Doug W.

Thanks guys. I have also been reviewing info. at BITOG and definitely a trend to not heavily use the racing oil. If one is going to do a regular 3x1 every 20K miles or so, it seems like D4 will be quite satisfactory for non-abusive daily driving. know this may be heresy to some, but objectively my research thus far indicates you can probably do fine with Honda DW-1 if you are doing regular 3x1s in the same user environment (gasp!).

YungMoola15

What fluid type would you experts recommend on a 05 tl with 173k? (recently bought it)

MANswers

Hey guys,

I realize this is an old thread, but this is the only thread i see on this forum, thats full of good info.
I have a 2012 MDX with about 26K miles on it. Do you recommend RedLine D4 ATF or Amsoil's DW-1?
I guess Acura recommends DW-1 for the ATF, but i see a lot of ppl here use Racing Type F along with the mixture of D4, what are your recommendations for a SUV?

1KLRTOY

Redline D4/D6 the best ATF you can purchase

MANswers

thanks, but does this also apply for mdx?

1KLRTOY

It will work just fine

JuicyLarry

wait what?! OEM fluid causing failures?

Jboat

I was searching for other people's results with D4 on here. I'll chime in with my .02. 2004 Base TL. It had the factory recall additional cooling net added at 15,000 miles. I bought it from the original owner and got all dealer service records which indicated a transmission drain and fill at 30,000 (Z1).

The car had 77,000 miles when I got it. I researched the issues and addressed them immediately. I replaced the 3rd and 4th gear switches and did a progressive 3x3 with Redline D4.

I am now at 94,000 miles and have done an additional 1x3 with D4. My observations are the car shifts firm and crisp when hard on the throttle. With easy light throttle acceleration the shifts are hardly felt. I should also mention that I've replaced all 3 motor mounts and the upper trans mount, which really smoothed out the ride...

I'm just wondering if I should stick with D4 on my next 1x3, or maybe add 1 qt of lightweight...I'm happy with how it shifts now.

avs007

If you drive spiritedly, don't ever let the car downshift from 4 into 2 (ie: don't floor it while in 4th gear at < 45mph). That will cause the tranny to drag the 3rd gear clutch pack, which is actually the main cause of the tranny failures on the 5AT. (The recall for the oil jets, didn't do squat to fix anything)

If you want to drive spiritedly in this situation, use manual mode, and shift into 3rd first, before shifting into 2nd. The more 4-2 shifts the ECU does, the sooner your tranny will fail, regardless how many times you flush the fluid with Redline D4, and regardless how times you replace the pressure switches. Take it from me, I've done regular 3x3 every 20k miles with D4, and replaced the pressure switches regularly, but that didn't prevent me from needing to to replace my tranny twice.

mc1114

So the lag that happens during the shift, or extended shift thats felt, is non existent?

Jboat

The only time I have ever felt any lag shifting is when I am either ascending or descending a hill, which is a built in feature. Otherwise it shifts perfectly between gears. I notice that on light throttle it will shift into 5th at exactly 47mph every time...

I did the switches and D4 as a preventative measure, not because I was having any symptoms...I really love this car and hope to keep it for a long time, so I am doing whatever I can to keep it going!...

I never floor the throttle from 4th to 2nd and am a pretty conservative driver. I will do he occasional burst from 0-60 though...

mc1114

Im talking about the typical Honda automatic "slow" shifts, that seem to take forever transitioning from one gear to the next, and arent quick. Have noticed this in every 7G Accord I've had in the past, and now with my TL-S. Wanting to find out if Redline improves this

No problems with mine either, and it behaves the same way you described. The "slow" shifts are just kinda annoying. I've also owned many Toyotas and their transmissions shift "quicker"

Jboat

I think my shifts are pretty firm and snappy. I've never felt any sluggish shifts at all. I'd definitely recommend trying out the D4.

I went ahead a took a video for comparison. First one I'm about 1/2 throttle, second one about quarter throttle...

http://s6.photobucket.com/user/jboat...231AD.mp4.html

909C0033-4447-44A4-98B8-8419C25231AD.mp4 Video by jboat | Photobucket

mc1114

I will seriously consider the D4 when its time to service the transmission again. I came from the Accord world where no one seems to use anything except DW1. Im a believer in OEM transmission fluid, but if D4 will make the shifts snappier, I'll be glad to try it out. And from everything I've read, its perfectly safe to use

nist7

When I did the ATF change out since I bought the car 1 year ago it was all DW1. Then I discovered threads like these and a great website that really showed the superiority of D4. I'll be doing a 1x3 with the Redline D4 at each oil change next year and slowly convert the entire trans into D4.

