Good Lord. Welcome to the OdyClub. Had this not been your first thread/post, I'd have closed it. You are lucky.

Oil viscosity and ATF threads never end well here for the most part.

 

I'm glad you didn't close it.
Nice decision.
Buffalo4

 

Just imagine what type of emotions i am going through right now that I posted this as my first thread. Im super desperate to know if anyone has done this. I have used Amsoil CVT fluid in my Nissan and Toyota. They run better than ever before.

 

@moonboy66
It may work, but a heed of caution is that if your ODY is still under warranty I would not do it. After the warranty is over, there is nothing holding you back.

 

Amsoil ATFs have been really well suited for the previous generation of Honda-designed transmissions. You'd probably be a guinea pig for this one. Check forums for other vehicles with the same transmission (MDX, etc), but I'd be shocked if you found anything.

 

There was a discussion early on about this. At that time, Amsoil ATF was not certified for the 10 speed. Not sure if that has changed as this discussion was a couple or more years ago.

 

So I called Amsoil before ordering and they recommended me to get the Amsoil Multi-vehicle ATF. When it arrived today it said Honda ATF-Z1 in the back. So I'm not sure what to do

 

Nope

 

I emailed them about Amsoil for the ZF9 and the response was they have no plans on making a replacement for it. You might email them for product questions and get a better response than over the phone.

 

Which is crazy because it’s extremely similar to Toyota WS or Dex-6. But maybe they feel it’s too saturated of a market to make money on, which makes sense.

 

This is an easy one and no need for any argument.
You can use any transmission fluid that meets Honda 2.0 spec.
Amsoil Multi-Vehicle ATF does not meet the Honda 2.0 spec as shown on the bottle so you can't use it.

 

Called Amsoil product support again and this time they pulled up a Data sheet from the website for Amsoil ATF multiple vehicle which does mention Honda ATF 2.0 now i feel confident on switching to this product. I will keep y'all up to date if it was a success or fail.

 

Good luck.

 

This is an easy one and no need for any argument.
You can use any transmission fluid that meets Honda 2.0 spec.
Amsoil Multi-Vehicle ATF does not meet the Honda 2.0 spec as shown on the bottle so you can't use it.

Technically, it's only recommended, like oil viscosities/weights. Like DW-1 or ZF fluid and people using Maxlife.

Called Amsoil product support again and this time they pulled up a Data sheet from the website for Amsoil ATF multiple vehicle which does mention Honda ATF 2.0 now i feel confident on switching to this product. I will keep y'all up to date if it was a success or fail. View attachment 183210

Even Lubegard says to use OEM Honda 2.0 fluid.......idk....

 

It's his right to put in whatever oil he wants. He is aware that Honda will not warranty the transmission. Engine oil is one thing and the dealer allows for it, tranny fluid is some thing else.

 

There must be a reason Honda makes 3 different formulas vs one fluid fits all!

 

There can be but most times, it’s often money related.

 

The reason why Honda, Toyota, etc have their own fluids is because they can control the formula.
Penzoil will randomly change the formula for the "green" coolant.
Mobil 1 also does the same for ATF fluids.

Let's say you are Honda and are using Havoline radiator fluid in your vehicles. Havoline announces that the fluid will be changing for better heat transfer in higher temperatures. If course, Havoline will not say what has changed. So, Honda will have to redo an entire series of tests to qualify the new radiatior fluid. We are talking chemical compatibility on every part of the engine the is touched by coolant: hoses, gaskets, plastic parts. Heat transfer testing will need to completed. Probably some sort of extreme life test of the coolant.

Same scenario, except for transmission fluid. In addition to chemical compatibility, Honda needs to retest all affected transmissions. We are talking requalifying everything through life test, durability, load test, This will easily cost tens of millions of dollars per affected transmission.

Coming from 25+ years of new product design and testing, this would be my best guess for OEM specific fluids. And yes, I had to completely retest products due to fluid formula changes. This can take months or even years, depending on how long the life test lasts.

