NkBenzon

* Hi I had a question on what type of transmission fluid I am able to
Use on an. Acura TL 99 if the ATF DW1 is unavailable. Ive notice I'm below the first dot and when I start up my car and shift to reverse there's a hard thump or knock any help is greatly appreciated.

mike_engr

It's suggested to use the new DW1 Honda/Acura fluid. It should be available "somewhere", so unless your tranny is actively leaking you probably have time to find the "right" fluid. I think Dextron is for emergency use only....

If your ATF fluid looks bad or hasn't already been drained/filled every couple years, buy 10 qts and do the 3 qt drain/fill three times over the next few weeks.

The "thump" you are probably hearing might be the engine or tranny mounts - - not the fluid. Find the DIY for checking motor mounts....

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

Thump is bad engine mounts.

Definitely only use Z1 or DW1. Don't use Dextron.

3.2TLc

Yeah, find the Honda fluid....don't take chances !
Do a drain & fill, 3quarts DW1. Front and side mounts go bad frequently on these cars.

careface

Valvoline maxlife atf works great in our transmissions. Full synthetic fluid. Much better shifts than Z-1 in my rebuilt by acura transmission. $15.99/gallon at your nearest wally world. Another good option is Castrol Transmax IMV atf.

fsttyms1

Neither of those are good or recommended for our trans. None of the fluids that claim they work in our trans have the anti foaming and other necessary additives that these trans need The ONLY fluid other than Honda Z1/Dw that i would recommend is Redline.

careface

Sorry, this is simply not true. Nothing but a big Honda fad. The only Genuine Honda fluid there isnt a decent equivalent of is their P/S Fluid. I work at a shop, we use Maxlife everyday in Honda vehicles. Over hundreds without a single return or warranty claim. Even our local dealer uses Valvoline fluids during servicing. Honda Z-1 fluid is mediocre at best, syn-blend and shears like crazy. DW-1 is full synthetic and im sure is an excellent fluid. Best shifts I have ever experienced in my transmission has been with Maxlife, take it for what its worth. Please head over to Bobistheoilguy forums if you ever get a chance, there are numerous discussions about using Alternate ATF in Honda transmissions with success.

MilwaukeeDave

iTrader: (3)

And that's the reason I won't take my car to a shop..

careface

Again a very ignorant answer. There are many shops that do shoddy work, and there are many shops that actually do the right work. We reference everything back to manufacturer spec, take pains to use the appropriate fluids and parts and aim to have the least amount of returns. All repair work is completed under the watchful eyes of the managers and the 2 main techs have over 50 years of experience between them.

I have proof of success from using this atf in numerous Honda transmissions, real world practical examples. Do you have proof that my shop does shoddy work or uses inappropriate fluids ? Do you have proof that using Maxlife leads to failure in our transmissions ??

MilwaukeeDave

iTrader: (3)

I don't have proof about yours or any shop because like I said above, I do my own work. Of preferring to do it myself instead of trusting my car to strangers is ignorant, than I'm a blissful guy...

careface

Hey man, if you are capable, doing all the work yourself is the only way to go. Unfortunately over 90% of the population isn't. Your comment implied that you take care of your vehicle because you dont trust others to do the right thing. All I am saying is that just because a shop chooses a fluid that isnt OEM, it doesnt mean that they are performing the wrong service or aren't doing right by the customer. The whole scare about only using Honda fluid in a Honda ATF is just an old wives tale. I share my experiences, from the shop, here because I want to help others find better alternatives. Off the top of my head at least three different ATF have been used successfully in our transmissions : Redline D4, Maxlife ATF and Castrol IMV Transmax. All three of these fluids are miles better in composition than the original spec Z-1 and they produce better shifts than Z-1 ever did in my transmission.

fsttyms1

I have been over there,read more than you can imagine on it, and many others have done the research as well. While i agree that the Z1 isnt the greatest fluid, the multi purpose fluids are no better in these trans and often worse. It may work in other honda trans but it wont do shit to help the 2g trans and i will still stand by my comment of its not recommended in it, especially with the design flaw that no rebuild or fluid will fix.

acutee

Thanks for sharing. I find his information is very useful that there are alternative options out there that he has proofs it works. I dont like being restricted to only using honda propietary products. Careface's feedbacks is very positive; and his information is to help us, or just me, to make a better choice. If we choose to try his suggestions with other atf brands besides honda, you are welcome to do further research before trying it out. We are definitely not being obligated to use it. Every manufacturers use the word 'void warranty' to gauge every penny of you if they can.

How about if honda said 'you can only use honda engine oil, honda oil filter, honda air filter, honda tires, honda wheels, honda freshener, honda pulley, honda cai, honda belts, honda exhausts,...,?' You got the idea, the key is 'OPTIONS', we all need options. Mods are options.

fsttyms1

There is no proof it works any more than it doesnt. Sure it will work in the trans, but it doesnt mean its going to help the trans problem. Fluid is NOT the problem in the trans. And They dont say you cant, they just recommend against it. Just like their PS fluid. Its not the same as most other makes.

Either way like i said, its not going to prolong the trans life, but using fluids that dont meet hondas specifications, or isnt close to what it needs in terms of chemical makeup isnt recommended. Either way im sure its not going to make a difference on a trans with an internal design flaw. If you are looking for another fluid to use i would use healthy mixure of redline d4 and redline racing.. The 3rd gen guys like it and seems to be holding up in their trans (which do fail) ALONG with regular solenoid cleanings and or replacements.

nguyen25

My 99 TL was running on Valvoline MaxLife after being serviced at the local transmission shop, and the shifting was perfectly fine. The technician appraised MaxLife very highly.
Lots of ignorant answers here. careface isn't wrong at all. keep it up careface!

acutee

Totally agree, fluid will not fix design flaws. As far as fluid goes, better fluid that meets or exceeds manuf specs is better than mediocre fluid. Better fluid is always recommended whether the tranny is going to break or not.

careface

Thank you acutee and nguyen25 for your kind words.

@ fsttyms1 : Your right, the fluid wont help with a design flaw. And I am sure Z-1 will do just fine with regular drain and fills. In the same way that a conventional oil will be fine for 7500 mile oci according to Honda/Acura. Doesnt mean I will do it. I use synthetic for an extended oci. Same way, there are better fluids for lesser dollars available than Z-1/DW-1. Using them definitely wont hurt the transmission, neither will it probably prevent the failure. But better shift quality is always welcome, and thats something I notice immediately, even with just 1 x drain&fill.

@OP : If you do decide to shell out the money for DW-1, you might as well get Redline D4 for that kind of money. At least that way you will be able to get the Ester based goodness that is Redline.

fsttyms1

I can agree to that, But i would still be careful with the multi purpose fluids as many claim to work but they wont last in the severity of our trans, especially when its mostly city use or driven hard. But i still stand by The single best thing you can do is clean the solenoids often to make sure they keep the shift pressure high enough to help minimize the slipping during shifts. That will help keep the wear down.