Now with that said.

I think the main reason why there's lot of failures is partially Honda's fault. They barely have adequate ATF servicing intervals in their manuals (something like 60K, or just look at the MID lights) and there's no mention of filter change.

My car I bought at 160k and the ATF was quite dark and the ATF filter totally destroyed/gunky as hell. So I did immediate ATF and atf filter change with the switch changes.

If someone else who was not as savvy would've bought the car they would've been driving it like that for god knows how many miles....and no wonder trans will start to fail soon or near 200k.

So I think if you are very meticulous and frequent changes DW1 may be OKAY option...but we are enthusiasts so might as well get the superior product to totally minimize trans blowing up.

I'm hoping mine can last to 300k!

http://www.brisdance.com/Honda/Redline.html

Chad05TL

I have just done another single Drain and Fill.. like 3x1 ... since my fluid was not brown or black or dirty. But I have been shifting the mixture back toward DW1 . And I think I like it better with DW1. I also just cleaned the air filter at the same time I did this, and I am not sure if it is the air filter or the DW1 or BOTH, but it sure runs good. Lot more power.. It wants to Grunt hard with power. Like the cylinders are hitting hard. And I can feel the difference. love it,. 86k miles now..

TLover1

Totally agree. Nice smooth yet quick shifts.

ShaunMMX

I know that this hasn't been replied too forever but as a person who's highly interested in the 3rd Gen Acura TL, hoping to snag a 07 or new but won't mind a 2006 model either. So using Redline D4/D6 would be the best for these cars or Amsoil?
I love these cars and I really want it to last when I do buy one, I was actually close buying a 2003 Type S before I found out they had so many tranny problems, curious to know if there's any thing besides the AV6 swap with be viable.

mb.3g

bump from the dead. I'm sure someone with a better knowledge on the topic can advise as well.

This subject will require some background knowledge which you can find here: https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...ng-atf-834299/

This is a pretty technical topic so I apologize ahead of time for this gets complicated. DW-1 will be fine to use for regular use. Unless you plan on turning your TL into a performance oriented car you will be fine using OEM Honda DW-1 fluid. For reference the DW-1 is the updated ATF formula from Honda and replaces the Z1 fluid.

The DW-1 and Z1 before it (from my limited understanding) promote clutch wear for the different clutches in the 5AT. Customers prefer smooth gear changes so Honda added "friction modifiers' to allow the trans to actually "slip" into gear smoothly. This promotes wear and tear but gives smooth shifts. With the Redline Racing ATF fluid it does not contain these "friciton modifiers". This makes for less smooth and louder operation but will help make the transmission last a long time. However there is a sweet spot: too much racing fluid and your trans will fail; too little and the protection and performance increases won't be present. Another benefit of switching is the increased performance for some of us that are using forced induction. I do not have any experience with Amsoil's ATF fluid.

Hope this helps

hondeducation

what the..?? honda dw-1 promotes wear and tear for the smoother shifting feel?? uhhhh... i’d rather not want that with my 170k tranny! so i take it, doing a full redline d4 3x3 is best for longevity... right?

Waffeey

Yes, in my experience running D4 stiffened up the shifts like the post above says which is what you want for longevity of the clutches. The color of my transmission fluid would blacken after about 10k miles with DW-1 and after 10k miles on D4 it looks pretty much brand new.

hondeducation

hmmmm.... ok, d4 it is then. thanks i'll report back!

1KLRTOY

What you want is a mix of Redline, 65% racing and 35% D4/D6. Look for the post that gives the mix ratio, and replace the switches.

twigglius

iTrader: (6)

D6 is very thin. That would be your only concern. Better to stick with d4. I can post more on all my mixtures later, but at work atm.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

I have a 4G which has a different transmission. I did a 4qt drain and refill with 2qts. of Redline lightweight racing and 2qts of Redline regular racing. That means I'm at about 50% Redline Racing and 50% DW-1. The spec manual says the non-SH-AWD holds 7.9 U.S. quarts. If I do another drain and fill that will put me at 75% racing and 25% DW-1. Maybe I'll do a drain and refill with D6 (D4 is too thick for the 4G transmission) and see if that makes a difference.