I hate cars

You guys are doing a 3X3 on a manual trans? A 1X3 should get 95% of the fluid out. It's not like an auto where half the fluid is in the convertor and you can't get to it.

RjG2

I am thinking of changing the tranny fluid on my 05 during my next oil change and was wondering if the the filter has to be changed also. I only ask because my sister has an 05 accord and I remember her telling me that she did not have to change the filter.

myron

iTrader: (4)

so 1x3 is good enough for the MT?

Majofo

yes sir..

01tl4tl

MT should drain all the fluid- let it drip with the fill plug removed for air
then refill the correct amount- not over- that causes foaming and is bad for the fluid.
Heat expansion can even push some thru the vent!

lusid

what is average cost for 3x3 in just materials alone?

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

12 quarts x $10 a quart = $120 plus tax....unless u get it off ebay and which is $70 + shipping....

I asked my dealer the price match and I had a hook up.....so ended up getting 12 quarts for $75 including tax

I hate cars

That's why a premium synthetic is a no-brainer. You're paying the same or less for a synthetic than for a worse than average fluid.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

am at 110K....never changed the trans filter....and was thinking of switching to amsoil ATF but well i think that is a thinner oil right !!!!

well i switch 3 quarts of ATF every 12-15K miles (started at 80K miles)....am changing my tranny filter this time around (for the first time; which one is a good filter....the only options i found was BECK/ARNLEY or ACDELCO).....and am switching the tranny sensor 3rd and 4th (even thow my car shifts fine, do i really need to switch this out ??? and will i need to take my tranny out, or will i be able to just switch it out from top ???)

Looking into all this do u recommend switching to Amsoil ATF ???

I hate cars

Amsoil actually has 3 ATFs out right now. There's ATD, ATF, and ATx- not sure of the last letter. The last one is the thin one, ATF is pretty close to Z1 and ATD like I'm using is a little thicker.

I really want to try Redline D4 but it would be changing fluids just to change since I have no reason to change for a long time.

The only fluids I have experience with are Amsoil's ATF and ATD. I ran ATF for about 15,000 miles and then switched to the more robust ATD for my hot climate and sometimes harsh driving style. I like the shifts better with ATD but either will work well. One note, ATD is not approved for use in Honda transmission but I do have over 50,000 miles on it.

Not sure on the filter, I've never researched it. I would assume Honda would be the best but that's only a guess.

The solenoids surely aren't necessary if it's shifting fine. Though mine seemed like it shifted ok until I replaced them and I realized how bad it was shifting before.

The real benefit of the synthetic fluids is you don't have to drain and refill every 10K or so. They will go 50K easily.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

i called my dealership and spoke to my service writer (also a good friend) and i was amazed when he said "your car doesnt have a tranny filter" but i remember in a thread of urs, you are talking about changing tranny filter and some other people have done it.....well so i went to rockauto and found some there.....

guess am sticking to ATF-Z1 !!!

About tranny pressure sensor...i use the manual mode 100% of the times....seriously.....so i think i will wait on those....but still i want the crispier shift feeling so i might now....LOL....damn this dilemma

I hate cars

Why would you stick with the Z1?

The solenoids control shift timing regardless of maual or auto mode. It seems like the first symptom is a bump shift followed by a shudder if the bumpshift isn't taken care of. Harsh downshifts are another symptom.

Mine seems to respond a little quicker in manual mode and it's much, much softer on downshifts yet just as quick.

01tl4tl

not a trans filter like a chevy has- with it inside the oil pan

The TL has a screw in external filter for the trans, not normally replaced per the book schedule--but the maitenance book vs the reality of these cars on the road- way different!

gen2 has been replacing this filter part and a couple of sensors to keep an old trans going, relieve symptoms,,or keep a new one going strong for a long time

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ 2 masters helping me out

so how tough is it to change the tranny filter on the 3G TL 5AT

01tl4tl

it should be external on the side of the trans- fairly easy to do when changing auto trans fluid,
I'm guessing, as gen2 may differ on access

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

i hate cars....clear your inbox lol....pm coming thro !!!!

