To be honest, I don't really have an idea on how the internals of the transmission is after the fill plug. Easies way to do is remove the transmission plug from underneath and let it flow, then refill from the top. Do this 3x and your would be good. Then after that you can do it every 10k or 15k or 30k. YMMV. Some even do it every other oil change (in my opinion, too much).

 

Extract it through the drain tube to get just a few ounces more? And then your removing the drain plug to clean off the magnet- just remove the plug and drain it! I think I saw where someone built a small ramp out of 2x4s to drive the front wheels up onto which would make more sense.
What is more important is to drain/refill 3 times if you've never done it before as kaimanson suggests. And drive it at least 100 miles- or at least through all the gears and engage the lock up. Or just do the 2nd change next weekend, the the third the following. Then you'll have most of the old fluid swapped out with fresh. Then do it every other oil change as many members do.

Re-reading your post, it looks like it's almost 30k since the tranny was swapped with a used one. What's the color of the fluid on the dipstick? Red-ish? Your good. Drain and fill at your next oil change and then every other one.
Black? then definitely do the first of 3 drain and fills.

 

The only reason for using the extractor is it's a lot less messy IMO. I'd go in through the dipstick tube, not the fill plug hole with the extractor tube like I do when changing motor oil in my other vehicles. It's very easy to pour from the extractor body into a gallon jug for recycling, a drain pan not so much.

The fluid is dark reddish, not black but not new either, I'll do the three swaps. It shifts fine now.

thanks for the advise.

 

Do what you prefer. I think the oil extractor method is unnecessary and would be a lot messier in my opinion. Plus you have to clean it all. Make sure you can loosen the fill plug before you drain or extract the old fluid. You don't want to be adding new fluid through the dipstick tube - that can be very slow and very messy. Don't forget new crush washers for both the drain plug and the fill plug. You likely will need a 1/2 inch breaker bar with a long extension to loosen the fill plug.

 

Is 3X fluid change standard at dealers or in the Honda service booklet? I have only heard this on the Odyssey forum. The other three forum I joined I haven't heard the 3X thing.

 

It’s a best practice for our Odysseys. You only need to do the 3x if the fluid has not been changed in a long time; otherwise just do it once every 15-30K miles.

When you drain the fluid only 3 1/2 quarts comes out. I think the total fluid capacity is 8-9 quarts. So the theory behind the 3X is to get more of the old fluid out by dilution with the new fluid added each time. It’s impossible to get 100% new fluid in the transmission this way, but it’s close enough.

 

I have a 1/2" breaker bar and multiple extensions, same for 3/8" as well as cheater pipes for the breaker bars. Thanks for the suggestion. I just ordered 10 plug crush washers too. I also have several sizes of long reach funnels. This doesn't seem to daunting a task. One benefit of using the extractor is the body is marked so I know much has been removed.

 

It’s very easy. Just like changing the engine oil. 3 1/2 quarts will come out.

 

Doesn’t make sense using an oil extractor for the ATF. The magnet on the drain bolt has to be cleaned. Draining it will get any loose debris floating around near the bottom.

An oil extractor makes sense when used on a german car or something where the oil filter is on the top. If the oil filter is near the bottom right next to the oil plug and you have to go underneath...what’s the point of using the extractor lol that’s my view

 

Yea like a mini thats what we use aT work . Bro take drain out clean it let fluid run out . I do this instead of filling through fill hole . Take dip stick out get a turkey baster and stick it in dip stick tube then use a larger funnel and fill through dip stick tube best way to do drain and fills .YOU ARE MAKING IT TO COMPLICATED . EVERYONE ON HERE DOES 3QT DRAIN AND FILLS . So should you if you do what you are saying I could imagine problems could come from draing to much and not refilling enough to match good luck.

 

Draining and filling 3x really isn't that much of a hassle. You can measure the removed ATF each time with a windowed old oil jug or a clear 1 gallon milk jug. I usually do mine cold to get a greater likelihood of getting the right amount of fluid put back (hot ATF expands). If you search this forum someone smarter than me, and most on here are, did the theoretical mathematical analysis were 3x drain and fill gets nearly a 100% old to new fluid exchange.

If its's math, figure it out, if its science ask why. H. Faulkner

 

the only reason to use the extractor is it's much less messy I've found over the years on various vehicles. I'll still pull the drain plug and clean the magnet but much less will surge out after using the extractor. I'll report how it goes when my daughter and family come to visit and we do the drain in a few weeks. we'll do it the 3 times.

 

Draining the trans from the drain plug is not messy at all. I've seen more issues with people dropping their tube down in the dipstick tube than complaints about the mess of draining. It is far less messy than the engine oil. It makes almost no mess. Just drain it. Takes 5 seconds to pull the plug, let it drain into a pan/bucket and then pour it into a container and measure it...really there's no reason to do that anyway. Just fill it back up with 3.3 quarts, warm it up, and check the fluid with the dipstick as outlined in the owners manual.

 

Read this..

Help!! Oil Extractor tube broke!!

Anyone use an oil extractor and the tip break off? I was changing the oil on my van and was worried I didn't get as much oil out this time and pulled the extrator tube out and about 4 inches of the plastic tubing was gone; there's a metal piece in the tubing the stiffen it that was still...

www.odyclub.com

Oil extractor tube stuck in dipstick tube

I was changing my oil and the tube got stuck in the dipstick tube. I twisted and pulled and the hose broke off. I think it fell in the oil pan because my dipstick went back down very easily. Is it ok to run the boat if a piece of the tube is down there?

www.themalibucrew.com

Need help please....oil extractor hose stuck in dipstick tube.

So i started changing the oil in the boat and put the oil extractor hose down the oil drain line and got a fair amount of oil out. I thought I would try putting it down the dipstick tube just to see if by chance I could get anymore out that way. When I was done I could not pull the hose out...

forum.moomba.com

Drain and fill will be your safest

 

I purchased a miti-vac a couple of years ago and use it for everything now. engine oil, lawnmower oil, transmission fluid, any fluid I extract and it has a measurement so you can tell how much came out. Need an air compressor also to make these things work. Then when I remove the drain plug, much less mess on the floor. But then again I changed my oil with a drain pan for 30 years before I got one.

 

When I change my oil or transmission fluid I place a catch container to capture the old fluid. I don’t let it drain all over the floor.

 

I've been using a manual pump type for years and yes it results in much less of a mess when you pull the drain plug. I've never had any problem with the siphon tube breaking off but I check it and it is not at all brittle. anyway to each their own I guess, at least I won't be a lone ranger.

 

I did a D&F on my 2016 LX a few months ago. Drained from plug, cleaned plug, splashed fluid all over driveway and it took an hour. I did a second D&F few weeks later with a suction pump through fill tube. Spilled 3 drops of fluid and it took 15 minutes. Spilled more filling it too fast through the dip tube. The drain plug magnet does need to be removed and cleaned especially for the first D&F. Next D&F I change the filter as well.

HINT: if you add an after market spin on filter make sure you put it in a place to easily get a wrench on it. The friction modifier makes the spin on filter (and fill plug) very difficult to remove.

 

Deleted

 

Deleted