Honda Car Forum

89 civic automatic. I want to tranny fluid change. The best time to change
according to the manual saying the tranny must be hot so that fluid
coming out well. Well my tranny is rarely get hot because I don't drive
much. Is cold Tranny fluid change not recommend? Can I drain the tranny
fluid for many hours to let all fluid out?

Red Cloud wrote:

> 89 civic automatic. I want to tranny fluid change. The best time to change
> according to the manual saying the tranny must be hot so that fluid
> coming out well. Well my tranny is rarely get hot because I don't drive
> much. Is cold Tranny fluid change not recommend? Can I drain the tranny
> fluid for many hours to let all fluid out?

Why not take it out for a drive before doing it? It'll come out a lot
easier if its warm. BTW - use Honda ATF if you can get it.

mmdir2002@yahoo.co.uk (Red Cloud) spake unto the masses in
news:1c9e1197.0403032216.557a4a64@posting.google.c om:

> 89 civic automatic. I want to tranny fluid change. The best time to
> change according to the manual saying the tranny must be hot so that
> fluid coming out well. Well my tranny is rarely get hot because I
> don't drive much. Is cold Tranny fluid change not recommend? Can I
> drain the tranny fluid for many hours to let all fluid out?
>


It never will. Some is always inside the torque converter. The drain is
basically finished after a minute or so.

Let the car stay cold. It's not like engine oil where you're trying to get
all the water and combustion contaminants out.

From another post, here is the method I use, which I started with our
automatic Toyotas:

"As far as capacity goes, the manual would likely not be accurate anyway.
Neither the Tercel's nor the MR2's was.

What I did with the Tercel and MR2 was to get two one-gallon windshield-
washer fluid bottles. I rinsed them out, then refilled them with water
using a measuring cup. Each pint, I made a mark on the side with a
permanent marker, labelling them as I went. One jug I called OLD, the other
NEW. Then I left them upside-down to dry overnight.

When I did the drain, after it stopped dripping, I poured the contents of
the oil pan into the OLD jug and made a note of the exact amount. I then
added exactly that amount into the NEW jug, and refilled with that. Works
perfectly. I did need to add eight ounces afterwrads, which turned out to
be the span between the ADD and FULL marks on the dipstick.

The contents of the OLD jug get transferred to a different jug for
disposal, that way I can keep the one with the marks on the side.

Now I just use the jugs every time I do a drain and fill, which is every
second engine oil change."

--
TeGGeR®

y_p_w <y_p_w@hotmail.com> spake unto the masses in
news:qqA1c.18534$yZ1.17705@newsread2.news.pas.eart hlink.net:

>
>
> Red Cloud wrote:
>
>> 89 civic automatic. I want to tranny fluid change. The best time to
>> change according to the manual saying the tranny must be hot so that
>> fluid coming out well. Well my tranny is rarely get hot because I
>> don't drive much. Is cold Tranny fluid change not recommend? Can I
>> drain the tranny fluid for many hours to let all fluid out?
>
> Why not take it out for a drive before doing it? It'll come out a lot
> easier if its warm. BTW - use Honda ATF if you can get it.
>
>


You'll also get a lot less out if you start it first, since it takes a
while to drip down from the innards into the oil pan. Don't start the car.
Tranny oil is pretty thin already and flows well from cold, even in the
winter.


--
TeGGeR®

"Red Cloud" <mmdir2002@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1c9e1197.0403032216.557a4a64@posting.google.c om...
> 89 civic automatic. I want to tranny fluid change. The best time to change
> according to the manual saying the tranny must be hot so that fluid
> coming out well. Well my tranny is rarely get hot because I don't drive
> much. Is cold Tranny fluid change not recommend? Can I drain the tranny
> fluid for many hours to let all fluid out?

I wouldn't drain it at all...you only get about 20% of the total fluid out.
The fluid behind the pump and converter will never drain out.

