polosport

What is the factory fill color for the auto trans fluid? Is it supposed to be bright red/pink? I only have 13k miles on my TL and the fluid color is light brown. My VIN doesn't fall under any trans problem notices. But wonder if I should take it in for a check up or have it flushed anyway. Was gonna wait until 30k. Or is the light brown color normal for 13k?

tommyy2

Not sure of stock fluids color, most fluid is pink.red. If it's burning fluid in 13k somethings wrong. Instead of flushing and nursing it, I'd try blowing it up and getting a good one; I'd hate to nurse it out of warranty and have it die on me then.

crazymjb

Did you wipe it on a white cloth. It should be red/pinkish. It may have a slight brown tinge, but I am comparing that to the fluid in a failing ford taurus tranny.

Bluenote

It should be cherry red. A slight brown cast is probably nothing to worry about. A better way to check it is to smell it & compare the smell to a bottle of fresh fluid.

mickey3c

In the past the change interval that was recommended was 15k miles (2G). I forget the cost but acura will drain and replace for like 70 bucks I think. I would do a flush for about 120 at 30K miles. The flush uses more fluid, but they make sure that all the old fluid is gone. The difference here is about 8 quarts (as I said it has been a while since I had it done). The drain and replace was 3-4 qt where the full flush was about 12 qts.

I was told the 15k interval was because the newer ATs do not have the typical filtering found on older ATs.

meathead

Has anyone else heard this? This was not my understanding. i thought Most decent trans fluids go for like 100k. I never had to change this in my last car...

SodaLuvr

Nah, most ATFs are good for about 30-45K. Longer use requires a fluid analysis.

Synthetic ATFs are probably good for at least twice the standard interval for replacement (30K), but you must do a complete fluid change or at least 3 drain/refills, plus perform a fluid analysis.

In this case, it sounds as though the fluid is burnt. Don't know why, but at such a low mileage, it sounds like you're having some transmission problems, since brown fluid sounds like excessive heat? I'd take to the stealership to have it check, since the fluid should be brown so quickly.

I could be wrong though, since some lifetime fluids lose their color relatively early, but are still suitable for continued use. But I don't think thats the case here.

I suggest drawing out a sample of the ATF and sending to Blackstone for an analysis, along with a professional interpretation by Terry Dyson to determine the problem.

Michael

RacialSlurs

i bet those smarty pants engineers at Honda put in some fancy, super-duper ATF additive. some sort of lube pak to enhance the wear patterns, or some crud like that.

a fluid is only good until the contaminant threshold level is reached. excluding the mechanical affects on the fluid, a non-synth will "last" the same as a full synth fluid.

KJSmitty

This is one of the best posts /advice thus far

I too have 13K on my 04TL and the fluid looks the same as when new... It can be difficult to discern between a perceived slight "brownness".. Like Bluenote stated, smell is the best indicator. If the trans is slipping/burning the fluid, it has a definite nasty oder (given severity). Now, if the fluid is brown with no hint of pink/red (or more brown than pink),,, that would be an issue at 100K let alone 13K.

I would have the dealer (or non biased shop) look at for ya.

Even my 4WD Z71 Suburban still had completely pink fluid at 30K. And you can imagine how my wife drives it in Dallas traffic......

Good luck/keep us posted.

polosport

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and recommendations. I would have to say yes I do experiencing delayed shifting and sometimes the transmission slams into the next gear very hard. I have noticed what seems to be the transmission slipping, the rpm actually varies up and down in the same gear while maintaining the same speed on a flat road. I've been waving these symptoms off as normal behavior. I just have to find time to take it in. I was hoping to wait until my first major B service.

Moosh

Light brown sounds bad for a car with 13k miles on it. Hell, in my Mitsubishi Galant at 60k miles it was still pink. I'd try to take it in sooner than later if possible.

Road Rage

I use white blotter paper - this is a well-known and effective way to test oils and ATF. But ATF also should not smell burnt - normal ATF has a sweet, pungent smell - damaged ATF has a distinctive stink.

JetJock

I changed the ATF fluid on my 2002 TLS when it also had that brown coloration. The dealer paid for the change to avoid problems with the tranny in the future. They said it was not normal and were going to monitor the transmission to see if the new fluid also turned brown prematurely. I didn't want to take any chances with the AT, so I sold the car and purchased a '04 6MT...problem solved.

Bluenote

Part of the process of replacing an A/T under warranty for Acura or Honda is straining a sample of fluid through a paint strainer and sending the strainer back with the core. Good call, Road Rage.

Erratic shifting is something that's been noted since I first posted. If that's the case, get the car checked ASAP.

SodaLuvr

RS, I don't disagree with that. A fluid is good only until its contaiminant threshold is reached.

However, a conventional ATF's additive pack may have worn out and its TAN number is often too high long before its contaiminant threshold is reached, thus, is still no longer suitable for continued use. A synthetic ATF has better resistance to acid and often has a higher TBN to start out with, thus, has a longer lifespan.

Michael