Ok Gentlemen, here we go. Almost one full year later after p0740 and youtube video verified engine oil "dark" tranny fluid with a failing transmission and my TL is about to ROLL..........


320,000 Miles and that's 10,000 miles with MAX LIFE ATF after the p0740!!! I cannot believe how great this transmission fluid is! Cheap too! I have changed my fluid probably 6-8 times during the 10,000 plus miles since the beginning of this experiment with Valvoline max life!!! That's like only $140-150.00! WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

140-150 in fluids could have bought OEM DW-1.. I don't get it

 

You don't get it? Honda fluids SUCK! They are designed to slip for comfort. Sorry but even your revised Honda Fluid is nothing I would ever think of running. Valvoline Max life FTW!

Nobody can tell this guy otherwise!

 

But youre bragging about replacing your fluids 6-8 times in 10,000 miles.

 

all in all, i believe what most of the guys say about only using honda oem tranny fluid, BUT, I did a 3X3 with castrol import tranny fluid which is dw-1 compaitable. I didnt know better at the time, this tl is my first honda. I drove nearly 5k miles on this fluid so far and no problems. But as soon as i can, best believe im doing another 3X3 with oem honda fluid!

 

Honda brand Dw-1 would not pull my transmission out of the grave and in the end, the valvoline Max LIFE that was mentioned on here saved the car! I couldn't even get this 02 TL outta the driveway it was slipping so badly. I could only get it to move by manually putting it in first or second and even THAT worked intermittently. Dw-1 flushes made no difference and the slipping remained but three dump and fills with the z-1 compatible Max Life and it's alive again and shifting flawlessly!!! We went from shopping for a new transmission to celebrating a perfectly working car in no time! It's definately a higher friction fluid and exactly what I needed to save this transmission that Honda mechanics deemed irrepairable . Some of you guys need to get off Honda's genitals. There is nothing like experience to make me a believer and I can tell you that the z-1 compatible valvoline max life WILL save your transmission when dw-1 will not. Just make sure to do a few flushes. Its only 17 bucks a gallon at Walmart. We have had no issues for the past 4,000 miles and haven't seen it throw a code since before the flushes! Just thought I would get on here and give a shout out to the guys that turned me onto this Max Life. It saved our asses from spending a LOT of money on a new transmission, so THANKS !!

 

Thanks, everything I needed to know in one post!

 

my question would be-- and i don't know the true answer to any of this , ,,,my question would be that if the Honda fluid is so superior why the transmission shudder issues with it that most including myself experience ? I don't know the exact name of the current Honda fluid, is it still the DW? as somehow that doesn't sound like the name on the label they showed me at Wright Honda here ..But on a side note, you know how we are told by Honda never use any but Honda Power Steering fluid in the cars? well at the Honda dealer last week when i went for fluid while preparing to replace a pump , they said they were out of it but were using " this"---handed me a quart bottle of A C DELCO power steering fluid .So you read into that what you will.I left with 3 cans of Honda fluid that I had spotted in a carton while they fetched the A C DELCO fluid , so if only Honda power steering fluid is good enough i need Honda to explain this to me ..I am holding off on this first round of tranny fluid drops till i either decide to go for broke with the gallon jug of max life in my trunk or get the current Honda fluid .Fluid changes should never be this dang nerve racking or hard to figure . I will say that the same claims used to be common practices by car makers about motor oil till they lost the right to make a claim like that about the oil or to deny warranty coverage . And Valvoline has never left me down motor oil wise in 40 plus years .I really wish to God I knew what to do as i want this fluid clean as possible .

 

I bought an 02 type s one month ago and wasn't aware of the problems with these tranny's until mine started acting up 2 weeks after the purchase. Before I consider a rebuild or replace, try to sell it, or touch it with the flamethrower, I'm going to try the 3x3 fluid drain and fill. However, after reading all this helpful information, I am still utterly confused about which type of transmission fluid to use. 195,000 MI Since it's so old and I just bought it I have no idea how many transmissions it has gone through. Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

 

ATF-DW1 3x3, don't overthink it. If it's going to die, it will die regardless.

 

As mentioned above, if you opt for the popular Honda ATF-DW1 to achieve the 9 quart ($11.71 per qt.) 3X3 cleanse, you may be able to find the best price, per quart, on ebay:
9 Quarts for HONDA Automatic Transmission oil Fluid ATF DW1 Acura Sterling | eBay

If you want to experiment, with a similar cheaper alternative ($8.71 per qt), check out the Aisin ATF-DW1:
Aisin 9 Quarts Automatic Transmission Fluid for Honda Acura 9 x 1qt | eBay

RockAuto.com has the cheapest Aisin ATF-DW1 before shipping ($6.03 per qt.).
Search the web for their discount code & place it in the 'How did you here about us' field for additional savings.

 

Thank you!

 

If it is shifting weird, you may want to look at replacing the 3rd and 4th gear solenoids. They aren't too expensive and very easy to change out.