your right on time LOL....i got 150K on mine

I am on the learning curve as well....from reading a lot this is what i have found:

FM (friction modifiers) are in the fluid and they make the shift smoother for a luxurious ride....there is compromise for that, the gear takes a split second to latch on and hence there is wear....with redline there are no FM's and hence the shift is quicker, this results in less wear....

i hope am making sense....

 

it terms of performance, the quicker shifts make perfect sense. but after speaking to a close friend who is a physicist, I am weary of putting a fluid with no friction modifiers in any transmission. I dont have the source. but he spoke of a university funded experiment which involved friction modifiers. He told me NEVER!!! put a fluid in my tranny without a friction modifier. He then when into a stereotypical mad scientist rant like you see in movies and cartoons it was hilarious. but then again im not sure if the research done at the university was on a transmission or not so im not taking any side as of yet. ill try to get info on the research if it was published and post it here.

 

^^^ sure.....it would be helpful....

at the same time I think IHC and Inaccurate can chime in as they have read/researched more than I have....

 

You'll never feel a difference with different motor oils. Most people can't tell the difference going from a 0w-20 to a 15w-40 so going from one brand of 5w-30 to another of the same weight would be almost immeasurable. The difference will be less engine wear, less deposits, and an overall cleaner engine. There are other things such as less oil vapor in the PCV and intake system with the good oils. The TL will run for a very long time on just about anything you put in it. It will probably go to the junkyard from a wreck or from something else failing before the engine ever fails. With that said, after tearing several engines down with Redline vs other oils I just can't bring myself to use anything else.

 

then again if inacucrate and IHC said i can pee in my gas take and get 50 MPG on it, i would probably give it a shot.

 

^^^ that is kinda true LOL....i would wait a little and see some results and then use it as a fuel cleaner

 

ive had the redline fluid for a few months now..maybe 5 i dunno...
when i drive aggressive its great (i dont really push my car anymore i got bored)

I usually just drive the speed limit unless I am on the highway cuz my car is illegal as it is no front plate, tinted windows and loud as fuck

when u drive like a granny and follow the speed limit this fluid sucks for comfort. You can feel the shift real hard going into 3rd gear or so. I have an automatic starter so my car gets warm for about 5 minutes before i even step into it and still the shifts are uncomfortable when you drive slow.

I am not here to judge how good this fluid is for the engine and what not because I am not an expert in that department. I just got the dam thing because my atf maintenance code came on about 5 months ago and everyone was on the redline bandwagon.

Conclusion: Is this fluid good for the engine?....Probably....but beats me lol I am not an engine expert.
Does it significantly take away from the comfort of the stock fluid?...yes
Does it drive like a monster when a tough guy pulls up next to you and you decide to rip him?...absolutely

 

Something is wrong if the shifts are uncomfortable. They should be better than stock. I'm guessing you haven't replaced the switches yet.

 

yeah you're right i have not replaced the the switches. I wouldnt describe it as uncomfortable....its just that you can feel the shifts when driving slowly... its gotten more pronounced. With the original fluid i couldnt feel the shifts when i drove slowly but the car sucked when i stepped on it. With the old fluid it felt like right before it was about to switch gears at high rpms, it would just hang at that rpm a little (if you get what im saying sort of like sluggish when i drove aggressively). When i changed to redline, the shifts when driving aggressively became silky smooth. As soon as i step on it it like flies through the rpms and shifts like butter. Personally I think its a tradeoff and I would definitely use this same fluid if I were to do it again because the more pronounced shifts when I drive like a granny arent enough to keep me away from this fluid. But who knows...maybe if i change the switches itll be smoother when I do drive slowly.

 

shoudnt have used the word "comfort" in my original post haha thats all subjective to the individual

 

Shifts will smooth out with the switches. Switches control part throttle shifts. Full throttle shifts put very little emphasis on the switches which is why you get nice full throttle shifts even with old worn out switches. This is a necessary maintenance item, they will cause a transmission failure. This was found to be one of the main causes of transmission failures along with the factory fluid.

