I did three drain and fills last weekend and can confirm what the Helm manual says and others have reported, 3-1/2 quarts each for my '02.
All three milk jugs looked about the same as your jug as far
as level goes.

At 15k miles my ATF looked pretty much like the new ATF-Z1. Maybe slightly darker on the first and second drains, good news for me I guess. Also very little debris on the drain plug magnet.

Shifting seems to be the same after the change. Hopefully adding the ATF cooler is paying off.
 
#3 ·
Hey nwf_snake, thanks for the pic's of the locations of the fill and drain. It always helps when someone gives you a picture to confirm your thought process. :)
 
#4 ·
Glad to help! Trying to repay all the great stuff I've learned from this site! Plus, we all love pics here at OdyClub!
 
#6 ·
Sorry Wayne, I am not "certified" with Photoshop Elements text overlay capabilities. The Fill Plug is the shiny 17mm bolt head you see in the lower middle of the picture. It is way down below the brake master cylinder. I put the text on the hose just so it was readable! Didn't mean to confuse any one. :eek:
 
#7 ·
The drain plug is the one with the square recess in it. Your 3/8" flex handle will work nicely for removal. If it is too tight, a longer 1/2" handle with a 3/8" adapter will do the deed for sure. Be prepared for a fairly violent rush of fluid when the plug is first removed. To prevent having it gush to unwanted areas, some sort of a shield/deflector is advised. Quite a functional one can be made from a gallon milk jug, or the equivalent, which will direct the flow into the catch pan instead of onto the driveway.

Jerry O.
 
#8 ·
To prevent having it gush to unwanted areas, some sort of a shield/deflector is advised.
While unscrewing the drain plug by hand after loosening with my wrench, I just held my drain pan as high as I could. I also positioned it so one side of the pan was just under the drain plug location and the other side was towards the drivers side of the car. The rush of fluid hit the pan dead center that way. Once you see where the flow hits the pan, you can easily lower it to the floor without spilling a drop. Did it three times without spilling a drop! ;) You get a little on your fingers, so have a towel handy. Plus, you will want to wipe off any metal residue from the magnet on the drain plug.

The drain plug is the one with the square recess in it.
I guess I need to put together a single collage of pictures from both sets I posted. Maybe it will be less confusing that way... :confused:
 
#9 · (Edited)
New "One Picture worth a thousand words" for a tranny drain and fill service.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
I guess I must have the monster of all collection pans, I just place it on the ground under the drain bolt, with one end under the bolt, and haven't had any problems missing the pan. Or maybe I'm just really good.:)

Another note, when I first loosened my bolts (both fill and drain) they weren't as tight as I expected them to be after reading everyone's comments on here. When I tried to get them off a second time I found that I put them on really tight. Just a warning, you don't want to overdo it on the tightening.
 
#11 ·
turnipgreen said:
I guess I must have the monster of all collection pans, I just place it on the ground under the drain bolt, with one end under the bolt, and haven't had any problems missing the pan. Or maybe I'm just really good.:)

Another note, when I first loosened my bolts (both fill and drain) they weren't as tight as I expected them to be after reading everyone's comments on here. When I tried to get them off a second time I found that I put them on really tight. Just a warning, you don't want to overdo it on the tightening.
The recommended torque specs work just fine. When tightened to those values, removal is not a problem.

Jerry O.
 
#14 ·
james9793 said:
How much is the tranny fluid? I have an '01, all city driving, and I bet I need to change the fluid....
My sealer wanted $6.27 plus tax a quart for ATF-Z1.

I bought 10 quarts of Honda ATF-Z1 from http://www.hparts.com/sale.php3
now on sale at $2.83/qt plus shipping.
I think the regular pice is still only $2.89/qt.

Also bought the drain washer 90471-PX4-0
and fill washer 90441-PK-0 from HParts.

They are one of the few internet Honda parts
stores that will ship ATF. Don't know why, because
the order arrived in four days UPS ground without a problem.

-Mark
 
#17 · (Edited)
Is dipstick color a good indication of the tranny fluid condition?
I think smell is a better indication. If the fluid smells burnt, you better change it. I plan on doing mine every 20K.

Paid $2.89 a quart from Hondapartsforyou.com . $34.68 a case. The Honda Part number is 08200-9001 (it is on the pic of the case I posted), at least according to my invoice. Shipping is a set $3.95 no matter what you order. I did change the drain washer after the third drain, but flipped the fill washer. No leaks so far!
 
