Hi guys,

I have a new transmission (presumably a rebuilt one) put in by the dealer. Do I need to flush the transmission after the first few thousand miles? I've owned some cars that the manufacturer required a flush after first 2-3k. However, I am not sure about Acura/Honda.

Thanks!

 

I would change it after about 5k miles and all the new parts are worn in.

Don't bother with Z1, go with Redline, either D4 or the racing fluid mix that Innacurate uses.

 

Make sure the sensors are new too. If you can't verify it with the invoice I would probably change those out right away.

 

Thanks.

I forgot to mention that it's a 2004 TL Auto.

 

As suggested above, change out the 3rd and 4th gear pressure switches unless the dealer can unequivocally confirm that they were changed.

I would get the Z1 out as fast as possible and get some good fluid in there.

 

^ Yes. Check on the sensors and definitely get that fluid out. Redline Racing fluid is very recommended by most on this site.

 

I'd have a look at the warranty on the new transmission before I swapped fluid brands.

 

Well it probably states that Z1 fluid needs to be used. But if he does use it, then he's most likely going to eventually need to take advantage of that warranty. I would recommend using a better tranny fluid without FM (Z1 is LOADED with FM) and then if he need to have warranty work done then put Z1 in there for that period of time. By doing this, they'll never know. Even if he didn't switch it then the only way they would know is because of the red tint that Z1 fluid has. There's a strong chance it would go unnoticed.

 

I don't think they can void your warranty if you use a fluid that "meets or exceeds OEM specifications". There is a law somewhere that says they can't I believe. If they do there just lying and making you buy the Honda/Acura Z1.

 

That is correct, but the Type F or racing fluid does not conform to Honda specs.

 

Isn't D4 up to OEM Spec?

 

Yup, D4 is.

 

amsoil atf for oem specs or amsoil super shift (type F) ftw. im just an amsoil fanboy lol

 

People, do what you choose, but Amsoil as well as RedLine doesn't recommend Super Shift, Type F, Racing Fluid, or whatever you want to call the ATF, as a replacement for Z1. Spoke to Tech reps at both.

 

It may not be recommended, but do they recommend their D4 (and amsoil's comparable fluid)?

With all of the positive results on this forum I feel comfortable going with the Redline Racing fluid, even if it's not "recommended." Do you personally think it's not a good idea to use the redline fluid just because it's not recommended? Just asking your opinion. Thanks.

 

I would never consider using a fluid that is not recommended by a tech representing the company that is producing the ATF.

 

So does Redline recommend D4?

Obviously Acura ONLY recommends the z1 fluid. For obvious reasons. Do you agree that it's a terrible fluid?

 

I have noticed no shift quality difference, not wear difference (on the plug) between the Redline Racing and the Mobil 1 synthetic (z1 substitute).

I did change both of my filters, so perhaps they are filtering out the particles that would otherwise be on the plug.

I think that they idea is to get the Z1 out with something that you are comfortable with. If it is the D4, Mobil 1, Amsoil, Royal Purple, etc. then they are all way better than the Z1.

Even if you are wrong, you are right as long as the Z1 is out.

 

What about the Honda DW1 ATF?

 

I would change the atf < 5k miles. I think majority of break in is before 2k miles.

No argument here but Bert is boosted.. and his little AT is still going strong..

How many miles do you have on type-f fluid Bert? 5k?

 

Great question OP. I have about 500 miles on my new one and wanted to know the same thing.

 

I stayed out of this one just to see where it would end up. Same old circle over and over and over and over.

With Honda's track record on autos I would stay away from anything they recommend.

Redline Racing and other Type F fluids have a perfect track record, no failures on these fluids. Which would you prefer?

Every reason why, every question, every possible negative has been answered already as to why a type F fluid (whether Redline or Amsoil or whatever) is the best for your trans longevity. At this point I have no more plans to contribute with all of the info out there and the lack of searching by some.

 

It's always a good idea to dump the break-in oil out early. But in the transmission's case, assuming everything was rebuilt correctly there should be very little break-in material. Most of the time hard parts get reused and only clutches, rubbers, and some steels get replaced. I've seen rebuilt trans after 30,000 miles that had very little stuff in the pan during it's first service after the rebuild.

 

Thanks, IHC. By early do you mean around 5k? Or should I let it go longer.

Heck, judging by what I've read, I almost want to do redline immediately.

I thought I read somewhere that a replaced transmission does not come with any warranty from Acura. Since I am now out of warranty, changing the fluid would not matter, right? Or am I wrong...

 

OP, to avoid any problems I would check on the sensors and do a D4 or Amsoil change. Once the transmission is out of its warranty switch to Redling Racing ATF.

Best possible way.

 

I wouldn't put a whole lot of thought into getting the break in debris out too early because in the end it's not going to make much of a difference.

However, I would get a type F fluid in there as quickly as possible to halt the wear while it's still new.

Any Type F will do. I recommend Redline racing or Amsoil Super shift but even the cheap $3 fluid will work.

With the good fluid it's unlikely you will ever have to worry about warranty work. If you do it's very unlikely they're going to do a UOA on it and even if they do, it's very hard to draw any conclusions or say for sure it was not Z1. Chances are they will ask you if it's Z1 and that will be it. They have to prove it was the fluid that caused the failure. It's on them but that doesn't mean they won't try and pressure you into paying.