Take it to a lube shop, and have it pressure changed. This is done with the
car running, and gets 100% of the fluid changed. Prices around here start at
$59.

--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/

But unless is a Honda shop, they won't use honda fluids.

"Netsock" <netsock@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:c2785j$ag9$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu...
> "Red Cloud" <mmdir2002@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1c9e1197.0403032216.557a4a64@posting.google.c om...
> > 89 civic automatic. I want to tranny fluid change. The best time to
change
> > according to the manual saying the tranny must be hot so that fluid
> > coming out well. Well my tranny is rarely get hot because I don't drive
> > much. Is cold Tranny fluid change not recommend? Can I drain the tranny
> > fluid for many hours to let all fluid out?
>
> I wouldn't drain it at all...you only get about 20% of the total fluid
out.
> The fluid behind the pump and converter will never drain out.
>
> Take it to a lube shop, and have it pressure changed. This is done with
the
> car running, and gets 100% of the fluid changed. Prices around here start
at
> $59.
>
> --
> -Netsock
>
> "It's just about going fast...that's all..."
> http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/
>
>

"Samuel" <shill025@home.com> wrote in message
news:NlH1c.34538$qo.14921@fe1.texas.rr.com...
> But unless is a Honda shop, they won't use honda fluids.

"Honda fluids" are just dressed up regular fluid, marked up to a higher
price.

Any quality SAE fluid will perform as well as "Honda fluid", and it does not
effect the warranty.

--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/

Red Cloud wrote:
> 89 civic automatic. I want to tranny fluid change. The best time to change
> according to the manual saying the tranny must be hot so that fluid
> coming out well. Well my tranny is rarely get hot because I don't drive
> much. Is cold Tranny fluid change not recommend? Can I drain the tranny
> fluid for many hours to let all fluid out?

====================

Red Cloud,

I disagree with a couple of the answers you've gotten so far.

1. The reason you're supposed to change the fluid with the unit HOT
(warmed up is a better way of saying it) is to guarantee that a bunch of
crud isn't sitting on the bottom (picture the chocolate in chocolate
milk). A short drive will get that stuff into suspension, and it will go
out with the fluid you're able to drain. I drain it for five minutes,
then start it and run it thru the gears for 15 seconds and a bunch more
comes out.

2. Honda fluid is the exact same stuff you can buy in any automotive
store, except, it has certain friction aditives that make honda trannies
work BETTER, and probably longer. Trannies are SO expensive, why not
spend a few more bucks for the peace of mind (it's not like we're giving
the Honda dealer lots of money all year long, like Volvo dealers get,
right?)


'Curly'

"'Curly Q. Links'" <motsco__@interbaun.com> wrote in message
news:404749DE.4050106@interbaun.com...

> 2. Honda fluid is the exact same stuff you can buy in any automotive
> store, except, it has certain friction aditives that make honda trannies
> work BETTER, and probably longer. Trannies are SO expensive, why not
> spend a few more bucks for the peace of mind (it's not like we're giving
> the Honda dealer lots of money all year long, like Volvo dealers get,
> right?)

Our university did analysis, and studies on engine oils, transmission
fluids, and hydraulic fluids.

The "Honda" brand transmission fluid was molecularly IDENTICAL to other name
brand fluids. Same goes with Toyota.

There were no "additives" whatsoever.

--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/

Obviously you don't know what you are talking about.

"Netsock" <netsock@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:c27g04$b8i$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu...
> "Samuel" <shill025@home.com> wrote in message
> news:NlH1c.34538$qo.14921@fe1.texas.rr.com...
> > But unless is a Honda shop, they won't use honda fluids.
>
> "Honda fluids" are just dressed up regular fluid, marked up to a higher
> price.
>
> Any quality SAE fluid will perform as well as "Honda fluid", and it does
not
> effect the warranty.
>
> --
> -Netsock
>
> "It's just about going fast...that's all..."
> http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/
>
>