Hey guys, my 04 TL has hit about 34K miles and needs an automatic transmission fluid flush about now according to the recent checkup I had. (This seems a little early to me but...? Do you guys usually do it this early?)

Anyways, my question is can I just get the tranny fluid flushed at my local mechanic, or do I need to do it at the dealership? And about how much did it cost you guys? Thanks in advance.

 

You don't want a flush using a flush machine. Acura recommends a 3x drain and fill procedure. The scans and instructions are on here if you search. Either have the dealer, a trusted mechanic or do it yourself. Just make sure Acura's procedure is followed.

 

ive heard you can do it every 30k.. i just did mine at 65 and plan to do it in another 15 jus because. i dont think 34 is too early

 

Do it yourself. It's way too simple to pay someone to do. While you're at it, put a decent fluid in there like Amsoil ATF or do a drain and refill of the stock Z1 every 10,000 miles.

Instructions are elsewhere but you want to drain and refill, drive it around the block so that it hits every gear including torque convertor lockup, go home and do it again two more times. After that if you keep the Z1 fluid, do a single drain and refill every 10K or sooner.

Kind of off topic but Z1 is a crap fluid as far as life is concerned. It's a 20K mile fluid at best. Not bad if you change it often but it oxidizes and wears out quickly.

 

ya dont let anyone use a flush machine on it. the acura bulletins have said it a couple times that aftermarket flush machines are not recommended for honda/acura tranny's.

i personally change my tranny fluid every oil change since i drive my car so hard and the fluid is so cheap. once you have it on a hoist its even easier.

another reason why i do it as often as i do is because of the climate i'm in. it easily gets to -35C in the winter and 35C in the summer. a 70 degree celcious difference in a year. that. can cause the fluid to deteriorate much faster than most other places.

 

it shouldn't be more than $200 if you do it at dealer...

 

Thanks guys. Unfortunately the search function is not working at the moment.

However, I didn't realize that this doesn't need a flush, just a drain and refill drain and refill etc. This makes it easier as I'll be able to do it myself and save some money. Doesn't sound that much harder than an oil change... of course I might change my mind once I actually find the instructions on here.

 

it is listed under 3G Garage

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/rr-journals-atf-drain-refill-3g-garage-c-012-a-556044/

here is acura bulletin that is also in the link provided above

http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SN/B080100.PDF

 

When I had mine done at the Acura dealer they only charged $90. I remember it costing close to $200 on my Neon. I wonder why.

I had mine done shortly after I bought my car (at 45k miles) but I bought my car used and did not have its service history so I wasn't sure whether it had been done or not, I figured better safe than sorry.

 

Evening folks...

Assuming you do the 3x ATF drain/fill, it requires 9 quarts of fluid. Is there a good online source for Z1 or do I need to obtain it from my local Acura or Honda dealer? What kind of price should I expect to pay?

Google didn't really net me much online and I suspect shipping costs might eat any per quart savings. No quantities available on eBay either at this time... only 4 quarts at a crack.

Thanks!
Steve

 

I am a service advisor for my acura dealership. We recomend a transmission service(drain and refill) every 15k.

 

^ you charge?? $60 for just drain and refill? or more?

 

I just had mine done by the dealer. They quoted $199, but gave me a discount, so it was probably about $170 (had some other stuff done too so I'm not sure of the split).

Now this was something I can actually tell a difference about. Before the service, I'd get a "shudder" around 30 mph when I accelerated at my 'usual' rate. The transmission service seems to have cleared this up.

I *assume* they followed the approved procedure (they ARE an Acura dealer) - the 12 quarts of ATF on the receipt seems to bear that out. Interesting how they charged me $5 and change a quart when they did the service, but if I had bought the ATF from the parts department myself, it would have been $7 and change a quart.

Steve

 

anyone try amsoil atf in there tranny??? i've only used Z1 in all my cars but i was wondering if anyone was brave enough to try other brands.

 

yes, roadrage did, check out the road-rage journals in the 3G section.