 

dude i would switch the switches asap....

you will feel a hella lotta difference in the shifts...here is the DIY thread:

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/110-diy-guide-replacing-3rd-4th-gear-pressure-switch-3g-tl-2004-2006-a-729149/

 

damn maybe it is the switches because i just recently started to notice it

I will probably do the switches on my next oil change right now im at 60%.
Im dropped 2.5 inches this things a pain to get under and try to attempt this without a lift lol

 

60% ???

dude the switches are for the tranny....

while doing the switches there will be a little leak of the tranny fluid....not much....

 

i know the switches are for the tranny....LOL
I am saying the car will be on the lift when i get my oil change done right now the oil is at 60%
Since the cars guna be up on the lift during the oil change i will just change out the switches then...this way I only need to put the car up on the lift once.

time is money

 

LOL hydraulic jack yo !!!

understandable....let us know how it goes....

 

Hey OP... Can you tell me the significance of that oil filter you used? I'm going to switch to Redline 5W-30 in the next 2 days and I want to know a good filter to use... But I also want to know why I'm using it.

Thanks

 

A great filter to use would be Royal Purple or a Pure One. Royal Purple has superior flow and about the same filtration as the Pure One. Much better than Mobil One, K&N, and the rest.

The synthetic media in the RP filter allows both high flow and finer filtration than conventional filters. You no longer have to choose between flow or filtration.

The Pure One uses a conventional media but they pack a lot of it into each canister so it still flows pretty well. It's fine for the typical 5-8,000 mile oil change. The RP filter can go 20,000+. I use RP but honestly for the price I think the P1 is the better deal. You're talking $6 vs $16. The RP does have a nice ADBV and the oil pressure light goes out quicker on the first start of the morning compared to some of the other filters I've used. I actually change it every other interval.

 

Thanks for the help. Would you have the part numbers for each filter by any chance?

 

I use the P1, and my oil seems to stay cleaner for a longer period of time since I switched from the oem oil filter. The part # is: PL14610

 

When I was doing research on oil filters, I remember reading somewhere (Bob's the Oil Guy, I think) that the fact that the P1 has more media stuffed into the canister there was concern that it would not flow as well. I'm curious how having more media in there would in fact have the opposite effect. Either way, the P1 seemed to be the best bang for your buck out there as far a its construction and filtering capabilities.

 

Having more pleats means more surface area so you get more flow, kind of like using a larger air filter. Bitog has some very knowledgeable people but the majority are internet experts that state their opinion as fact. Just don't believe everything you read over there. I've seen people register on the board that don't know how to change their oil and become experts in a month, giving out advice on oils, filters, etc like they had been doing it for their whole life.

Now they might have been talking about the distance between the canister and the media but you would have to seriously stuff it full of media to become a restriction. From the ones I've seen cut open, they're perfectly fine.

Oil filters are important but as long as you get one with decent construction that's not going to come apart and ruin the engine, you're probably going to be fine. The better filters are mostly there for the people that want longer drain intervals or the OCD people like me that want the best filtration and flow possible even though the engine will likely outlast the car no matter what you use. IMO, the air filter is the most important filter on the car.

One thing I like to point out because it's rarely mentioned is the anti drainback valve ADBV. This is a very important little item for long engine life especially in the TL. It stops the oil from back flowing back to the pan or through the engine when you shut it off. The TL has a large column of oil above the filter. If that drains back, the pump has to fill that space up before you get oil pressure so it takes longer to get pressure and flow to the engine on every start if this valve does not work. This is the reason I switched from Amsoil's EAO filters. It took noticeably longer to get oil pressure when using those and I noticed when changing oil that hardly any oil drained out. It was nice for not making such a large mess but over thousands of starts, it would take it's toll on engine life.

 

so if i want SMOOTHER shifts (as opposed to more responsive/quick shifts), should i go with the D4 as opposed to the RACING redline? I am looking for whatever gives me the most "streamlined" shifting where the car doesn't feel the harshness of gear changing

also, any one here have comments on Redline vs. Amsoil? That is my current debate so far as to what I should go with when i do the 3x3

 

If you want smooth shifts, use Z1.

