pits200

Ok, so I decided to do a tranny fluid DIY.. I know this is pretty elementary but it was about 20 degrees here and I wasn't about to tackle a job that was more time consuming being that I live in a townhouse with a tiny garage so most of my work is done in the driveway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YceQYq0j8aM


Hope this helps some people, if you have any questions feel free to ask.



Ha, Oh ya, for some reason the related links are pretty scary because I put the title in as "tranny" and you'll see what I mean if you click on the link and go to YouTube... Lol, if anyone knows how I can change that, let me know. Thanks


New and better vid! thanks Pits!!

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iTrader: (2)

yea that's fucked about the links

nice DIY tho. shows how simple it is

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Good job

pits200

Thanks, nice and simple.

pits200

Hey Mods, I had some problems with the related links on the original video I uploaded. So I re-uploaded the video, could you change the YouTube link to the working video I'm attaching here, thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YceQYq0j8aM

russianDude

great video, can you please list tools, was it 3/8 ratchet and 17mm socket? How about torque specifications to tighten both drain and fill bolts

pits200

The 3/8 ratchet is for the drain bolt underneath on the tranny pan. You don't need any socket, you just stick the square end of the 3/8 ratchet in there and turn. I didn't use a torque wrench to tighten because just like an oil filter, I just felt when it was tight to my liking. It should be snug and using the 3/8 ratchet, you probably wont be able to over-tighten the bolt it because you can't get that much torque.

The 17MM socket is for the 1/2 ratchet with about 10inches of extension to reach down to the "ATF" fill bolt. I mean you could get away using a 3/8 ratchet for the whole job but with 10 inches of extension, it gets a little flimsy when trying to take the bolt off.

So in summary.

Drain bolt = 3/8 ratchet, no extension, no socket, just put it inside the drain bolt square part and turn

Fill bolt = 1/2 ratchet, atleast 10 inches of extension, 17mm socket, same tightening procedures as drain bolt.

russianDude

cool, sounds easy. the only concern for people who had their tranny rebuild recently and still under warranty, i know ATF bolt is sealed with red paint, so they will know you had fluid changed outside dealership.

pits200

How would they know that? Even if they did change their own fluid, it still doesn't void the 3yr 36k warranty. How would they know that it wasn't changed at another shop or another dealership, just because the red paint has been cracked.

Mike

very nice Pits! I called my local kragen and they accept the old trans fluid.

pits200

Thanks Mike, I know the tranny oil change is basic but I just wanted to help some rookies and it was pretty easy to record with one hand being that I could barely feel my fingers with this Pittsburgh weather.

Mike

when can we expect a vid of the trans filter replacement?

pits200

Ha, I just changed it, so it would depend on when I could bribe my wife into holding the camera for me, but I'm guessing she'd just be like, "really, you really want me to stand there and hold the camera while you do that." lol

But if I do get around to it, there are two ways to complete the job.

1.) You remove the intake and have a nice big area to work with..
2.) You get your hands all beat up and work around it..

Hmmm, which way to show it is the question.

And I have to say, I never had my tranny filter changed and it was SIGNIFICANTLY heavier than the replacement filter. So it's surprising that Acura doesn't have any kind of service requirement for this part..

CLPimpin114

Nice Vid man . if i knew it was that simple i would have saved lots of money by nt sendin my car into the dealer.

Thanks

CLPimpin114

x1 on that Filter man.

Ne other DIY's in the works?

pits200

I'm swamped with work so I don't have much free time but I'll probably get 3 more DIY done in the next month or so.

1.) Trans filter replacement.
2.) Spark Plug Change
3.) Throttle Body pull apart (I just did that today too, only takes about 15 minutes)

russianDude

You're right, the paint will get cracked first time anyone changes it, and yes technically you have a right to do it yourself and keep warranty. I am just thinking if it goes bad and they start poking around they might get upset about it....

RKeatF1

Yikes I guess there are still CL's out there whit less than 100,000 miles for the warranty to still be a factor!
I have to admit I was unaware of the trans filter! Where can you get and what part number is it.
I have been VERY lucky.
213,000 on my second trans!
Hope it continues to hold up. Still love the car.

pits200

RKeat, you're care is like mine, it's on it's second tranny. The first one was replaced at 70k I think, and this one has 133k miles on it and going strong.

The tranny filter number is 25450-P7W-003. Its about $34 online.

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iTrader: (2)

65$ at my local dealership!!

russianDude

well, when they replace your tranny and you pay portion of it, you get 3yr/36K miles warranty on the replacement. Makes you wonder why they seal the bolt, I am sure they will be asking questions if they don't see any record of you changing the fluid with them and the bolt is no longer sealed.

kdawg8526

iTrader: (3)

hey great job on the vid really helps alot

MrFluffy

Where is that ???

pits200

http://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray/...1=&inputstate=


There you go, you can see that those 3 cars all use the same atf filter.