The other DexIII fluids (D4, Amsoil ATF, Mobil One) have a medium amount of FM. Better than Z1 but not as good as type F.

 

about 20000miles with amsoil type f, 7000 boosted. last drain was 7000miles ago when the turbo was installed and the fluid is still bright pink.

fyi, i have 127000 miles

 

Damn Bert.. That's one hell of a testament. I know you drive it very spirited to say the least..

 

Just curious as to what fluid you used for the first 120k?

 

I also have a 2004 TL automatic with a rebuilt transmission that was put in Agust 2010. I was reading through this thread and it got me worry. I am a normal everyday driver and don't take me car to the track. Is it a must that I will have to flush the transmission fluid? Will the people at the dealer know that new transmission must be put in or is it just an option?
I know that my only option would be the Honda Transmission fluid, which I heard its bad. Wouldn't it void my warranty if I use different transmission fluid?

 

What I'm trying to say is that, since I have a new rebuilt transmission put in August, is it necessary for me to flush with new transmission fluid since I have not traveled 30k miles? I thought triple flush are done ever 30k miles, but after reading this thread, I saw that it was necessary to have it flush after 5000 miles? Can someone please clarify this. Thank you.

 

Originally z1. First 1x3 @ 47000

3x3 with z1 @ 60000

3x6 with amsoil atf @ 70000

3x6 with amsoil type F @ 107000

 

Thanks for the reply. I was curious as to how long you were using the Z1. As most consider it junk, looks like the Z1 was used for the first 70,000 and now at 125k, with a SC it's still operating. I realize the change to Amsoil after 70K, but from what is usually posted, the opinion is that the trans with Z1 should be dead by 50,000. Guess it can't be that bad after all.
Thanks again.

 

Man, you're on a roll lately. Show one person that has ever said the trans should be dead by 50,000 on Z1. You're making stuff up.

Z1 is that bad. Listen to what you're saying... Because it can get you to 70K means it's not bad? That's a very low expectation.

The Z1 got him to 70k. If he had done the turbo with Z1 it would not have made it through the first week. The only other turbo 5at did not make it through two days on Z1 and boost and he had less than half the mileage. it flat out does not have the holding power required for even short runs in boost.

You have an agenda to push, I understand that. But instead of praising Z1 for going 70K on a stockish TL, you should be praising the Amsoil for getting him to 127,000 miles with 7,000 of it being boosted with double the factory hp and torque.

It amazes me with all of the info out there, all of the early failures on Z1, all of the near failures with shudder with Z1 that the Type F fluid fixed and you still won't accept it. We're talking about a fluid and trans combo that has the highest failure rate of any manufacturer and a class action lawsuit against them. You're obviously a smart guy so I have no idea why you choose to post this stuff.

 

I stay away most of the time, but nope, no matter how smart you think I might be, I won't accept the Type F for the DD for the reason I've stated before, Tech Reps from RedLine and Amsoil do not recommend using type F in place of the Z1, so that's good enough for me. You still bring up the class action suit that had nothing to do with the fluid, it was a 2nd gear cooling problem where the fluid temps saw 315 degrees when entering 3rd, hence the external oil jet kit. Millions of Honda AT's still on the OE trans and still going strong, and you can find trans failures within every make, even BMW had a class action suit about the AT and on just about every forum there is always the thought process that the OE ATF is garbage regardless of the make.
Yes, I sound like a broken record and also am tired of saying the same thing over and over, so I concede on the ATF threads as we won’t have the need for the nitpicking back and forth anymore.

 

I need to see 100K on a tranny with the F before I will be convinced. A lot of things sound good on paper. A lot of things that look good on paper end up working out too... so who knows.

However, with 340K on an Accord tranny with just regular Dex III and no wear on the magnetic plug whatsoever, I am convinced that the Z1 is garbage.

For now, I will stick with a high quality Dex III fluid until I see any amount of wear on the magnetic plug or in the fliter. This is the best of both worlds to me.

 

redline racing fluid or amsoil type f?

 

Whichever is more convenient to get. Both are awesome. Redline probably has the edge in base oil but at this level you would probably never know the difference.

 

Here is an article on general trans maintenance, which quotes two SAE authors, as follows (my paraphrase):

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/drivetrain/129_1002_automatic_transmission_and_power_steering _filters/power_steering_filter.html

· Type 1 contaminants – from the manufacturing process. In the average transmission used for 100K miles, these represent 70-75% of the total. These are best removed by a drain-and-fill with filter replacement at 100 miles.

· Type 2 contaminants – from normal use of the transmission. These represent 25-30% of the total. Remove the break-in accumulation with a complete fluid flush and filter change before 5K miles. Obviously this is difficult when you can only drain 1/3 of the fluid at one time. Also somewhat costly. So use good filtration from new, and replace the filter often.


My vehicle is an 2009 RDX, and you can read more of my comments on this subject, in my post on adding an inline Magnefine filter for my own trans, here:

https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-rdx-diy-faq-161/diy-%96-add-transmission-replaceable-inline-magnetic-filter-803129/