 

^^^ lol funny u didnt comment on the oil filter question....LOL....

I use FRAM filters....they seems to work just as fine....hey dont hate me, inaccurate uses the same

 

hmmm, i might have to swap out to redline.

 

Lol. I like your responses to these questions, it's what I should have resorted to a year ago. It's hard to believe at one time we had some great discussions and technical detail on this stuff. Now it's just noobs asking the exact same questions over and over and over again.

 

^ Like in the movie "Back To The Future", we can attempt to alter the future by our actions today (whenever "today" might be according to the movie).

Oem ATF (Z1) is GREAT !!!!

 

Just to update, I now have Redline Type-F trans fluid, and Redline 5W-20 and I'm using an OEM Honda S2000 oil filter. Its made in Japan and I think the company is FILTECH, but I'm not sure

 

Those are very average filters at best. Not bad as long as you get a decent deal, around $2.50 for them. I wouldn't pay more than that, they're in the same league as Fram's lower line.

How do you like the trans fluid?

 

Youre saying the OEM S2000 filter is average at best? I bought it from Honda. It cost $18

The trans fluid definitely makes me feel everything the trans does now, but I feel that the tranny holds gear more now, which is great

 

That sucks. It's just a normal average filter, nothing special at all.

 

Damn..... Oh well, you live and learn. I'm sure its better than the Accord filter. I bought it and used it because a friend of mine from uses it on his Accord. He says that the design of the filter looks as though it allows for a much more efficient flow. He works on cars also.

 

If I only drive like a granny (average less than 20 mph) due to my traffic conditions, is changing fluids to reduce FM even worth it? A couple of the previous posters made it seem more of a high gear shifting benefit.

 

^^^ its worth it as you will be saving your tranny....low speeds mean higher the temp of the fluids (as the wind is not a cooling factor)....the Z1 will break down at higher temps, losing its viscosity...

If not the Type F, check out the D4 from Redline....it has some FM's so the shifts will be smoother and you have a synthetic fluid running in your tranny :thumbsup"

 

It's just as worth it if you drive easy. You could argue it's more worth it if you drive easy because that's when the shifts get too soft and long.

 

Thanks.

I'll give it a shot next time I have the car on the lift.

At 26k miles now.

 

Hey Swoosh, with my 118k on the motor and trans, I have changed the oil in the engine twice since i've had it (dont drive much ha) and I have been useing Pennzoil ultra synthetic 5w-20. Im almost due for my 3rd oil change, should I stick with what im using or do what you did and use 5w-30 for more protection?

 

^^^ even if you dont drive as much I would do an oil change every 7-8 months atleast....

I went with 5w-30 for extra protection, Yes....my engine has 160K miles on it so thought of a little more protection....

I use redline since i drive my car a little hard....dont get my wrong, I baby her but once in a while i hit readline and go engage in some road rage.....

if you dont drive much, then ur just wasting money on this....i would recommend using Penn Plat (my fav between Mobil1 and other synthetic oils) or Penn Ultra (I havent tried this, I switched to Redline before this oil hit the shelves)....

 

Why would you not want extra protection?

The only time I would not use a synthetic 30wt in one of these cars is if I lived in an extremely cold climate or did only short trips.

Just an FYI, Pennzoil is not a true synthetic. Very few oils are.

Edit: Just remember, lubrication failures are almost non existent today and the engine will usually outlast the car. The grpV ester oil (Redline) will give far superior cleanliness especially in the ring land area and much better protection when you run it very hard and under extreme conditions such as tracking the car and super hot and super cold oil temps but it will live a very long life on regular oil. However, it will be in better shape at any given mileage on Redline.

This is one of the few true synthetics and one of only two that I'm aware of that use a grp V ester oil which is far superior to a normal grp IV PAO synthetic or the usual "synthetic" grp III oils. The difference between an ester and a PAO is greater than the difference in a dino vs PAO.