What's the recommended Redline ATF to put in a 4G TL? Should I use all D4 or a mixture of D4, racing, and lightweight racing? My tranny shifts too quickly to higher gears and causes the engine RPM to drop to below 1,500, which causes sluggishness, vibrations, etc. Quite irritating to drive without being in Sport mode, unless I am at highway speeds and can keep the RPMs up. I had a 2004 Infiniti G35 that did the same thing and replacing the ATF fixed the issue. I'm hoping that will be the case with my TL.

 

Sadly the TL is designed to shift into as high of a gear as possible for the best MPG and lowest emissions. Wish changing the fluid would stop that issues but it won't.

I see you have a 2011, did you get the software update done on the Torque Converter to prevent damage? If not, warranty is now 10yrs/105K on it and you should get it done! Damage to the torque converter could be causing some vibrations, drone, etc

Redline D6 is the latest product that meets DW1 spec and is thinner than D4 so it flows better and gives better MPG vs D4.

Changing the fluid will give you a good improvement in shift quality!

 

Well that sucks. I remember someone else telling me that as well. Guess I'll be using Sport mode more exclusively.

Do you happen to know what the main cause of the noise is when the engine is at very low RPM in high gear? To me it sounds like heat shields rattling. I'm not sure if it's possible to replicate the sound with the vehicle on the lift.

 

Just ordered 9 quarts of Redline D6. FYI, Redline lists their D4 ATF as a replacement for the Honda AFT-Z1 fluid and D6 for Honda DW-61. My 2011 TL calls for DW-61 hence the reason I went with the D6.

 

...and I just realized csmeance already said D6 is the proper fluid. My fault.

 

I assume you mean Honda DW-1. There is no such fluid as Honda DW-61.
Using a different fluid will NOT allow your transmission to shift at different rpm.
It's also unlikely that the Redline fluid will improve the shift quality any more-or-less than a Honda fluid change.
But "unlikely" doesn't mean it won't ... post your results.

 

Yes, I meant DW-1. I just installed a system that uses a DQ-61 EQ, which is where the blunder came from.

 

It seems to get worse as the vehicle warms up. I had it in drive all the way to work and it was fine up until a few miles from work (15 mile trip). I slowed down from 45 mph to 15 mph and I swear it was still in 4th gear, maybe even 5th. I had to mash the pedal down more than usual to get it to downshift. That's why I was hoping maybe the tranny fluid is thinning out and affecting the behavior of the transmission.

 

...it's as if the lock-up clutch is engaging when it shouldn't. Isn't engagement of the lock-up clutch dictated by fluid pressure? If so, then it seems to me that worn out fluid could affect it's operation. I said this before and I'll say it again...I had a 2004 Infiniti G35 that exhibited similar behavior and fresh fluid solved the problem. I've noticed that when it happens, the engine fluctuates a few hundred RPMs, as if it's thinking of downshifting but changes it's mind, then thinks about it again, etc. It's only upon mashing the pedal down that it snaps out of it. Would a failing pressure switch cause these symptoms?

 

I want to be clear that when I slowed from 45 to 15 I coasted for a bit, then when I pressed slightly on the pedal to maintain speed the transmission was still in too high of a gear. I have to press the pedal a good amount to get it to downshift (or possible for the clutch to release?) then it accelerates fine. However, if I continue at the same low speed, the RPMs will drop again as if it upshifted or locked up again. Surely the transmission should not be in 4th or 5th gear when I'm going 15 to 20 mph.

 

So I paid closer attention on the drive home today and it is shifting into 3rd when I'm going 20 mph, 4th when I'm going as slow as 25 mph, and 5th when I'm going as slow as 45 mph. 4th gear at 25 mph is ridiculous and is causing the RPMs to dip to near 1,000.

 

That's how this transmission is. Mine will shift to 6th just before it hits 80kmh especially when I'm going easy on the throttle. I like it that way since I always try to maximise fuel efficiency. I used to get 940km on a full tank when I had a 104km commute to work every day a couple of years back with about 30% city and 70% highway.
Try disconnecting the battery for a bit and see if the transmission will relearn your driving pattern and shift more aggressively for you!

 

You guys have no idea what you are doing. Maybe go play some video games...

 

Finished the 3x3 drain/refill today. Haven't had a chance to drive it to see if there is any improvement. I'll report back after driving to work tomorrow. FYI, I got about 3.3 quarts of fluid per drain. The manual says 3, so if anyone is planning on changing their fluid, get an extra quart to compensate. Maybe it was because I had the front end up on ramps?