Mike

tripod?

sorry, couldn't resist.

01RedCLS

Is it easy to remove the intake? I am not super handy, besides oil changes, so I'm hoping the intake is an easy removal, change the filter, easy intake replace .

01RedCLS

Man, I could REALLY use the spark plug change vid!! Anytime before April would be golden and save me a good chunk of change from paying the stealership to do it!!

pits200

The front 3 are obviously easy as pie. The back three are a little tougher and require you having the proper tools. Trying to do it without the proper tools is just frustrating. Make sure you go out and invest in some 3/8 and 1/2 universals and different size extensions. Without those things, the back 3 are almost impossible.

pits200

Well what part of the intake are you trying to remove? The entire thing to the throttle body? So it's dependent on how much of the intake you're trying to remove.

But it's very straightforward when pulling it apart.. Tug slightly on areas of the intake and if it doesnt want to slide out, that means something is holding it down, whether it be a coolant line, a vac hose, bolt or it's connected to something else. Just keep removing things that look like they are attached and that is how you remove the intake.

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iTrader: (2)

01redcls

Everyone starts off in this world as being useless.. remember that.

It's courage, confidence and knowledge that allow you to progress and evolve. So the fact you do not think you are handy is not true.

You just need a lil more confidence in ur abilities, a little more insight on what needs to be done, and possibly a little persuasion to get u DIY :-)

01RedCLS

Is it just a matter of pulling out the old ones and putting in the new ones - no questions asked? Or is there something about the gap, or whatnot, that I have to know about??

CL-S progression 01

iTrader: (2)

u just go get the plug you need...

go to excelerateperformance.com

all the plugs are listed once u put in ur car/yr/model

write down the codes and go buy whichever ones you want most.

Iridium is better than platinum FYI.

I did my plugs at 10pm in my driveway with a flashlight, and no tq wrench. just make sure the new plugs are in tight (but nothing crazy) don't wanna overtighten!. and make sure you got a proper spark plug socket so u can get out the old plugs and put new ones in without them falling (which could mess up the gap).

pits200

Ha, ok so you are a little bit of a rookie, lol..

Here are the basics....
Plugs are suppose to be pre-gapped to your cars specs when you purchase them. People claim you should re-check them when you purchase them because the plugs could have got bumped around during shipping. The problem with the new plugs are they are much easier to damage because of the fine tips and new materials compared to the less advanced plugs and this makes it harder to gap a new spark plug without ruining it.

As for removing a spark plug, you undo the allen wrench bolt which holds in the spark plug coil. (newer cars don't use spark plug wires anymore). You pull out the coil and use your extension and ratchet to undo the plug and slide it out.

After removing, you get the new plug, slide it in and and turn, not too tightly. You add some plug grease to the coil tip and put it back in.

It's as simple as that.

01RedCLS

Cool, I'll give it a shot sometime in the next month, after I get some of the tools you mentioned at the top of the post!

CollinCL

Amazing video! I'm planning on doing this pretty soon here.. best place to buy the atf fluid? I was trying to find an online dealer with a good price to get the local dealer to match. Saw an online post about some guy paying 3 bucks a quart but the best I can really find is around 6 bucks. When you're buying 12 quarts it all adds up..

fsttyms1

Just remember those that have the external oil jet dont have the filler bolt. You have to remove the 10mm bolt that holds the oil jet in and pull it straight up

pits200

I was wondering myself why I don't have the oil jet, my tranny was replaced 4 years ago and it is still running strong. So is my tranny pre oil jet I wonder?

acura_dipset_tl

iTrader: (40)

great vid

paulierand

Hi guys,
I just did my spark plugs yesterday. the three in the back are tough to get to. Quick tip: I put a pillow/seat rest on the chassisframe very close to the right passenger headlight area. I then kneeled on that while on top of the engine and got the area easier. From the TL diy thread they indicated there's a powersteering hose you should remove. There's another thing back there too that is covering the middle spark plug that should be removed too and the whole job took about 2 hours.

pits200

Ya, 2 hours is about right for the first time doing it.. As for removing any hoses, it is not necessary to remove the power steering hose. Only the IMRC needs to be removed to take out the back spark plugs. But you will need the proper short and long extensions along with the proper universals.

After doing this a few times, you'll be able to change them in 45 minutes flat. I luckily have long arms so it helps me reach back there, but after im done with this job my arms are all scratched up.