Advice on Changing Transmission Fluid for 2000 Odyssey

[RooandDoo]

Can you please advise on best way to change transmission fluid on 2000 Odyssey? I have been told from one mechanic to NOT flush by machine but to drain - refill - drive a few miles and repeat process. This is as he said safest way of not getting particles in system. Also advised using only Honda DW1 fluid.

The other mechanic said to do a full mechanical flush. They use the G-Tec Transmission Fluid Exchange and runs about $160.00.

Which method do you guys use on your Odysseys?

Thanks much.

[bruce2]

Welcome to the board. Drain and fill seems to be the choice here. 3 drain and fill with some driving in between. After that one drain and fill every 10k miles. I am using DW1 ATF. Machine flush is not recommended by Honda nor here.

[davedrivesody]

+1 for what Bruce said ^^^.

The choice of an ATF is not as clear. DW1 is a safe choice. It is obviously approved by Honda and it is synthetic. Its drawback is that it contains a high amount of friction modifiers. The advantage is smoother shifts by allowing more slippage of the clutches during shifts. The disadvantage is more wear on the clutches and more heat.

I use Amsoil. Shifting is noticeably crisper. That tells me the clutches are engaging quickly. IIRC others have had good service from Valvoline Max Life.

Anyway, you can't go wrong with DW1. Just wanted to share why it may not be the best in earlier transmissions that have weak clutches. Search here on the site for more discussion on choosing an ATF.

Dave

[RooandDoo]

Thanks guys, really appreciate it.

[RooandDoo]

Also, does anyone recommend any good videos on how to drain and refill trans. fluid on Odyssey? Sorry, I am by no means mechanically inclined.

[bruce2]

3.1 US qt ATF is required in each refill. A fresh 18mm crush washer is needed after the final refill.
ATF can be refill through filler plug or filler tube with a regular ATF long funnel. You can dispose your old oil at local part stores.

These two video is pretty much all you need to know:

[RooandDoo]

Thanks!

[RooandDoo]

Just spoke with my local Honda service center. They recommend only one drain and refill and then come back at 10k miles. Would this be okay, or is 3 drain and refills necessary?

I bought the van used 4 months ago with 70k miles and not sure the exact history of atf changes.

Thanks.

[spicyTuna]

The 3x is to get as much of the old fluid out as possible.


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com App

[mwe2121]

I always, and in fact just performed, the 3X drain and fill on my 04 and I use Honda fluid. If you do it three times make sure you get out someplace you can reach and sustain high enough speeds for torque converter lockup to ensure all the valves and gears are used between the drain and fills. This will ensure that you get out as much of the old fluid as possible. I have never talked to the dealer about doing it for me but maybe they want you to come in every 10K to get a drain and refill and if that is the case it is the same thing as doing it 3X every 30K.

On a side not companies such as BG have what I would call a fluid exchanger for the transmission fluid and not a mechanical flush. This means that it uses the transmissions own pump to pump fluid out while the BG system pumps the same amount of fluid back in using the weight of the old transmission fluid that is coming out. Honda from information I have found on the net says they still don't recommend this because basically there transmissions are to high tech and you cant get it to shift through all the gears by simply lifting the front tires off the ground putting it in gear and hitting the gas pedal. I have never verified it and plan to talk to BG's regional trainer the next time I see him and ask him about. I wouldn't consider this option at this time since I haven't been able to verify all of the information needed to make an informed decision yet.

[sinbad]

The high pressure used by commercial flushing machines will blow out the AT internal felt filter. Search for the post of the member who rebuilt his own AT and there is a photo of it.

Search for the factory procedure that I cut and posted on how to do a three times flush and re-fill. It describes how to go thru all the gears 4 times before each successive drain while the ODY is on the lift or jack stands. The AT will shift up at about 2,800-3,000 rpm. It helps it to shift up if you drag the brakes a bit in order to induce a little load. I do this (while on jack stands) on all my AT fluid changes with no problem.

As for fluid, I would use any synthetic *BUT* the Honda brand, for the reason that the friction modifiers in the Honda ATF cause too much slippage and wear and resultant debris. I use Red Line D4 ATF for crisp, positive shifts and I order it by the case from Amazon. Castrol synthetic ATF is another good choice which is usually available at your local auto parts store.

Get the mes-u-funnel from Walmart and fill thru the dip stick hole.

[mwe2121]

Sinbad is correct, traditional flush machines do use higher pressure pumps to try to clean the transmission that causes damage to our honda tranys but the BG one doesn't have a pump it uses the cars transmission pump and has two bladders inside. The bladder on top fills with the old fluid and the bladder on bottom is pre filled with 16qts of new fluid and as the old fluid fills the top bladder the new fluid begins flowing into the transmission hence the term fluid exchanger instead of flush. So there is no high pressure issue, the issue is Honda says the transmissions will not go into torque converter lockup unless it is being driven on an actual road so not 100% of the fluid is being replaced.

[RooandDoo]

Hey guys, thanks for further responses.

I took in Honda to my local trusted mechanic. He did the drain and refill three while up on hydraulic lift. However, he put the car in D4 and let tires spin for about 10 minutes between each drain. He did not accelerate or go through gears. I told him about your recommendations and said he's willing to work with me to do it properly. Can you advise on what to do now? He already used a full case of DW1.

Sinbad - I don't see your factory recommendation you say you posted.. Can you copy and paste in this thread?

Thanks!

[Dr Feelgood]

Don't forget to change the trans oil filter located under the plumbing of the air filter, good luck I'm about to do mine.!!!!

[davedrivesody]

Hey guys, thanks for further responses.

I took in Honda to my local trusted mechanic. He did the drain and refill three while up on hydraulic lift. However, he put the car in D4 and let tires spin for about 10 minutes between each drain. He did not accelerate or go through gears. I told him about your recommendations and said he's willing to work with me to do it properly. Can you advise on what to do now? He already used a full case of DW1.

Sinbad - I don't see your factory recommendation you say you posted.. Can you copy and paste in this thread?

Thanks!

I think the next step is to determine the health of your transmission fluid. Put a few drops from the dipstick on a white paper towel. If it's bright pink, it's in good condition. Have your mechanic change it with each each future engine oil change. If it's dark red, brown, or black, drive it on the freeway then go back for another change, then drive and change it one more time.

BTW, your 2000 doesn't have the filter mentioned by Dr. F, although you may have an inline aftermarket filter. It's good advice though for 2002+ owners.