 

The 4G TL is actually two different groups when it comes to the auto transmission. You did not state (or I didn't see it) which one you have.
The transmissions are NOT close variants of one another, they are very different.
4G-A: 2009-2011 (5 speed auto transmission). External fluid cooler on SH-AWD. External filter behind torque convertor (must remove transmission to replace).
4G-B: 2012-2014 (6 speed auto transmission). External fluid cooler on All. External in-line (cooler line) filter.

My 2012 auto takes 4 quarts to fill after a drain. I've checked the fluid level after a drain/fill many times to verify.
All other Honda/Acura V6 5 speeds I've drained/filled have required ~3.5 quarts to show correct full level on dipstick. (Accords, TLs, and Odysseys).

 

As indicated in a previous post, it's a 2011, so 5-spd AT. Regardless, the FSM says 3 quarts, which is not accurate.

 

I've been running redline in my 2009 TL shawd for about 2 years now without any issues. I did 3x3 with a mix of racing, lightweight racing and D6 in a proportion that ensures I end up with similar viscosity as DW-1.

I haven't noticed any drastic improvements in performance. It did feel as if the transmission was shifting slightly faster than before possibly due to the reduced amount of friction modifiers in my new ATF mix.

I also changed the pressure switches though so that might have helped with improved shifting.

 

This is possibly my biggest disappointment with my TL. I like my filters replaced once in a while!

 

Just wanted to report back that changing the fluid did make a difference in how the transmission feels and even changed the shifting behavior. I've only driven it for a day since I changed the fluid, but there is a noticeable improvement. The vibrations I was getting at low RPMs (

 

Just wanted to report back that changing the fluid did make a difference in how the transmission feels and even changed the shifting behavior. I've only driven it for a day since I changed the fluid, but there is a noticeable improvement. The vibrations I was getting at low RPMs (<1300) when in higher gears at lower speeds have mostly subsided. It no longer feels like the engine is laboring, and it seems quicker to downshift when I give it a little more throttle. It also winds out the gears for a longer period of time before upshifting. For example, prior to the fluid change, if I was on a slight incline and barely accelerating, it would tend to upshift and the RPMs would drop too low, but now it holds the current gear and upshifts only when I'm up to speed. I also changed the differential fluid, but I'm not sure if that contributed to the improvement.

 

Day three of driving and I'm pretty happy. I no longer need to drive in Sport mode all of the time. I would highly recommend changing you ATF fluid if you are having any of the symptoms I was having.

 

what is the recommended schedule for tranny fluid change?

 

It's 120k for "normal" driving, but I would personally never wait that long. Think I'll be doing mine every 30k.

 

FYI, I did another 3-3/4 quart drain/refill this weekend and used Acura DW1 this go around as opposed to Redline D6. I haven't tested it fully, but it seems that the shift lag seems to have subsided.

 

Did you happen to notice the condition of your old fluid? Did it have any metal fragments in it?

Sure changing the fluid can help improve how the transmission shifts but as mentioned before it should have zero effect on shift points.

Disconnecting your battery will restore the default ECU settings and will also make your car feel more "responsive" until it re-learns how you drive and adjusts accordingly.

Chances are whatever improvements you are feeling are only temporary.

 

Does anyone know why there is a torque spec for the fill bolt on the transmission? It's 36 lb/ft. Since the bolt is on top of the transmission and doesn't take any load, I would think it wouldn't matter how hard you tighten it as long as it's snug.

 

My guess is there is a specific torque spec for every bolt on the car so you don't shear threads. I do recall the tranny fill bolt on my accord V6 being insanely tight on there, i just filled it from the dipstick hole

 

You are right, it's not under load. But I suspect the torque spec is high to guarantee it doesn't loosen with vibration. My dipstick tube is big enough to fill (slowly) though it. Some H/A V6 trans are not.

 

I just loosened mine to check it, and it was very tight, had to use a breaker bar. Then I tightened it back up to 36 lb/ft.

Not sure why it was so tight, did the previous person tighten it too hard, or does it get like that on its own if it hasn't been opened in a long time?

Anyways I don't see any advantage of pouring it thru the dipstick, the fill bolt is easily accessible, you just need a long funnel which I have.

Just bought 3 liters of ATF-DW1 ($11 per bottle), I will drain and refill it this weekend.

 

Didn't pay too much attention, but it looked like 65k-mile-old fluid

I didn't say it changed the shift points. I said it seems to have eliminated the shift lag.