Used AMSOIL ATF Syn............. My tranny puked, Then it Died. Literally

Aside from Costing me 3K on my 1st Rebuilt.

Excellent ATF Oil Fast Shifting (No Smooths Here) and Excellent Cold Shifting while it Remained at the Tranny.

 

 

But that doesn't mean it died from the fluid.

 

Well I Can´t argue that.
But Ill keep Using DW-1 from now on, OEM Fluids are more Prone to Stay in my Transmission.

 

Here is my story...

2003 Acura TL Type-S, 122,700 miles. (original transmission, no oil jet kit)

1st ATF change at dealer, 66,500

Recently started to become aware of some rough shifts, the fluid was looking pretty dark and figured it was time to change it. The reason I never did was from hearing stories of changing fluid could be disasterous.

So, I purchased 4qts of the new Acura ATF DW-1. Instead of doing a 3x3 change, I decided to do a drain and fill first to see how it reacts.

Immediately after filling and starting to drive, I noticed an immediate, drastic improvement in shifting. It feels like a new car. I have driven about 300 miles so far and it feels great.

In a few days I am going to do a full 3x3 drain and fill to replace ALL the old fluid (Z1) that is now mixed in with the new.

For the record, I never drive the car using SS mode, I simply put the car in D4 and go. Been this was since I got the car in March 2005 with 18,500 miles on it.

I will keep you all updated. Special thanks to 01tl4tl for all his professional insight, expertise and help.

You all rule!!!

 

Don't you mean u drive the car in D5 instead of D4 ? Driving in SS doesn't hurt the tranny either as the ecu still controls the shifting pressure whether it shifts at 5500 or you shift just b4 fuel cut-off at 7k rpm. I'm glad though that the DW-1 is working to your advantage .

 

No, I have always driven in D4...am I missing something?

 

uummmm possibly missing 5th gear?!

D4 works well for traffic in town/freeway where it keeps it from hunting for 5th at 45mph

otherwise use of D5 allows it into overdrive for improved mpg in normal freeway driving

are you saying your 2003 has only 4 forward gears?

the big question- WHY dont you have the oil jet kit?

 

UPDATE: I now have just over 5500km on the Amsoil ATF in the trans and am happy with the way the trans is shifting and working. This was my first ATF change on a '03 A-Spec, and the car has the jet kit. There was nothing wrong with the operation of the trans to begin with. I did not change the external filter but will at the next change.
As a matter of precaution, I intend to do a drain and fill (3X1) every year, as the mileage on the car tends to be low, presently at just over 75000 km.

 

That's odd and ...... if you ask me.

 

To be honest, it's a mixture of never making the time for it, and if it's not broke don't fix it. I know I know, it technically IS broken, but i'm also scared that once the techs start touching it, etc something will go wrong.

Do you think once they do the boroscope inspection, they will definitely find heat damage, and if so offer me a replacement transmission?

 

heat damage guaranteed? that depends on a lot of factors,,,
call the 800 and talk with local service or parts manager NOT the service writers or phone girl

ask if they will still cover it under recall, if not you can buy the kit pretty cheap
They dont mess with the trans- just install the line

not having it installed is asking for the 2nd gear set to break while you are driving,,
its pretty exciting for a few seconds~
especially for the person behind you!

 

are you sure its in D4 not D5 normally?
its really an 03??, not a 99 which came with 4 speed

 

I most definitely have been driving in D4 for 98% of the time for the past 6 years.

It is most definitely a 2003 TL-S! 122,700 and counting!

 

You could've saved enough money for a new tranny by now just in fuel savings if you'd drive in the correct gear.

 

why have you been driving in D4 is our question?
do you never leave the city streets with their 45 mph limits?
on the freeway you are hurting yourself, D5 drops the rpm a good 500+

 

did a drain and fill the other day and like a dumbass only bought 3 quarts now i'm a tad low, well acura gave me z1 @ 11 dollars, went to honda today to get another quart and all they had was dw1 for 9 dollars go figure, anyway is there any reservations to adding the dw1 to the z1; parts guy said it mixes but i think i trust the ziners better

 

ATF DW-1 is designed to improve transmission performance in cold ambient temperatures, which improves fuel economy. ATF DW-1 is the factory fill oil for all 2011, and newer, Honda models. DW-1 is backwards compatible.

 

How do I know I have the oil jet kit? Also what does 3x3 mean when in reference to the atf change? Im lost sorry lol figure id ask.

 

The jet kit sticks out of the fill hole, should be fairly easy to spot if you know where the fill hole is.

You can also check your recall status, if it shows it's been fixed then the jet kit has been installed.

3x3 means you drain 3.4 approx quarts, fill back up, drive it for a bit, repeat x2 more times and it replaces approximate 90% of the fluid, it takes approx 10 complete drain fills to get closer to 100%. You can't drain all the fluid at once because it is stuck inside the torque converter, but approx 3.1-3.4 quarts should drain out if you have it properly filled.

It's also important to put back in as much as you take out, then check the dipstick to make sure it's close to the marks, get out on the highway, drive for 15-20 minutes at normal highway speeds, pull off on a level surface, turn off the engine and check again, the level should be between the 2 dots. If it's not in the middle, either add or drain fluid to get to that level. It's also very important to maintain this level, but only check it after the 15-20 minute drive. Checking cold or after city driving won't give you the correct levels.

BTC

 

I work for Lexus as a tech and we have a flush machine. I believe that would take the fluid out of the whole trans and replace it with the adequate amount acura recommends. or is this a bad idea for acuras?

 

Apparently some Acura dealers now have a flush machine that they recommend, but it would be the only one I would trust.

Biggest issue is you don't want any other fluids into your transmission, Lexus flush machine wouldn't have DW1 fluid in it.

There are some other reasons that other members have posted, I'm to much of a noob to get more detailed.

Several other members have posted that flushing seemed to cause their transmissions to fail sooner as well, tho they may have already been on borrowed time.

BTC

 

Honda recommends against using flush machines on their vehicles. The best method is to drain and fill three times in succession. There are a number of reasons not to use a machine, but the ONLY one that really matters ... AHMC recommendation against it and the fact that any damage wouldn't be covered by warranty.

 

What does the oil jet kit do for the transmission?

 

It redirects the flow of fluid over the 2nd gear to prevent overheating. Without it at highway speeds it can overheat and break causing your transmission to either lock up or at least bring you to a quick stop possibly causing an accident.

Unfortunately they couldn't get it to also point at the 3rd gear and keep it cool too.

BTC

 

hmm... I have to check if i have it. If not whats it cost and who can install it? Does acura have to do it or is it something DIY