StonedCL

iTrader: (1)

If you drain 3 and fill 3 every 10-15K miles you should be fine...The dealers when you do tranny fluid service (which they charge about $100) they only drain 3 and fill 3 they NEVER do a 3X3, a 3x3 is a overhaul!

01tl4tl

according to the owner book-
the 3x3 is for when you added dex3 `in an emergency to top off system`
then you MUST do a 12 qt full exchange and washout of the fluid.. and get all honda stuff back in it

So if for some reason you find the trans fluid low--
A: something is wrong and
B: dont add anything but honda atf!
(exception for those on redline or other-you would add the same stuff)

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

^^^ well i support doing the 1x3 (just a drain and refill) every other oil change....some like 12-14K miles....

01tl4tl

when I get a trans that last that long- I will change the fluid lol

Majofo

ouch.. lol.

crzygosu87

iTrader: (4)

So I currently have around 38,000miles ... never flushed my tranny fluid ...

Amsoil ATF 3x3 sound appropriate? or Honda/Acura tranny fluid 3x3?

seems like everyone here has their own preference on management of the tranny fluid ... hmmm

jkim23

Amsoil cannot be purchased in stores. It can be bought online or through one of their "dealers."

I used Honda Z-1 ATF. I kind of think along the same lines as Turbonut. I don't know that Honda would purposely recommend a lower quality lubricant at the expense of their product longevity. If anything, Honda probably outsources the production of Z-1 to a third party and sticks their name on it.

Anyone used Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF? I used to use it on my old car (Nissan) and it worked great.

kev_400

Hi guys, i have a 2005 Acura TL Auto trans and i will be changing the 3rd and 4th pressure switches (thanks to other post that helped me figure out the blinking D indicator) and i also wanted to do a transmission flush. I'm the second owner of the vehicle so i have no idea if the tranny had been flushed before. Anyhow it has 117K miles, would you guys advise a 3x3 flush and what type transmission fluid should i use?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kev

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

Kev, I would vouch for Redline since I have been running it for 35K miles without an issue....I have 180K on my 2005 5AT....

I run Redline Transmission fluid and I mix the 2 fluid....I mix 2qts of Type F and 1qt of D4...


This is what I could do:
1> Drain the fluid
2> Replace the switches
3> Fill fresh fluid back in


also am sure you know what 3x3 means...3x3 is a drain and refill method and a flush is using a pump/machine....I would recommend a 3x3 over a flush...

kev_400

Thanks Swoosh. yeah, i was meaning the drain and refill and not flush.

Will do it this weekend and let you know how it goes.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

kev_400

Thanks Alot for your advice swoosh, I did the drain and refill this weekend along with changing the 3rd and 4th pressure switches, which were very easy. My car runs alot smoother now and there is no more blinking D indicator
Will do another drain and refill this weekend.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

not a problem Kev...remember, if the problem with the transmission has already begun, this wont help fix it but just cover it....

kev_400

I'm not sure if there is a problem with the tranny. it was just shifting rough and the pressure switches were bad. hopefully i wont encounter any more problems.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

I hope so as well

mvp2765

iTrader: (1)

Im wanting to do a 3x3 but hesitant on which ATF oil to choose . I'm not sure if the ATF has ever been changed but I bought the car with 70K miles a year and a half ago and it now has 88K. It's an 07 typeS.

The car was treated extremely well and was even running synthetic engine oil when I bought it. I figure it's time to do a ATF change since i've notice a few awkward downshifts and glitches (not often though) with the shifting. One thing is i rarely use manual mode, however, I push the car pretty hard.

Should i jump to synthetic and if so what are people running without issues? What's you reasoning Swoosh for 2 part type F & 1 part D4 ?

Thanks for any help. I tried reading through all of this thread and i'll keep searching.