#18 ·
Bump for the Newbies!
 
#19 ·
Flush? and fill

I question how you flush a transmission without the proper equipment. All that can be done by the average DIY'r is a fluid drain and fill. Yes, you can continue to drain and fill the transmission several times but this just wastes good fluids and does not guarantee a complete cleaning of the system. My Honda dealer flushes all fluid and then runs a system cleaner through before refilling the transmission completely - about 9 -10 quarts of transmission fluid total. The service is $109.00 and only needs to be completed every 45K miles.
There are excellent Honda servicing dealers out there. Do a little research and have them take care of the things that should be done with the proper tools. I am all for self maintaining where it makes economical sense but in some cases a dollar saved is $100 dollars spent. I am lucky that the dealer I purchase my vehicles from falls into the excellent category - sounds like many out there are not, in fact there are 3 dealers in my area and I would only take my vehicles to 1 of them for servicing.

This is just an example of the type of service provided by my dealer - Took my wifes 02' in for service this morning - needed an oil change and transmission flush and fill. My service advisor notified me of the recall (tranny) on the van - has parts in stock - asked if I would like them to do the recall today and offered me a free loaner car while they do the work. This is the level of service that I am accustomed to from this dealer. Now and in the past they have taken care of all issues and problems not only quickly but expertly.

My advice - find a reputable dealer with an excellent service department. Send him some business and he will take care of you when you have a tough problem - no vehicle is bullet proof. I would also suggest that there are many excellent vehicles out there to choose from - The Honda is an excellent choice but if you do not have the option of a good Honda dealer buy brand "X" from the best servicing dealer you can find near you. You will be much happier in the long run and can enjoy life rather than worrying about your next breakdown.

One example of this is my father's local Chevrolet dealer. He has always purchased Chevy trucks from him, last fall the transmission failed in his 01' Silverado with only 55K miles on it. It was out of warranty but the dealer replaced the transmission for him free of charge in two days and provided a free loaner while it was in the shop. Ok rant over.
 
#20 ·
In an endeavor to maintain my status as "anal engineer", and certainly not wanting to mislead anyone, I changed the wording in the title and body from "Flush" to "Drain". Unfortunately, it takes a moderator to change the name of a thread, so one will have to step in at this point.
 
#21 ·
The last time I visited my local honda dealer the service adviser lied to me about my car. The last time I visited the parts department I figured out they were charging 10-20% over Honda suggested retail for parts. The last time I visited the local honda dealer's sales department they tried to cheat me out of $167 on a new Accord.

A drain and fill is what honda recommends and I would bet that honda doesn't recommend running cleaners fluids through the tranny.

So there must be some good dealers around but not in town that I live in.

About the only way my Accord and Ody will ever get to the local dealer is by tow truck.

The nearest honest dealer is 30 miles.
 
#22 ·
"My advice - find a reputable dealer with an excellent service department." "if you do not have the option.....buy brand "X" from the best servicing dealer you can find near you."

Good idea.

I feel the same as jmess about my selling dealer. High prices, bad service. Incompetent service dept. I have heard many people locally who were not pleased with their (different) Honda store.

I also wonder if a system cleaner or a flush is really the way to go. Neither is described in the service manual. Would particles be stirred up by flushing and get stuck in some small passage and make a valve stick.
 
#23 ·
I currently drive 40 miles to get to my dealer. Your experience is not unique - there are a lot of less than desireable service departments. Self maintainence is great if you have the knowledge, tools and time but eventually everyone needs a good mechanic repair shop/dealer so my advice is only to find one that you can trust and establish a relationship.

As for flushing vs. draining this is as controversial as synthetic vs. nonsynthetic oils - which is best. I prefer the flush method due to the fact that you cannot drain all the oil from the transmission without flushing it. A common misconception about how transmission flush units work is that they somehow pressurize the system to force out the fluid which can somehow cause contamination of the system. This is totally false. There are two types of flush machines on the market. The first is a cooler line flush machine and the second is a pump inlet flush machine. The latter is most effective since the technician removes your pan and filter to flush the fluid from the system. The first is less effective since the pan and filter do not have to be removed. Both are superior to only draining the oil and use the vehicles transmission fluid pump to circulate the new fluid into the system and remove the old fluid from the system.