So, circling back to the Amsoil question. If the OP is willing to gamble with a $7000 transmission, then go right ahead and use Amsoil fluids. Surely, the Amsoil engineers are way smarter than the Honda engineers. Keep in mind that Honda has been testing the 10 speed transmission with their ATF fluid since day zero. If any issues came up, Honda either changed the ATF formula or redesigned the transmission to fix the issue.

Ok, I decided to spend a few minutes on Amzoil's website. Seriously, this is how they test their fluids. The Honda OEM fluid has also delivered outstanding protection in my CRV, because the transmission is running strong at 130K miles.

• CVT Fluid
  AMSOIL delivers outstanding protection in severe service.
  AMSOIL CVT Fluid was installed in four Las Vegas taxis, each driven 100,000 miles. As shown in the belt photos below, AMSOIL CVT Fluid delivered outstanding protection in severe-service conditions.
  
  
  

 

I have tested and has been using the Amsoil CVT fluid for my Toyota and nissans notoriously well known CVT and i can confirm that it has been running better than ever before. I am well over 200k on that car with original motor and transmission. So I do trust the brand and their products.

The reason I have decided to switch to Amsoil ATF for my odyssey is that it has already started hard shifting and stuttering at only 95k using the Honda ATF drained and filled at 40k then 80k. So yea OEM fluids sucks IMO.

i will definitely update this thread after I make the switch and give you the results who are interested.

 

@moonboy66
"
The reason I have decided to switch to Amsoil ATF for my odyssey is that it has already started hard shifting and stuttering at only 95k using the Honda ATF drained and filled at 40k then 80k. So yea OEM fluids sucks IMO."

This is not the time to be changing fluids if you already are having problems. Changing into another fluid will not improve anything, but worsen the problems. I do not think anyone here on this ODY Forum would agree with what you are attempting to "fix". If I was still working as a mechanic, I would tell you should not change the fluid, however possibly do a diagnostic check for possible reported problems, and see if you have all current software upgrades to help your ODY 10-speed transmission. If your transmission is doing this consistently, they should be able to find the problem, but not always. I believe Amsoil would tell you the same thing. If the problem exist now, changing the fluid will not improve your transmission.

 

I had similar experiences with my Altima CVT and switching it to Amsoil CVT fluid fixed it and made it smoother than it was ever before. So yea with that experience I think i would do the switch even though it may not fix the issue but im confident enough that it won't break it.

 

I did a break in drain and fill on a '23 using amsoil (red cap/multi vehicle IIRC) around 6-8k miles ago. Zero issues. I too am an amsoil fan.

 

Wow great to hear that!

 

Send an email to Amsoil & ask them. They will tell you. I use it in my 2011 Ody and cvt fluid & signature oil in my CRV.

 

Huh, interesting, both Amsoil ATF and ATL both say Honda 2.0 now.

ATF says for Z1 and 2.0 whilst ATL says for DW-1, Type 3.1, and 2.0.

 

I’m less concerned if Amsoil says it’s compatible. I’m less concerned in the sense that it will not damage the transmission. Quality shifting is to be seen. A 3x may be needed, so if one D&F didn’t give positive results, don’t be afraid to double down.
No fear. 😅

 

What if you used the cheapest or the most expensive lubricant you could find and it "didn't dissapoint". Because your engine/transmission is still working does not prove the lubricant is OK. Can we simply use what's called out in the owners manual-- and link to the specs called out there to what's on the container of whatever you buy. Lets stop this endless go nowhere discussion.

 

Huh? Did you read all the replies to the first post?

 

Just wanted to update this post after 10+k miles with Amsoil transmission fluid, the van is running bettery smooth than ever. Zero issues. 100% recommended

 

Thanks for coming back with updates. Just to confirm, you are using the red cap Multi-Vehicle ATF?

 

I'm good with losing 0.05 mpg to get better viscosity in my transmission fluid. I'll happily keep running red top Amsoil given its track record and my experience. To each their own. I do wonder what (if any) longevity differences there would be between the two fluids.

 

I'll happily keep running red top Amsoil given its track record and my experience.

I hear you brother!

This same Amsoil has been the lifeblood of my glass-weak 02 transmission for most of its life. No issues ever, although not extremely high mileage, 185,000 mi.