Scottwax

No telling what you have in the transmission now but odds are it is Honda Z-1 if it has been a while since it was serviced. At the very least go with Honda DW-1 ATF. I noticed an immediate improvement in shift quality just doing a 1 x 3 so I did another one. Might want to do a 3 x 3 with DW-1, then the next few changes, go with Redline D4. That way you have pretty much all the Z-1 gone and Honda's much improved DW-1 and Redline D4 in your transmission.

rinconvtr

If you haven't done a drain/refill in ages, then do the 3X drain/drop without question.

Thereafter, do a 3qt drain/fill once a year or every 15k.

For the 4cy's, this is slight overkill.

For trans mated to V6 engines a 3qt refresh every 15k is a real good idea.

I have multiple ATF UOA's to back me up, although on Honda's. Contend Acura's are different? I would debate.

Timthetoolman

The shifting issues could be caused by pressure switches so change them right away! I would expect with bad switches the ATF could be worse (more clutch slip) than you think. My switches were causing barely noticeable issues around 80k and I did not know what was causing the problem until I hit 87k but it was getting progressively worse. Thanks to IHC post, I changed the switches, went with 3x3 Redline--the issues are gone-- and now at 105k the transmission still feels perfect. Before this the ATF was changed once at 60k (just a 1x3) with Z-1 (which was replaced with DW-1 years ago, i.e. Z-1 is no longer available).

When you change the fluid you will be surprised how bad it looks.

The pressure switch change is critical to transmission life on these transmissions!

aIRpeACE

iTrader: (2)

I completed the 3x3 drains as well as the pressure switches.

how often do i change the pressure switches and what do you guys mean by blinking D indicator?

Thanks

polobunny

Some people have a blinking D when the pressure switch(es) go bad.

Do it every 80K miles. The switches are worth ~70$ for both so it's a pretty cheap maintenance item.

Timthetoolman

My guess is that the pressure switches should be changed the lesser of every 60k or 6 years or less. Since I noticed the problem at about 80k miles and 8 years and it likely was causing problems before this, this is what I base this estimate on. My driving is a high percentage highway so those who drive more at lower speed or in very hot climate should reduce these numbers. In other words change the switches before they start reducing transmission life. If someone feels that this is too long to wait I would not argue with the logic.

The problem maybe caused by a combination of time and miles but I can't guess which of the two has more impact on switch life.

Does anyone know if dealer or other shops have finally realized that these switches need to be changed before problems occur and that some of the "bad transmission" problems are caused by these switches? Next time I'm at the dealer I will ask "what they do to maintain 3G TL transmissions".

Scottwax

The shop that rebuilt my transmission said that he hasn't seen a Honda/Acura automatic in his shop fail due to the pressure switches (and they do 190-220 Honda/Acura automatics a year according to him), if a Honda automatic goes, its something internal. I asked if the switches being out of calibration could cause enough slippage to result in internal failure and he said it's possible if it is bad enough, he just hasn't seen it personally and that it definitely wouldn't hurt to change them on a regular basis. He said the biggest key is regular fluid changes with a quality synthetic ATF and adding an external transmission cooler.

I hate cars

Most mechanics and builders are clueless. The switches are a huge contributor to clutch wear. I've explained it so many times on here. They should be replaced every 2 years regardless of mileage. The facts are out there including the measurements and proof that they get out of calibration and cause wear. Years ago when I discovered the problem, replacing the switches fixed tons of transmissions around here with the death shudder. Of course the failure shows up as an internal failure. The switches cause the drive by wore throttle closing timing to be off and excessive slippage on shifts especially at low throttle.

I'm surprised this is even debated still. Slow sloppy shifts under power cause clutch failure over time that will not look any different than normal clutch wear and tear. Once you experience the symptoms the damage has been done. I have a very good feel for transmissions, I was an advanced diagnostics and drivability expert at one time and I can begin feeling the shift timing being off after about 2 years on the switches. I'm on my 3rd set now.

A cooler is for extending fluid life. By using a synthetic the need for a cooler is almost eliminated. These transmissions don't run very hot, one of our members was nice enough to document tons of temp data from various sources under various conditions. The heat generated in the clutch packs from slow sloppy shifts is not controllable with a cooler.