Honda supplies a cleaner/conditioner to use during this process to remove any contaminants and also conditions the seals. There are also many people who claim transmission failures immediately after having a transmission flush. Proper timing of transmission service intervals is critical to long life. Replacing fluid too soon just wastes good fluid and does nothing to increase your tranny life. Of course waiting too long is worse. Follow the factory service intervals and pay close attention to how you drive and what type of conditions you drive in. Towing a trailer puts much more stress on a transmission than normal highway driving alone. Heat is a transmissions worst enemy. Once you have overheated a transmission and burned the fluid you can continue to drive the vehicle until the transmission fails since changing the fluid at this time is pointless. The damage has been done. I have seen this happen to many trucks and heavy equipment used for towing and industrial work. Overheat and burn and the transmission is toast - it may decide to work for several more miles and maybe even as long as you own the vehicle but it will fail eventually. This is why a site or fluid smell test does not work. If the fluid smells rancid or burned the damage is already done. The fluid is just indicating what has already happened.

One further note on this subject - since heat is the culprit make sure you have the auxilliary transmission cooler installed if you tow. Many people like myself have installed a towing package on the van after purchasing it. I purchased the Honda towing kit which includes the cooler. You must have this if you tow - if you bought a hitch from another source go ahead and buy the cooler from Honda - all the fluid changes in the world will not prevent damage due to overheating while towing.

Thanks to everyone who posts on this forum - great information and is as helpful as the Honda Valkyrie website for my motorcycle.
 
#24 ·
Re: Flush? and fill

jdskycaster said:
I question how you flush a transmission without the proper equipment. All that can be done by the average DIY'r is a fluid drain and fill. Yes, you can continue to drain and fill the transmission several times but this just wastes good fluids and does not guarantee a complete cleaning of the system. My Honda dealer flushes all fluid and then runs a system cleaner through before refilling the transmission completely - about 9 -10 quarts of transmission fluid total. The service is $109.00 and only needs to be completed every 45K miles.
There are excellent Honda servicing dealers out there. Do a little research and have them take care of the things that should be done with the proper tools. I am all for self maintaining where it makes economical sense but in some cases a dollar saved is $100 dollars spent. I am lucky that the dealer I purchase my vehicles from falls into the excellent category - sounds like many out there are not, in fact there are 3 dealers in my area and I would only take my vehicles to 1 of them for servicing.

This is just an example of the type of service provided by my dealer - Took my wifes 02' in for service this morning - needed an oil change and transmission flush and fill. My service advisor notified me of the recall (tranny) on the van - has parts in stock - asked if I would like them to do the recall today and offered me a free loaner car while they do the work. This is the level of service that I am accustomed to from this dealer. Now and in the past they have taken care of all issues and problems not only quickly but expertly.

My advice - find a reputable dealer with an excellent service department. Send him some business and he will take care of you when you have a tough problem - no vehicle is bullet proof. I would also suggest that there are many excellent vehicles out there to choose from - The Honda is an excellent choice but if you do not have the option of a good Honda dealer buy brand "X" from the best servicing dealer you can find near you. You will be much happier in the long run and can enjoy life rather than worrying about your next breakdown.

One example of this is my father's local Chevrolet dealer. He has always purchased Chevy trucks from him, last fall the transmission failed in his 01' Silverado with only 55K miles on it. It was out of warranty but the dealer replaced the transmission for him free of charge in two days and provided a free loaner while it was in the shop. Ok rant over.
glad I did a search and foudn your post its informative since Im about to change out my tranny fluid this coming thursday its interesting to know the price of it. I was assuming about 200 bucks, but I hope they do they flush and fill istead of the drain and fill. great posts.........
 
#25 ·
With my new to me 02 I have been having the fluid changed at every oil change for the first three. Done two now and after the third will do every other one. My dealer gets $30. for a normal drain and fill. Unless the fluid is visibly dirty and burnt smelling, a flush is overkill in my opinion.
 
#26 ·
Re: Re: Flush? and fill

jocktheglide said:
glad I did a search and foudn your post its informative since Im about to change out my tranny fluid this coming thursday its interesting to know the price of it. I was assuming about 200 bucks, but I hope they do they flush and fill istead of the drain and fill. great posts.........
I would think they would just do a drain and fill, unless you tell them otherwise. Of course, it could vary from dealer to dealer.

Jerry O.
 
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